Characteristics and behaviours of formal versus informal nurse champions and their relationship to innovation success

• Published in: Journal of advanced nursing 2019-01, Vol.75 (1), p.85-95
• Main Authors: Luz, Shirly, Shadmi, Efrat, Admi, Hanna, Peterfreund, Ilana, Drach‐Zahavy, Anat
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Attributes; Best practice; champions; Coaching; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Health care industry; healthcare organizations; Hospitals; Human resources; Humans; innovation; Innovations; Leadership; Male; Middle Aged; Nurses; Nursing; Nursing Care - organization & administration; Nursing Care - psychology; Nursing Staff - psychology; Organizational climate; Patient Advocacy - psychology; Quality control; Questionnaires; Sociodemographics; Socioeconomic Factors; Success; Tenure; Therapies, Investigational - nursing; Therapies, Investigational - psychology
• ISSN: 0309-2402; 1365-2648
• DOI: 10.1111/jan.13838

Aims To identify the sociodemographic attributes, project characteristics and champion strategies that differentiate formal from informal nursing champions, and to test their success in terms of project spread and novelty. Background Champions spread innovation in healthcare organizations. Empirical research has not explored the differences between formal and informal champions in terms of their antecedents and success. Design A quantitative cross‐sectional design. Method Data were collected on 93 nursing champions in three hospitals from 2015 ‐ 2016. Champions were identified according to a validated approach; data on their sociodemographic attributes, project characteristics and strategies were assembled through interviews and validated questionnaires. Their success in terms of novelty and spread was assessed via expert ratings and validated questionnaire. Findings Informal champions had longer tenure and were involved mainly in bottom‐up projects aimed mostly at improving human resources and services; formal champions were mostly involved in top‐down projects aimed at quality control. Informal champions expressed more enthusiasm and confidence about the innovation; formal champions tended to use more online resources and peer‐monitoring strategies. Projects of informal champions were more novel than those of formal champions. Project spread did not differ between the two groups. Conclusion Formal and informal champions differ in their characteristics and implementation strategies. To encourage project's innovation, the organizational climate should encourage the emergence of informal champions; formal and informal champions should be chosen wisely, assuring that they possess enough organizational resources; and coaching programmes for junior champions should be planned to equip them with championing behaviours. 目的 了解正式与非正式护理冠军的社会人口学特征、项目特征和冠军策略,从项目推广和新颖性方面检验其成功性。 背景 医疗机构中,冠军有助于创新。实证研究尚未探讨正式和非正式冠军在职业和成功方面的差异。 设计 定量横断面设计。 方法 2015˜2016年,对三所医院93名护理冠军进行数据收集。根据经验证的方法确定冠军;通过访谈和验证问卷收集关于他们的社会人口学特征、项目特征和策略的数据。通过专家评分和验证问卷,评估他们在新颖性和传播方面的成功。 结果 非正式冠军的任期较长,主要参与旨在改善人力资源和服务的自下而上项目;正式冠军则主要参与旨在质量控制的自上而下项目。非正式冠军对创新表现出更多的热情和信心,而正式冠军倾向于使用更多的在线资源和共同监督策略。非正式冠军的项目比正式冠军的项目更新颖。项目传播在两组之间无差别。 结论 正式和非正式冠军在特点和实施策略上有所不同。为了鼓励项目创新,组织氛围应鼓励选出非正式冠军;明智地选择正式和非正式冠军,确保他们拥有足够的组织资源;为初级冠军制定辅导方案,使其具备夺冠能力。