Title: Change in the Finnish healthcare: managerial sensemaking in the private sector

Authors: Maarit Lammassaari; Esa Hiltunen

Addresses: Business School, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, Kuopio, Finland ' Business School, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio Campus, Kuopio, Finland

Abstract: This intensive case study explored managerial sensemaking during a change in the Finnish healthcare. In order to achieve the purpose of the study, an interview was carried out with a manager acting in the private healthcare sector while major political decisions about the future of the healthcare system were waited in the healthcare field. A sensemaking perspective was adopted as a methodological tool for analysing the interview data. Healthcare change is perceived as an uncertain and a constant change environment for the private healthcare sector. The social change is greatly impacting on the changes occurring in the companies. Our paper provides a way of understanding healthcare changes and furthers the empirical use of sensemaking as a method.

Keywords: managerial sensemaking; healthcare change; private healthcare sector; intensive case study; Finland; healthcare management.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2015.071104

International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 2015 Vol.21 No.1/2/3, pp.5 - 15

Published online: 12 Aug 2015 *

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