Change and Organizations
Change within organizations not only influences the major systems but also other interconnected pieces. (Grossman, 2009) A couple of months ago, the chief executive officer at my workstation introduced a new plan dubbed the rapid results initiative (RRI). This initiative was aimed at enhancing the speed and quality of service delivery at the hospital in order to attain world-class certification in terms of standards.
There are several factors that led the hospital’s chief executive officer into this decision; firstly, the organization’s performance in terms of finance had been on the decline during the previous twelve months. Secondly, based on the organization’s strategic plan, there was the dire need to improve the quality of services offered to patients through the expansion of the hospital’s main wings such as the emergency department.
Additionally, the hospital had received numerous complaints from different patients about the slow pace of service delivery. Through the rapid results initiative, the chief executive officer was confident that the hospital would be in a position to address all these shortcomings. In order to implement the rapid results initiative plan successfully, the change process affected all the hospital’s system either directly or indirectly. The nursing department was one of the systems mostly affected by the change process within the organization.
All nurses were obliged to sign performance contracts; this tied them to a greater degree of commitment and dedication towards their daily tasks. In addition, all nurses were required to work for shorter shifts in order to maximize the efficiency levels. Apart from the nursing department, the human resource department was also another system that was strongly affected by the change process. (Grossman, 2009)
Recruitments for all personnel had to be vetted in order to ensure that only the suitably qualified candidates fill the different vacancies within the hospital’s system. Based on the new plan, all the employees within the hospital were supposed to sign performance contracts on an annual basis; failure to meet the stipulated standards would result into the automatic termination of the contract. Even though this approach was more or less intimidating, it resulted into excellent levels of efficiency and dedication among the hospital’s employees.
The human resource department was also affected in that new regulations in terms of punctuality and discipline were introduced; this ensured that the hospital’s staff did not waste time. The rapid results initiative also resulted into the extensive overhaul of the hospital’s communication system. The chief executive officer was keen to ensure that the employees in all the departments within the hospital would easily interact and/or exchange ideas through a flexible communication system. In line with this initiative, a wide area network system was established in order to facilitate for fast communication. Each department was equipped with more computer systems in order to enhance data management and thus streamline service delivery.
From a political perspective, the new plan emphasized organizational neutrality in order to avert external political influence. Administratively, heads of departments were reshuffled; some were promoted to higher ranks whereas others were demoted to lower ranks. The change process within the organization culminated into various results that were more or less unexpected; for instance, I did not anticipate that nurses would be required to sign performance contracts. Furthermore, it was also surprising to note that some heads of departments at the hospital were promoted whereas others were demoted.
Reference
Grossman, S. & Valiga, T. (2009). The new leadership challenge: Creating the future of nursing, PA: F.A. Davis Company
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