The rules of engagement: physician engagement strategies in intergroup contexts.
OBJECTIVE
Recognition of the importance and difficulty of engaging physicians in organisational change has sparked an explosion of literature. The social identity approach, by considering engagement in terms of underlying group identifications and intergroup dynamics, may provide a framework for choosing among the plethora of proposed engagement techniques. This paper seeks to address this issue.


METHODS
The authors examined how four disparate organisations engaged physicians in change. Qualitative methods included interviews (109 managers and physicians), observation, and document review.


RESULTS
Beyond a universal focus on relationship-building, sites differed radically in their preferred strategies. Each emphasised or downplayed professional and/or organisational identity as befit the existing level of inter-group closeness between physicians and managers: an independent practice association sought to enhance members' identity as independent physicians; a hospital, engaging community physicians suspicious of integration, stressed collaboration among separate, equal partners; a developing integrated-delivery system promoted alignment among diverse groups by balancing "systemness" with subgroup uniqueness; a medical group established a strong common identity among employed physicians, but practised pragmatic co-operation with its affiliates.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors cannot confirm the accuracy of managers perceptions of the inter-group context or the efficacy of particular strategies. Nonetheless, the findings suggested the fruitfulness of social identity thinking in approaching physician engagement.


CONCLUSIONS
Attention to inter-group dynamics may help organisations engage physicians more effectively.


CONCLUSIONS
This study illuminates and explains variation in the way different organisations engage physicians, and offers a theoretical basis for selecting engagement strategies.
Sara A
SA
Kreindler
Bridget K
BK
Larson
Frances M
FM
Wu
Josette N
JN
Gbemudu
Kathleen L
KL
Carluzzo
Ashley
A
Struthers
Aricca D
AD
Van Citters
Stephen M
SM
Shortell
Eugene C
EC
Nelson
Elliott S
ES
Fisher
D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D006123:Group Practice; D006270:Health Facility Administrators; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D009042:Motivation; D058007:Physicians, Primary Care; D036301:Qualitative Research; D014481:United States