Basil Georgopoulos, a member of the Institute for Social Research (ISR) research faculty for 35 years, died March 19. Georgopoulos was an important member of the ISR intellectual community, member of the Department of Psychology and co-founder of the Doctoral Program in Organizational Psychology, say those who worked with him.

He received his bachelor's degree from Bowling Green State University in 1952, his master's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1953, and his doctorate from U-M in 1957.

He joined ISR in 1954 as an assistant study director in the Survey Research Center (SRC). He was promoted to study director in 1956, senior study director in 1961 and program director in 1966. He was appointed assistant professor of psychology in 1961 and promoted to associate professor in 1964 and professor in 1969.

Georgopoulos was a core member of the SRC research staff and served for a time as director of the Organizational Behavior Program, contributing during its formative years to its development within SRC and to its reputation around the country. He was deeply committed to his profession and to the center and was scrupulous in his effort to advance the cause.

His most widely cited research involved development of a model of the effectiveness of work-performing organizations, especially hospitals. His model focuses on problem solving and structure in effective organizations. In addition, his articles and books contributed substantially to defining the concept of organizational effectiveness for the field of organizational studies. For 30 years his studies of problem solving and effectiveness in organizations have contributed to social science theories of work organizations and to the practice of health care management.

In 1962 he published (with Floyd C. Mann) "The Community General Hospital." This work is considered a classic in the study of organizations; it won the James A. Hamilton Hospital Administrators' Book Award from the American College of Healthcare Executives. In 1974 he won the same award for his book "Organization Research on Health Institutions." These award-winning books not only influenced a generation of organizational researchers, but also shaped the emerging profession of health care management, say his former colleagues at ISR.

Georgopoulos retired from active faculty status June 30, 1989.

He is survived by three daughters: Melessa Helen Georgopoulos of Lansing, Liana Eurydice Georgopoulos of Grand Rapids and Lona Maria Geogopolous of Ann Arbor.


—Submitted by ISR