Understanding the dynamic role of the hospital executive: the view is better from the top

This article reports the findings of a study of role conflict, role ambiguity, and job dissatisfaction among 119 hospital executives in Houston and San Antonio, Texas. While other studies have looked at role descriptions, this study is the first to examine the dynamics of role conflict and ambiguity among hospital executives. A major finding was that role ambiguity and job dissatisfaction varied according to level in the organization. Chief executive officers were found to be more satisfied and to experience less role ambiguity than their subordinates. This is important to understanding better the role of the hospital executive and mentoring.