This short literature review argues that the Resource-Based View (RBV) school of strategic management has recently become of increased interest to scholars of healthcare organizations. RBV links well to the broader interest in more effective Knowledge Mobilization (KM) in healthcare. The paper outlines and discusses key concepts, texts and authors from the RBV tradition and gives recent examples of how RBV concepts have been applied fruitfully to healthcare settings. It concludes by setting out a future research agenda. ://ijhpm.com Int J Health Policy Manag 2015, 4(3), 127-130 doi 10.15171/ijhpm.2015.35
IntroductionWhy is there increased interest in the academic health management literature in accessing the Resource-Based View (RBV) school of strategic management (1,2)? Such interest might prima facie be thought curious for two reasons. Firstly, health management research often tends towards an empiricist mode and is suspicious of abstract theory. As a counterbalancing tendency, however, researchers working in a critical realist position are seeking to develop candidate programme theories (1) to explain empirical phenomena, such as the variable fate within healthcare organizations of large scale quality improvement efforts. Secondly, it is often argued that theories developed for private sector firms may not travel well into public sector healthcare settings, or at least require major adaptation. We will argue here that RBV should now be of interest to health management researchers and organizations, although it may still need to be customised. In this short paper, firstly, we consider developments in the health policy domain which make RBV of enhanced interest. Then we outline core concepts in RBV theory and give brief healthcare examples. Finally, we make a case for further use of RBV in future research and consider some managerial implications for healthcare settings.
This 'think piece' explores whether new organisational forms are now appearing within English Higher Education (HE). The growth of non-public funding streams and the extension of Degree Awarding Powers to alternative providers might encourage such shifts. We suggested the conventional Private Limited Company is not in principle the only alternative to the publicly funded HE Institution. One consistent national policy driver in strategies of English public management reform has been support for third sector orientated providers which may have had effects in HE. Our empirical conclusions about present organisational change patterns in the sector are, however, decidedly mixed. There is substantial but rather conventional M and A activity between publicly funded HE providers which does not add to organisational variety. A small cluster of for profits has entered the English HE market, alongside another small cluster of non for profits. One site showed evidence of a slight move to a professional partnership form, mixed with private equity. Staff owned mutuals seemed very weakly developed. These novel organisations are as yet generally small scale, with a few exceptions. There was initial evidence found of larger scale developments in a novel and hybrid organisational space which combines: recently founded social enterprises, disruptive technological innovation, new forms of on line learning, often supported financially by large philanthropic foundations connected to the high tech sector. Large foundations may emerge as important influencers which complement shrinking government funding. The virtual university is another organisational change to explore further, especially given the rise of ICT dependent inter university and international consortia, but is not necessarily friendly to third sector ideas and forms. Finally, we explore the wider and more international implications of our early work on English HE for future research.
Social enterprises have an increasing role in providing potential solutions to intractable health improvement challenges, contributing to a broader vision around upstream action for health. However, the fragmentation and growing outsourcing of public health has risks for coherent and equitable service planning.
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