Definition
Hospital governance represents a term relatively complex to define. Indeed, by identifying a process-focused notion, research has recognized the existence of different levels of governance as well as of two main components (Sarto et al. 2014; Saltman et al. 2011). Specifically, literature claims the presence of three levels of hospital governance: macro, meso, and micro. The former is related with the national government decisions influencing and affecting the overall structure of a national health service in terms of financing and number/type of organizations. Differently, the meso (and intermediate) level of hospital governance is concerned with the decision-making at the hospital organizational level and identifies the governing...
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aidemark, L. G., & Lindkvist, L. (2004). The vision gives wings. A study of two hospitals run as limited companies. Management Accounting Research, 15(3), 305–318.
Alexander, J., & Morlock, L. (1985). Multi-institutional arrangements: Relationships between governing boards and hospital chief executive officers. Health Services Research, 19(6), 675–699.
Alexander, J., Fennell, M. L., & Halpern, M. T. (1993). Leadership instability the influence hospitals: Relations of board-CEO and organizational growth and decline. Administrative Science Quarterly, 38(1), 74–99.
Alexander, J., Lee, S.-Y. D., Wang, V., & Margolin, F. (2009). Changes in the monitoring and oversight practices of not-for-profit hospital governing boards 1989–2005: Evidence from three national surveys. Medical Care Research and Review, 66(2), 181–196.
Bai, G. (2013). How do Board size and occupational background of directors influence social performance in for-profit and non-profit organizations? Evidence from California hospitals. Journal of Business Ethics, 118(1), 171–187.
Bai, G., & Krishnan, R. (2015). Do hospitals without physicians on the board deliver lower quality of care? American Journal of Medical Quality, 30(1), 58–65.
Barnett, P., Perkins, R., & Powell, M. (2001). On a hiding to nothing? Assessing the corporate governance of hospital and health services in New Zealand 1993–1998. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 16(2), 139–154.
Bodenheimer, T., & Fernandez, A. (2005). High and rising health care costs. Part 4: Can costs be controlled. Annals of Internal Medicine, 143(1), 26–31.
Brickley, J. A., & Van Horn, R. L. (2002). Managerial incentives in nonprofit organizations: Evidence from hospitals. The Journal of Law and Economics, 45(1), 227–249.
Brickley, J. A., Van Horn, R. L., & Wedig, G. J. (2010). Board composition and nonprofit conduct: Evidence from hospitals. Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 76(2), 196–208.
Capasso, A., & Pascarella, G. (2011). L’azienda Sanitaria. Innovazione tecnologica, evoluzione organizzativa e governo clinico. Milano: Francoangeli.
Catuogno, S., Arena, C., Saggese, S., & Sarto F. (2017). Balanced performance measurement in research hospitals: The participative case study of a haematology department. BMC Health Services Research,17(1), 522–532.
Cuccurullo, C., & Lega, F. (2013). Effective strategizing practices in pluralistic settings: The case of Academic Medical Centers. Journal of Management and Governance, 17(3), 609–629.
Daily, C. M., Dalton, D. R., & Cannella, A. A. J. (2003). Corporate governance: Decades of dialogue and data. Academy of Management Review, 28(3), 371–382.
Del Vecchio M. (2006), Nuove tendenze nelle strutture di governo: Interpretazioni e riflessioni a margine di un documento della Regione Emilia Romagna. In E. Anessi Pessina, & E. Cantù (Eds.), Rapporto OASI 2006. L’aziendalizzazione della sanità in Italia. Milano: EGEA.
Denis, J. L., Lamothe, L., & Langley, A. (2001). The dynamics of collective leadership and strategic change in pluralistic organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 44(4), 809–837.
Dorgan, S., Layton, D., Bloom, N., Homkes, R., Sadun, R., & Van Reenen, J. (2010). Management in healthcare: Why good practice really matters. London: McKinsey and and LSE (CEP).
Eeckloo, K., Van Herck, G., Van Hulle, C., & Vleugels, A. (2004). From corporate governance to hospital governance. Authority, transparency and accountability of Belgian non-profit hospitals’ board and management. Health Policy, 68(1), 1–15.
Eeckloo, K., Delesie, L., & Vleugels, A. (2007). Where is the pilot? The changing shapes of governance in the European hospital sector. The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health, 127(2), 78–86.
Erwin, C. O., Landry, A. Y., Livingston, A. C. & Dias, A. (2019) Effective governance and hospital boards revisited: reflections on 25 years of research. Medical Care Research and Review, 76(2), 131–166.
