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Medical managers' beliefs about reduced-hour physicians
Jennifer K Hartwell1, Rosalind C Barnett, Stephen Borgatti
1Kravis Leadership Institute, Claremont Mckenna College, Claremont, California, USA.
Journal of Health Organization and Management
|November 13, 2004
Summary
Medical managers perceive benefits from reduced-hour physicians (RHPs), but their expectations may exploit RHPs. This study explores these beliefs and their potential impact on organizational effectiveness and physician well-being.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Organizational Behavior
- Physician Workforce Studies
Background:
- Reduced-hour career paths for physicians are increasingly common.
- Understanding medical managers' perspectives on these roles is crucial for organizational effectiveness.
- Previous research has noted controversial health outcomes for reduced-hour workers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine medical managers' beliefs regarding the impact of reduced-hour physicians (RHPs) on organizational effectiveness.
- To identify the specific reasons managers cite for employing RHPs.
- To explore potential exploitative aspects of these beliefs through the lens of psychological contract theory.
Main Methods:
- An exploratory, inductive qualitative study.
- Data collected from 17 medical managers across nine medical organizations in the Boston area.
- Analysis focused on managers' stated beliefs and expectations about RHPs.
Main Results:
- Managers generally believe the advantages of employing RHPs exceed the disadvantages.
- Key perceived benefits include increased managerial control and flexibility.
- Managers' expectations suggest RHPs should perform uncompensated work, handle undesirable tasks, and maintain high availability.
Conclusions:
- Managerial beliefs about RHPs may involve exploitative expectations, potentially impacting physician well-being.
- Psychological contract theory offers a framework for understanding these findings and related literature.
- Further research is needed to explore the long-term consequences for both physicians and healthcare organizations.