Rethinking The Care‐Market Relationship In Care Provider Organisations

Abstract

Care provider organisations are under pressure from funding bodies and regulatory procedures to narrowly construct care in ways that preclude its relational, emotional and social characteristics. This process of subjecting care to a managerialist‐market logic, however, creates tensions between the organisation and its key stakeholders: care recipients, care‐workers and unpaid carers. These tensions are significant and are likely to place organisations under pressure to develop a more holistic approach to care. In addressing this issue, this paper draws upon the concept of bounded emotionality to argue that it is feasible for organisations to be both instrumental and caring, and thereby be responsive to the needs of all of their stakeholders. The paper concludes by discussing some of the practical implications of organisations adopting a framework of bounded emotionality, and suggesting some directions for future research.