Understanding champion behaviour in a health-care information system development project – how multiple champions and champion behaviours build a coherent whole

Abstract

Champions are commonly suggested as a means of promoting the adoption of information systems. Since there are many different definitions of the concepts of champion and champion behaviour in the literature, practitioners and researchers may be confused about how to exactly use these concepts. A qualitative analysis of a single case study in a Swedish health-care organisation enabled us to explain how different champion behaviours relate to each other and how multiple champions interact. Combining our rich case observations with an analysis of champion literature reveals how champion behaviours form a coherent and meaningful whole in which networks of different types of champions at different levels in an organisation utilise their network of relations, their knowledge of the organisation and their insight into strategic decisionmaking politics to time and orchestrate the framing of innovations and the involvement of the right people. In conclusion, championing is a complex performance of contextually dependent collective social interaction, varying over time, rather than a heroic act of one individual promoting an idea. Future studies need to focus more on how the relations between different champions and their behaviours develop across innovations and over time, in order to develop a richer understanding of championing.

Characteristics and behaviours of formal versus informal nurse champions and their relationship to innovation success

“…There is some preliminary empirical evidence that formal champions differ from informal champions in their behaviours and strategies aimed at influencing other people (Waring, Currie, Crompton, & Bishop, ; Yuan et al., ). Whereas formal champions rely mostly on their access to relevant knowledge and innovation resources, informal champions rely more on personal resources such as expertise and interpersonal skills (Van Laere & Aggestam, ). Specifically, “[informal] champions are well connected to people and the resources of the organization, and this supports them in being such influential advocates” (Thompson et al., , p. 695).…”

“…nurses, physicians, patients) are involved, might be more suitable for a formal champion, who enjoys more hierarchical power, access to organizational resources, and managerial support than an informal champion (e.g. Day, 1994;Howell & Higgins, 1990a;McCorkle, Alexander, & Reardon, 2001;Ploeg et al, 2010;Shifaza et al, 2013;van Laere & Aggestam, 2016).…”

Characteristics of Quality Improvement Champions in Nursing Homes: A Systematic Review With Implications for Evidence‐Based Practice

“…The roles that champions fulfill are considered to be equally diverse and can include being advocates for a practice change (Fesmire, Peterson, Roe, & Wojcik, ), to facilitate the implementation of protocol interventions (Kaasalainen et al., ), or to encourage and engage staff in QI initiatives (Rantz, Zwygart‐Stauffacher, Hicks et al., ). There is considerable support for having multiple champions within an organization who may cooperate or “coperform” behaviors to accept the innovation or change in practice (Soo et al., ; Van Laere & Aggestam, ). Behaviors that champions have been identified as performing include education (among peers and other staff), acting as a resource or mentor (including the modeling and reinforcing of desired behaviors), advocacy and leadership, relationship building, and the navigation of boundaries (Soo et al., ).…”

Product Champion for Successful Innovation- A Review of the Previous Literature and Challenge for the Future

“…Incidentally, there are some discussion that champion activities are described as a function "championing" [10] or that the combining of multi-persons' activities shows champion performance [13]. This concept is based on the policy that each person should not be treated as a hero/heroin.…”

“…Shane's studies have shown the common and contrasting points based on the differences in cultural values. In recent years, this champion concept is extending to business creation [33,34] or other field like health care [35] with new sight like leadership of champion or relationship of organizational behavior.…”