Disaster Preparedness and Community Response - Assignment Example

Disaster preparedness and Community Response Why is it important to understand complexity and systems thinking when studying health organizations? Give examples. Health organizations are human systems which have continued to evolve over time. These systems are highly complex and require systems thinking for complete understanding. This is because these organizations consist of behavioral qualities which are unique and requires influence and power on part of its members. The professionals working under these organizations have to face many challenges related to this environment and have to function under complex examination by following all the rules and regulations. Systems thinking is extremely important in this fast changing world because nothing remains constant and managers and workers have to be flexible in order to adjust these changes. This adjustment process has to be done in a systematic way which requires team building and efficiency for better results and outcomes. It has become necessary for executives to understand complex behavior of stakeholders of the organization to keep up with the dynamics of this fast changing world. Those individuals who fail to understand the complexity of these models and theories of organization behavior fail to keep up with this modern world and therefore, are unable to achieve the required goals and targets. An example is that of a modern day manager of a multinational whose task is to manage hundreds of employees working under his division. If he fails to understand these models and theories then he would not be able to apply it practically and may fail to fulfill his task requirements. 2) What is meant by organizational improvisation and how can it be used in disaster response situations? Give examples. Organization improvisation is the management of knowledge and culture within the organization. It also involves the assessment of needs of training and learning for the effectiveness of the organization members. Managing organizational knowledge and learning is necessary for all organizations in this fast changing world. It is necessary to improve the ability of the organizations to deal with environmental and internal changes for the betterment of the organization members. Possibilities of natural disasters and others like terrorism etc are present every day and therefore, it becomes extremely important for organizations to prepare for these unforeseen circumstances. These include educational and training needs of the organization members. A successful management plan will help the organization in dealing with these circumstances efficiently and will make it easier for them to handle it. The manager will be responsible for controlling these situations and will have to take care of all the organization as well as family members. The multi tasking ability and skill of managers will come handy during these times. Managers with an organization handling and management plans for such situations will be able to handle such situations more efficiently and effectively. These plans should be implemented according to the current situation. This organizational improvisation will require the application of skills and knowledge of all its members. Therefore, disaster management plans are extremely important for all organizations of this modern and fast paced world. Countries situated in northern areas are at high risk for natural disasters and therefore, organizations situated in these areas should be prepared for such situations before hand. 3) What are the various ways conflict can be managed in health organizations? Give examples. Unexpected and sudden disasters result in panic attacks and anxiety resulting from sudden and unspoken fear. This situation can result in conflicts between the organization members and other teams on disciplines and solutions. Organizations with poor working environments, those without adequate disaster and crisis management plans will lead in more errors and mistakes whereas positive working environments will lead to a greater handling of the situation at hand. There is a great need for communication, collaboration and also respect among the organization members through which they will be able to manage these situations appropriately. Communication is extremely important and all the members should communicate with each other and find the best way to handle the situation through which the negative consequences could be minimized. The skill of conflict management should be included as part of the staff hiring procedure and individuals with this quality and skill should be given chances for the benefit of the organization as a whole. For efficient conflict management, the relationship among the organization members must also be good because any discrepancies in relationships will hinder the process of conflict management and as a result, disaster and crisis management. Compromise is also an important part of conflict management. The organization members should compromise on some aspects in order to resolve the conflicts and move ahead for the betterment of the organization. Ignoring the conflict is not an option for organizations as these conflicts will then affect other processes of the organization itself including disaster controlling and management. 4) Why is transformative leadership a useful approach for health organization leaders and clinician leaders? Transformational leaders are characterized by their ability to bring about a change and innovation. These leaders recognize the potentials as well as the needs and concerns of the organization members. They help the members look at their problems in a new light and a new way and encourage them to look for solutions and improve their weaknesses. They inspire the members to believe in themselves which is also beneficial for the organization as a whole. Transformational leaders are often compared to transactional leaders who try to satisfy the subordinates, which may or may not improve productivity. In comparison, transformational leaders do not only rely on rules and regulations but they focus on other qualities such as shared values, common vision and other ideas in order to build relationships with other members to help them through the change process. Transformational leadership will prove to be a useful approach for health organizations and clinician leaders because this leadership positively impacts the development and performance of the followers of these leaders. These leaders are positively engaged with the world around them and are also emotionally stable. Therefore, in highly changing health organizations, these leaders will able to keep up with continuous change and influence the members and followers of the organization. They can successfully accomplish change by gaining trust of the members and build networks of relationships. These leaders create changes in both the organization and its members by influencing them through their personality traits. These leaders will also be able to handle and control situations of high risk successfully through their vast varieties of skills. 5) How does power manifest in health organizations and what are its various sources? Power involves the position of different individuals of the organization. It is the ability to influence the behavior of other members and the capacity to cause a change in the organization. The different sources of power include the personal interests of individuals, relationships within the organization, values and goals as well as access to information. These sources of power exist in all organizations including the health ones. The first source of power is the position power. The position of managers gives them the power to punish or reward other members. These include the legitimate power which comes from the management position itself and reward power which is the authority of leaders or managers to give rewards in order to influence the behavior of the members. The staff of any health organization will surely follow the instructions of managers with these powers in order to get on their good books. Another source is the personal power which comes from internal sources such as the personality characteristics and knowledge etc. this power includes expert power as well as referent power. Expert power results from special skills and knowledge regarding the tasks of the organization whereas referent power comes from personal characteristics of an individual which forces other members to admire and respect them. This type of power does not depend on any position or title (Management, Web). Therefore, the staff in health organizations will give respect to those individuals who have these sources of power. Works Cited: Johnson, James A.. Health organizations: theory, behavior, and development. Sudbury, Mass.: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2009. Print. Samson, Danny, and Richard L. Daft. Management. Pacific rim ed. South Melbourne, Vic.: Thomson Learning, 2003. Print. Read More