Résumé
Drawing upon the transactional stress theory, this study investigates how physicians cope with the evolution of their workload since the implementation of New Public Management (NPM). 25 interviews with physicians working in French public hospitals, reveal that physicians are using a multitude of coping strategies to deal with their work. Our results show that two resources influence the basis of the coping strategies: social support and the locus of control. Our analysis sheds new light on how the hospital management design may contribute to stressful working conditions. Moreover, this study highlights the unintended effects of NPM implementation.