Interorganizational relationships and hospital financial performance: a resource-based perspective

Abstract

This study follows a resource-based theory perspective and aims to analyze the interorganizational relationships between hospitals and outpatient physicians, and hospital financial performance. In the light of increasing interdependence among healthcare providers which has made the coordination of service provision more complex, such relationships could be considered a resource for hospitals that lead to higher performance. In this study, the results from a survey of medical directors were combined with financial performance indicators of their hospitals. The results show that having effective interorganizational relationships is positively associated with the hospital's profitability. This finding emphasizes the importance of an investment in interorganizational relationships from the hospital's point of view.