Abstract:
The health system is one of the largest, most complex and socially sensitive of industries. yet
is highly contentious, with major controversies common. It operates in many different forms
and contexts in both private and public sectors, supported by a multitude of uncoordinated
organisations. Knowledge is central to the success of the industry and its traditional power
structures (professional colleges, research and educational institutions) are knowledge-based
institutions. However, current policy and management philosophies focus on finance and
process, largely neglecting the dynamics of knowledge. It is to be expected, therefore. that
better management of knowledge could improve performance. This paper analyses the
knowledge structure in the industry using different models to illustrate different perspectives,
Three broad domains are identified, each of considerable complexity, but with major
misalignments and conflicts between them. This analysis provides some explanation for much
of the dysfunctional behaviour within the industry, and indicates ways in which knowledge
dynamics may be improved.
