Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

NHS trust chief executives as heroes?

Learmonth, M.

Authors

M. Learmonth



Abstract

This paper presents a reading of the transcripts of interviews withNHS Trust Chief Executives. Using a poststructuralist understanding ofthe interviews, it privileges a reading that (ironically) represents these Chief Executives as heroes. Following the classic hero story line,they leave the civilized order of home and journey into a threatening wilderness where they encounter dangerous and magical things butovercome them all because of their masculine characteristics such asrationality, strength and resourcefulness. One way in which thesestories can be understood to have significance is that they(misleadingly but powerfully) portray management as obvious and necessary by evocatively drawing on a myth of ancient origin. The piece concludes with some reflections on the ontological implications of theanalysis and reflexive comments on the production of truth as a problem.

Citation

Learmonth, M. (2001). NHS trust chief executives as heroes?. Health Care Analysis, 9(4), 417-436. https://doi.org/10.1023/a%3A1013816919776

Journal Article Type Article
Publication Date Dec 1, 2001
Deposit Date Jan 6, 2011
Journal Health Care Analysis
Print ISSN 1065-3058
Electronic ISSN 1573-3394
Publisher Springer
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 9
Issue 4
Pages 417-436
DOI https://doi.org/10.1023/a%3A1013816919776
Keywords Hero, Management, Myth, NHS, Poststructuralism, Qualitative research.
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1535698

You might also like



Downloadable Citations