Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the competency needs of healthcare administrators in California as perceived by (a) hospital administrators, (b) hospital board members, and (c) faculty of graduate healthcare programs. The study sought to provide answers to three questions: (1) What will be the rank order of importance of 50 pre-selected competencies when rated on a five-point scale? (2) Will there be significant differences among the groups in their perceptions of the competencies? and (3) Will there be significant rating differences as a function of respondents' highest educational degrees, experience in healthcare administration, experience as hospital board members, and age? Method. The population sample for this study was drawn from all the California acute care hospitals with 300 or more beds, and from all the graduate programs in healthcare administration in California affiliated with the Association of University Programs in Health Services Administration. The questionnaire, with fifty competency items, was developed and field-tested by the researcher. Participants were asked to rate their perceptions of the competencies on a five-point scale. One hundred and thirty-one usable questionnaires (65.5%) were received and analyzed by comparing mean ratings of competency items to determine a rank order listing. Differences among the groups, in their perceptions of the competencies, were determined using a one-way analysis of variance. Differences and degrees of agreement were analyzed using Scheffe multiple comparison and Spearman's correlation methods. Findings. Results indicated that there were statistically significant: (1) differences among the three groups in their perceptions of the competencies needed by healthcare administrators; (2) agreements between each pair of the three groups; and (3) differences as a result of educational degrees, years of healthcare administration experience, and years of experience as hospital board members. There were no statistically significant differences when age was used as a variable. Recommendations. The researcher recommended that: (1) those competencies in which the respondents' perceptions were significantly different be reviewed and analyzed by future researchers to determine the reason for the differences; (2) those competencies in which the perceptions were rated unanimously high (3.50 or higher) be reviewed and analyzed by directors of graduate healthcare programs and the Accrediting Commission on Education for Health Services Administration for recognition and incorporation as required content areas in program curriculum; (3) health program curricula be revised annually to ensure that they are relevant to the needs of the field; and (4) more investigation be considered in the area of single "competency to success.".