Lederen som innovatør og balansekunstner: en kvalitativ studie av lederes erfaringer fra forskningssamarbeid mellom helse- og velferdstjenestene og høyere utdanning

Abstract

The manager as innovator and equilibrist: a qualitative study of the experiences of Norwegian managers in health and welfare service taking part in research partnership with higher education

Managers in health and welfare services have overall responsibility to develop the services according to official regulations and the needs of society. They are expected to provide high quality, research based services. Higher education is expected to transform education and research that improve the services, and to develop research collaborating with the practical field. This study investigates experiences of managers in health and welfare services taking part in research collaboration with higher education. Data were collected through focus group interviews with altogether 14 participants involved in 21 projects, and analysed by using qualitative content analyses. The experiences of the managers can be summarised as “Being an innovator and equilibrist in order to develop the service”. Managers appear to play an important role in bridging between health and welfare services and higher education. In order to enhance research partnerships between health and welfare services and higher education formal collaborative structures should be established.