Digitalization in healthcare : a multiple case study of a change undergone in the Norwegian public health sector

Abstract

This study looks at organizational change in a digitalization context and has the purpose of providing insight on how and why an digitalization effort might vary within departments in the same organization. This is done by conducting an exploratory study and examining the differences between implementation and use of a health care system (Mobil Omsorg) within two units in the The Agency for Residential and Home Care Services in Bergen municipality. The outcome of change processes depends on a number of elements, this study has thus chosen to primarily focus on employee and management attitudes toward change and change management. Throughout our study we find that attitude towards the change and management action has affected the seemingly differing results between the departments. We see firstly that there exists differences between departments in the levels of resistance towards change experienced. We see how their initial experience with the change has affected each department in their post-implementation phase. Furthermore, we see that both departments had a certain lack of clarity and communication regarding how the units can capitalize and realize expected gains provided by the project. This fault in communication originated from top management and we see how the departments have dealt with this. Despite their seemingly differing results, we find that, in the long run, the departments experience somewhat the same degree of success. The main difference being the time spent on achieving this success. We see how some of the goals of the change is less dependent on manager action to be achieved. Furthermore, both departments are being tested on anchoring the change further in the department due to malfunctioning hardware.