Accreditation—a verification ritual lacking verification

Wilson, Ian G

doi:10.1136/bmj.k4647

Cited by 1 publication

(4 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Our study extends the range of outcomes of MCSs examined in the literature beyond positive, negative and neutral attitudes to control systems (Tessier and Otley, 2012) to include ambivalent attitudes. Finally, our findings highlight the complexity of accreditation implementation (Brubakk et al, 2015) and respond to calls to further examine implementation of health service accreditation (Greenfield and Braithwaite, 2008;Wilson, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 64%

“…Finally, we respond to calls to further examine implementation of health service accreditation (Greenfield and Braithwaite, 2008; Wilson, 2018). Our findings highlight the complexity of accreditation implementation (Brubakk et al , 2015) where multiple organisational dualities are brought into juxtaposition through the various features of an external control system.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Implementation of healthcare accreditation is an area which has been given inadequate consideration in studies to date (Brubakk et al, 2015) and merits additional scrutiny (Greenfield and Braithwaite, 2008;Wilson, 2018). There is recent evidence of ambivalent attitudes of hospital management towards ranking systems (Wallenburg et al, 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Tension salience can trigger ambivalent attitudes (Ashforth et al, 2014) through the experience of organisational dualities as both contradictory and interrelated (Smith and Lewis, 2011;Lewis, 2000). Ambivalent attitudes towards accreditation are not surprising, given that these systems do not always achieve intended outcomes (Brubakk et al, 2015;Wilson, 2018). We focus on attitudes towards the accreditation process of individual managers within a hospital management group who are responsible for accreditation implementation and address the following research question: How does the implementation of a hospital accreditation system influence the salience of organisational tensions experienced by hospital management and their attitudes towards accreditation?…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Hospital accreditation systems and salience of organisational tensions

Robbins

Sweeney

Vega

2021

AAAJ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

PurposeThis study examines how an externally imposed management control system (MCS) – hospital accreditation – influences the salience of organisational tensions and consequently attitudes of management towards the system.Design/methodology/approachData are collected using a case study of a large public hospital in Spain. In-depth interviews were conducted with 27 senior and middle managers across different functions. Relying on the organisational dualities classification in the literature, tensions are unpacked and analysed.FindingsEvidence is presented of how hospital accreditation increases the salience of organisational tensions arising from exposition of the organisational dualities of learning, performing, organising and belonging. Salient tensions were evident in the ambivalent attitudes of management towards the hospital accreditation system.Practical implicationsThe role of mandatory external control systems in exposing ambivalence and tensions will be of interest to organisational managers.Originality/valueThe study extends the management control literature by identifying an active role for an external MCS (accreditation) in increasing the salience of organisational tensions and triggering ambivalence. Contrary to the prior literature, the embedding of both poles of an organisational duality into the MCS is not a necessary precondition for increased tension salience. The range of attitudes towards MCSs beyond those specified in the previous literature (positive/negative/neutral) is extended to include ambivalence.

show abstract