Multiskilling in the Healthcare Sector - Assignment Example

PROJECT COVER SHEET - Assessment 3: Group Case Analysis [20%] Course Code and Name BUS 4363 – Managing Organizational Change Faculty Name Dr. Malou A. Maderazo Project Title Assessment 3: Group Project – Case Analysis Group report worth 20% of final grade Due Date Week 13 Title of the Case Organizational Change : Multiskilling in the Healthcare Sector Date Submitted Section 08B8BADA1 This assessment will assess the Learning outcomes: CLO 3: Research the impact of culture, power and politics in managing change. CLO 4: Assess the role of organisational leadership in managing change in the UAE. Declaration; Individual (or Group): No part of this assignment has been copied from another source, (not from another group or student, an internet source or a book) When another person’s words are used, this is shown in the text with “…” and referenced. I (We) have submitted my (our) assignment to SafeAssign and checked for plagiarism prior to submitting for grading No part of this assignment has been written by anyone other than me (or the members of the group named below). I (We) have a copy of this assignment that we can produce if the first copy is lost or damaged. Names and Signatures : Name 1……………………………………… Signature ……………………… ID: ……………………………………………… Name 2……………………………………… Signature ……………………… ID: ……………………………………………… Name 3……………………………………… Signature ……………………… ID: ……………………………………………… Name 4……………………………………… Signature ……………………… ID: ……………………………………………… N.B. The marker may choose not to mark this assignment if the above declaration is not signed. If the declaration is found to be false, appropriate action will be taken. Academic Honesty Statement Cheating is deliberately attempting to gain marks or academic credit dishonestly. Plagiarism is deliberately presenting another person’s work as one’s own without acknowledgment, and includes submitting work specifically commissioned from another for the purpose. I understand that cheating and plagiarism are serious offences and that if I am found guilty of either of these offences I may be subject to dismissal from the Higher Colleges of Technology. For Examiner’s Use Only TOTAL Marks Available 100 Marks Earned Marker Name Question I Identify and analyze in detail any three key characteristics of the organizational culture of NHS Trust Hospital as mentioned in the case study. One characteristic of organizational culture that is demonstrated by NHS Trust Hospital is a culture that is team oriented. In general, a team oriented culture has attributes of cooperation and collaboration among the management and also the employees (Wasbeek, 2004). Foremost, as outlined by the case, NHS Trust Hospital intends to implement change which is grounded on team work. The planned change intends to introduce to the organization a multiskilled, ward based team to support the workers in the hospital. Through the generic worker concept, teams of generic hotel service assistance are to be introduced to the ward level in order to improve responsiveness and flexibility to patient needs. Based on this fact, it can be stated that the hospital has culture that team oriented. Although, the team based initiative is later not implemented due to opposition from the workforce, what is evident is that the organization believes in team work. Also, during the change development stage, team work is also used as a key impetus in order to implement the change. A small management team was developed to develop the new change initiative. The team consisted of the Director of site service, her manager, the head of domestic staff and her subordinate, managers of portering and domestic staff and a first- line supervisor manager. The composition of this team gives and indication that team work is a significant cultural element in the organization. Another characteristic of organizational culture that is demonstrated by NHS Trust Hospital is that of a service oriented culture. As indicated by the case, the hospital major agenda is to improve the quality of service that is provided to the patients. The main objective of implementing change is to ensure that the services provided to the customers are responsiveness and flexibility. The scope of the change was that the portering and the domestic staff were to be based on ward levels as opposed to the central level. This would ascertain provision of quality services at the ward level. In addition, training would be provided to the staff in order to ensure that they gained adequate knowledge to perform their task. This gives an indication that the organization is more service oriented. It can also be stated that the organization has a cultural attribute of being outcome oriented. The outcome oriented culture is where the management focuses on the outcomes and results as opposed to the processes and techniques that are required in order to attain the outcomes. (Wasbeek, 2004). The management NHS Trust Hospital had the objective of implementing change into the workflow system of the organization through the generic worker concept. From the case, it can be concluded that the management was not ready to put more effort on the techniques and processes that can effectively be used to implement the proposed change. Kottler (2014) argues that in order to effectively implement change, there is need to communicate the vision effectively. The management or the people in charge of implementing the change should communicate the vision powerfully and frequently. Additionally, it is essential to address the concerns of the people regarding the incoming change. Those managing the change at NHS Trust Hospital did not gather the entire workforce together in order to communicate or discuss the change. Instead they believed that if the initiative would work effectively during the pilot stage then the good news would spread and the other people would join the force. The management heavily relied on the informal communication process as opposed to conducting communication sessions with the employees to inform them about the change. This scenario basically indicates that the management was more focused on the outcomes as opposed to what it takes to attain the targeted outcomes. Question 2 Discuss how the sources of power, or power bases in the case study are threatened by the changes. Did NHS Trust Hospital manage to successfully transform into a more effective and more efficient organization? Support your answer with the facts given in the case study. In most cases when change is implemented or proposed within an organization, the power and control of certain parties is bound change. Grant, et al, (2005) highlight that this is attributed to the fact that the supremacy and dominance over certain resources and responsibilities are either reduced or enlarged as a result of the introduction of the change. This can actually lead to resistance to change due to the threats that emerge on the sources of power. There are a number of ways in which the sources of power in the case are threatened by changes. The managers of certain departments felt that their areas of influence