Balancing altruism and self-interest: GP and patient implications

O’Riordan Chris ()
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O’Riordan Chris: School of Business, Waterford Institute of Technology, Waterford, Ireland

The Irish Journal of Management, 2018, vol. 37, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: This paper explores how general practitioners (GPs) address potentially opposing motivations stemming from being altruistic and self-interested, and the implications for patients and GPs. The author finds that GPs address dual goals of patient care and profit generation. This can be challenging, while professional values (altruism) encourage a patient focus, business realities (self-interest) mandate other priorities. Viewing clinicians as altruistic in isolation of business needs is unrealistic, as is the notion that profit is the dominant motivation. A blending of interests occurs, pursuing reasonable self-interest, patients’ best interests are ultimately met. GPs need a profit focus to sustain/improve the practice, benefitting patients through continued availability and capacity for enhancement. Therefore, it is argued that GPs behave in a manner that is ‘part altruistic, part self-interested’ and mutually beneficial. These insights should be considered in designing incentive systems for GPs, raising compelling questions about contemporary understanding of the nature of professionals.

Keywords: altruism; general practice; professions; qualitative research; self-interest (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vrs:irjman:v:37:y:2018:i:1:p:1-15:n:1001

DOI: 10.2478/ijm-2018-0001

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