Funktionssystemets potentialisering i jagten på Public Value

Abstract

Over time the Danish society and health system has become increasingly specialized and under the influence of several different Societal Function Systems (SFS). This have, together with medical and technological gains, contributed to a complexity, where the organizations are in a constantly process of redeveloping and potentializing them self to meet the increasing demands from the public and the politicians.
With an aging population and a progressively demand of health services, the resources of the health system have reached a point where politicians have growing demands for “more value for the money”. This have forced the health system to pursue potentialization in their quest for creating Public Value.
This paper will focus on;
- Which functional systems apply in the current situation at department X?
- How is the potentializing organization an obstacle or strength for the creation of Public Value?

The project wishes to shed light on the complexity of the cross-pressure and the various considerations that exists in the healthcare system and its different SFS, and the influence it has on the decisions of its employees. Through theories of Societal Function Systems by Luhmann, Public Value by Moore and Potentialization by Andersen & Pors, a short observation study and 4 interviews conducted on a major university hospital, the problems will be elaborated further.
The analysis revealed several SFS, but economics, law, professionalism and education were the dominant ones. The analysis also revealed themes like “noise-deafness” and a lack of overview in department X.
The many considerations to the SFS create a lack of overview of the department capabilities. Also, Political demands often try to make economics and law to the dominant SFS, and together with noise from the different SFS, this can unintentionally make the management in- or exclude systems, making the department blind for a dominant SFS and some of the possibilities there are for potentialization and creating of Public Value.