Pressure to perform: a content analysis of critical considerations in health coalition development

Abstract

Purpose

There is evidence that many promising coalitions fail to thrive, languishing for indefinite periods and/or collapsing before achieving their goals. The purpose of the current study is to conduct a qualitative investigation of a local coalition established to build a healthy community.

Design/methodology/approach

Text analysis and thematic coding of coalition interviews over two separate time points provided first hand insights into the experiences of coalitions as they develop and begin to implement change.

Findings

Two overarching processes defined each phase, namely: establishing potential (development phase) and fulfilling purpose (implementation phase). At the development phase, critical considerations related to the themes of “The Local Context”, “Processes” and “Time”, whereas at the implementation phase, critical considerations were focused on “Programs”, “Information” and “Funding”. The data clearly supported a shift in attention among coalition members that could be used in a preventative manner by coalition managers.

Originality/value

Left unattended, these critical considerations may contribute to coalition under‐performance by compromising the functional integrity of the members and the entity as a whole. The processes identified in this paper offer a way of conceptualising what topics are critical to coalition members at different phases of the coalition life cycle.

Citation

Muenchberger, H., Kendall, E. and Rushton, C. (2012), "Pressure to perform: a content analysis of critical considerations in health coalition development", Leadership in Health Services, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 186-202. https://doi.org/10.1108/17511871211247633