The Journey Towards the Goal is Irrelevant as long as the Goal is Fulfilled Two coexisting and competing logics in healthcare work

Abstract

The background to the study presented in this thesis is an organisation that is established within the private healthcare sector and acquired one part of another healthcare organisation and reduplicated the volume of care units. The healthcare industry is characterised by professional work and education is needed to work as a nurse or general practitioner. Healthcare is generally structured that those who are a manager has both medical and management responsibility. This implies that working as a manager in healthcare is confronting different demands, which this thesis is studying. The aim of this study is to explore how managers in healthcare are responding to different demands. This thesis is based on a qualitative case study where semi-structured interviews were the main source of data collection. To analyse the empirical result institutional logics is used. The conclusions that can be drawn based on evidence found in the research performed in this thesis are that two logics coexist and challenge each other simultaneously, management and professionalism. In this case some situations require different needs and one logic might need to suffer in order to accomplish and fulfil demands of another logic. The logic of professionalism have been stabile over time, nothing has affected how the interviewees are identified towards this logic, as the assignment and patients is the same. The logic of management is however in constant change depending on situation and requirements. One of the most important findings is that in order for an individual to be identified towards multiple institutional logics, collaboration is an important aspect that must be regarded.