Prelims
Values, Rationality, and Power: Developing Organizational Wisdom
ISBN: 978-1-83867-942-2, eISBN: 978-1-83867-941-5
ISSN: 2059-6561
Publication date: 21 October 2019
Citation
(2019), "Prelims", Values, Rationality, and Power: Developing Organizational Wisdom (Critical Management Studies), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. i-xix. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2059-65612019044
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019 Emerald Publishing Limited
Half Title Page
VALUES, RATIONALITY, AND POWER
Series Page
CRITICAL MANAGEMENT STUDIES
Series Editor: Albert J. Mills
Title Page
VALUES, RATIONALITY, AND POWER: DEVELOPING ORGANIZATIONAL WISDOM
A Case Study of a Canadian Healthcare Authority
BY
BRAD C. ANDERSON
Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Canada
United Kingdom – North America – Japan – India – Malaysia – China
Copyright Page
Emerald Publishing Limited
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First edition 2019
Copyright © 2019 Emerald Publishing Limited
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British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-83867-942-2 (Print)
ISBN: 978-1-83867-941-5 (Online)
ISBN: 978-1-83909-091-2 (EPub)
ISSN: 2059-6561
List of Figures
Chapter 5 | ||
Figure 5.1. | Critical Realism’s Stratified Ontology. | 54 |
Chapter 6 | ||
Figure 6.1. | Organizational Structure of the Seniors Programme. | 69 |
Figure 6.2. | Timeline of the Seniors Programme. | 69 |
Chapter 8 | ||
Figure 8.1. | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Reasons Some VPs Did Not Support the Training Fellowship. | 94 |
Figure 8.2. | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Means of Resistance to the Training Fellowship. | 96 |
Figure 8.3(a–c). | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Means of Building Support for the Training Fellowship. (a) Collective Decision-making. (b) Appeal to Values and CEO Power. (c) Appeal to Rationality. | 102 |
Figure 8.4(a–c). | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Elements of Building and Maintaining Support for the Seniors Programme. (a) The Role of Positive Results in Building and Maintaining Support for the Seniors Programme. (b) Maintaining Support during CEO Transitions. (c) The Role of Communications in Maintaining and Building Support for the Seniors Programme. | 109 |
Chapter 9 | ||
Figure 9.1(a–b). | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Attributes of People That Kept the Seniors Programme Alive. (a) Sources of Optimism and Enthusiasm; Ability to Build Supportive Infrastructure and Stakeholder Relations. (b) Willingness to Adapt and Do the Work Required for the Project. | 115 |
Figure 9.2(a–b). | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Role of Documentation in Keeping the Seniors Programme Alive. (a) The Project Charter. (b) The Project Charter’s Role in Bringing CEO2 to Ottawa. | 120 |
Figure 9.3(a–b). | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Role of Collaboration in Keeping the Seniors Programme Alive. (a) Perceptions of the Collaboration at Senior Management Levels. (b) The Role of Collaboration in Gaining CEO2’s Support for the Senior Programme. | 123 |
Chapter 10 | ||
Figure 10.1. | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Means of Preliminary Research. | 127 |
Figure 10.2. | A Critical Realist Perspective of Managing the Differences in Patient Population between the BC and NS Health Authorities. | 129 |
Figure 10.3. | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Selection of the BC Coaching Organization. | 131 |
Figure 10.4(a–c). | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Elements of Defining the Target Patient Population. (a) Establishing the Need and Responsibility for Defining the Target Patient Population. (b) Identifying Candidate Terms to Define the Target Patient Population. (c) Selecting the Term Used to Define the Target Patient Population. | 136 |
Figure 10.5(a–d). | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Elements of the Vision Statement. (a) Developing the Vision Statement. (b) Mixed Reviews of the Vision Statement. (c) How Olga’s Story Defied People’s Perception of Ageing and Frailty. (d) Using the Vision Statement and Olga’s Story to Redefine Rationality. | 144 |
Chapter 11 | ||
Figure 11.1. | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Motivational Capacity of Shared Values. | 149 |
Figure 11.2(a–b). | A Critical Realist Perspective of Reifying Power through Bureaucratic Rationality. (a) Clarity of Goals, Procedures, and Flow of Information. (b) Processes within the BC Coaching Organization. | 152 |
Figure 11.3. | A Critical Realist Perspective of Empowerment. | 154 |
Figure 11.4. | A Critical Realist Perspective of Communication. | 156 |
