Leadership across Danish hospitals

Authors

  • Jeppe Plesner University of Southern Denmark, Centre of Health Economics Research
  • Anne Birgitte Christensen Sydvestjysk Hospital
  • Mickael Bech University of Southern Denmark, Centre of Health Economics
  • Magnus Larsson Copenhagen Business School

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v16i2.16237

Keywords:

Hospital management, Leadership discourse, Organizational change, New Public Management, Complexity leadership

Abstract

Healthcare organizations are challenged by complexity in structure and knowledge, and heterogeneity in deliveries and patient demands. Reductionist managerial approaches fall short in resolving the quality issues of healthcare, but Scientific Management and New Public Management (NPM) nevertheless has a strong hold on leadership thinking in hospitals. Increasing demand for adaptive and collaborative capacity emphazises the need to rethink the way we organize and lead these organisations. We conducted semi-structured interviews, examining the organizational and leadership thinking of 14 key decision makers, hospital directors and ward leaders, holding a key role in planning and implementing new organisational structures in the Region of Southern Denmark. Informants stress the organizational complexity, and the need for better coordination and collaboration across boundaries. In contrast, they present leadership discourses that are grounded on hierarchical positions and individual agency. Hospitals are complex organisations characterised by extensive bureaucracy, struggling with quality issues, attributable to rigid organisational boundaries and the dominant SM and NPM thinking. We show that an organisational change meant to address this problem is not accompanied by a similar change in leadership constructs, and we offer ideas of complexity leadership, enhancing relational coordination, adaptability and flexibility.

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Author Biographies

Jeppe Plesner, University of Southern Denmark, Centre of Health Economics Research

Jeppe Plesner, MD, PhD student at the Department of Public Health Research, University of Southern Denmark, and Region of Southern Denmark's Management Academy. After a few years as a clinically working doctor, Jeppe has chosen to focus on leadership and organisational development, and has worked in this field as a consultant for six years before joining the current PhD programme, of which this article is a part.

Anne Birgitte Christensen, Sydvestjysk Hospital

Anne Birgitte Christensen, HR Consultant, Sydvestjysk Hospital. Anne Birgitte is a graduate of cand rer. Soc. and Master of science in Systemic Leadership and Organisational Studies from the University of Bedfordshire. Anne Birgitte has worked with development, evaluation, processes and coaching for 20 years with a special focus on methodology and the interplay between theory and practice.

Mickael Bech, University of Southern Denmark, Centre of Health Economics

Mickael Bech, Head of Centre, Professor at COHERE - Centre of Health Economics Research, Department of Business and Economics, University of Southern Denmark. Mickael is a trained economist and has throughout his research career worked with the organisation and management of the healthcare system. Mickael's research focuses on the use of financial management instruments, settlement systems and the organisation and management of hospitals.

Magnus Larsson, Copenhagen Business School

Magnus Larsson, Associate Professor, Department of Organisation, Copenhagen Business School. Magnus is a licensed psychologist and has researched organisational and leadership processes in both public and private organisations. In recent years, the focus has been on the effects of leadership development and how leadership and organisation are created in interaction in the context of practical everyday work.

 

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Published

2012-06-15

How to Cite

Plesner, J., Christensen, A. B., Bech, M., & Larsson, M. (2012). Leadership across Danish hospitals. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration, 16(2), 165–187. https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v16i2.16237

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