- >>Building Capacity
I. A Framework for Management Research
III. Resources
Management Research in VA
Building Management Research Capacity in VA
Relatively little management and organization research has been done in VA in contrast with major efforts for clinical health services research. Recognizing the disparity in attention in VA between in clinical health services research and management research, the Director of VA's Health Services Research and Development Service (HSR&D), John G. Demakis, M.D., convened a Management Research Advisory Group in April 2000 to advise him on strategies for strengthening management research. The Advisory Group outlined a research agenda and recommended that HSR&D increase its capacity for conducting high quality management research in VA.
To support HSR&D's commitment to expanding its management research capacity, the HSR&D Management Decision and Research Center (MDRC) has begun a series of activities to strengthen management research in VA. To date, we have convened and facilitated two meetings, Management Research in VA Workshop and Continuing the Discussion of Management Research in VA to bring together researchers interested in or working on management research.
- "Management Research in VA," held on November 19-20, 2001, was designed to stimulate interest in conducting management research in VA; to increase and develop skills in conducting management research; and to offer opportunities for researchers to explore potential collaborations with other researchers with similar interests. It was targeted to two groups: 1) VA health services researchers who are interested in management research, but do not have extensive experience in conducting it, and 2) management researchers at universities affiliated with HSR&D programs, especially those who do not currently work in VA.
- "Continuing the Discussion of Management Research in VA," held on February 15, 2002, was an open-invitation session held after the HSR&D annual meeting. Its purposes were to share instruments and tools that have been used successfully in measuring organizational and management constructs, especially in VA; to examine methodological challenges in conducting management research by reviewing and critiquing a successful proposal; and to provide networking opportunities for health services researchers interested in conducting management research.
The MDRC effort to support and expand the conduct of management research in VA are ongoing.