Journey Through the Fractalization of Multilevel Governance: Levers for Adapt Healthcare Organizations Toward Migrant Populations in Canada

Abstract

This article focuses on multilevel governance applied to health organizations in Québec (Canada). The objective is to understand the action levers that facilitate the adaptation of the services toward migrant populations. This type of population establishes itself as an excellent tracer case to analyze the adaptation process, its fractalization and its involvement with the Environment. The dynamics between the actors and their self-organization takes part in the development of a multilevel governance. Interactions with the Environment—both internal and external—highlight the development of networks that emerge from the field and are then implemented at strategic levels in the organizations. The presence of connectivity actors within the organization and the Environment is established. The context, the bonds of trust between the actors and the credibility of the policymakers are reflected as important factors. However, connectivity actors cannot be successful without the support and contribution of the more “hierarchical” actors. Eight action levers are revealed by the analysis. We categorized them in 3 functions: administrative, enabling, and emerging. The levers of the administrative and emerging functions require that the levers of the enabling function be credible and legitimate and be able to support them for the adaptation to spread throughout the healthcare organization, regardless of the scope or policymaking level. The fractal function facilitates this process, by combining connectivity actors with the implementation of connectivity structures.