A DESCRIPTIVE STUDY OF THE CREATION AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF A HOLISTIC HEALTH CENTER.

Description

This study described the developmental pattern of an holistic health center (HHC) during its creation and early development. The Quinn and Cameron (1983) organizational life cycle model was utilized to structure the study. The model consisted of four life cycle stages: entrepreneurship, collectivity, formalization and control, and elaboration of structure. The model was described and summarized by the investigator along six organizational parameters: emphasis, leadership, structure, criteria of effectiveness, group dynamics, and problem. The design was an organizational case study with triangulation of the qualitative methods of document review, participant observation, and interview. The developmental pattern of the organization was described from the viewpoint of organizational participants, and then within the structure of the identified parameters of the Quinn and Cameron (1983) model. The study validated the first two stages of the Quinn and Cameron model. As data collection ended, the organization was entering the third stage. Several adaptations of the model were suggested for future studies of holistic health centers. These included (1) revisions of life cycle stage parameters, incorporating the viewpoint of participants into the model; (2) additions and revisions of themes within the parameters; (3) use of holistic health terminology in studying holistic health centers.

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