Confrontations in health service management: Insights from drama theory
This paper illustrates the contribution that drama theory can make to the analysis and handling of collaboration and conflict in the arena of health management. `Joined up working' is a contemporary imperative in the public sector, yet differences in positions between partner organisations can imperil a successful outcome. Confrontation analysis, a specific technique based on drama theory, enables the modelling of such situations and the exploration of ways of addressing the dilemmas that can stand in the way of a resolution of the conflicts of partnership working. A number of vignettes based on analyses conducted by participants in health service organisations are included to illustrate the approach.
health services drama theory confrontation analysis