Survival of the Fittest? The Democratization of Hospital Administration in Quebec

Type of resource
Author/collaborator
Title
Survival of the Fittest? The Democratization of Hospital Administration in Quebec
Abstract
In 1973 Quebec "democratized" its hospital boards of directors by replacing their traditional lay community or religious members with individuals more representative of the hospitals' major interest groups. In the province's English-speaking hospitals, patients, community organizations, physicians and nonprofessional hospital employees elected representatives to boards that were formerly comprised mostly of business executives. After a brief description of the social organization of the former "elite" boards and their role in the distribution of power within hospitals, the author demonstrates how the "elite" board members and hospital administrators retained control despite "democratization." Several theoretical explanations for this outcome are critically examined in the light of these empirical findings. One suggestion is that the "elite" administration survived democratization because it was "fitter" in terms of ability to influence the hospitals' major economic and political constraints.
Publication
International Journal of Health Services
Volume
Vol. 14
Issue
no. 3
Pages
397-412
Date
1984
Language
en
Citation
Eakin, Joan M. “Survival of the Fittest? The Democratization of Hospital Administration in Quebec.” International Journal of Health Services Vol. 14, no. 3 (1984): 397–412.
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