were now compromised due to the new change. A case in point is the Hotel Services manager who stated that he arranged several sessions of awareness with the nursing staff but no one turned up for them. Difficulties emerged when trying to control various groups. This resulted to a state of being powerless. Additionally, power wrangles emerged between the Hotel Services manager and the Nursing manager who were both in charge of running the pilot program. The Nursing manager commented ‘’we looked at taking over the services of dispensing food to the patients’. Hotel services believed that their staff were better trained to carry food dispensing duties. ‘’ This statement implies that the Nursing manager wanted control over the food dispensing services however the change would definitely affect their control over the services. The power bases of the staff were also threatened as a result of the change. The generic approach proposed a change in terms of the roles of various staff which basically instigated a sense of declined authority by some of the staff members. For instance; some ancillary nurses developed a feeling of being threatened by the Staff from the Hotel Services. The nurses would argue even before the change was implemented by stating that the Hotel Service staff should perform the task of dispensing food. In the generic the porters, cleaners and the domestic staff worker were to be multiskilled in order for them to take a range of petering and domestic roles such as cleaning, moving equipments, transporting patients and servicing food. Most of the staff felt that by engaging in all this task, there level of control in their work area specialties would be jeopardized. Power held by the male gender or the male staff was also greatly threated by the change. A controversial aspect about the generic worker concept was that the male staff would perform tasks that were in most cases done by women. Many of the porters, essentially the male, out rightly expressed their unwillingness to perform cleaning duties which are mostly perceived as a work to be done by women. As noted from the case, the issue of gender was commonly raised by the employees when the change process was discussed. The male hegemony was therefore challenged by the proposed change. This resulted to great resistance towards the change based on the fact that the men believed that the new system would belittle the authority that is inclined in the man. Question 3 Why was the change initiative, which held so much promise and generated such enthusiasm from management, so emphatically rejected by staff? Provide answer which will give (a) managerial, (b) a cultural and (c) a political explanation for the “failure” of this initiative. Support with facts from the case study with least one external source. The change initiative which held so much promise and generated such enthusiasm from the management was vigorously rejected by the staff based on the fact that the managerial approach used to introduce the change into the organization was actually not appropriate or correct. Nicolescu and Reason, (2015) highlight that more often, resistance to change occurs as a result of the management approach towards introducing and implementing the change in the organization. The approach in which the management takes to communicate the change will influence if the change will work or not. When the case is examined, it can be stated that the managerial approach towards communicating the change was a failure. For instance, the change was not formally communicated to all the employees. In addition, not all the manager were committed towards getting the employees to be part of the change process. A case in point is Terry Abra who was a junior management at the fourth management tier. Abra was in charge of day to day implementation of the change, she however played a relatively minor role in the decision to introduce the initiative to the hospital staff or including the idea in the business plan. It can be stated that although the managers were enthusiastic about the change, what is evident is that the section of management in charge of implementing the change did not perform their work effectively therefore leading to resistance to change. Resistance to change in organizations also occurs when the management develops too much role incapability for the employees (Nicolescu and Reason, 2015). In the case, the management was enthusiastic about how the new roles they developed would bring benefits such as cooperative team work and job enrichment. On the other hand, the employees were actually dissatisfied with the new roles created for them. For instance the nurses believed that the hotel service staff would replace their roles. Also, the existing wrangles between that management team and the conflicting views also influenced resistance to change by the employees. Some of the managers would out rightly oppose the manner in which the rotas were developed in front of the employees. For instance; one manager claimed that‘’ in one minute the rotas are going to be XYZ and in the next minute they would be ABC. Such comments would basically lead the employees to resist the change. When examining the cultural aspects, it can be stated that the culture of the organization instigated the failed change. Foremost, it can be stated that the organization has a culture that only wants to maintain the status quo. After, most of the staff members voted against the change , the HRM Director gave provoking comments that stated‘’ Inside the hospital is a little cottage with roses hanging over the door , where everything is just as it has always been, and it’s all quite happy’’. Such a statement basically indicates that the organization has a culture of maintaining a status quo. As a result, this may have been an influential aspect in promoting resistance to change by the staff despite the enthusiastic attitude of the management towards the change. A key political factor that influenced the employees to resist the change was the involvement of the Union. Clark, (2013) highlights that Unions are very significant in influencing the decisions of the workforce. In the context of the case, the trade union (UNISON) convener, Peter Frost, persistently and openly recorded his disapproval about the extent of the proposed changes. The union greatly opposed the generic working approach and advised the members to not approve its implementation. This influenced the failure of the proposed change. Question 4 With reference to the core tasks of change leadership, suggest three ways to help NHS Trust Hospital develop a clear sense of direction for the organization. Change leadership is an integral aspect that can determine the success of a change process. Studies indicate that 50- 70% of change initiatives usually fail. There is therefore need for organizations to advance their odds of achieving success (Dinwoodie et al, 2015). Change leadership is therefore becomes useful. It basically involves the phases of change and the existing emotions that are linked to the change process. Change leadership requires the entire organization