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Executive succession in health care organizations

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Abstract

The nature and duration of executive succession was studied by means of in-depth interviews with 19 hospital executives. Succession began before the first day on the job and increased in length according to type of hospital. Executive succession averaged 11 months over-all, but was much shorter in pre-paid health plan hospitals and much longer in private non-profit hospitals; county and VA hospitals were closer to the mean. Hospital size and M.D. non-M.D. status did not appear to be important factors in succession length. The results are discussed in terms of the nature of the executive role and various contextual variables.

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This article was presented in part at the annual meeting of the American College of Mental Health Administration, Estes Park, Colorado, October 1982. Requests for reprints may be addressed to Gordon D. Strauss at 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90024.

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Strauss, G.D., Kohler, T. Executive succession in health care organizations. Administration in Mental Health 11, 23–35 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00843169

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