Role-meanings as a critical factor in understanding doctor managers' identity work and different role identities

Rosalía Cascón-Pereira, Shiona Chillas and Jerry Hallier

Social Science & Medicine, 2016, vol. 170, issue C, 18-25

Abstract: This study examines “identity work” among hybrid doctor-managers (DMs) in the Spanish National Health System to make sense of their managerial roles. In particular, the meanings underlying DMs experience of their hybrid role are investigated using a Grounded Theory methodology, exposing distinctions in role-meanings. Our findings provide evidence that using different social sources of comparison (senior managers or clinicians) to construct the meaning of managerial roles leads to different role-meanings and role identities, which are the source of the two established types of DM in the literature, the reluctant and the enthusiast. The contribution is twofold: our findings lead us to theorize DMs’ identity work processes by adding an overlooked role-meaning dimension to identity work; and raise practical reflections for those who wish to develop enthusiast doctor managers.

Keywords: Spain; Identity work; Meanings; Clinical directors; Role identity; Attitudes to managing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:socmed:v:170:y:2016:i:c:p:18-25

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DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2016.09.043

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