which includes; the leadership and the staff to address or deal with the mindsets that affect the change in order to develop behaviors and practices that assist people to adopt to change (Dinwoodie et al, 2015). In order to develop a clear sense of direction for the organization, there is need to meet the challenges of the change. It basically involves identifying the uncertainties and fears of the people and addressing this fears. Based on the case, it evident that the employees have fear and uncertainty concerning how the proposed change is bound to affect their work. Indeed the generic work approach is not a bad strategy based on the fact that it will improve responsiveness and service quality to the patient. Nevertheless, the employees are not comfortable with the entire approach. There is therefore need for the management to address the concerns of the employees. For instance; the male staff fear that they will be subjected to handling female tasks. There is need for the management to keenly look into such concerns. Change leadership also entails the development of a vision (Dinwoodie et al, 2015). This involves getting the leaders and the staff together and making them understand why the change is needed and how it would assist to attain the shared vision of the organization. From the case it is apparent that no shared vision was created for the employees. The management held their view concerning how the change would be beneficial to the staff however the employees did not share the same vision. The end result was that the employees disapproved the proposed change. In order to develop a clear sense of direction for the organization, creating a vision for change is very important as opposed to maintaining a status quo. Change leaders also requires that the senior level managers and the middle level managers should develop and direct change through three major levels. This include others, the organization and self (Dinwoodie et al, 2015). When it comes to others, the managers should ask themselves concerning how they can assist others to adopt and accept the change. This will assist them to get on board. In terms of self, there is need to evaluate how the change affects a person at an individual level and what can be done to ensure that one is able to drive the change effectively. At the organizational level, there is need for the management to examine how they can lead change in the context of the larger political realities and organizational culture (Dinwoodie et al, 2015). Based on this fact, it can be stated that the management did not implement this key facts when it comes to initiating the change process. For instance the employee Union members were in disagreement with the proposed changes, therefore influencing the union members to resist the change. It was essential for the managers to hold intense consultation with the union and the employees in order to ensure that the change is accepted positively. Question 5 With reference to the concept of ‘shared purpose’, suggest three ways to the NHS Trust Hospital top management to help them improve employee coordination in a globalized business environment under which the employees worked. There are number ways in which the top management at NHS Trust Hospital can improve the coordination of the employees in the globalized business environment. One of the key approaches is by integrating the voice of the employees in the decision making process. Many organizations do not incorporate the views of the employees when making critical decisions that also involve them (Research Insight, 2010). The end implication is that employees feel left out and when change is implemented, it becomes difficult for the employees to adopt to the change. In order to have a shared purpose there in need for the management to consult the employees on key issues. As noted from the case , the management had a purpose of developing a change initiative that would make the hospital to adopt to the changes in the global business environment, nevertheless, the voice of the employees was not effectively integrated thus leading to the failure of the initiative. Another approach in which the top management at NHS Trust Hospital can improve the coordination of the employees is by revitalizing the purpose of the organization. Every organization has what is referred to as a statement of purpose. The statement basically defines the main beneficiaries of the organization and the kind of benefits they are to receive. Most organizations have statements of purpose that are directed towards the customers and the shareholders of the company. The employees are often left out. Studies indicate that many people desire to work in environment where the sole purpose is not all about making money (Research Insight, 2010). A statement such as maximizing the interest of the shareholders would definitely lead the employees to a state of dissatisfaction, it is therefore important to develop a vision in which the employees feel that they are also recognized. NHS Trust Hospital should therefore revise the vision of the organization to be all inclusive. This will assist in the collaboration of the employees even in areas such as implementing new change. Another approach that can be devised by the organization in order to develop shared purpose for the organization is to develop an effective system of performance management. In most cases a shared purpose is strengthened when the staff understand what is expected of them and how they can obtain a clear feedback concerning their performance (Research Insight, 2010). It is therefore essential for the management to focus on developing a workable performance management system. The management of NHS Trust Hospital should ascertain that the employee understand the performance management standards of the organization. When evaluating the case, it is evident that some of the employee were not even aware of the standard of performance they are to attain. In addition, the employees were already against a new system of performance due to the threats it posed to their work. This basically implies that the performance management system in the organization was not well developed. In order to have a shared purpose there is need for the organization to devise an effective performance management system. This will ensure that even when change is proposed the employees will be understand what is required of them. References Clark, P, 2013, Building more effective Unions, Cornell University Press. Dinwoodie, D, Pasmore, W, Quinn, L, Rabin, R, 2015, Navigating Change: A leader’s Role, CCL. Grant, D. et al, 2005, “Discourse and organizational change”, Organizational Change Management, 18 (1). Kottler, J, 2014, Change: What Really Leads to Lasting Personal Transformation, OUP. Nicolescu, O and Reason, L, 2015, Challenges, Performance and Tendencies in Organization Management, World Scientific. Research Insight, 2010, Shared purpose and developing sustainable performance , CIPD. Wasbeek, D, 2004, Human Resource Management Practices in Selected Ethiopian Private Companies, Universal-Publishers. Read More