Perceptions on Ideal and Real-world Social and Healthcare Services Management: Evidence from the Czech Republic, Finland, and Portugal Comparison

The purpose of this exploratory qualitative research is to map the situation of culture and quality management in social and healthcare (SH) services as experienced by management students in the Czech Republic, Finland, and Portugal. The intercultural theories and contemporary principles of healthcare management form the theoretical background of the research. The explored central phenomenon is conceptualized as the experience of the differences between ideal and real-world situations in the SH sector. Three mutually dependent analytical categories—management perceptions, environment for SH services, and country-level perceptions with 12 subcategories—have been constructed from the testimonies. The common underlying ideals mirrored in the perceptions have been deconstructed as the result of the cultures of business management and care, which influence the students’ perceptions. This exploration has been valuable in defining an under researched territory of cross-cultural management in healthcare. Specific variables and potential dynamics among them are identified, allowing for a more focused study of the phenomenon in the future.