Falcone, R. E., & Satiani, B. (2008). Physician as hospital chief executive officer. Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, 42(1), 88–94.
Fisher, E. S., Staiger, D. O., Bynum, J. P. W., & Gottlieb, D. J. (2007). Creating accountable care organizations: The extended hospital medical staff. Health Affairs, 26(1), w44–w57.
Flannigan, A., & Power, P. (2008). Health care governance: Introduction. Australian Health Review, 32, 7–9.
Ford-Eickhoff, K., Plowman, D. A., & McDaniel, R. R. (2011). Hospital boards and hospital strategic focus: The impact of board involvement in strategic decision making. Health Care Management Review, 36(2), 145–154.
Glouberman, S., & Mintzberg, H. (2001). Managing the care of health and the cure of disease – Part II: Integration. Health Care Management Review, 26(1), 70–84.
Golden, B. R., & Zajac, E. J. (2001). When will boards influence strategy? Inclination x power = strategic change. Strategic Management Journal, 22(12), 1087–1111.
Goodall, A. H. (2011). Physician-leaders and hospital performance: Is there an association? Social Science and Medicine, 73(4), 535–539.
Gorsky, M. (2008). Community involvement in hospital governance in Britain: Evidence from before the National Health Service. International Journal of Health Services Planning Administration Evaluation, 38(4), 751–771.
Grant, R. M. (1996). Toward a knowledge-based theory of the firm. Strategic Management Journal, 17(S2), 109–122.
Gunderman, R., & Kanter, S. L. (2009). Perspective: Educating physicians to lead hospitals. Academic Medicine, 84(10), 1348–1351.
Ham, C., & Dickinson, H. (2008). Engaging doctors in leadership: What we can learn from international experience and research evidence? Coventry: NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham.
Hamilton, D. (2008). The challenge of sustainable hospital building. Frontiers of Health Services Management, 25(1), 33–36.
Hood, C. (1991). A public management for all seasons? Public Administration, 69(1), 3–19.
Huse, M. (2007). Boards, governance and value creation. The human side of corporate governance. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Jarzabkowski, P., & Fenton, E. (2006). Strategizing and organizing in pluralistic contexts. Long Range Planning, 39(6), 631–648.
Jiang, H. J., Lockee, C., Bass, K., & Fraser, I. (2009). Board oversight of quality: Any differences in process of care and mortality? Journal of Healthcare Management, 54(1), 15–30.
Judge, W., & Zeithaml, C. (1992). An empirical comparison between the board’s strategic role in nonprofit hospitals and in for-profit industrial firms. Health Services Research, 27(1), 47–64.
Kane, N. M., Clark, J. R., & Rivenson, H. L. (2009). The internal processes and behavioral dynamics of hospital boards: An exploration of differences between high-and low-performing hospitals. Health Care Management Review, 34(1), 80–91.
Kirkpatrick, I., Bullinger, B., Lega, F., & Dent, M. (2013). The translation of hospital management models in European health systems: A framework for comparison. British Journal of Management, 24, S48–S61.
Kirkpatrick, I., Hartley, K., Kuhlmann, E., & Veronesi, G. (2014). Clinical management and professionalism. In E. Kuhlmann (Ed.), The Palgrave international handbook of healthcare policy and governance. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Kuntz, L., & Scholtes, S. (2013). Physicians in leadership: The association between medical director involvement and staff-to-patient ratios. Health Care Management Science, 16(2), 129–138.
Lister, E. D. (2000). From advocacy to ambassadorship: Physician participation in healthcare governance. Journal of Healthcare Management, 45(2), 108–118.
Lister, E. D. (2007). Physicians in the boardroom. Healthcare Executive, 22(4), 58–61.
Martin, G. P. (2011). The third sector, user involvement and public service reform: A case study in the co-governance of health service provision. Public Administration, 89(3), 909–932.
Mintzberg, H. (1979). The structuring of organizations. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
Molinari, C., Morlock, L., Alexander, J., & Lyles, C. A. (1993). Hospital board effectiveness: Relationships between governing board composition and hospital financial viability. Health Services Research, 28(3), 358–377.
Molinari, C., Alexander, J., Morlock, L., & Lyles, C. A. (1995). Does the hospital board need a doctor? The influence of physician board participation on hospital financial performance. Medical Care, 33(2), 170–185.
Molinari, C., Hendryx, M., & Goodstein, J. (1997). The effects of CEO-board relations on hospital performance. Health Care Management Review, 22(3), 7–15.
Morlock, L., Alexander, J., & Hunter, H. M. (1985). Formal relationships among governing boards, CEOs, and medical staffs in independent and system hospitals. Medical Care, 23(10), 1193–1213.
