Efficiency experts. Hospitals can improve performance by starting in the human resources department

In our changing economic environment, efficient human resource (HR) management is especially crucial to hospitals. Has the emphasis on HR activities responded to this changing environment? We studied 165 hospitals to determine whether they are making good use of HR. The results of our study show that HR activities remain important during these turbulent times. The emphasis hospitals place on HR activities increased slightly between 1985 and 1986. Performance evaluation ranked the highest in emphasis; job redesign and analysis were also high ranking. These are important mechanisms for improving performance and productivity. Respondents also rated HR activities by importance. Several categories that ranked high in change in emphasis ranked low in importance, and vice versa. One reason for this discrepancy between emphasis and importance is that HR activities that directors consider important may have already received a great deal of emphasis, leaving no room for increase. Also, circumstances may dictate increased emphasis on an activity (e.g., layoffs) even though HR directors consider it unimportant.