In this thesis, we examine the administrative responses
by Ontario hospitals to fiscal restraint between 1977 and
1984. Using the conceptual 'model' of organizational change
developed in James Thompson's Organizations in Action
[1967], we predict that the most significant adaptations
occurred in hospitals' administrative components, while
"core" activities such as medical procedures remained
relatively inflexible. More importantly, the observed
changes in administrative tasks and activities can be
accounted for by the role played by administrators in
maintaining internal order and dealing with external
contingencies. Accordingly, the greatest adaptations will
be in how the administrative component assesses the
performance cf "core" activities and communicates this to an
external funding agency (i.e. Ministry of Health).
We find that the empirical data collected is consistent
with our predictions. As a result, we conclude that
hospital adaptation during this time period was explicitly
related to renewing the political conditions necessary for
organizational growth. Moreover, we suggest that the
organizational logic of fiscal restraint does not affect how
hospitals perform medical activities, but rather, further
entrenches this technology through the adoption of
standardized funding formulae. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:mcmaster.ca/oai:macsphere.mcmaster.ca:11375/24189 |
| Date | 07 1900 |
| Creators | Wray, Ronald M. |
| Contributors | Carroll, Barbara, Political Science |
| Source Sets | McMaster University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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