Provider integration and local market conditions: A contingency theory perspective

In recent years we have witnessed an expanding array of organizational arra ngements for providing health care services in the U.S, These arrangements integrate previously independent providers at one or more points on the con tinuum of care. The presence of so many of these arrangements raises the qu estion of whether certain types are move effective than ave others to help providers adapt to their environment. This article discusses contingency th eory as a conceptual lens for guiding empirical studies of the effectivenes s of different types of arrangements.