Health in organization: toward a process-based view

MacIntosh, R., MacLean, D. and Burns, H. (2007) Health in organization: toward a process-based view. Journal of Management Studies, 44(2), pp. 206-221. (doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2007.00685.x)

Abstract

This paper reports on a collaborative project involving organization scholars and clinicians to examine the ways in which individual and organizational health are conceptualized in the literature. We illustrate how the use of systems theories (in this case complexity theory) in relation to organizational health introduces problems such as the risk of promoting organizational health at the expense of individual well-being. The phenomena of organizational health and individual health are often presented as having a symbiotic relationship and we suggest some circumstances where this is not the case. Our central argument is that we need to move beyond current conceptual limitations and move toward a more process-based model of health in organization rather than organizational health.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: MacLean, Professor Donald and MacIntosh, Professor Robert
• Authors: MacIntosh, R., MacLean, D., and Burns, H.
• Subjects: H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General); H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > Adam Smith Business School > Management
• Journal Name: Journal of Management Studies
• Journal Abbr.: JMS
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• ISSN: 0022-2380
• ISSN (Online): 1467-6486
• Published Online: 08 February 2007
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2007 Wiley-Blackwell
• First Published: First published in Journal of Management Studies 44(2):206-221
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.