Intangible resources as performance drivers in European hospitals

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of intangible resources in the performance management of European hospitals. The extent of the awareness of intangible resources as performance drivers is examined in five different European hospitals, from both the private and the public sector. Design/methodology/approach – An inductive approach was taken based on open ended, semi‐structured interviews with key informants. Findings – Research results indicate that hospitals' managers realise the importance of intangible resources. In particular these relate to three different areas, namely the management of hospitals' human resources, the creation of relationships within and outside the organisation, and the measurement of individual performance. Research limitations/ implications – This research is exploratory in nature. Further and deeper research is needed which focuses on the identification of the most relevant resources in hospitals and their impact on performance. Both will then justify the integration of these intangible resources in performance measurement systems. Originality/value – This research gives insights into the awareness of intangible resources in different European hospitals. It explores the use of intangible resources in performance measurement systems. Much of the research in this area has been concentrated on the private commercial sector, linked to creating shareholder value, and this paper adds to the newly developing research looking at hospital settings.