The Impact of Service Distinction on Durable Competitive Advantage: An Investigation in Private Hospital Outpatient Units During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled hospitals to sustain their competitive edge in delivering healthcare services, with service differentiation being a key factor in maintaining this advantage. This research aims to evaluate how service differentiation impacts a hospital's ability to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research, conducted in 2020, is a quantitative descriptive study involving 204 outpatients at Aisyiyah Bojonegoro Hospital. The survey was carried out online using Google Forms and achieved a response rate of 31.2%. The data were analyzed using linear regression. The findings indicate that service differentiation positively influences sustainable competitive advantage (p = 0.00). According to the study, during the COVID-19 pandemic, patients tend to prefer hospitals that offer distinct services.