Explaining process orientation failure and success in health care--three case studies

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Studies
• Process Improvement

Background:

• Health care organizations (HCOs) implement process orientation to enhance inter-unit cooperation.
• Previous studies highlight challenges in achieving successful process orientation implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explain and understand the factors contributing to the success and failure of process orientation in HCOs.

Main Methods:

• Three case studies were conducted.
• Actor-Network Theory was employed as an analytical framework.

Main Results:

• Physician resistance, stemming from perceived low medical priority of process targets, hinders realization.
• Medical priorities are dynamic and negotiable, influenced by process activities and actor engagement over time.

Conclusions:

• New Public Management, accounting figures, and leadership roles may not be the primary obstacles to process orientation, contrary to prior research.