Lean - en styrningsmodell som förändrar professionaliteten?

Sammanfattning: The purpose of this study is to explore health sector social worker’s experiences of the implementation of Lean management. Five interviews were conducted with social workers working at departments where Lean-management had been implemented. In addition, observations were made during 4 days at one such department. Backed up by Julia Evetts’ theory of professions and the concepts “occupational professionalism” and “organizational professionalism” the data was analyzed with a specific focus on changes in the professional role. Lean can be seen as a part of the New Public Management movement, where organizational ideas from the private sector are implemented in the public sector. Earlier research has shown how NPM trends such as standardization and auditing have affected the professionals, both in negative and positive ways. The study shows how Lean in some parts corresponds with Evetts results on NPM, and in some parts not. Lean was implemented differently at different departments and therefore affected the professionals in different ways. The interviews revealed a movement from an occupational professionalism towards an organizational professionalism as a result of the implementation of Lean. However, the social worker’s described a both increased and decreased space for discretion and the changes were not exclusively seen as negative.