Conditions of Action

A number of aspects relating to the general conditions influencing the actions of doctors in handling the tension between the money-purpose and money-means attitudes are discussed in this chapter. The goal of this chapter is to establish background conditions that help explain the everyday practices of doctors. The influence of companies on medicine and how this has evolved over time, the process of hospital economization, perceptions of wages, and the division of labor between medical doctors and other “para-medical” professions and occupations are identified as the main conditions of action. In addition, the chapter examines what it means to belong to an older generation of doctors compared to being part of a younger generation in medicine. By considering differences in values—especially regarding the value of work and the importance of status—some generational conflicts are discussed. In particular, the chapter analyzes how the necessary skills and competences can be acquired under the changing value orientations within the medical profession. This chapter also includes the biographical element of the money culture of one’s family of origin.