Managing the tensions of standardized work processes in healthcare operations: The job crafting lens

Abstract

This study investigates how professionals respond to tensions of standardized processes when implemented in healthcare settings, and their multiple effects. We advance existing knowledge on the management of such tensions by employing a theoretical lens known as job crafting, which scrutinizes the changes that professionals make in the physical, cognitive, or relational boundaries of their work. Our study consists of a detailed longitudinal, single case study at a national hospital in the UK. We have found numerous tensions inherent to standardized processes that encouraged job crafting behavior as healthcare professionals attempted to uphold service standards despite challenging conditions. We add to both OM and HRM literatures by scrutinizing the multilevel influence of crafting behavior as well as the changes in perception of ones work, known as cognitive crafting.