HOSPITAL AND NURSE ADMINISTRATORS' PERCEPTION OF POLITICAL ACTIVITY IN THE HOSPITAL SETTING.
Contributors: Columbia University. Teachers College.
Published: 1986
Number of pages: 156
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect the presence of three variables (technical and organizational uncertainty, importance to the larger organization and salience for a subgroup) had on the perceived level of political activity experienced by hospital and nurse administrators. Decision making situations were characterized by high and low uncertainty. Since power and political activity are closely aligned, the researcher chose these three variables because they were found to be closely linked to both in the organizational literature. This study investigated whether these variables could be identified with political activity in the hospital organizational system in relation to a selected decision.

The data collected were based on forty decision making situations obtained from interviews with administrators in ten hospitals. Data on the selected decision situations were obtained by a second set of questionnaires administered to as many decision participants as possible. Results were analyzed using bivariate and multiple regression equations. The sample size was N = 142 respondents.

The results from the data indicate that there is a strong positive relationship between the variables. It appears that in this sample, as the uncertainty, importance, and salience of a situation increase, the political activity also increases. Uncertainty had the highest correlation with political activity and was the single best predictor of it. The contingency model proposed in this study (the amount of technical and organizational uncertainty, importance to the organization, and salience involved in a decision affect the level of political activity used) has been strengthened with the acceptance of the study hypotheses. The data have shown that there is a higher perceived level of political activity exhibited in high uncertainty situations than in low uncertainty situations. The results provide evidence to support the relationships between these variables and power and political activity found in the literature. These relationships can now be said to be confirmed in the hospital setting.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-06, Section: B, page: 2371.

Thesis (ED.D.)--COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE, 1986.

School code: 0055.