Examining innovation in hospital units: a complex adaptive systems approach

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Behavior
• Innovation Studies

Background:

• Healthcare delivery is undergoing rapid innovation.
• Healthcare complexity presents unique challenges for innovation adoption.
• Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory offers a framework for understanding these dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between unit complexity and innovation in hospitals.
• To explore the moderating roles of autonomy and performance orientation within a CAS framework.

Main Methods:

• Quantitative study of 31 hospital units.
• Application of Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory.
• Analysis of autonomy and performance orientation as moderators.

Main Results:

• Unit complexity correlates with higher innovation when autonomy is low.
• Unit complexity is linked to greater innovation with high performance orientation.
• Quantified complexity's impact on healthcare innovation, examined autonomy's role, and introduced performance orientation's influence.

Conclusions:

• Complexity does not inherently hinder healthcare innovation.
• Hospitals should guide innovation efforts and provide management support.
• Visibility of successful pilot innovations and alignment with unit performance are crucial for success.