Applying an Eliasian approach to organizational analysis

The central focus of the article is managing change in the Notional Health Service (NHS). In particular, it uses the implementation of general managem ent (see the Griffiths Report, 1983) to explore the value of the process-so ciological approach for understanding a number of unintended outcomes assoc iated with this change. Elias is not a sociologist associated with the stud y of the NHS, or indeed the management of change, yet it is argued his appr oach has much to offer in exploring change in complex organizations such as the NHS. The article is organized as three sections. First, the central el ements of a figurational approach are discussed and used to explore existin g studies of change in the NHS. Second, the article applies a figurational approach to the study of the implementation of general management. Here the value of Elias's game models is explored in some detail. Finally, Elias's contribution to the study of complex social change is critically assessed.