Nunes, R., Rego, G., & Brandão, C. (2007). The rise of independent regulation in health care. Health Care Analysis, 15(3), 169–177.
Powers, T. L., & Bendall, D. (2004). Improving health outcomes through patient empowerment. Journal of Hospital Marketing and Public Relations, 15(1), 45–59.
Preker, A. S., & Harding, A. L. (2003). Innovations in health service delivery: The corporatization of public hospitals. Washington: World Bank.
Prybil, L. D., Levey, S., Killian, R., Fardo, D., Chait, R., Bardach, D., & Roach, W. (2012). Governance in large nonprofit health systems. Current profile and emerging patterns. Lexington: Commonwealth Center for Governance Studies.
Ramsay, A., & Fulop, N. (2010). The healthy NHS board a review of guidance and research evidence. London: National Leadership Council.
Saltman, R., Durán, A., & Dubois, H. (2011). Governing public hospitals. Reform strategies and the movement towards institutional autonomy. Copenhagen: European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies.
Sarto, F. (2015). La governance delle aziende ospedaliere. Il ruolo del medico-manager. Padova: CEDAM.
Sarto, F., & Veronesi, G. (2016). Clinical leadership and hospital performance: Assessing the evidence base. BMC Health Services Research, 16(2), 85–97.
Sarto, F., Cuccurullo, C., & Aria, M. (2014). Exploring healthcare governance literature: Systematic review and paths for future research. Mecosan, 91, 61–80.
Sarto, F., Veronesi, G., Kirkpatrick, I., Cuccurullo, C. (2016). Exploring regionalism in public management reforms: The case of the Italian hospital sector. Policy and Politics, 44(4), 525–545.
Sarto, F., Saggese, S., & Catuogno, S. (2017). Peculiarità degli ospedali pubblici e riflessi sul governo aziendale: verso una governance partecipativa. Azienda Pubblica, 1, 33–50.
Sarto, F., Veronesi, G., & Kirkpatrick, I. (2019). Organizing professionals and their impact on performance: The case of public health doctors in the Italian SSN. Public Management Review, 21(7), 1029–1051.
Stolzenberg, E. A. (2000). Governance change for public hospitals. Journal of Healthcare Management, 45(5), 347–350.
Succi, M. J., & Alexander, J. (1999). Physician involvement in management and governance: The moderating effects of staff structure and composition. Health Care Management Review, 24(1), 33–44.
The King’s Fund. (2011). The future of leadership and management in the NHS. No more heroes. London: The Kings Fund.
The King’s Fund. (2012). Leadership and engagement for improvement in the NHS: Together we can. London: The King’s Fund.
Veronesi, G., & Keasey, K. (2015). Patient and public participation in the English NHS: An assessment of experimental implementation processes. Public Management Review, 17(4), 543–564.
Veronesi, G., Kirkpatrick, I., & Vallascas, F. (2013). Clinicians on the board: What difference does it make? Social Science and Medicine, 77, 147–155.
Veronesi, G., Kirkpatrick, I., & Vallascas, F. (2014). Does clinical management improve efficiency? Evidence from the English National Health Service. Public Money and Management, 34(1), 35–41.
Vining A. R., & Weimer D. (2005). Economic perspective on public organizations. In E. Ferlie, L. E. Lynn, & C. Pollitt (Eds.), The oxford handbook of public management. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Von Nordenflycht, A. (2010). What is a professional service firm? Toward a theory and taxonomy of knowledge-intensive firms. Academy of Management Review, 35(1), 155–174.
Weil, T. P. (2003). Governance in a period of strategic change in U.S. healthcare. The International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 18(3), 247–265.
Winch, G., & Schneider, E. (1993). Managing the knowledge-based organization: The case of architectural practice. Journal of Management Studies, 30(6), 923–937.
Witman, Y., Smid, G. A. C., Meurs, P. L., & Willems, D. L. (2010). Doctor in the lead: Balancing between two worlds. Organization, 18(4), 477–495.
Young, G. J., Beekun, R. I., & Ginn, G. O. (1992). Governing board structure, business strategy, and performance of acute care hospitals: A contingency perspective. Health Services Research, 27(4), 543–564.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2023 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Sarto, F. (2023). Hospital Governance. In: Idowu, S.O., Schmidpeter, R., Capaldi, N., Zu, L., Del Baldo, M., Abreu, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainable Management. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25984-5_882
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-25984-5_882
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-031-25983-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-031-25984-5
eBook Packages: Business and ManagementReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences