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Article
Publication date: 20 December 2024

Karin Lundin, Bernice Skytt, Marit Silén, Maria Engström and Annika Strömberg

The purpose of this paper is to describe first-line managers’ (FLMs’) experiences and reflections on structural conditions for management practice within hospital settings using…

93

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe first-line managers’ (FLMs’) experiences and reflections on structural conditions for management practice within hospital settings using Kanter’s theory of structural empowerment.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative deductive approach with a descriptive design was used. Interviews were conducted with 11 FLMs in charge of medical or surgical hospital units spread across Sweden. Data were analyzed using a directed content analysis, based on Kanter’s theory of structural empowerment, encompassing such as access to necessary and sufficient resources, information, support and opportunities to learn and develop.

Findings

Findings of this study from the FLMs’ descriptions and reflections shed light on the impact of power dynamics on the structural conditions for management practice. The availability of nursing staff was a fundamental resource in the FLMs’ work performance, ensuring delivery of care to patients and a sound work environment for staff. Additionally, the other structural elements outlined in Kanter’s theory were evident in the findings, as the FLMs wished for structured information flow, identified potential and challenged opportunities for development and emphasized the importance of receiving support from people with a genuine understanding of their work situation.

Originality/value

The results of this study contribute to the understanding of FLMs’ structural conditions for management practice in hospital settings. The paper’s originality stems from the use of a deductive approach, providing a structured lens with the potential to inform future research and practice in the field of health-care management.

Details

Leadership in Health Services, vol. 38 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1751-1879

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 27 November 2017

Åsa Vidman and Annika Strömberg

Employees in elderly care have a high rate of sick leave. One explanation is that employees that experience a low level of meaning of work are at a higher risk for long-term sick…

1797

Abstract

Purpose

Employees in elderly care have a high rate of sick leave. One explanation is that employees that experience a low level of meaning of work are at a higher risk for long-term sick leave. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative interview study aims to examine what employees in residential care facilities experience as the meaningful aspects of their work tasks. Interviews with 14 persons employed in residential care facilities were conducted.

Findings

The findings show that meaningful work tasks are about organizing the work to make use of the creativity and knowledge of the staff in order to support relations with older people.

Originality/value

The knowledge about what constitutes a healthy work environment is not as comprehensive as it is about what constitutes health risks. Furthermore, these issues have been considered by only a few qualitative studies about social care in the field of sick leave. Therefore, this qualitative interview study examines what employees in residential care facilities experience as meaningful aspects of their work tasks.

Details

Working with Older People, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-3666

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 October 2022

Maria Lindberg, Bernice Skytt, Magnus Lindberg, Katarina Wijk and Annika Strömberg

Management and leadership in health care are described as complex and challenging, and the span of control is known to be a key component in the manager’s job demands. The…

946

Abstract

Purpose

Management and leadership in health care are described as complex and challenging, and the span of control is known to be a key component in the manager’s job demands. The implementation of change can be a challenge in health care, and managers often have roles as implementation leaders. Little attention has been given to how managers perceive the process of implementation. Thus, this study aims to explore second-line managers’ perceptions of, prerequisites for and experiences from the implementation of changes in their manager’s work conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

A grounded theory–based qualitative design was used. Data were collected from a purposive sample of nine second-line managers by individual semi-structured interviews. The three stages of initial coding, focus codes and axial coding were used in data analysis.

Findings

Three thematic areas were identified: engagement, facilitation and achievement. The second-line managers’ descriptions suggest that the change work entails a complex challenge with an unclear result. Involvement, consideration for the context and facilitation are needed to be able to conduct a cohesive implementation process.

Originality/value

This study findings outline that to succeed when implementing change in complex organizations, it is crucial that managers at different levels are involved in the entire process, and that there are prerequisites established for the facilitation and achievement of goals during the planning, implementation and follow-up.

Details

Leadership in Health Services, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1751-1879

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 2 December 2020

Åsa Vidman and Annika Strömberg

Recruiting and retaining staff to work with elderly people in social care is a global issue. The quality of leadership is considered important because it influences employees’ job…

7990

Abstract

Purpose

Recruiting and retaining staff to work with elderly people in social care is a global issue. The quality of leadership is considered important because it influences employees’ job satisfaction, job turnover and health. This paper aims to identify leadership that employees in residential elderly care facilities in Sweden consider as contributing towards a healthy work environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors interviewed 14 persons employed in facilities organized in different ways. The data from these interviews was analysed using qualitative content analysis..

Findings

The results showed that the employees felt that their health partly depended on the attributes that leaders possessed, what leaders do and how leaders do it. This study confirms that leadership influences the perception of a healthy workplace. It also shows that questions about leadership are complex.

Originality/value

Research about factors that increase health risks is wide-ranging; however, research that examines factors that promote health, especially how leadership influences employees’ well-being, is not as comprehensive.

Details

Leadership in Health Services, vol. 34 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1751-1879

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 30 July 2019

Annika Strömberg, Maria Engström, Heidi Hagerman and Bernice Skytt

The purpose of this paper is to contribute new knowledge about how first line managers (FLMs) in elderly care perceive their situation, with a focus on differences in management…

4663

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute new knowledge about how first line managers (FLMs) in elderly care perceive their situation, with a focus on differences in management approaches at the intersection of the central and local parts of the organization.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study has a qualitative approach and is part of a larger project on FLMs in elderly care. The results presented here are based on a secondary analysis of 15 of the total of 28 interviews carried out in the project.

