Training and Development Needs of Westbank Health Centre - Case Study Example

Strategic HR management: A case study Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Introduction The management and staff of Westbank Health Centre are undergoing a major human resource transformation as the organization expands and becomes complex. Strategic human resource planning is required in this aspect for partners and staff to identify and develop their training and development needs. Besides review of work practices of nurses and other staff, the management can exploit short and long-term approaches to meet employee needs. This essay identifies the training and development of partners and their priority areas as well as long-term strategies for nurses. Also, development needs of the practice manager are highlighted and the problems the office holder will likely experience. Moreover, the essay develops a human resource strategy that analyses the present and desired future situation, implementation plans and pillars that guide the strategy. The training and development needs of partners The training and development needs of partners relate to cost-benefit analysis and organizational analysis. The partners lack financial management knowledge given that they have to allocate funds to counseling services, healthcare programmes and clinics. Again, the partners require understanding of organizational objectives, goals and strategies owing to growing patient numbers and doctors. In the typical work environment, Jehanzeb and Bashir (2013) observe that employees are required to be skilled in accomplishing certain complex tasks in safe, cost-effective and efficient ways. As a performance improvement tool, training is required to improve the capacity of employees that do not perform to the expected level of performance or certain standards. A need for training is justifiable when the expected level of job performance is different from the actual level of job performance (Vinesh, 2014, p. 214). The partners prioritize on reducing costs, increasing returns on investments, maintaining quality of health care services and expansion of services. These needs can be met by working within the budgetary limits, innovation and technology, cost reduction and continuous improvement in the quality of services. For example, doctors who also happen to be partners have realized that their roles not only centers on being physicians but also requires that they have knowledge on financial management. Training on how to reduce costs and increase returns on investment requires specific skills and competencies on fiscal management, innovation, and global perspective, technology, decision making and planning. Some techniques such as interviews, consultation with persons with specific knowledge and direct observation will help in understanding the specific needs that the partners will require. Fundamentally, the organization is transitioning to information systems that seem to be more sophisticated that the current level of understanding among end-users. For instance, nurses had little knowledge of these systems and preferred written notes while doctors used them sporadically. Computer skills became necessary for the partners given that fundholding service utilized computer systems. In a uniform method of instructional design, the first step is the identification of training needs (Aguinis & Kraiger, 2009). The kind of training needed and who need training will be identified through successful training needs analysis. On the contrary, offering the wrong kind of training or offering training to individuals who do not need it is counter-productive. One way to put the training resources into good use is through training needs analysis. Long-term strategies to change work practices Organizational change and transformational planning help to modify business processes by changing processes, procedures and policies (Karreman & Alvesson, 2009). In the case study, the nurses did not find relevance in working as a team and could explain to the receptionists in different styles on issues captured n the appointment book. Moreover, there was little communication among nurses and other staff members despite their different styles of operation and performance management. Cultural change among nurses is necessary to match strategy and culture, create shift in behavior, and reduce behavioral resistance. Pieterse et al (2012) argues that change management, to encourage desired results, should be aligned with the organization’s behaviors, people, values and culture. A number of strategies to inculcate teamwork, work flexibility and change can be formulated and implemented to ensure effective change in work practices (Senior & Swailes, 2010). First, the organizational structure is to be amended to create functional structures within the organizational leadership. Second, top leadership should communicate the message of teamwork and flexibility as urgent and necessary. Third, the nurses and partners need to take responsibility to make changes in their areas of control and influence. Fourth, the nurses should be encouraged to work together and other staff through shared systems, forums and meetings. Finally, the top leadership should provide a road map for decision making and guiding behavior by customizing messages to internal audience. Team behavior and flexibility is important for organizational success and attainment of objectives (Naghibi & Baban, 2011, p. 543). By working as a team, nurses derive synergy and combined effort that will lead to patient satisfaction, increased efficiency and better profitability to the healthcare unit. Some of the retrogressive work practices include individuality, uneasiness during meetings, delegation of duties without responsibility, and lack of performance management and uniformity. Therefore, there was need to standardize work so that all the nurses have similar workloads in terms of type and amount. For instance, the three