Hospitals in "rough waters": the effects of a flood disaster on organisational change.
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TextLanguage: ENG Publication details: 1975Description: 337p., 77 refs, 3 figs, 3 appendices, 12 diagsReport number: AcademicSubject: Disaster researchSubject: Flood analysisSubject: HospitalsSubject: Natural disastersSubject: Organizational changeSubject: This study had the dual objective to : (1) document the effects of natural disasters on general hospitals, and (2) to develop a theoretical model of organisational change and then empirically examine this model. The central theoretical question focused on the nature of organisational change and the effect of a disaster on organisational structures. Four general hospitals within one United States community were studied. This community experienced a major flood disaster, and two of these hospitals were inundated by the flood waters. A qualitative methodology was employed in order to test the basic proposition that changes in an organisation's environment result in structural changes in that organisation. In accord with the longitudinal design, the data collection spanned a twenty-two month period. Each of the observed changes is examined with respect to the organisational structure in which it occurs, characterised through dimensions of change, and explained by an organisational problem-solving process. Data is used as support for an open-system model of organisational change. The data show substantial support for a relationship between changes in the environment and structural changes in complex organisations. Pertinent comparisons were made of these associations between the flooded hospitals and those which were not flooded. Some interesting anomalies are noted and examined with respect to the duration of the changes in these organisations. The results are presented through descriptive analyses of each case. The research concludes with a re-examination of the model, which provides suggestions for theoretical expansion and further empirical verification.
| Item type | Current library | Collection | Call number | Status | Date due | Barcode | |
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Books
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Australian Emergency Management Library | BOOK | 302.35 BLA (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | Available | 004637809 |
Disaster research
Flood analysis
Hospitals
Natural disasters
Organizational change
This study had the dual objective to : (1) document the effects of natural disasters on general hospitals, and (2) to develop a theoretical model of organisational change and then empirically examine this model. The central theoretical question focused on the nature of organisational change and the effect of a disaster on organisational structures. Four general hospitals within one United States community were studied. This community experienced a major flood disaster, and two of these hospitals were inundated by the flood waters. A qualitative methodology was employed in order to test the basic proposition that changes in an organisation's environment result in structural changes in that organisation. In accord with the longitudinal design, the data collection spanned a twenty-two month period. Each of the observed changes is examined with respect to the organisational structure in which it occurs, characterised through dimensions of change, and explained by an organisational problem-solving process. Data is used as support for an open-system model of organisational change. The data show substantial support for a relationship between changes in the environment and structural changes in complex organisations. Pertinent comparisons were made of these associations between the flooded hospitals and those which were not flooded. Some interesting anomalies are noted and examined with respect to the duration of the changes in these organisations. The results are presented through descriptive analyses of each case. The research concludes with a re-examination of the model, which provides suggestions for theoretical expansion and further empirical verification.
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