Figure 11.5. | A Critical Realist Perspective of Shielding Workers from Political Turmoil. | 158 |
Chapter 12 | ||
Figure 12.1(a–c). | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Elements of the Intention to Spread the Seniors Programme. (a) Reasons to Spread Seniors Programme. (b) Pan-Canadian versus Regional Spread. (c) A Staged Approach to Spread. | 163 |
Figure 12.2. | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Elements of the Fellowship’s Assessment of the Collaboration. | 166 |
Figure 12.3(a–c). | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Elements Posing Barriers to Spread. (a) How Risk Tolerance and Payment Structures Posed Barriers to Spread. (b) How Diverse Systems Posed Barriers to Spread. (c) How Managing Daily Pressures in Healthcare Regions Posed Barriers to Spread. | 172 |
Chapter 13 | ||
Figure 13.1. | A Critical Realist Perspective of How Leadership Can Facilitate Spread. | 177 |
Figure 13.2. | A Critical Realist Perspective of the Attributes of People that Facilitate Spread. | 179 |
Figure 13.3. | A Critical Realist Perspective of Programme Characteristics that Facilitate Spread. | 180 |
Figure 13.4. | A Critical Realist Perspective of How the Development of eCGA Facilitated Spread. | 182 |
Figure 13.5. | A Critical Realist Perspective of Providing Support to Physicians to Facilitate Spread. | 183 |
Figure 13.6. | A Critical Realist Perspective of How Changes to Primary Care Facilitate Spread. | 185 |
Figure 13.7. | A Critical Realist Perspective of How to Approach Regions to Facilitate Spread. | 187 |
List of Tables
Chapter 1 | ||
Table 1.1. | Research Questions. | 4 |
Chapter 3 | ||
Table 3.1. | Public Values Emphasized in Canada’s 2003 Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service as Identified by Beck Jørgensen and Sørensen (2013). | 26 |
Table 3.2. | Cross-reference of Canada Health Act Objectives with Public Values. | 27 |
Table 3.3. | Cross-reference of the BC Health Authority’s Vision, Purpose, and Values with Public Values. | 27 |
Chapter 6 | ||
Table 6.1. | Organizations Involved in the Seniors Programme. | 66 |
Table 6.2. | Key Individuals Involved in the Seniors Programme. | 67 |
Table 6.3. | Summary of Documents Analysed. | 72 |
Table 6.4. | Summary of Interviews. | 73 |
Table 6.5. | Codes Used during Data Analysis. | 75 |
Chapter 7 | ||
Table 7.1. | Summary of the Enabling Structures of Values, Rationality, and Power That Led Interviewees to Become Involved in the Seniors Programme. | 81 |
Table 7.2. | Comparison of Values in the Project Charter versus Those Interviewees Perceived in the Seniors Programme. | 87 |
Table 7.3 | Comparison of Values in the Canada Health Act versus Those Interviewees Perceived in the Seniors Programme. | 88 |
Chapter 8 | ||
Table 8.1. | Reasons Some VPs Did Not Support the Training Fellowship and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 93 |
Table 8.2. | Means of Resistance to the Training Fellowship and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 96 |
Table 8.3. | Means of Building Support for the Training Fellowship and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 101 |
Table 8.4. | Elements of Building and Maintaining Support for the Seniors Programme and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 108 |
Chapter 9 | ||
Table 9.1. | Attributes of People That Kept the Seniors Programme Alive and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 114 |
Table 9.2. | Role of Documentation in Keeping the Seniors Programme Alive and Its Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 119 |
Table 9.3. | Role of Collaboration in Keeping the Seniors Programme Alive and Its Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 122 |
Chapter 10 | ||
Table 10.1. | Means of Preliminary Research and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 127 |
Table 10.2. | Challenges the Fellowship Had Managing the Differences in Patient Population between the BC and NS Health Authorities and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 128 |
Table 10.3. | Selecting the BC Coaching Organization and Its Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 130 |
Table 10.4. | Elements of Defining the Target Patient Population and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 135 |
Table 10.5. | Elements of the Vision Statement and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 143 |
Chapter 11 | ||
Table 11.1. | Elements of the Motivational Capacity of Shared Values and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 148 |
Table 11.2. | Elements of Reifying Power through Bureaucratic Rationality and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 151 |
Table 11.3. | Elements of Empowerment and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 154 |
