The healthy development of economies: A strategic framework for competitiveness in the health industry |
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| Authors: | J Robert Branston Lauretta Rubini Roger Sugden James R Wilson |
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| Institution: | 1. University of Bath and L'institute ,;2. University of Birmingham, University of Ferrara and L'institute ,;3. University of Birmingham and L'institute , |
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| Abstract: | Applying a strategic decision-making perspective on the economics of business, we suggest that a competitive locality in the health industry is one that, relative to other localities, is effective in: (1) providing the healthcare that enables everyone to participate fully in the democratic development of the locality; (2) providing the healthcare that is democratically identified as a direct objective of this development; (3) contributing through the health industry to any other democratically determined objectives of the locality's development. The paper hypothesizes that strategic decision-making in organizations is an especially significant determinant of the impacts of the health industry. We conclude that: (i) a locality that suffers concentration in the power to determine the objectives of its health industry could not be strictly competitive in that industry; (ii) the first best way to achieve competitiveness in the health industry would be to democratize its strategic decision-making. What this would entail in practice is discussed in some detail. |
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| Keywords: | health industry competitiveness strategic decision-making economic development economic democracy |
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