Research Updates

Something changes in healthcare when the hybrid manager is a woman

In recent years, the “hybrid” roles of physician-managers in healthcare have been gaining ground, particularly in Western health systems, where healthcare professionals are required to balance clinical and managerial expertise. But does gender influence how this dual role is performed? According to a recent publication of ours, the answer is yes: Women in hybrid managerial roles display distinct skills and motivations compared to their male counterparts, yet they lack professional opportunities.

 

Our qualitative study of Italian female neurologists highlights how hybrid managers can bring added value to healthcare organizations, where there is a growing need for a management style that fosters integration, patient-centered care, and collaboration. At the same time, our findings suggest that fully realizing this potential requires policies aimed to support women’s advancement in their careers in these organizations.

The context

Hybrid managers are healthcare professionals who take on managerial roles, blending clinical and administrative competencies. However, existing literature often treats hybrid managers as a homogeneous group, overlooking the potential impact of gender diversity. This study aims to fill that gap.

 

In 2019, a contribution to the OASI Report by the CERGAS Research Center at SDA Bocconi School of Management analyzed the feminization of senior - i.e., hybrid - roles in healthcare. For this research, we focused on neurology, as SDA Bocconi’s NeuroNetwork activities in collaboration with Biogen Italia provided access both to professionals in the field and to the gender neurology study group of the Italian Society of Neurology, which we consulted extensively throughout the study.

 

The central question of the research is: How does gender affect the career paths and management practices of healthcare professionals in hybrid roles?

The research

Our study involved 20 semi-structured interviews, primarily with Italian female neurologists in managerial positions.  The interviewees held leadership positions in healthcare structures or coordinated pathology centers. A qualitative methodology was adopted to gain an in-depth understanding of the specific traits of women in senior roles and the value of diversity.  The study employed the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) framework, which posits that performance depends on these three factors

Conclusions and takeaways

What we find is that women in hybrid roles predominantly exhibit certain distinct characteristics compared to their male counterparts.

 

  • Abilities: A holistic approach to care, incorporating familial and social dimensions; empathy and patient engagement in decision-making; a participatory style as far as team management.
  • Motivations: Intrinsic motivation and a focus on improving work processes, with career trajectories less driven by aspirations for power; greater emphasis on extra-professional activities, which can impact time dedicated to work.
  • (Fewer) Opportunities: The need to overcome biases, deal with a more complex work-life balance, and cope with additional pressures to adopt leadership styles perceived as “male,” which are often deemed more authoritative but less authentic.

 

For healthcare managers, these findings suggest that fostering inclusive work environments and supporting women in their career paths and managerial roles could bring significant benefits, both in terms of quality of care and service integration. Flexible working conditions, along with mentoring and networking policies, could facilitate women in pursuing leadership roles, enabling healthcare systems to evolve towards greater diversity and resilience.

 

Looking ahead, it will be interesting to observe how younger generations approach this issue. On one hand, women now make up about 60% of medical school graduates, and the share of women in senior positions is set to rise. On the other hand, the cultural evolution seems to be narrowing the differences between male and female leadership styles, raising a concern, voiced in the interviews, about potentially losing some of the added value that diversity brings to organizations.

 

Marco Sartirana, Roberta Montanelli. Hybrid managers in an evolving healthcare: Does gender matter?” Health Services Management Research 2024, Vol. 0(0) 1–9. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/09514848241295584

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