Managing a health and social cae orgainsation - Essay Example

In this context, identifying appropriate management practices for the particular sector can be a challenging task. This paper presents a series of management theories that could be effectively used in the health and care industry. Reference is also made to the ethical and legal issues that tend to appear in the particular sector, at the level that these issues set limits to the freedom of the industry’s employees to take initiatives. It is proved that, like in all sectors, in the health and social care industry the use of appropriate management practices is quite necessary so that the industry’s organizations are able to face market challenges.

In any case, before applying any management theory in one of the industry’s organizations it is necessary to take into consideration the ethical implications of the particular initiative. 2. Management and health and social care organizations 2.1 Models and theories of management relevant to a health and social care environment Different views seem to exist in the literature in regard to the involvement of management theories in the health and social care industry. In general, the necessity of these theories for the industry’s organizations is not doubted.

Still, oppositions have been developed as to which of existing management theories are most appropriate for the health and social care sector. . asis is given on hierarchy, as it results to ‘different levels of responsibilities and rights among the members of the organization’ (Harris 2005, p.63). The bureaucratic theory is based on a series of rules, that need to be followed in all organizations that adopt the particular style of management: a) the hiring of an individual to a specific position is depended on his skills; the power of each employee as ‘a member of the organization is related to his position in the organizational hierarchy’ (Harris 2005, p.63); b) following the procedures is of critical importance; no employee has the right to take initiatives, unless they are within the context of the power given to the employee as member of the organization; (Harris 2005, p.63) the activities of individuals, as members of the organization, ‘are predictable’ (Harris 2005, p.63), meaning that there is a routine in regard to the tasks assigned to each individual; this routine cannot be changed unless it is ordered by the employer (Harris 2005, p.63). Another management theory that it is widely used in organizations operating in the healthcare sector is the institutional theory.

The particular theory is based on the idea that organizations operate in environments that are characterized by ‘a series of myths, such as rules of professional conduct or ethical standards, to which organizations have to conform’ (Shortell and Kaluzny 1997, p.21). At this point, a key difference seems to exist between the common organizational environments, also characterized as ‘technical environments, and the institutional environments’ (Shortell and Kaluzny 1997, p.21). The former tend to press the organizations for continuously increasing their profits (Shortell and Kaluzny 1997, p.21). The latter require that the