Abstract
This study was conducted to identify the problems related to operation of the committee system in university hospitals and to propose the direction for reforming it. Data were collected by surveying 138 working-level administration managers of committees from 12 university hospitals in Seoul in October, 1995. The results were as follows: 1. The purposes of the committee were to promote the reasonable dicision making in the hospitals, to satisfy the requirement of Hospital Accreditation Program and, to execute the administrational instructions in due order. The sort of job which was charged of chairmen and the majority of committee member was doctor. 2. The committees which were to be held the meeting frequently in a year were general management committees(8.25 times/year). But in case of operation rate, medical care-related committees showed the most frequent meeting(90.15%). Most of committees made the regulations and reported the results of their meeting to the CEO of their hospitals by written documents. 3. Most doctors thought the medical care-related committees useful. Medical technicians regarded education and research-related committees as useful, while administrators favored the general management committees. 4. The factors related to the perceived performance of the committee were the kind of job, the class of job and the kind of committee. Also, the perceived performance of the committee was positively related to the usefulness in efficient management of work, and negatively to uncertainties in responsibility and a nominal role of the committee. 5. Most of the respondnts thought that the concern of the top manager about the committee was the most important factor for the improvement of committee system at hospitals. They also regarded that formalization of the objectives and regulation rule and composition of committees with members which work in various fields as essential. Further studies on the organizational and operational cjharacteristics which include general hospitals in various areas are required.