Lean and process-orienting health care – linking and disentangling activities

Abstract

Purpose

One of the latest trends within public administration and healthcare organizations (HCOs) is process orientation, often in the shape of Lean management. The purpose of this study is to expand our understanding of process orientation of HCOs and the more specific aim is to investigate what measures are taken to re-frame the HCOs to include the process dimension.

Design/methodology/approach

This empirical study is based on 67 interviews and 20 meeting observations.

Findings

The main observation in this study is that introducing process-oriented management solutions is about disconnecting and cutting-off existing links. The authors see how attempts are made to cut-off links to the logic of functional specialization, the autonomy of the professional worker, equal treatment of patients and other objectives.

Originality/value

This study adds to and expands previous studies that have problematized the use of Lean-inspired ways of organizing in the public sector.

Citation

Kastberg, G. and Siverbo, S. (2017), "Lean and process-orienting health care – linking and disentangling activities", Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management, Vol. 14 No. 4, pp. 390-406. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRAM-03-2017-0019