Health Administration Systems, Policy, and Management

Publisher Summary Academics and practicing managers and executives continually search for methodologies and concepts that will help them develop their organizations, including the planning and policymaking work that contributes to efficiency and effectiveness. This chapter discusses the use of the Kast and Rosenzweig systems and contingency model for teaching and practice in organizational analysis and planning, management policy, and organizational development. The need for an organizational model for graduate students and field-based managers and executives is identified. The teaching and practice uses of the model in four areas are organizational analysis, organizational planning, management policymaking, and organizational development. The use of the model indicates its contribution to growing systems thinking managers and students in a wide variety of courses and field projects. Other faculty and consultants may choose other models to work with, but some model must be selected to help to surface assumptions and guide analysis, planning, policy, and development.