Understanding hybrid roles: The role of identity processes amongst physicians

Abstract

Increasing attention has been paid in both public administration andorganizational theory to understanding how physicians assume a 'hybrid' role as they take on managerial responsibilities. Limited theoretical attention has been devoted to the processes involved in negotiating, developing, and maintaining such a role. We draw on identity theory, using a qualitative, five-year longitudinal case study, to explore how hybrid physician-managers in the English National Health Service and the organizations they are situated in achieve this. We highlight the importance of saliency - how central an identity is to an individual's values and beliefs - in managing new identities. We found three differing responses to taking on a hybrid physician-manager role, with identity emerging as a mitigating factor for negotiating potentially conflicting roles. We discuss the implications for existing theory and practice in the management of public organizations and identify an agenda for further research.