Workgroup 1 – Organisational Behaviour – 20-10-2020
Assignment 1: Case Study WeCare
Context is increasingly acknowledged as an important factor to take into account and HRM models
often include a contextual dimension. Paauwe is an important author in HRM and performance
literature who emphasizes the need to take contextual features into account. Therefore, he
developed the Contextually Based Human Resource Theory (CBHRT) in 2004. Recently, he further
developed CBHRT into the Contextual SHRM framework.
The aim of this assignment is to apply the Contextual SHRM framework to WeCare (see Canvas for
the case study WeCare). WeCare introduced self-organising teams in combination with the role of a
district nurse.
Describe the context of WeCare that have led to the HR strategy of introduction of self-organising
teams. Describe the competitive, heritage, and institutional mechanisms, and the leeway of key
decision makers.
What led to the introduction of self-organising teams?
Group 1: Market (PMT)
Group 2: Heritage
Group 3: Social dimension
Each: leeway
The context
Competitive mechanism
- Funding from ‘Visible Link’ stops
It’s aimed to produce criteria like efficiency, etc.
3 challenges: funding, reoccurring tendering and labour shortage.
Depends on what kind of reforms (political is more in the other parts, in the insurance
company in this part)
Political consideration is in institutional mechanism
Labour shortage is more general, but difficulties in getting labour is an overlapping one. If you have to
compete in labour for your organisation, it could.
They also talk about local expectations, could also be relevant. This are incentives who come from
the market and they need to respond it to survive strategic fit (there must a fit between these
incentives and the HR strategies; make sure your HR strategies tackle these incentives)
Difficulty is that we have a hybrid system; government does stuff (give money)
1
, Heritage mechanism
- Not profit
- WeCare switched from centrally controlled neighbourhood teams to a structure of self-
organising home care teams with a great deal of independence in the execution of their work
and with specially assigned district nurses fulfilling a coordinating role for their teams path
depencany more autonomy
- (Government policy sought to reign in increasing healthcare expenditure, but
simultaneously, the population in the Netherlands was aging rapidly, meaning more people
required home care)
- The self-organising teams reduced bureaucracy and centralization, increased professional
discretion and gave nurses the opportunity to organise personalized care better, leading to a
more client-centred approach to home care
It’s the past strategy, the culture, the employees you have. What you have within your organisations.
So really within the organisation.
A two tier board (broad and regional)
What type of organisational history is influencing the strategy? You have to be careful not to put the
strategies in this dimension.
Mentioned characteristics about their employees; path dependency (hard to deviate from it)
They had nurses already and changed to self-organising teams, so it might be a difficulty
(heritage!)
Nurses have a long history of autonomy so it’s kinda normal to create ‘district nurses it’s
correct to have district nurses in this dimension
What are the contextual influences to decide on self-realising teams? District nurses have from the
past lots of autonomy, so it makes sense to implement self-organising teams
Reorganization in the past; some organisations have done a lot so they are tired of it, so they don’t
really want a new change etc. THINK THIS WAY!
Lots of nurses are females also one
Institutional mechanism
Funding for home care was under constant pressure, reoccurring tendering for contracts led to
regular reorganisations and, since last year, a labour shortage put increasing pressure on nursing
staff in the teams.
2
Assignment 1: Case Study WeCare
Context is increasingly acknowledged as an important factor to take into account and HRM models
often include a contextual dimension. Paauwe is an important author in HRM and performance
literature who emphasizes the need to take contextual features into account. Therefore, he
developed the Contextually Based Human Resource Theory (CBHRT) in 2004. Recently, he further
developed CBHRT into the Contextual SHRM framework.
The aim of this assignment is to apply the Contextual SHRM framework to WeCare (see Canvas for
the case study WeCare). WeCare introduced self-organising teams in combination with the role of a
district nurse.
Describe the context of WeCare that have led to the HR strategy of introduction of self-organising
teams. Describe the competitive, heritage, and institutional mechanisms, and the leeway of key
decision makers.
What led to the introduction of self-organising teams?
Group 1: Market (PMT)
Group 2: Heritage
Group 3: Social dimension
Each: leeway
The context
Competitive mechanism
- Funding from ‘Visible Link’ stops
It’s aimed to produce criteria like efficiency, etc.
3 challenges: funding, reoccurring tendering and labour shortage.
Depends on what kind of reforms (political is more in the other parts, in the insurance
company in this part)
Political consideration is in institutional mechanism
Labour shortage is more general, but difficulties in getting labour is an overlapping one. If you have to
compete in labour for your organisation, it could.
They also talk about local expectations, could also be relevant. This are incentives who come from
the market and they need to respond it to survive strategic fit (there must a fit between these
incentives and the HR strategies; make sure your HR strategies tackle these incentives)
Difficulty is that we have a hybrid system; government does stuff (give money)
1
, Heritage mechanism
- Not profit
- WeCare switched from centrally controlled neighbourhood teams to a structure of self-
organising home care teams with a great deal of independence in the execution of their work
and with specially assigned district nurses fulfilling a coordinating role for their teams path
depencany more autonomy
- (Government policy sought to reign in increasing healthcare expenditure, but
simultaneously, the population in the Netherlands was aging rapidly, meaning more people
required home care)
- The self-organising teams reduced bureaucracy and centralization, increased professional
discretion and gave nurses the opportunity to organise personalized care better, leading to a
more client-centred approach to home care
It’s the past strategy, the culture, the employees you have. What you have within your organisations.
So really within the organisation.
A two tier board (broad and regional)
What type of organisational history is influencing the strategy? You have to be careful not to put the
strategies in this dimension.
Mentioned characteristics about their employees; path dependency (hard to deviate from it)
They had nurses already and changed to self-organising teams, so it might be a difficulty
(heritage!)
Nurses have a long history of autonomy so it’s kinda normal to create ‘district nurses it’s
correct to have district nurses in this dimension
What are the contextual influences to decide on self-realising teams? District nurses have from the
past lots of autonomy, so it makes sense to implement self-organising teams
Reorganization in the past; some organisations have done a lot so they are tired of it, so they don’t
really want a new change etc. THINK THIS WAY!
Lots of nurses are females also one
Institutional mechanism
Funding for home care was under constant pressure, reoccurring tendering for contracts led to
regular reorganisations and, since last year, a labour shortage put increasing pressure on nursing
staff in the teams.
2