nurses worked on the appointment books and did not communicate on the issues affecting their patients. This meant that lack of communication, teamwork, cooperation and collaboration among nurses in the hospital did not encourage openness and dialogue on issues affecting their profession. Development needs of Ann Bale and approaches to satisfying the needs The development needs of Ann Bale are on people management. Having spent more time of managing information systems, the element people management diminished in her roles. The person requires developing several aspects of people management such as time management, work-life balance, managerial activities, work relationships and managerial roles and managerial effectiveness. As a practice manager, Ann Bale, became more preoccupied with information systems and ignored other administrative work. Managing people successfully requires resolving team conflicts, developing high-performance teams and deriving more from the team (Kreitz, 2007, p. 3). While resolving team conflict requires emotional intelligence, Kawar (2012) hints that adaptation to an agile management style is necessary. Nurses and other administrative staff need to share similar organizational values hence every member of the team needs to be motivated. Feedback which is both corrective and positive will be necessary to maximize productivity and turn around problem employees (Edmondson, 2003). On the other hand, it will be necessary to eliminate friction by applying the most suitable conflict resolution styles. As well, the practice manager will need to use case studies of best practice organization, receive personal feedback from members of staff and review. Jennifer Croft while adopting to meet the needs of practice manager require long-term and short-term approaches. To start with, the Jennifer will need to determine the training needs and readiness. Strategic HR management involves undertaking needs analysis, develop abilities, skills and knowledge, use needs assessment techniques and use suitable checklist for training needs analysis (Littrell & Salas, 2005). This will require use of workshops and human resource seminars to build internal capacities and equip the middle level manager with the necessary skills. Moreover, Jennifer will need to create a long-term structure for promotion and continuous learning by sending the manager through a series of courses and examinations in less than five years. A budget is also critical to develop special skills, abilities and knowledge. Again, performance management will need to be introduced to appraise the practice manager so as to improve on departmental performance. However, Jennifer is likely to encounter resistance which could be behavioral, emotional or cognitive. While cognitive resistance is where an individual perceives change as potential to influence their ideas on change, emotional resistance involve the balance of emotions during change (Earley, 2006, p. 928). Nonetheless, behavioral resistance is manifested by more covert and less visible actions on organizational changes. For example, the lack of communication among nurses on their roles with other staff indicates cognitive resistance that relate to resources, planning and implementation. However, there is high emotional commitment where the staff is used to the systems and perceives an atmosphere of chaos because of the emotional histories that hinder change (p. 929). To overcome resistance, the Jennifer will need to create an organizational transition plan. Based on Burke-Litwin Model, the champion possesses the critical data that is required to create the plan and conduct ‘gap’ analysis (Adler, 2008, p. 15). According to the model, the current state of the organization is assessed against the future state. Change follows a predictable but dynamic phases that demand planning and navigation for successful navigation (Friday & Friday, 2003). The transition plan will provide both activities and information for the organization to manage the non-linearity within a specified time. After needs assessment, the director will need to develop a strategy, implement the plan and evaluate efforts. In the course of managing activities, it will be important to provide feedback and capture any lessons learned. In communication planning, the approach should be iterative, multi-layered and integrated. Also, frequent and open communication will be required to support change management. Developing HR strategy for present and desired future situations In the current situation, the nurses exhibit the culture of individualism, high power distance and low task orientation. For example, the nurses felt the proximity, in terms of social hierarchy, to the practice director often making her work difficult. Besides, there is much emphasis on person-orientation and individualism which made it difficult to work as a team, assess and measure performance and define jobs. For example, staff members are used the title Dr for all the doctors except two who were called by their first names. According to the Hofstede, cultural values that embody an organization are collectivism-individualism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance and femininity-masculinity (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005). Current people and skills include problem solving, establishing objectives and technology. On the other hand, the structure is more of a functional structure with the executive partner being the top most decision maker in consultation with the other partners. In this structure communication is top-down with the executive partner communicating and delegating duties to the practice director who then assigns roles and responsibilities o the nurses, counselors, practice manager and the Fundholding administrators. Formal and informal systems involve knowledge on information systems for nurses and other staff. Information Technology (IT) systems are still underutilized as some partners refused