The Challenge of Wicked Problems in Health and Social Care

by Will Thomas (Editor), Anneli Hujala (Editor), Sanna Laulainen (Editor)

At a time of growing pressure on the services and people charged with improving population well-being this book draws together contributions which highlight contemporary challenges for the management of health and social care. Drawing on a Critical Management Studies perspective, this volume introduces the reader to broad-brush concerns with theory, demography and money, as well as micro concerns with the nature of leadership, voice and engagement, all with a view to providing new insights into organising and managing care.

The Challenge of Wicked Problems in Health and Social Care explores four main topics:


identifying contemporary challenges in health and social care;



managing, leading and following;



listening to silent voices in delivering change; and



new methodologies for understanding care challenges.



Between them they highlight the 'wicked' problems that beset providers. Such problems are 'wicked' in so far as they are persistent, pernicious and beyond the curative abilities of any one organisation or profession. Such problems require collaboration but also new approaches to listening to those who suffer their effects.

This book demonstrates such listening through its engagement with policy makers, leaders, followers, professions, patients, and silenced voices. This is a timely and engaging book that challenges the reader to think again about how we should look at, engage with and support all those involved in health and social care and will be of vital reading to academics and researchers in the fields of Health Management, Social Care, Organizational Studies and Critical Management Studies plus the related disciplines.

254 pages, ebook

Published September 19, 2018

About the author

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