Twelve Steps in the Critical Thinking Model - Case Study Example

There are twelve steps in the critical thinking model described in Asking the Right Questions by Browne and Keeley . As such, this paper seeks to apply the critical thinking model the Recommendation for Revision of Penn-Mart’s Health Care Strategy Memorandum to the Board of Directors. The paper will critically analyse the applicability of each step to the memorandum given in the case. 1) The major issue here is to recommend a course of action that helps to make employees more aware of their own health status and to help them identify issues that they could mitigate on their own to become more fit. This is also meant to curtail the rising benefits costs in the organization where the huge chunk is channelled towards healthcare issues. The other issue is that people who are not active are the ones who are contributing to the rising costs of the benefits in the organization. In order to resolve the issue, it has been concluded that mandatory programs to engage all the employees in the wellness program, “Get well” should be implemented. This will help to improve the health of the employees as they will become aware of their status. 2) The main reason behind the memo is that wellness programs can play a significant role in improving the healthcare conditions of the employees. As aptly stated by the following adage, it can be noted that prevention is better than cure and it is the easiest way of ensuring a healthy lifestyle to the majority of people. The organization has come up with a strategy that enlightens people about issue related to their health and wellness such as taking up regular exercises through the “Get well” initiative. Apart from helping to reduce the high level of benefit costs, the initiative will also help to promote healthy living conditions among the employees. This will be beneficial to the employees in the long run as well as their families since this will help them to stay fit. 3) There are certain words or phrases that are ambiguous in the memo. For instance, the following phrase is ambiguous; “It is not fair to the young and fit, to allow those who are not to be a drag on earnings.” It is quite difficult to grasp the meaning of this phrase due to the language used. This statement is also ambiguous: “These recommendations have been thoroughly researched and represent state-of-the-art in our field.” Its meaning is not clear. The reader may not be able to understand what the author will be trying to say from such ambiguous statements. It is essential for the writer to use terms that are clear in order to achieve his or her desired goal of conveying a certain message to the readers. This will also help the readers to share the same ideas and opinions with the writer if they can clearly grasp the meaning of the content presented to them. 4) The value conflicts in this case posit to the effect that wellness programs will lead to less demand for benefits. However, there is a conflict somehow as indicated in the following statement. “Employee surveys demonstrate that employees are overall highly satisfied with their benefits. The least healthy, least productive employees are more satisfied with their benefits than other segments and are interested in longer careers with Penn-Mart.” This is a conflicting statement given that it indicates that the group that is supposed to be asking for more benefits is satisfied with what they are getting. Therefore, what is causing a rising in the benefits costs if the vulnerable group in the organization in terms of health and wellness issues is comfortable with the benefits they get. It is assumed that the least healthy group expects to get more benefits to cater for their health but this is not the case in the given memo which gives rise to a conflicting statement. 5) The descriptive assumption in this case mainly pertains to the issue that people who do not care for their health are responsible for the rising benefits costs in the organization. For instance, it is said that “data from our underwriters indicates that individuals who voluntarily neglect their health account for the greatest impact on the growth in benefits costs. This group includes smokers, those who do not exercise, and those who defer preventative care.” This is an assumption which can be proved to be wrong given that some smokers have better health conditions than non smokers. On the contrary, some smokers as well as people who do not engage in regular exercises often live longer lives compared to some of those people who exercise regularly. 6) The fallacies in the reasoning are that people who engage in wellness programs such as regular exercises are guaranteed of quality health. However, this might not be true in all cases. Regular exercises do not always guarantee quality health. There are certain hereditary diseases that have nothing to do with exercise. There are also other chronic diseases that cannot be cured or prevented as a result of the fact that the person involved engages in regular exercises. These people also need benefits to cater for their healthcare needs despite the fact that they engage in regular exercises. In contrast, it can be seen that mandatory exercises may not be the only best solution that can be implemented in order to deal with the problem identified above. The employees may need drugs and these drugs require money which can compel the individuals involved to request for more benefits. 7) The evidence presented in the memo seeks to appeal to the authorities to review benefits structures in the organization since they are impacting on its financial performance. It is the duty of the responsible authorities in the organization to act on such issues so as to safeguard the interests of the company. However, a holistic approach ought to be taken in order to resolve the main issue identified which depends on the discretion of the responsible authorities about their own perceptions to the same issues identified. 8) The evidence provided is good because it is based on research studies. These are authentic given that they are based on information that has been proved or verified. In most cases, primary research would have been conducted in carrying out the researches. In most cases, a gap exists in studies that have been carried out and attempts are often made to bridge this gap. As shown in the case, studies have shown that the rising benefits costs are responsible for straining the financial performance of the company. Therefore, holistic measures should be implemented based on the findings of the study in order to address the problems identified. This evidence is useful in that resources are not wasted on issues that have nothing to do with the problem identified. 9) The rival causes in this case pertain to the issue that people who neglect their healthcare or who do not want to engage in exercises are responsible for increasing benefit costs. Some people may be opposed to mandatory testing and exercises but they can still live healthy lives. Therefore, it does not always follow that the mainstream argument is always correct. This may be an insult to other people who do not engage in regular exercises since they may be living healthy lives compared to their counterparts. This assumption can cause unnecessary rivalry among different employees in the organization. 10) The statistics are not deceptive. For instance, it is stated that “Our internal research has showed that wages and benefits make up roughly 40 percent of our annual budget. Benefits costs could consume as much as 15 percent of our total profits in 2015.” Indeed, this is true given that in most cases, the huge chunk of the company’s budget goes towards the wages and benefits of the employees. There is need for review of the benefits to the employees to keep the costs at bay. In most cases, when such issues are brought to the attention of the responsible authorities in the organization, it means that they are based on evidence. This evidence is usually based on data that can be empirically tested. Therefore, the data presented in the case highlighted above is authentic given that it shows some statistics which reflect general trends in the cost structure of the benefits that are given to the customers. 11) The other significant information that has been omitted is related to the structure of healthcare policies adopted by the organization for and on behalf of the employees. There are different insurance companies that offer health care policies to different people. It is the duty of the company to liase with reputable companies that deal with insurance to offer policies to the employees. When the employees have insurances that cover their health issues as well as their families, there are likely chances that the benefits costs will decline. This entails that the workers are covered by their policies in the event that they experience healthcare problems. The other advantage is that the employees contribute towards these policies so they not exert a burden to the company. 12) The reasonable conclusion possible is that rising demands of benefits by the employees contribute to rising costs on the company. This strains the company’s financial position and it can also strain its operations in the long run. Therefore, a viable strategy that is non monetary ought to be implemented in order to resolve the problem identified. For instance, mandatory wellness programs can go a long way in reducing the benefits bill of the company. The strategy to be implemented ought to be beneficial both to the company as well as the individuals involved. This will help to create mutual understanding among the parties involved. Thus, a fine balance between the needs of the company and the employees ought to be put in place so as to create a scenario that is beneficial to both parties involved. This will improve the viability and sustainability of the company in terms of its financial performance. Read More