to use the systems. In the desired state of the organization, the culture should be collective and based on teamwork. The power distance should also be small signifying that the strength of social hierarchy is high. Meanwhile, there is need for task orientation more than person orientation as well as circumstances and adaptation that are aligned to pragmatic problem solving. In people and skills, there will be need for end-user perceptions, vendor relationships, partnerships and planning (Reynolds & Valentine, 2011). The partners will require specific skills such as leadership, fiscal management, persuasion and influence and business knowledge. The staff will require adaptability, customer focus, interpersonal skills, communication, and analytical skills. The company structure should be built on a blend of a functional and a matrix structure. The matrix structure will create a horizontal relationship between the practice manager, counselor, fundholding and nurses. For example, the practice director can also communicate with the administrative staff, secretary and receptionists. On formal and informal systems, the company should have working IT systems that incorporate Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS), Accounting Systems and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). The reporting and communication systems should be clear through modern platforms such as Enterprise Social Networks (ESN), performance management systems and standards. A number of human resource strategies that will bridge the gap where gap analysis is conducted on the organizational resource, business processes and direction as well as information technology. The process of strategic human resource planning involves assessing the current human resource capacity, forecasting human resource requirements, gap analysis and supporting organizational strategies by developing human resource strategies (Dyer & Reeves, 2003, p. 655). The capacity of the organization will take stock of the current staff abilities, skills and knowledge and whether an employee is willing to take responsibility. This is then followed by realistic forecast of HR needs on the number of staff required, jobs to be filled, and skills sets. Other external aspects to be considered are diversity at work, changes in labor markets, cultural shifts and current economic performance (Mannix & Neale, 2005). Gap analysis will help to identify new jobs, skills, management capability and adequacy of current HR management practices (p. 657). Next, HR support strategies such as training and development, restructuring, outsourcing, collaboration and recruitment can be used to meet future needs. Implementation of the plan will require agreement with the plan, communication, legislation and mandate, organizational needs and evaluation. There are several stakeholders to be involved in the strategic human resource plan. First, the staff is the critical stakeholders who should be involved in at all phases of planning and implementation. This is because any dissatisfaction or resistance to the desired changes will frustrate and halt the change programme. Employees can provide time within their schedules for skills and capacity training. Second, the top management should also be engaged in the development of strategic HR strategy. According to Marchington and Wilkinson (2008), top management provides a means to steer the mission and vision of the organization by providing direction on the values, beliefs and attitudes that the rest of the employees take. They provide approval for funding change management programmes and training for skills and knowledge. Third, vendors especially those providing IT systems are important as they offer platforms for staff to be effective and efficient. IT specialist aid the transformation processes from manual to automated systems. HR consultants are also useful as they provide useful studies on the current position of the company as well as recommendations for growth. Lastly, partners are important as they provide the strategic decisions regarding funding, return on investment, human resource skills requirements and expansion of the business. Conclusion The essay has found that cost reduction, use of information systems and financial management are training and development needs of Westbank Health Centre partners. Through interviews and direct observation, the needs are identified as workshops and seminars hosted to meet their needs. Long-term strategies to change work practices of nurses include organizational structure, message of teamwork and flexibility, taking responsibility to make changes, encouraging collective work and creating a road map for decision making and guide to behavior. The development needs of Ann Bale are basically managing people through a range of strategic human resource planning but are behavioral resistance. The individual will need to create an organizational transition plan. The essay shows that there is a gap between the current and the desired future situation in terms of culture, structure, people and skills and informal systems. Gap analysis is exploited to outline the HR strategy and provides means of enhancing organization mission, vision, values and attitudes. References Adler, N. (2008). International dimensions of organizational behavior. (5thed.). Cincinnati, Ohio: South-Western. Aguinis, H. & Kraiger, K. (2009). Benefits of training and development of individuals and teams, organizations and society. Annual Review of Psychology, 60(2): 451-474. Dyer, L. & Reeves, T. (2003). Human resource strategies and firm performance. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 6(3): 650-670. Earley, C. P. 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Organizational Change, Pearson Education, Harlow. Vinesh, E. (2014). Role of training and development in an organizational development. International Journal of Management and International Business Studies, 4(2): 213-220. Read More