Hospital Performance: Analyzing Power and Goals.

Three types of hospitals that deliver short-term health care are discussed in terms of several different models of hospital behavior. The structure-specialization model emphasized hospital control structure as a determinant of goal emphasis, while the exchange model stressed the interdependencies between the organization and essential resource suppliers in its environment. In so far as the models differed, the exchange model was supported by aggregate data (obtained from the American Hospital Association). Additionally, a competence model emphasizing the possibility that certain hospital types may perform relatively well on several dimensions was partially confirmed. Suggestions are forwarded for future research along these lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]