The importance of external contacts in job performance: a study in healthcare organizations using social network analysis
The importance of external contacts in job performance: a study in healthcare organizations using social network analysis
There is evidence that relations between physicians and nurses within healthcare institutions might be shaped by informal aspects of such relations and by links to people external to the organization, with an impact on work performance. Social network analysis is underutilized in exploring such associations. The paper aims to describe physicians’ and nurses’ relationships outside their clinical units and to explore what kind of ties are related to job performance. A network analysis was performed on cross-sectional data. The study population consisted of 196 healthcare employees working in a public hospital and a primary healthcare centre in Spain. Relational data were analysed using the UCINET software package. Measures included: (i) sample characteristics; (ii) social network variables; and (iii) team performance ratings. Descriptive statistics (means, medians, percentages) were used to characterize staff and performance ratings. A correlational analysis was conducted to examine the strength of relationships between four different types of ties. Our findings suggest that external ties only contribute to improving the performance of physicians at both the individual and team level. They are focused on the decision-making process about the therapeutic plan and, therefore, might need to seek advice outside the workplace. In contrast, external ties are not relevant for the work performance of nurses, as they need to find solutions to immediate problems in a short period of time, having strong ties in the workplace. Social network analysis can illuminate relations within healthcare organizations and inform the development of innovative interventions.
Healthcare providers, Job performance, Relationships, Social network analysis
Marqués-Sánchez, Pilar
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Muñoz-Doyague, María F.
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Martínez, Yolanda V.
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Everett, Martin
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Serrano-Fuentes, Nestor
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Van Bogaert, Peter
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Vassilev, Ivaylo
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Reeves, David
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1 July 2018
Marqués-Sánchez, Pilar
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Muñoz-Doyague, María F.
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Martínez, Yolanda V.
ff138cf5-fa56-4cf0-8fb0-47a18b83af56
Everett, Martin
0049e476-ac63-45e0-8017-e9f886a29f6e
Serrano-Fuentes, Nestor
a61ca307-6fd1-42c9-9d81-315f4027f4aa
Van Bogaert, Peter
0658a461-1380-4b6f-aea8-325999fc086a
Vassilev, Ivaylo
d76a5531-4ddc-4eb2-909b-a2a1068f05f3
Reeves, David
4d9f4b50-445c-4257-81fe-4d6fa73a9891
Marqués-Sánchez, Pilar, Muñoz-Doyague, María F., Martínez, Yolanda V., Everett, Martin, Serrano-Fuentes, Nestor, Van Bogaert, Peter, Vassilev, Ivaylo and Reeves, David
(2018)
The importance of external contacts in job performance: a study in healthcare organizations using social network analysis.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15 (7), [1345].
(doi:10.3390/ijerph15071345).
Abstract
There is evidence that relations between physicians and nurses within healthcare institutions might be shaped by informal aspects of such relations and by links to people external to the organization, with an impact on work performance. Social network analysis is underutilized in exploring such associations. The paper aims to describe physicians’ and nurses’ relationships outside their clinical units and to explore what kind of ties are related to job performance. A network analysis was performed on cross-sectional data. The study population consisted of 196 healthcare employees working in a public hospital and a primary healthcare centre in Spain. Relational data were analysed using the UCINET software package. Measures included: (i) sample characteristics; (ii) social network variables; and (iii) team performance ratings. Descriptive statistics (means, medians, percentages) were used to characterize staff and performance ratings. A correlational analysis was conducted to examine the strength of relationships between four different types of ties. Our findings suggest that external ties only contribute to improving the performance of physicians at both the individual and team level. They are focused on the decision-making process about the therapeutic plan and, therefore, might need to seek advice outside the workplace. In contrast, external ties are not relevant for the work performance of nurses, as they need to find solutions to immediate problems in a short period of time, having strong ties in the workplace. Social network analysis can illuminate relations within healthcare organizations and inform the development of innovative interventions.
Text
ijerph-15-01345
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 23 June 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 27 June 2018
Published date: 1 July 2018
Keywords:
Healthcare providers, Job performance, Relationships, Social network analysis
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 422152
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/422152
ISSN: 1661-7827
PURE UUID: 28a1765c-37d4-46d9-bb49-ad84afa5c452
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Date deposited: 18 Jul 2018 16:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 04:51
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Contributors
Author:
Pilar Marqués-Sánchez
Author:
María F. Muñoz-Doyague
Author:
Yolanda V. Martínez
Author:
Martin Everett
Author:
Nestor Serrano-Fuentes
Author:
Peter Van Bogaert
Author:
David Reeves
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