The Characteristics and Perceptions of Goals in Swedish Primary Healthcare and their Consequences on Motivation

Abstract

The role of goals as part of strategy work and as a mean for motivation is the object of large amounts of research. Earlier studies show that goals and how they are measured is related to both motivation and performance, therefore it is interesting to investigate how it is used by managers and perceived by employees. In healthcare a sector which has being going through several reforms that have transformed it more towards the private sector. Motivation is especially important for the performance and quality of the care given; at the same time there is research that suggests that goals in healthcare are often ambiguous. Through interviews with 14 managers and employees at 9 different primary care facilities in Sweden the characteristics and possible consequences of ambiguous goals was studied through three questions; what are the goal characteristics, how are goals and goal setting perceived and what consequences does current goals have on motivation. The results show that currently goals are characterized by often not being specific or measureable and that there is a contradictory attitude towards the use of goal setting with consequence for goal commitment and acceptance. Together these factors suggest that the current use of goals in healthcare have little or no positive consequences for motivation.