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Assessing English hospitals: contradiction and conflict

Assessing English hospitals: contradiction and conflict
Assessing English hospitals: contradiction and conflict
Purpose – This paper aims to examine the micro effects of performance measures introduced in England to control hospitals, following the changing context in the policy
directing the delivery of healthcare introduced by the Labour Government. The legislative framework established in 1999 reflected a discontinuity in the way that hospitals are controlled in this country.

Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory case study is a result of a deep empirical investigation. It draws on some aspects of Laughlin’s (1991) and Broadbent and Laughlin’s (2005) analysis of organisational change.

Findings - This study indicates that, in seeking to change to meet the demands of a particular control device, this organisation pursued both proactive and reactive strategies. However, it was deflected from its intended pathway of change and, as a result; it failed to meet the intended outcomes. The pressure exerted by such a demand impacted on the hospital’s activities in a conflicting way.

Originality/value – There is insufficient understanding of how the government’s policies to control have affected hospitals’ daily activities. Equally, there is scarce understanding of how managers and medical personnel deal with the pressure to
change to meet government’s expectation. This paper demonstrates empirically the complexities involved in using key targets to control hospitals activities. It contributes
to the wide literature in performance management and organisational change.

Research limitations/implications – The paper examines the issues from the organisational members’ perspective, and, therefore, from the perception of those affected by control devices introduced by the Government.
performance measurement in healthcare, organisational change, public sector reforms
1356-3548
CRAAG-07-05
Centre for Research in Accounting, Accountability and Governance, University of Southampton
Agrizzi, Dila
bf4dd7b5-e685-45ca-90d8-a3e00a232401
Agrizzi, Dila
bf4dd7b5-e685-45ca-90d8-a3e00a232401

Agrizzi, Dila (2007) Assessing English hospitals: contradiction and conflict (Centre for Accounting, Acountability and Governance Working Papers, CRAAG-07-05) Southampton, GB. Centre for Research in Accounting, Accountability and Governance, University of Southampton 37pp.

Record type: Monograph (Working Paper)

Abstract

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the micro effects of performance measures introduced in England to control hospitals, following the changing context in the policy
directing the delivery of healthcare introduced by the Labour Government. The legislative framework established in 1999 reflected a discontinuity in the way that hospitals are controlled in this country.

Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory case study is a result of a deep empirical investigation. It draws on some aspects of Laughlin’s (1991) and Broadbent and Laughlin’s (2005) analysis of organisational change.

Findings - This study indicates that, in seeking to change to meet the demands of a particular control device, this organisation pursued both proactive and reactive strategies. However, it was deflected from its intended pathway of change and, as a result; it failed to meet the intended outcomes. The pressure exerted by such a demand impacted on the hospital’s activities in a conflicting way.

Originality/value – There is insufficient understanding of how the government’s policies to control have affected hospitals’ daily activities. Equally, there is scarce understanding of how managers and medical personnel deal with the pressure to
change to meet government’s expectation. This paper demonstrates empirically the complexities involved in using key targets to control hospitals activities. It contributes
to the wide literature in performance management and organisational change.

Research limitations/implications – The paper examines the issues from the organisational members’ perspective, and, therefore, from the perception of those affected by control devices introduced by the Government.

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More information

Published date: November 2007
Keywords: performance measurement in healthcare, organisational change, public sector reforms

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 55733
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/55733
ISSN: 1356-3548
PURE UUID: c9263b31-a6a3-4500-87a9-251dbfb0dd76

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 05 Aug 2008
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 10:57

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Contributors

Author: Dila Agrizzi

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