The “Boat Model”: A New Leadership Competency Model for Private Hospital Directors in Thailand

Abstract

ABSTRACT            The progress in the public health system has brought about other changes to Thai society. People’s interests have been directed towards the “quality”, rather than “quantity”, of health care services. Patients are requiring a higher quality of services from hospitals. A hospital is a special service that involves high risk especially in the private hospital in Thailand. The tasks are concerned with the patient’s life which cannot be exchanged like other products bought in the store. A patient’s rights are also very strong and complicated in terms of the law. Arising from these difficulties in the management of private hospitals, leadership competencies, which are required of hospital directors, are the key for the success of hospital management. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to present the Boat Model, a new leadership competency model for private hospital directors in Thailand. It refers to six dimensions with 26 competencies: (1) Individual, (2) Management, (3) People, (4) Medicine, (5), Direction and (6) Sense of balanced management. The author is confident that this model will be beneficial for implementing policies of leadership development and also as guidance for a leadership development curriculum in private hospitals. Medical organizations can be effective if there are high potential leaders to manage effectively the hospital which will have a positive impact on the economy and society as well.