Studer Group ' s evidence-based leadership initiatives. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the implementation of an organizational change initiative--Studer Group's Evidence-Based Leadership (EBL)--in two large, US health systems by comparing and contrasting the factors associated with successful implementation and sustainability of the EBL initiative. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This comparative case study assesses the responses to two pairs of open-ended questions during in-depth qualitative interviews of leaders and managers at both health systems. Qualitative content analysis was employed to identify major themes. FINDINGS: Three themes associated with success and sustainability of EBL emerged at both health systems: leadership; culture; and organizational processes. The theme most frequently identified for both success and sustainability of EBL was culture. In contrast, there was a significant decline in salience of the leadership theme as attention shifts from success in implementation of EBL to sustaining EBL long term. Within the culture theme, accountability, and buy-in were most often cited by interviewees as success factors, while sense of accountability, buy-in, and communication were the most reported factors for sustainability. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Cultural factors, such as accountability, staff support, and communication are driving forces of success and sustainability of EBL across both health systems. Leadership, a critical factor in several stages of implementation, appears to be less salient as among factors identified as important to longer term sustainability of EBL.

published proceedings

  • J Health Organ Manag

author list (cited authors)

  • Schuller, K. A., Kash, B. A., & Gamm, L. D.

citation count

  • 5

complete list of authors

  • Schuller, Kristin A||Kash, Bita A||Gamm, Larry D

publication date

  • September 2015