ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the importance of organisational factors in health and social care. Management theories about organisational culture are applied to health and social care organisations, and further understanding of these complex and continuously evolving organisations comes from a systemic approach. Systems theory is a way of looking at how organisations function. It gives insight into the interactions between different parts of organisations such as health and social care. It also shows how workplace systems interconnect with individuals’ personal systems in ways that sometimes magnify stress. Equally, systems theory is applicable to the counselling and supervision processes that are involved in staff support services, and can aid the unravelling of difficulties or the modelling of alternative behaviour patterns. The chapter presents examples from case studies to show how systems theory works in practice. It examines how the individuals who work in health and social care, and the employing organisations come together by means of a contract of employment.
