The why and how of co-production between professionals and volunteers: a qualitative study of community-based healthcare in Denmark

TY - JOUR

T1 - The why and how of co-production between professionals and volunteers

T2 - a qualitative study of community-based healthcare in Denmark

AU - Rasmussen, Lene Gissel

AU - Skjerning, Halfdan Thorsø

AU - Burau, Viola

PY - 2023/2

Y1 - 2023/2

N2 - Purpose The present paper describes the interplay between the "why" and "how" in co-production based on a case study of community-based healthcare in Denmark involving municipalities and voluntary sports clubs. So far, policy practice and research have focussed on the "why" - the rationales and pre-requisites - of co-production. However, there seems to be a lack of knowledge about the "how" of co-production in the interplay between professionals and volunteers. The paper asks how co-production is being perceived and practised according to existing norms and objectives of public healthcare and civil society, drawing on the theory of institutional logics. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a critical case study approach to examine the practice of co-production. The analysis builds on qualitative data from nine semi-structured interviews, two information interviews and project documents. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded. Findings This paper demonstrates that compatibility of institutional logics was not given, nor did the co-existence of potentially competing logics necessarily result in conflict in co-production. Instead, in this case study co-production emerged as highly contingent, reflecting the dynamic interaction between logics and context-specific management. Originality/value This paper makes an original contribution to the conceptual understanding of co-production in emphasising the benefit of paying attention to the network logic when building bridges between public healthcare and civil society - and to unite the seemingly contradictory "why" and "how" of co-production in practice.

AB - Purpose The present paper describes the interplay between the "why" and "how" in co-production based on a case study of community-based healthcare in Denmark involving municipalities and voluntary sports clubs. So far, policy practice and research have focussed on the "why" - the rationales and pre-requisites - of co-production. However, there seems to be a lack of knowledge about the "how" of co-production in the interplay between professionals and volunteers. The paper asks how co-production is being perceived and practised according to existing norms and objectives of public healthcare and civil society, drawing on the theory of institutional logics. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a critical case study approach to examine the practice of co-production. The analysis builds on qualitative data from nine semi-structured interviews, two information interviews and project documents. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and coded. Findings This paper demonstrates that compatibility of institutional logics was not given, nor did the co-existence of potentially competing logics necessarily result in conflict in co-production. Instead, in this case study co-production emerged as highly contingent, reflecting the dynamic interaction between logics and context-specific management. Originality/value This paper makes an original contribution to the conceptual understanding of co-production in emphasising the benefit of paying attention to the network logic when building bridges between public healthcare and civil society - and to unite the seemingly contradictory "why" and "how" of co-production in practice.

KW - Case study

KW - Co-production

KW - Civil society logic

KW - Community-based health services

KW - Public service logic

KW - INSTITUTIONAL LOGICS

KW - ORGANIZATIONS

KW - COLLABORATION

KW - SERVICES

KW - USER

U2 - 10.1108/IJSSP-01-2022-0027

DO - 10.1108/IJSSP-01-2022-0027

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0144-333X

VL - 43

SP - 197

EP - 213

JO - International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy

JF - International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy

IS - 1-2

ER -