title: Using complexity theory to analyse the organisational response to resurgent tuberculosis across London.
abstract: We employ complexity theory to analyse the English National Health Service (NHS)'s organisational response to resurgent tuberculosis across London. Tennison (2002) suggests that complexity theory could fruitfully explore a healthcare system's response to this complex and emergent phenomenon: we explore this claim here. We also bring in established New Public Management principles to enhance our empirical analysis, which is based on data collected between late 2009 and mid-2011. We find that the operation of complexity theory based features, especially self-organisation, are significantly impacted by the macro context of a New Public Management-based regime which values control, measurement and risk management more than innovation, flexibility and lateral system building. We finally explore limitations and suggest perspectives for further research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Management, King's College London, 150 Stamford Street, London SE1 9NH, UK. strenholm_2000@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trenholm
authors.forename: Ewan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ferlie
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D017146:Models, Organizational; D009313:National Health Programs; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000517:prevention & control*