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Hospital mergers and psychological contracts
Author(s) -
Shield Richard,
Thorpe Richard,
Nelson Annette
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
strategic change
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.527
H-Index - 16
eISSN - 1099-1697
pISSN - 1086-1718
DOI - 10.1002/jsc.611
Subject(s) - psychological contract , context (archaeology) , corporate governance , business , quality (philosophy) , public relations , service (business) , health care , guideline , accounting , marketing , political science , finance , law , paleontology , philosophy , epistemology , biology
National Health Service (NHS) hospitals have been merging to form large, hybrid (two or more culture) organizations. The drivers for this have been many, not least the need to meet the guideline requirements for good clinical governance (a system for assuring the quality of clinical services) as prescribed by the Royal Colleges. Research conducted in a merged NHS general hospital trust revealed that difficulties had occurred that might have been prevented by paying greater attention to certain HRM aspects of the merger, specifically aspects of the psychological contract. This study indicated that hospital strategists need to take more care when considering mergers, particularly in respect of the psychological contract. Little academic research has been undertaken that covers this aspect of HRM in the context of NHS hospital mergers. The paper goes on to explore aspects of the psychological contract following the merger of two further NHS general hospital trusts, in which we have started a second research study. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.