title: What makes a hospital manager competent at the middle and senior levels?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this paper is to confirm the core competencies required for middle to senior level managers in Victorian public hospitals in both metropolitan and regional/rural areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  This exploratory mixed-methods study used a three-step approach which included position description content analysis, focus group discussions and online competency verification and identification survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study validated a number of key tasks required for senior and middle level hospital managers (levels II, III and IV) and identified and confirmed the essential competencies for completing these key tasks effectively. As a result, six core competencies have been confirmed as common to the II, III and IV management levels in both the Melbourne metropolitan and regional/rural areas.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Six core competencies are required for middle to senior level managers in public hospitals which provide guidance to the further development of the competency-based educational approach for training the current management workforce and preparing future health service managers. With the detailed descriptions of the six core competencies, healthcare organisations and training institutions will be able to assess the competency gaps and managerial training needs of current health service managers and develop training programs accordingly.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Human Biosciences, La Trobe University, Kingsbury Drive, Bundoora, Vic. 3086, Australia. Email: , .
authors.forename: Zhanming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Sandra G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Leggat
authors.forename: Peter F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Lee
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Koh
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D017144:Focus Groups; D006740:Hospital Administrators; D006801:Humans; D011361:Professional Competence; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis