Elaborating on theory with middle managers' experience implementing healthcare innovations in practice

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Innovation Implementation Science
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• A theory posits middle managers are crucial for healthcare innovation success through four roles: diffusing, synthesizing, mediating, and selling innovation.
• The theory outlines specific activities middle managers may undertake to fulfill these roles.
• The practical alignment of this theory with middle managers' actual experiences remained unverified.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the congruence between the hypothesized theory of middle managers' roles in healthcare innovation and their real-world experiences.
• To enrich the existing theory by incorporating practical examples and insights from middle managers overseeing innovation implementation.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 63 middle managers attending a nursing innovation summit.
• Participants were asked to evaluate the importance of the four hypothesized roles and describe their engagement in related activities.
• Data collected aimed to validate and expand the theoretical framework.

Main Results:

• Middle managers deemed all four roles critically important, prioritizing information diffusion and synthesis over selling innovation implementation.
• Reported activities largely mirrored the theory's suggestions, including information diffusion through meetings and training.
• Managers also engaged in un-theorized activities, such as appraising employee performance, indicating a broader scope of their role.

Conclusions:

• Middle managers' practical experiences strongly supported and enhanced the theoretical framework of their roles in innovation implementation.
• Future research should investigate the direct link between these managerial roles and the effectiveness of innovation implementation.
• Leveraging this validated theory can potentially improve innovation adoption rates by fostering key managerial functions.