Co-Leadership – A Management Solution for Integrated Health and Social Care

INTRODUCTION: Co-leadership has been identified as one approach to meet the managerial challenges of integrated services, but research on the topic is limited. In the present study, co-leadership, practised by pairs of managers – each manager representing one of the two principal organizations in integrated health and social care services – was explored. AIM: To investigate co-leadership in integrated health and social care, identify essential preconditions in fulfilling the management assignment, its operationalization and impact on provision of sustainable integration of health and social care. METHOD: Interviews with eight managers exercising co-leadership were analysed using directed content analysis. Respondent validation was conducted through additional interviews with the same managers. RESULTS: Key contextual preconditions were an organization-wide model supporting co-leadership and co-location of services. Perception of the management role as a collective activity, continuous communication and lack of prestige were essential personal and interpersonal preconditions. In daily practice, office sharing, being able to give and take and support each other contributed to provision of sustainable integration of health and social care. CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: Co-leadership promoted robust management by providing broader competence, continuous learning and joint responsibility for services. Integrated health and social care services should consider employing co-leadership as a managerial solution to achieve sustainability.