Corporate Images of the United Kingdom National Health Service: Implications for the Recruitment and Retention of Nursin
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Volume 6 Number 3
Corporate Images of the United Kingdom National Health Service: Implications for the Recruitment and Retention of Nursing and Allied Health Profession Staff John Arnold Loughborough University, UK Crispin Coombs Loughborough University, UK Adrian Wilkinson Loughborough University, UK John Loan-Clarke Loughborough University, UK Jennifer Park University of Nottingham, UK Diane Preston Open University Business School, UK
ABSTRACT A qualitative study is reported concerning the images of the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) held by 231 potential recruits in the nursing, physiotherapy and radiography professions. Existing research suggests that these images are likely to affect willingness to be employed by the NHS, and that this could crucially affect the achievement of UK government targets for NHS workforce expansion. It also suggests that images and the reputation of the NHS are likely to be very difficult to manage. The present research found that dominant images of the NHS concerned its operational difficulties, especially pressure, understaffing and resource shortages, although its core mission of equal access to healthcare for all was also salient. Interviewees reported that their images
of the NHS were derived from media coverage as well as personal experience. Although the NHS’s ideals were applauded, there was relatively little sign that informants personally identified with the NHS. The findings are discussed in the contexts of the interplay between image and identity, and of practical attempts to improve the NHS’s reputation as an employer. INTRODUCTION The corporate reputation of an organization has been identified as one of the key factors that can affect the likelihood of potential applicants choosing to apply to work for it (Fombrun, 1996; Turban et al., 1998). Similarly, general company reputation has been found to be an important influence on applicants’ assessments of their
Corporate Reputation Review, Vol. 6, No. 3, 2003, pp. 223–238 # Henry Stewart Publications, 1363–3589
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Corporate Images of the UK NHS
fit with firms (Rynes et al., 1991). For example, Turban et al. (1998) found that applicants’ general assessment of the reputation of the organization influenced their perceptions of the specific attributes of a post, even after they had been interviewed for it. Fombrun (1996) described reputation as representing the ‘net’ affective or emotional reaction of customers, investors, employees and the general public to the organization’s name. It is the collection of personal judgments and evaluations of the organization concerning, for example, its credibility, reliability, responsibility and trustworthiness. He argues that reputation is of particular concern to people seeking employment in knowledge-based institutions, such as hospitals and universities, because the services they provide are largely intangible. Although the importance of corporate reputation to the recruitment and retention of staff in commercial firms has been well documented in the literature (Gatewood et al., 1993; C
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