Organisational and professional hierarchies in a data management system

Public–private collaborative building of public healthcare and social services in Finland

Dados Bibliográficos

ID20508221
AutoresMarta Choroszewicz (0000-0001-7564-6437, Department of Social Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland, autor correspondente), Marja Alastalo (0000-0002-4133-7393, Department of Social Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu, Finland)
Ano2023
Volume26
Fascículo1
Páginas155-173
Data de publicação2023-01-02
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoInformation Communication & Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1369-118X • E-ISSN: 1468-4462
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1369118x.2021.1942952
OpenAlexW3176094492
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas7
Referências citadas37

Nordic countries are considered international leaders in producing combinable data on their citizens’ encounters with public institutions, as well as the digitalisation of public services. Public-sector professionals increasingly collaborate with private IT companies in developing data analytics products for cost saving and cost-efficiency. This article presents the results of a two-year ethnographic study of a collaboration between the Knowledge Team of a public-sector organisation and a private-sector IT company for developing and maintaining a data management system in one Finnish regional healthcare and social service organisation. The data management system is defined as a data analytics product that provides management with information about clinical and financial aspects of organisation management. We combine perspectives of science and technology studies and the sociology of professions to situate our research on the data management system as a boundary object within the broader context of professional work. Via our theoretical framework, we examine the negotiation process through which the data management system becomes a boundary object in practice. This process includes not only the accommodation of diverse epistemic cultures but also organisational and professional hierarchies that empower some experts to shape the data management system towards their visions and interests. This article applies the ‘boundary object’ concept to elucidate structural power differentials in public–private partnerships and multi-professional collaborations

Business · Health care · Knowledge management · Political science · Public healthcare · Public relations · Sociology · Computer Science · Healthcare Systems and Technology · Information Systems Theories and Implementation · Innovative Approaches in Technology and Social Development