Findings

The main results are twofold: the majority of FLMs perceived differences in management approaches between local and central management; the differences caused some struggle because FLMs perceived that the management system did not support the differences. The two main aspects that caused the FLMs to struggle were differences in the foci of the management levels and difficulties in influencing the conditions of management.

Originality/value

The results contribute to the debate on what aspects are important to sustainable management of elderly care. It is common knowledge that FLMs have a complex position, intermediate to the central, upper level management and their subordinates at the local level – levels with different foci and interests. The study contributes new knowledge about what these differences consist of and the dilemmas they cause and offers suggestions as to what can be done to reduce both energy waste and the risk of low job satisfaction.

Details

Leadership in Health Services, vol. 32 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1751-1879

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 3 September 2021

Haresh Raulgaonkar

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors involved in the success of a ‘first-time first-line Manager’ (FTFLM), and establish a model for the success of a…

808

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors involved in the success of a ‘first-time first-line Manager’ (FTFLM), and establish a model for the success of a FTFLM using these identified factors.

Methods: Empirical factors influencing the success of a first-line manager were gathered through the literature review and an experience survey of managers. Based on these factors, a questionnaire for primary research was developed and used for the survey. An exploratory factor analysis of the collected data yielded a nine-factor model which was validated using confirmatory factor analysis.

Findings: A major portion (74%) of the FTFLM’s success factors are under the direct control of the FTFLM. The remaining portion (26%) are influenced by the organization’s procedures and policies for grooming the FTFLM and the attitude and behaviour of management towards the FTFLM.

Details

Emerald Open Research, vol. 1 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-3952

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 7 January 2014

Lisa Björk, Stefan Szücs and Annika Härenstam

This study aims at developing a measure that can be used to evaluate organizational capacity to perform across local government jurisdictions, using operational managers' own…

1248

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims at developing a measure that can be used to evaluate organizational capacity to perform across local government jurisdictions, using operational managers' own assessments.

Design/methodology/approach

The “management matters” literature that links organizational capacity to service performance is far from reaching any consensus on how to operationalize organizational capacity. In this study, over 400 operational managers were asked, at two different time points and in thirty different local government departments, about what opportunities they have to fulfill their responsibilities and about their perceptions of service performance. The data are factor analyzed, and the proportion of higher level variance of the resulting capacity measure is explored.

Findings

Organizational capacity to perform represents a consistent measure that covers essential aspects of the managerial assignment and is empirically distinct, yet positively related to the managers' perceptions of service performance. Results further show that up to 12 percent of the variance in organizational capacity to perform can be attributed to the organization in which managers work.

Practical implications

A service-neutral measure of organizational capacity to perform should be useful to strategic managers in organizations as guidance for resource allocation, and for the design of solid organizational structures and support systems for operational managers.

Originality/value

Recent public management research indicates that rationalistic management models are often inadequately grounded in the day-to-day practices of operative managerial work. The construct of organizational capacity to perform presented in this study could be a valuable instrument that can bridge this strategic-operational disconnect and provide an insider perspective of the organizational prerequisites that underpin any public service achievement.

Details

International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 27 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3558

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 5 June 2017

Fia Sundevall

The purpose of this paper is to explore military service-linked economic and social governing initiatives in early twentieth-century Sweden, and thereby offer a broadened…

283

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore military service-linked economic and social governing initiatives in early twentieth-century Sweden, and thereby offer a broadened understanding of educational institutions as governing arenas.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the term “governing” to describe and analyse various calculated techniques of the state – and/or affiliated governing actors – to influence and direct the behaviour of conscripts in order to deal with particular economic and/or social problems, the author ask what kind of economic and social problems policymakers and social commentators of education were looking to deal with, why military service was considered a suitable means and/or setting for doing so, and what governing techniques they proposed be used. The author furthermore take in consideration the intimate links between citizenship, gender, and military service and argue that the governing initiatives analysed enables us to understand these links in partly new and a more concrete way.

Findings

The study shows that there were numerous ideas and requests amongst policymakers and social commentators of education on making use of the nation’s conscription scheme for non-military purposes as it provided the nation with a unique opportunity to reach and influence entire generations of men on the threshold of adulthood. Proposals included, e.g., the use of various forms of instruction in assorted subjects, facilitation of base libraries and an extension of the period of military service, in order to deal with economic and social problems such as, e.g., mass unemployment, alcohol abuse, elementary education deficiencies, and uneducated voters, as well as shortages of skilled personnel in particular branches of great importance for the nation’s economy.

Originality/value

While there is a sizable and growing body of research on governing initiatives in non-military educational settings, proposed and implemented to solve various economic and social problems in society, scholars in Sweden and elsewhere have largely overlooked the use and role of military service in such undertakings. This paper seeks to redress the balance and thereby offers a broadened understanding of educational institutions as governing arenas.

Details

History of Education Review, vol. 46 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0819-8691

Keywords

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