Hello respected people; I have got one question today. Lets us say that I am conducting a research on budget management and control in one hospital. So, I have 6 specific research objectives such as : to identify the primary purposes served by budgets in the hospital, to uncover the budgeting process in the hospital, to identify the challenges associated with budgeting in the hospital and 3 other specific objectives. But one of my 6 research objectives says “To examine the extent to which formal authority is delegated for the clinician managers in the hospital to run their unit”.
My reason to have this particular specific objective is that, previous studies demonstrated allocating formal authority for the clinicians is believed to influence clinical practices by holding them more accountable for their actions in allocation and use of resources (Abernethy, 1996; Abernethy & Lillis, 2001; Abernethy & Vagnoni, 2004; Campanale, Cinquini, & Tenucci, 2011; Cinquini & Campanale, 2010; Fitzgerald, 1994; Heyssel et al., 1984; Jones & Dewing, 1997). Being held accountable means that their performance is evaluated based on their compliance with formally specified financial targets (in particular with budget target) in their units. The desired outcome is to create a hospital that is not only responsive to the demands of patients but also one that is financially viable.
Thus, previous researches clearly shown formal authority of clinicians and budgetary control is significantly and positively correlated.
I didn’t do any statistical analysis by my own to investigate the degree of correlation between formal authority and budgetary control. I simply measured the level of formal authority given for the clinician managers in the hospital using likert skale. Thus, based on the findings from previous researches, my intention is to give recommendation to the hospital if the level of formal authority delegated for clinicians is low.
Can I do that ? I mean without checking myself the degree of correlation between formal authority and budgetary control, but just only measuring formal authority and depending on previous researches that proved positive significant correlation between the two, can I recommend the hospital to give more formal authority for the clinicians?
Many thanks!
Yes, you can based on a review of extant literature. Thus, you are simply taking a position based on a review of previous studies. But since you planned to make recommendations to the hospital, I suggest you do an empirical study to make your results and recommendations more appropriate to the hospital. That is my view
In my opinion, previous studies are an appropriate basis for considering the option of delegating formal authority to clinicians . But the results of this strategy are not necessarily the same in different contexts. I agree with the previous comment about the need to assess the option in the context of this particular hospital, first collecting the views of experts, inside and outside the hospital, and then -if this assessment is favorable- through some kind of pilot project in one or more specific areas of the hospital.
In my experience, the success of greater financial authority in improving performance is not uniform. Some units, with greater capacity (human and physical) may benefit more from greater authority, while others may struggle. The terms and conditions attached to the utilization of resources will also have an effect on the efficiecy of resource use. So, the recommendation to give more authority should be done cautiously.
Nisha, you are right, caution is the word since he has not sampled the views of the hospital staff. As noted by José, a principle or policy that worked in one clime may not br applicable in another due to a host of factors.
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