Profound organizational change -- restructuring, mergers, new affiliations, service changes, closure -- is a key constituent of any competitive organizational environment. This research will look at the way the structure of organizations' governing boards affects what organizational change occurs. Also considered is the way organizational change alters the structure of governing boards. Where the organization is within a cycle of growth, stability or decline is expected to influence the relationship between governing board structure and organizational change. The structure of governing boards depends on their size, range of backgrounds of members, the number of inside directors, amount of management participation, degree of board accountability, limitation on consecutive terms and concern with asset preservation or with strategic activity. A ten-year data sample of 1800 community general hospitals will be analyzed.
