Theories of Productivity Growth - Research Paper Example

Management Interview Paper Introduction Coordination is one of the most important elements of management. For most administrators, it is also one of the more difficult skills and practices to master and implement among staff members. Nevertheless, its value in the successful attainment of efficient health services cannot be downplayed and ignored. This paper shall present an interview with the director of a trauma hospital, with queries on hospital administration and coordination set forth and answered candidly by the interviewee. The answers shall be processed based on various theories on coordination, decision-making, and productivity. Discussion For this paper, I interviewed the director of a trauma hospital located in one of the larger cities in the United States. According to him, the major key players in the hospital are the board of directors, followed by the chief of medical services, the nurse administrator, and the heads of the different departments in the hospital. The board of directors control the major decision making process in the hospital, as well as the release and the lobbying for more funds in the daily hospital activities. The chief of medical services is the chief medical officer who controls the different medical services offered by the hospital. Medical services in the different departments include: emergency services, orthopedics, surgery, pediatrics, cardiac care unit, obstetrics and gynecology, ENT, psychiatry, and internal medicine. The nurse administrator supervises the nursing care services administered by the different departments of the hospital. The heads of the different departments of the hospital supervise and coordinate the health services offered by the hospital depending on their area of expertise and practice. The departments of the hospital include: pharmacy and drug dispensation; diet and food dispensation; janitorial services; transport services; radiology department; laboratory department; and the social work and spiritual services units. The coordination takes place with the close links and collaboration of the different heads of the departments. According to the director, the different medical department heads coordinate with each other and then work with the chief of medical services in order to ensure that the issues within the department are resolved and are discussed by the department heads. The heads of the nursing departments for each unit in the hospital also coordinate with each other in order to resolve issues within the department. This same trend and practice is applied in the different departments of the hospital. Discussions usually start at the grassroots level through the employees and hospital staff. Once these issues are discussed with the department and unit heads, such issues are opened for resolution and brainstorming within the unit. Suggestions are taken from the department and considered for final resolution. The coordination also takes place with the open communication between the different departments and units of the hospital. The activities or processes in place in order to ensure coordination involve the regular department meetings, brainstorming sessions, interdepartmental meetings, and regular briefings. Regular department meetings are held at the end of each week in each department in order to assess the different issues which have come up and to evaluate the performance of the team within the week. Issues in the conduct of activities are listed and discussed by the team through these weekly meetings. Interdepartmental meetings are conducted on a weekly basis also, but after the departmental meetings are conducted. These meetings shall include the heads of the departments. These heads would now bring to the table, discussions on the issues discussed during their departmental meetings and how the other departments can assist in the resolution of such issues. These meetings include brainstorming sessions with the members of each department and with the department heads. Such sessions help evaluate each issue and to deliberate on the best solution for each issue. Regular briefings usually happen before the start of each shift with the staff, the head nurses, the supervisors for each shift, and the different doctors on duty. These briefings serve to remind each staff member about the conduct of activities and about the different scheduled and emergency activities which each department is dealing with and how the other departments can assist in such emergencies. These briefings are especially important during emergency situations where some units in the hospital would be busier as compared to other units. For example, during situations involving multiple road accidents, the emergency and the surgery units would most likely be the busiest and the coordination of other departments and units in the hospital would be needed in order to ensure that the patients are adequately cared for and all the needs of the health professionals are within easy reach. Opportunities for coordination are identified through the regular meetings and briefings. Such meetings help to identify the essential issues which exist in each unit and to identify how such issues can be resolved by the members of the staff and by the department heads. Such opportunities are also maintained through the open channels of communication between the members of the team and the department heads. Each member of the team is given equal opportunity to express his issues regarding the department and the conduct of daily functions in the department. During the interdepartmental meetings, the different departments are also given equal opportunity to express their issues and their concerns based on information gathered from their team members. No one group is allowed to dominate and monopolize the meetings with each department or unit given equal opportunity to bring forth and express their issues and concerns. Coordination theories The coordination theory as conceptualized by Malone and Crowston (as cited by Crowston, et.al., 2004) set forth important details about coordination which have been manifested in the interview with the director. Malone and Crowston suggest various definitions for coordination which help us understand the application of this element of the managing process. Lawrence and Lorsch (as cited by Crowston, et.al., 2004) discuss coordination as “integrative devices in interconnecting differentiated sub-units”. Singh and Rein (as cited by Crowston, et.al., 2004, p. 4) also discuss it as the “integration and harmonious adjustment of individual work efforts towards the accomplishment of a larger goal”. In considering these definitions, it is important to note how the process of interconnections helps ensure that coordination is successful. As