Client characteristics and task coordination in drug abuse treatment units: A contingency perspective.
Mohr, Ruth Ann
1994
Abstract
Previous drug abuse treatment research has neglected the potential direct and interaction effects that client characteristics may have on organization outcomes. This study uses a structural-contingency perspective to examine the relationship of differentiation (diversity) within the client population and three methods of coordination (professionalism, matching, and work process standardization) to measures of treatment unit performance (client program completion, staff job satisfaction, and efficiency). Differentiation is modeled after Blau's framework of social structure as a multi-dimensional space of social positions among which a population is distributed. Here the positions are defined as categories of characteristics shown to be delineators of groups (based on ethnicity, gender, age, and type of problem) with special needs relative to drug abuse treatment. Product term regression is used to test the model on data (n = 101 treatment units) from the 1984 National Survey of Outpatient Drug Abuse Programs. Interaction effects are analyzed for strength and nature. Client differentiation does not appear to have a direct effect on performance. It does, however, appear to modify the relationship of matching and professionalism to program completion and job satisfaction. Specifically, matching is not associated with decreased cost, but when appropriately paired with differentiation, it is associated with increased program completion and job satisfaction. Professionalism is associated with decreased efficiency but increased job satisfaction. There is also evidence that high levels of professionalism, paired with high levels of differentiation, are associated with increased program completion and job satisfaction. These findings suggest that decisions to use matching and professionals are based on effectiveness, rather than efficiency, concerns. Overall, the study is consistent with previous research that links characteristics of clients with characteristics of tasks in service organizations. Specifically, client diversity appears to moderate the relationship between treatment unit structures and effectiveness outcomes. Therefore, such units should take this diversity into consideration when designing how their work will be done.Other Identifiers
(UMI)AAI9513435
Subjects
Health Sciences, Mental Health Health Sciences, Public Health Health Sciences, Health Care Management
Types
Thesis
Metadata
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