The Identification of Important Intangible Resources in Hospitals

Abstract

The current research literature has little on the understanding and use of intangible resources in hospitals, and given the importance of people in the delivery of health care organizations, the objective of this research was to identify what managers perceived to be the key intangible resources that were used in this setting. The supplementary objective was to explore whether known intangible resources were managed in any systematic way. A qualitative research approach was followed and this allowed for the identification and description of key intangible resources in the hospital setting. In particular we found that social capital and staff attitude were identified as important by hospital managers and clinicians. The findings contribute to current research as they theoretically allow the extension of the concept of intangible resources to the hospital sector. They also lead to a number of recommendations for the strategic management of intangible resources in hospitals, and other health care organizations.