Public home care should dare to take risks – traditional leadership methods hinder renewal
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Risk-taking is often seen primarily as a threat in the public sector. However, home care service managers believe that increasing managerial freedom and adopting entrepreneurial risk-taking are key to developing better public services, reveals Virpi Kamunen in her doctoral dissertation for the University of Vaasa.
Finland’s social and health care sector is experiencing a pressure for change brought by the health care and social welfare reform. The uncertain operating environment has created its own challenges for home care service management as well.
According to Virpi Kamunen, who will defend her dissertation on 14 March in the University of Vaasa, the traditional and hierarchical leadership methods in the public sector hinder the reshaping of social and health care services in organisations.
– A new way of thinking and entrepreneurial risk-taking – which service managers should have better opportunities for – are needed in the leadership of public home care, Kamunen argues in her doctoral dissertation in Public Management.
– In the public sector, risk-taking has traditionally been seen as a threat. Despite that, home care service managers consider entrepreneurial risk-taking essential for service development and achieving organisational goals. According to them, such risk-taking requires greater operational freedom for both managers and staff, as well as a leadership culture that promotes participation and collaboration, Kamunen says.
A framework supporting the renewal of leadership practices
In her doctoral research, Virpi Kamunen developed a framework for the formation of entrepreneurial operations. It helps public organisations understand entrepreneurial approaches and the perspectives of calculated risk-taking. This enables the renewal of leadership practices while also fostering a better awareness of the limitations and opportunities of risk-taking.
– It is essential to provide sufficient space for leadership, to allow mistakes and learn from them as well as to trust that service managers actively strive to achieve the organisation's goals.
Kamunen used a focus group interview as research material in her doctoral dissertation. The interview involved 30 service managers who worked in eight public home care organisations of varying sizes across different regions of Finland.
Doctoral dissertation
Kamunen, Virpi (2025) Palvelujohtajien yrittäjämäisen riskinoton mahdollisuudet ja rajoitukset julkisten palveluiden järjestämisessä – tarkastelussa kotihoidon johtaminen sosiaali- ja terveystoimessa. Acta Wasaensia 551. Doctoral dissertation. University of Vaasa.
Public defence
The public examination of M.Sc. Virpi Kamunen’s doctoral dissertation, ”Palvelujohtajien yrittäjämäisen riskinoton mahdollisuudet ja rajoitukset julkisten palveluiden järjestämisessä – tarkastelussa kotihoidon johtaminen sosiaali- ja terveystoimessa” will take place on Friday, 14 March 2025 at 12 noon in the Nissi Auditorium at the University of Vaasa.
It is possible to participate in the defence also online: https://uwasa.zoom.us/j/61715825343?pwd=FhIppj1oJSBwYugB7gPfy7Jh2Var5J.1
Password: 336260
Professor Sanna Laulainen (University of Eastern Finland) will act as opponent and Professor Esa Hyyryläinen as custos.
Tietolaatikko
Further information
Virpi Kamunen, tel. +358 44 544 7746, virpi.kamunen@hotmail.com
Virpi Kamunen was born in 1961 in Nivala. She earned a Master’s degree in Administrative Sciences from the University of Vaasa in 2009. Today, Kamunen works at the Wellbeing Services County of North Ostrobothnia (Pohjois-Pohjanmaan hyvinvointialue) as a gerontological specialist.
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