The Influencing Factors of Innovation Capacitiy throughout...
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Barbara Hinding, Silvia Biere, Anja Höcke, Jennifer Matthes, Michael Kastner Mannheim Institut of Public Health, Social Preventive Medicine. Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany The Influencing Factors of Innovation Capacitiy throughout the Working Life of Health Care Workers in Germany Mannheimer Institut für Public Health Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim Universität Heidelberg Ludolf-Krehl-Straße 7-1168167 Mannheim Telefon: 0621 – 383 9910 www.miph.uni-hd.de 2. Group interviews with executives: joint development of a local theory on innovation processes Local theory: • Knowledge and assumptions of local actors concerning certain circumstances • serve to explain events, their meaningful integration into an overall context and legitimisation of activities • Local theories are not scientific theories but everyday theories • Local theories often are implicit (unspoken); appropriate methods are necessary to make them accessible (Hinding & Kastner, 2011) Group interviews with prevailing workshop character: • Brainstorming: relevant influencing factors of innovation capacity - at a personal level (important competencies, attitudes etc.) - at the level of the immediate work situation - at a higher organisational level • evaluation and weighting of the single factors • development of an analysis model (s. example in fig. 3) to visualise the local theory • Naming of strengths and difficulties within innovation processes in the organisation Analysis: Description and comparison of local theories by reference to the theoretical previous understanding of innovation processes and innovation-related behaviour. Background Health care professions are especially affected by the impacts of demographic change. As the number of sick and dependent people will increase in light of the ageing population while the supply of young qualified professionals will decrease simultaneously a shortage of 737.000 health care workers is expected in 2030 (Prognos AG, 2012). In addition, the pressure to save costs is growing. More people depend on care, have to be assisted and counselled – all in view of dwindling resources. Consequences as time pressure and work intensification already affect the employees’ quality of work and health. This situation requires innovations. Innovations are made by humans. Innovation competence of employees plays a crucial role in the future viability of health care organisations. The question therefore arises, how to promote innovation capacities, especially in the face of ageing workforces. After all, innovation is commonly associated with younger employees, while the deficit model of ageing predominates with respect to older employees – and thus the concern older workforces bring about less innovation and are less willing to support internal organisational changes. This raises the question of innovation capacity changes throughout the working life. Objectives Objective of the ongoing study is to describe these changes and to identify factors which allow influencing them. Conditions under which employees can fully develop their innovation capacity should be identified. The overall objective is the development of sustainable, holistic strategies and approaches to action to promote employability and innovation capacity of older employees. Methods Individual and group interviews with health care workers and executives have been conducted in several hospitals to identify the specific influencing factors per hospital. 1. Guided biographical interviews, focussing on • occupational biography, • occupational stress and strain, • appreciation in the course of working life, • reconciliation of family and work life, • further training and qualification, • past and present experiences with innovation. Sample: 22 interviews with health care workers • hereof 20 women, 2 men • Age structure: 2 between 40-49 years / 9 between 50-59 years / 4 ≥ 60 years / 7 no details of age • 2 nursing directors, 2 ward managers, 3 geriatric nurses, 15 health care workers within hospitals • fields of work: children’s ward, surgery, anaesthesia, operation theatre, endoscopy, care for the elderly etc. Qualitative content analyses: The evaluation of the individual interviews based on Mayring’s (2003) analysis steps: • transcription of all interviews / focus groups • paraphrasing: summary content analysis using MAXQDA coding software • generalisation and reduction of the captured contents. Results 1. Innovations within the health care system are manifold. Frequently mentioned were the introduction of new technologies and the implementation of new scientific findings, the introduction of documentation and quality management as well as cost saving measures. Less frequently mentioned, but regarded as particularly important: new HR strategies to maintain employability such as career planning and further training for older employees, health promotion and measures to improve the reconciliation of family and work life. Overall, the development of new products and services rarely plays a role in hospital health care. The focus is on the implementation of existing inventions, mainly top-down, emerging from the need to stay competitive. 2. Growing pressure to save costs and lack of staff mean high intensity of work, time pressure and quantitative overload for the health care workers, leaving no time and energy for innovation- related activities. Employees as well as executives perceive this as a significant obstacle to innovation. 3. In addition, employees describe a lack of appreciation for the occupational group of health care workers in general as well as for individual employees. This often leads to the disregard of employees’ proposals and ideas and to a lack of opportunities to participate. Therefore, bottom-up innovations, initiated by employees, become difficult. 4. Poor communications are another obstacle to innovation. Employees, including those from middle management, complain about lacking transparency regarding the communication of needs for innovation and innovation processes. Missing opportunities to participate in further training were also mentioned. In principle, trainings are mostly offered, but framework in terms of time and organisation, such as incompatibility with duty roster, overtime and family constraints, make it difficult to use them. Conclusions Measures to promote innovation capacity in health care 1. Facilitation of bottom-up innovations 2. Reduction of time pressure, measures for stress reduction and trainings to improve the ability of coping with stress 3. More appreciation for health care sector and health care workers 4. Participation and early integration of all concerned persons in innovation processes. 5. Improvement in communication in innovation processes 6. Reconciliation of further education, professional and private circumstances and demands to enable qualification and continual learning in every stage of life. 7. Promotion of a good social climate. Fig.1: Theoretical framework Fig. 2: Innovation process and levels of analysis Fig. 3: Example of visualized local theory Sponsored by: Ansprechpartner Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Mannheim Institute of Public Health (MIPH) Dr. Barbara Hinding [email protected] © MIPH InnoGESO
Transcript of The Influencing Factors of Innovation Capacitiy throughout...
