Archetype Transition in the German Health Service? The Attempted Modernization of Hospitals in a North German State

Dent, Mike, Howorth, Chris, Mueller, Frank and Preuschoft, Claudia

(2004)

Dent, Mike, Howorth, Chris, Mueller, Frank and Preuschoft, Claudia (2004) Archetype Transition in the German Health Service? The Attempted Modernization of Hospitals in a North German State. Public Administration, 82 (3).

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Abstract

In this paper, we argue that, rather than aiming at universal contingency relationships,
archetype theory needs to go down a path where ‘local variants’ can be discovered
and understood by relating them to their organizational and institutional
context(s). The case study of a public sector hospital group in a North German state
(Hamburg) is drawn on here to elaborate the argument. We found evidence for a
change from a Public Sector hospital archetype to a Public Hospital Corporation
archetype. Drawing on this model permits us to explore the impact of the introduction
of new forms of public management organization and the implications the managerial
ideology underpinning this may have for the professional organization. The
study explores the consequences of the innovations for professional/managerial
relations. We also suggest that the ‘archetype’ approach may be particularly useful
for the comparative study of organizations. This is particularly pertinent given the
different – corporatist – organization of the German health care system and its different
approach to public sector reform to that of the Anglo-American and Scandinavian
systems where the ‘archetypal’ approach has so far been applied.

Information about this Version

This is a Published version
This version's date is: 08/2004
This item is peer reviewed

Link to this Version

https://repository.royalholloway.ac.uk/items/ca171b4f-92a8-fa6c-307f-7b617d1aaf7c/1/

Item TypeJournal Article
TitleArchetype Transition in the German Health Service? The Attempted Modernization of Hospitals in a North German State
AuthorsDent, Mike
Howorth, Chris
Mueller, Frank
Preuschoft, Claudia
Uncontrolled Keywordsarchetype transition, archetype change, health service organisation, health service reform, German health care
DepartmentsResearch Groups and Centres\Management\Public Services Management
Faculty of History and Social Science\Management
Faculty of History and Social Science\Health and Social Care

Identifiers

doi10.1111/j.0033-3298.2004.00416.x

Deposited by () on 23-Dec-2009 in Royal Holloway Research Online.Last modified on 23-Dec-2009

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