Table 11.4. | Elements of Communication and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 156 |
Table 11.5. | Elements of Shielding Workers from Political Turmoil and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 157 |
Chapter 12 | ||
Table 12.1. | Elements of the Intention to Spread the Seniors Programme and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 162 |
Table 12.2. | Elements of the BC Working Group’s Assessment of the Collaboration and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 165 |
Table 12.3. | Elements Posing Barriers to Spread and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 171 |
Chapter 13 | ||
Table 13.1. | Elements of How Leadership Facilitated Spread and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 176 |
Table 13.2. | Elements of How Programme Champions Facilitated Spread and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 178 |
Table 13.3. | Elements of How Programme Characteristics Facilitated Spread and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 180 |
Table 13.4. | Elements of How Developing the eCGA Facilitated Spread and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 181 |
Table 13.5. | Elements of How Supporting GPs Facilitated Spread and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 183 |
Table 13.6. | Elements of How Changes to the Delivery of Primary Care Facilitated Spread and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 185 |
Table 13.7. | Elements of How the Methods Used to Approach Regions Facilitated Spread and Their Relation to Values, Rationality, and Power. | 187 |
Chapter 16 | ||
Table 16.1. | Summary of Propositions and Recommendations. | 216 |
Chapter 17 | ||
Table 17.1. | A Framework for Educators to Develop Organizational and Managerial Wisdom. | 242 |
About the Author
Dr Brad C. Anderson teaches business at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, focusing on operations management as well as business analysis and decision-making. Prior to that, he worked as a scientist in the biotech industry where he made drugs for a living (legally!). In addition to his teaching and research interests, he is a published science fiction author. Learn more about him and his work at www.bradanderson2000.com.
Acknowledgements
There are many people to whom I owe a debt of gratitude. Dr. Gabrielle Durepos devoted a tremendous amount of time, effort, and thought into helping me shape this book into what it is. This work would be a mere shadow of itself without her guidance and support. Likewise, Dr. Janice Thomas made the time to take me on as a graduate student despite an already vast array of responsibilities. It was she who introduced me to Bent Flyvbjerg’s book Making Social Science Matter: Why Social Inquiry Fails and How It Can Succeed Again. There are books that change lives, and this book changed mine. I also wish to thank Drs. Gloria Filax, Gina Grandy, and Jim Grant, who took the time to review and provide feedback on my research. Their insights and challenging questions only made this work stronger.
There are many within my research setting to whom I owe thanks. To maintain their confidentiality, however, I can only refer to them by their code names. The Mentor was the first person in the BC Health Authority to introduce me to the Seniors Programme. From day one, she showed interest and passion for my research. Similarly, the Site Director was incredibly supportive, giving me access to a treasure trove of documents. These two plus my other interviewees, the MD Lead, Head Coach, Senior Improvement Lead, CEO1 and CEO2, gave generously their time participating in my interviews. Associated with many of these individuals and the research ethics boards I interacted with are unsung heroes: executive assistants and administrators with whom I worked to arrange meetings, organize interviews, and guide paperwork through the labyrinthine complexity of bureaucracy. Without the generosity and support of these people, this research would not exist.
- Prelims
- Chapter 1 Study Overview
- Chapter 2 Overview of Organizational Wisdom
- Chapter 3 Values and Rationality
- Chapter 4 Power and the Nature of Pluralistic Organizations
- Chapter 5 Theoretical Frameworks
- Chapter 6 Methods
- Chapter 7 The Values Inherent in the Seniors Programme
- Chapter 8 Managing Executive Resistance
- Chapter 9 Binding the Organization to the Seniors Programme
- Chapter 10 Multiple Rationalities at Play
- Chapter 11 Reifying Power
- Chapter 12 Structures Constraining Spread
- Chapter 13 Structures Enabling Spread
- Chapter 14 Discussion: Values, Rationality, and Power
- Chapter 15 Was the Use of Power Consistent with the Values of Canada’s Healthcare System?
- Chapter 16 What’s to Be Done? Facilitating the Development of Organizational Wisdom
- Chapter 17 Wisdom’s Future
- Appendix
- References
- Index