Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Management or leadership?

Keith Grint1

  • 1Saïd Business School and Templeton College, Oxford University, Oxford OX1 1HP, UK.

Journal of Health Services Research & Policy
|November 12, 2002
PubMed
Summary

The division between management and leadership in health services leads to displaced responsibility. True solutions require mass leadership and collective responsibility, not just management or relying on a few leaders.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same journal

The organisational blind spots in making sepsis and antimicrobial stewardship guidance work: A document review.

Journal of health services research & policy·2026
Same journal

Deficiencies in social and health care during voluntary termination of pregnancy in Spain: women's experiences and perceptions.

Journal of health services research & policy·2026
Same journal

Have we forgotten our obligation to train health workers on disability? A policy analysis in sub-Saharan Africa.

Journal of health services research & policy·2026
Same journal

Patient reported outcomes of home diagnostics with colon capsule endoscopy - results from the 5G-SUCCEEDS study.

Journal of health services research & policy·2026
Same journal

Cost-effectiveness of synchronous telehealth versus face-to-face care for asthma management: A systematic review.

Journal of health services research & policy·2026
Same journal

Facilitators and barriers to implementing new models of care for patients in a rehabilitation care setting: A systematic review.

Journal of health services research & policy·2026

Area of Science:

  • Healthcare Management
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Leadership Studies

Background:

  • The separation of management and leadership functions in healthcare contributes to a diffusion of responsibility for systemic problems.
  • Increasing complexity in health services exacerbates challenges for both management and leadership.
  • Existing approaches to health service challenges, such as control-oriented management or reliance on individual leaders, are increasingly inadequate.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the origins and consequences of the management-leadership division in health services.
  • To critically evaluate common strategies for addressing complex health service problems.
  • To propose an alternative framework for problem-solving in healthcare.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of the management vs. leadership dichotomy.
  • Historical analogy drawing lessons from Second World War strategies.
  • Critique of conventional management and leadership paradigms.

Main Results:

  • The management-leadership split encourages buck-passing and hinders effective problem resolution.
  • Strategies focused on centralized control or individual leadership are insufficient for complex health service issues.
  • Lessons from WWII combat suggest that decentralized, collective approaches are more effective in chaotic environments.

Conclusions:

  • Relying solely on management or a few designated leaders is a flawed strategy for health service challenges.
  • Mass leadership, where responsibility is widely distributed, is essential for navigating complexity.
  • Collective responsibility offers a more viable path to solving persistent problems in health services.

Related Experiment Videos