Whose kettle? Exploring the role of objects in managing and mediating the boundaries of integration in health and social care
Journal of Health Organization and Management
ISSN: 1477-7266
Article publication date: 26 October 2012
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to explore how objects function in integration efforts in health and social care contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
The article draws on boundary object theory and empirical data collected from a range of health and social care integration initiatives in Wales to illustrate the value of the focus on objects and to identify the potential implications of this approach for studies in other national contexts.
Findings
Attention to objects can shed light on the dynamics of integration, its potential and limits, offering insights that conventional analysis might otherwise miss.
Research limitations/implications
The data drawn on in this paper are illustrative. Exploring the role of objects in integration requires more focused studies.
Practical implications
The results suggest that integration designers and managers need to pay closer attention to the attachments that practitioners develop to objects.
Originality/value
This is a highly original paper in view of its innovative use of boundary object theory in the context of integration, and its contribution to theory, research and practice.
Keywords
Citation
Sullivan, H. and Williams, P. (2012), "Whose kettle? Exploring the role of objects in managing and mediating the boundaries of integration in health and social care", Journal of Health Organization and Management, Vol. 26 No. 6, pp. 697-712. https://doi.org/10.1108/14777261211276970
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2012, Emerald Group Publishing Limited