was assessed from the interview, coordination is often filled with problems and issues with some actors often performing additional work. Malone and Crowston (as cited by Crowston, et.al., 2004) explain that coordination mechanisms must be set in place in the performance of particular tasks which are based on task-actor dependencies. In these instances, the importance of assigning actors with appropriate skills in the performance of the task must be ensured. In some instances, the assignment of tasks may be based on manager choices, on assigning such jobs to the first available actor, or even on assigning actors to bid on jobs (Crowston, et.al., 2004). Based on the concepts of Crowston, it is crucial to note how the coordination of services is dependent on what each member of the team or unit can accomplish. In other words, the accomplishment of tasks is based on individual skills – and when taken together, as a whole, provide a coherent and coordinated whole. Decision-making In the decision-making process, conventional decision-making theories help explain the applications seen in the management of the hospital. For one, conventional thoughts of decision-making set forth that the world can be seen in different possible states and it is also impossible to consider which one will actually manifest (Kovine, 2004). Decision-makers are often faced with different choices between sets of alternatives and each alternative is filled with a variety of consequences. Decision-makers are often obliged to choose the best alternatives based on the different choices (Kovine, 2004). The different states are mutually exclusive sets which describe the world and these do not leave any relevant elements out of the processes. Such states later decide and determine the corresponding consequences of each alternative action, and such consequences can be measured based on some type of utility or standard (Kovine, 2004). Some discussions set forth that states can be placed in the context of diseases or incidents in the emergency care, and actions are the treatments or interventions for each disease or emergency health incident. The decision-making process can be seen when different actions are characterized by one standard each and then later compared to the possible final choices (Kovine, 2004). In these instances, it is important to know the value of the standards or parameters of practice. In the process of deciding, it is also important to compare the standards or parameters with permissible levels. In so doing, the decisions are made based on the measured values, and on the standards of the practice. In considering the decision-making processes applied by the director, it is crucial to note that they applied the conventional decision-making process. The members of the team were allowed to come up with alternatives and later each alternative was considered based on industry and health practice standards. After such decisions were made, those who had the necessary expertise to make the favorable determination for the issue were then compelled to make the decision for the case or issue. Productivity In terms of productivity, there is a need for the hospital to apply new and innovative practices. The general theories to increase productivity are based on rapid investment growth; rapid investments in education, training, and human capital; rapid growth in primary inputs; improvement in the functioning of the hospital; and access to new knowledge about the developments of new commodities and processes (Diewert, 2004). In applying the above theories to the hospital, it is important to note how the institution still lacks crucial elements in order to ensure that the appropriate tools are in place. The director does not make mention of new technologies or new knowledge and how these are integrated into the daily hospital activities. Such innovations are important because they help advance knowledge and techniques in medical practice. New technology means new and improved ways of treating patients. These innovations may also be less time-consuming and less costly for the hospital. And yet, the director does not make mention of such innovations being introduced to the hospital. In order to improve the productivity of the hospital and to improve the efficiency of the overall hospital services, these innovations have to be introduced and embraced by the hospital administrators and department heads. By communicating and coordinating these new processes with the hospital staff, it is possible to attain greater productivity with lesser production costs for the hospital. Conclusion Based on the above discussion, it is important to note that the close coordination and the open communication between the members of each department and the heads of the different departments are crucial elements in the smooth and efficient management of major health institutions. Close coordination and communication help immediately resolve issues and to ensure that the resolution is satisfactory to the members of the team and is consequently for the benefit of the team. The theory of coordination helps to explain how the harmonious integration of the different members or elements of the team are important processes which help ensure favorable patient outcomes. The theory of decision-making also set forth the importance of considering alternatives and choosing the best possible alternative which can be gained from such choices. The process of choosing alternatives is often based on standards of practice as well as favorable patient outcomes. As can be gleaned from the interview with the hospital, the decision-making process has been based on the brainstorming sessions and meetings conducted on a weekly basis by the different department heads and staff members. Such meetings helped to insure the inclusiveness and the coordinated decision-making process. Last but not least, the theory of productivity sets forth the importance of innovations in order to increase productivity. This was not manifested by the director in the interview. It is therefore important to suggest to the director the need for the institution to introduce various innovations to improve their practice and to create more favorable patient outcomes. Works Cited Crowston, K., Rubleske, J., & Howison, J. (2004) Coordination Theory. Syracuse University. Human-Computer Interaction in Management Information Systems (Vol. 1) Diewert, E. (2004) Theories of Productivity Growth and the Role of Government in Facilitating Productivity Growth. University of British Columbia. Retrieved 26 December 2010 from http://faculty.arts.ubc.ca/ediewert/growth.pdf Kozine, I. (2004) Survey of decision-making theories. Denmark: Riso National Laboratory. Retrieved 26 December 2010 from http://ew.eea.europa.eu/research/drivers/policy/...pdf/download Read More