Researching stakeholder dynamics towards the implementation and sustainability of lean process innovation in public healthcare

Papadopoulos, Thanos (2007) Researching stakeholder dynamics towards the implementation and sustainability of lean process innovation in public healthcare. Spring Doctoral Conference 2007, Cambridge, UK. 18 - 19 Apr 2007. pp. 1-10 .

Abstract

This paper focuses on Lean process innovation in the public healthcare sector, and explores the role of stakeholders in its implementation and sustainability. Lean thinking (Lean) is increasingly used in healthcare as a means of eliminating waste, improving quality of patient care and delivering new-improved processes based on the needs of medical and administrative staff. By affecting roles, procedures and structures, its implementation and sustainability depends on stakeholder views and dynamics. In this paper, after a brief literature review regarding Lean in healthcare and public sector, a conceptual framework – based on actor-network theory concepts– for studying the role of stakeholder dynamics in its implementation and sustainability is presented. This framework regards stakeholders and their interactions as actants embedded within action nets. When Actants/nets perform the same actions with similar results, their actions are stabilized and identities are no longer discernible, constituting actor-networks. The proposed framework has a twofold contribution: firstly, to the study of how actants ‘translate’ and inscribe identities to opposing ones, incorporating them in ‘Lean-favouring’ actor-network and contributing thus to a successful implementation and sustainability; secondly, to the way Lean may be inhibited by action nets who resist translation and identity inscription by the ‘Lean-favouring’ actor-network, thereby expressing their opposition to the forthcoming changes.

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