THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF A GENERAL HOSPITAL

In: The annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Band 346, S. 67-76

Abstract

Hosp's are among the most complex org's in modern society, characterized by extremely fine DofL & an exquisite repertory of technical skill. The major hospital embraces multiple goals, chiefly patient care, teaching, & res. It is at once a hotel, a treatment center, a laboratory, a U. Because the instit's work is so specialized, staffed by a variety of professional & technical personnel, there are very important problems of coordination & authority. Paramount in the soc structure are relationships between patients & hospital staff & among staff members. The patient, both client & product of the org, enters a therapeutic situation in which his style is largely passive. He encounters the MD - like himself, a `guest' of the hospital - & the nurse, who is the full-time symbol of the org's atmosphere. The MD is undergoing a shift from his older charismatic role toward a more nearly bur'tic niche in the hosp. Staff relationships are distinguished by unclear patterns of authority & intense competition for spheres of competence & prestige. The MD is implicated as the professional least amenable to hierarchical control & the leading figure in skill & status. Although the hospital illustrates vital, unresolved issues in the org of work, it flourishes under the impetus of professional zeal & patients' needs. AA.