Is there a perfect match? Construing and re‐construing leadership, quality and professional development in a social care organisation

Social care organisations provide services vital to the care recipients’ health and wellbeing.

The qualified work tasks performed in these organisations are performed and often led by professionals with considerable professional jurisdiction, such as nurses and physiotherapists.

This paper discuss the effects of an organisational change process in a social care organisation, from the professionals’ and the managers’ perspectives.

From the professional point of view, the team organisation, designed to meet requirements for increased efficiency and quality, had brought on several contra productive effects.

These professions, formerly organised in specialist units, were assigned to several teams and therefore required to report to several managers.

Both managers and professionals found unclear managerial roles and jurisdictional conflicts bothersome.

The professional groups feared that loss of peer-group and managerial support would lead to de‐professionalisation.

Their perceived remedies were scheduled meetings with all staff categories, and increased options to develop their professional knowledge.