Knowledge mobilization in healthcare organizations: a view from the resource-based view of the firm

Abstract

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.

Analysing barriers to service improvement using a multi‐level theory of innovation: the case of glaucoma outpatient clinics

“…In relation to innovation, a key concept is ‘organisational ambidexterity’ or the ability to combine the exploitation of existing capabilities to deliver day‐to‐day operations with exploring new opportunities or producing innovation in response to a changing environment (Ferlie et al . ).…”

An Untapped Resource: Patient and Public Involvement in Implementation Comment on "Knowledge Mobilization in Healthcare Organizations: A View From the Resource-Based View of the Firm"

“…T he recent interest in the potential of the resource-based view of the Firm as an explanatory framework for knowledge mobilisation in healthcare 1,2 provides an opportunity to consider the roles that different stakeholders, and specifically patients and the public, might play in creating unique and important knowledge resources for organisations. Protecting personal health, including the lay management of health problems, is largely influenced by the media, and social and cultural norms.…”

Strategic Management in the Healthcare Sector: The Debate About the Resource-Based View Flourishes in Response to Recent Commentaries

“…[1][2][3] This transfer process is an interesting example of how a school of thought originally developed in private sector settings helps in understanding how publicly funded healthcare organizations behave, although its concepts may still require adaptation as they cross-sectoral boundaries. We here comment on two recent contributions to this debate published in this journal.…”