Barbara Hinding, Silvia Biere, Anja Höcke, Jennifer Matthes, Michael Kastner Mannheim Institut of Public Health, Social Preventive Medicine. Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany
The Influencing Factors of Innovation Capacitiy throughout the Working Life of Health Care Workers in Germany
Mannheimer Institut für Public Health Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim Universität Heidelberg Ludolf-Krehl-Straße 7-1168167 Mannheim Telefon: 0621 – 383 9910 www.miph.uni-hd.de
2. Group interviews with executives: joint development of a local theory on innovation processes Local theory: • Knowledge and assumptions of local actors concerning certain
circumstances • serve to explain events, their meaningful integration into an overall
context and legitimisation of activities • Local theories are not scientific theories but everyday theories • Local theories often are implicit (unspoken); appropriate methods are
necessary to make them accessible (Hinding & Kastner, 2011) Group interviews with prevailing workshop character: • Brainstorming: relevant influencing factors of innovation capacity - at a personal level (important competencies, attitudes etc.) - at the level of the immediate work situation - at a higher organisational level
• evaluation and weighting of the single factors • development of an analysis model (s. example in fig. 3) to visualise
the local theory • Naming of strengths and difficulties within innovation processes in
the organisation Analysis: Description and comparison of local theories by reference to the theoretical previous understanding of innovation processes and innovation-related behaviour.
Background Health care professions are especially affected by the impacts of demographic change. As the number of sick and dependent people will increase in light of the ageing population while the supply of young qualified professionals will decrease simultaneously a shortage of 737.000 health care workers is expected in 2030 (Prognos AG, 2012). In addition, the pressure to save costs is growing. More people depend on care, have to be assisted and counselled – all in view of dwindling resources. Consequences as time pressure and work intensification already affect the employees’ quality of work and health. This situation requires innovations. Innovations are made by humans. Innovation competence of employees plays a crucial role in the future viability of health care organisations. The question therefore arises, how to promote innovation capacities, especially in the face of ageing workforces. After all, innovation is commonly associated with younger employees, while the deficit model of ageing predominates with respect to older employees – and thus the concern older workforces bring about less innovation and are less willing to support internal organisational changes. This raises the question of innovation capacity changes throughout the working life. Objectives Objective of the ongoing study is to describe these changes and to identify factors which allow influencing them. Conditions under which employees can fully develop their innovation capacity should be identified. The overall objective is the development of sustainable, holistic strategies and approaches to action to promote employability and innovation capacity of older employees.
Methods Individual and group interviews with health care workers and executives have been conducted in several hospitals to identify the specific influencing factors per hospital. 1. Guided biographical interviews, focussing on
• occupational biography, • occupational stress and strain, • appreciation in the course of working life, • reconciliation of family and work life, • further training and qualification, • past and present experiences with innovation.
Sample: 22 interviews with health care workers • hereof 20 women, 2 men • Age structure: 2 between 40-49 years / 9 between 50-59
years / 4 ≥ 60 years / 7 no details of age • 2 nursing directors, 2 ward managers, 3 geriatric nurses, 15
health care workers within hospitals • fields of work: children’s ward, surgery, anaesthesia,
operation theatre, endoscopy, care for the elderly etc. Qualitative content analyses: The evaluation of the individual interviews based on Mayring’s (2003) analysis steps: • transcription of all interviews / focus groups • paraphrasing: summary content analysis using MAXQDA
coding software • generalisation and reduction of the captured contents.
Results 1. Innovations within the health care system are manifold.
Frequently mentioned were the introduction of new technologies and the implementation of new scientific findings, the introduction of documentation and quality management as well as cost saving measures. Less frequently mentioned, but regarded as particularly important: new HR strategies to maintain employability such as career planning and further training for older employees, health promotion and measures to improve the reconciliation of family and work life. Overall, the development of new products and services rarely plays a role in hospital health care. The focus is on the implementation of existing inventions, mainly top-down, emerging from the need to stay competitive.
2. Growing pressure to save costs and lack of staff mean high
intensity of work, time pressure and quantitative overload for the health care workers, leaving no time and energy for innovation-related activities. Employees as well as executives perceive this as a significant obstacle to innovation.
3. In addition, employees describe a lack of appreciation for the
occupational group of health care workers in general as well as for individual employees. This often leads to the disregard of employees’ proposals and ideas and to a lack of opportunities to participate. Therefore, bottom-up innovations, initiated by employees, become difficult.
4. Poor communications are another obstacle to innovation.
Employees, including those from middle management, complain about lacking transparency regarding the communication of needs for innovation and innovation processes. Missing opportunities to participate in further training were also mentioned. In principle, trainings are mostly offered, but framework in terms of time and organisation, such as incompatibility with duty roster, overtime and family constraints, make it difficult to use them.
Conclusions Measures to promote innovation capacity in health care 1. Facilitation of bottom-up innovations 2. Reduction of time pressure, measures for stress reduction and
trainings to improve the ability of coping with stress 3. More appreciation for health care sector and health care workers 4. Participation and early integration of all concerned persons in
innovation processes. 5. Improvement in communication in innovation processes 6. Reconciliation of further education, professional and private
circumstances and demands to enable qualification and continual learning in every stage of life.
7. Promotion of a good social climate. Fig.1: Theoretical framework Fig. 2: Innovation process and levels of analysis Fig. 3: Example of visualized local theory
Sponsored by: Ansprechpartner Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Mannheim Institute of Public Health (MIPH) Dr. Barbara Hinding [email protected]
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IPH
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