THE ORGANISING

FUNCTION IN HEALTHCARE
1

BY
DR. PETER ADATARA
SENIORLECTURER,
DEPARTMENT OF NURSING

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 Introduction
2

After a plan has been formulated,

it must be implemented to achieve
the desired results.
The implementation of plans
requires organizing human and
physical resources to help attain
the goals of the organization.
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 Introduction Cont’d

Organizations develop as goals

become too complex for the
individual and have to be
divided into units that
individuals can manage

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 Introduction Cont’d
4

It is necessary to group people,

distribute duties, and put
essential employees where they
will be most useful.

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 Defining Organizing
5

DGriffin(2004:212) defines it as
“deciding how to group organizational
activities and resources”.

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 Defining Organizing cont’d
6

Certo and Certo (2006: 228) explain

organizing as “the process of establishing
orderly uses for all resources within the
management system”.

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 The Meaning of Organizing
7
Thus, organization is defined as a process of
integrating and coordinating the efforts of
human,financial and other resources for
theaccomplishment of certain objectives.

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 The Meaning of Organizing
8

It also involves grouping these activities and

developing and allocating the resources
needed for the execution of such activities

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 The Meaning of Organizing
9

The primary focus of organizing is the

determination of what individual employees
of the org will have to do and how their
individual efforts should best be combined
for the attainment of the goals of the
organization.

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 The Meaning of Organizing
10

Organizing calls for creating formal lines of

authority, and mechanisms for coordinating
the various activities across the organization.

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 PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATION
11

To facilitate pattern of communication:

 Organization structure provide pattern of
communication and coordination.
By grouping activities and people,structure
facilitates communication between people centered
on their jobactivities.

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 12

To allocate authority and responsibility:

Organization structure allocates authority and
responsibility.
It specifies who is to direct whom and who is
accountable for what results.
The structure helps the organization members to
know what his role is and how it relates to others
role.

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 13

To locate decision centers:

Organization structure determines the location of
decision making in the organization.
For example, a departmental store may leave pricing
decision to the lower level manager while in oil
refinery pricing decision is at top level.

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 14

To create proper balance:

Organization structure creates the proper balance
and emphasis of activities.
Those more critical to the enterprises success might
be placed higher in the organization.

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 15

To stimulate creativity:
Sound organization stimulates independent, creative
thinking and initiative by providing well-defined areas
of work with broad attitude of the development of new
and improved ways of doing things.

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 16

To encourage growth:
The organization structure provide framework
within which an enterprise functions.
If the organization structure is flexible, it will help in
meeting challenges and creating opportunities for
growth.

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 17

To make use of technological improvements:

A sound organization structure which is adoptable
to changes can make the best possible use of latest
technology.
It can modify the existing pattern of authority-
responsibility relationships in the wake of
technological improvements.

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 PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZATION
18

The principles are guidelines for planning

organization structure.
Therefore, thorough understanding of the principles
of organization is essential for good organization.

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 19

Objectives: The objectives of the enterprise

influence the organization structure.Every part of
the organization and organization as a whole
should be geared to the basic objective determined
by the enterprise.
Specialization: Effective organization must
promote specialization. The activities of the
enterprise should be divided according to functions
and assigned to persons according to their
specialization.

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 20

Span of control: A manager can directly supervise

only a limited number of executives. Hence, it is
necessary to have a proper number of subordinates
answerable to a manager.
Exception: This principle requires that organization
structure should be so designed that managers are
required to go through the exceptional matters only.All
the routine decisions should be taken by subordinates,
where as problemsinvolving unusual matters and
policy decision should be referred to higher levels.

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 21

Scalar principle: This is also known as chain of

command. There must be clear lines of authority
running from the top to the bottom. Authority is the
right to decide, direct and coordinate. Every
subordinate must know who his superior is and to
whom policy matters beyond his own authority must
be referred for decision.

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 22

Unity of command: Each subordinate should have

only one supervisor whose
command he has to obey. Dual subordination must be
avoided, for it causes
uneasiness, disorder, and indiscipline and undermine of
authority.
Delegation: Proper authority should be delegated at
the lower levels of the organization also. The authority
delegated must be equal to responsibility i.e., the
manager should have enough authority to accomplish
the task assigned to him.

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 23

Responsibility: A superior should be held

responsible for the acts of his subordinates. No
superior should be allowed to avoid responsibility by
delegating authority to his subordinates.
Authority: The authority is the tool by which a
manager is able to accomplish the desired objective.
Hence, the authority of each manager must be clearly
defined. The authority and responsibility must be co-
extensive in the organization.

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 24

Efficiency: The organization should be able to

attain the mission and objectives at the minimum
cost.
 Simplicity: The organization structure should be
as simple as possible with minimum number of
levels. A large number of levels of organization
means difficulty of effective communication and
coordination.

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 25

Flexibility: The organization should be flexible,

should be adaptable to changing circumstances.
It should permit expansion and replacement without
dislocation and disruption of the basic design.
Unity of direction: There must be one objective
and one plan for a group activities having the same
objective. Unity of direction facilitates unification
and coordination of activities at various levels

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 26

Balance: There should be reasonable balance in the

size of various depart_x0002_ments, between
centralization and decentralization. There must be
balance inthe formal structure as regards to factors
having conflicting claims.
Personal abilities: As organization is a formal
group of people there is need for proper selection,
placement and training. Organization structure must
ensure optimum use of human resources.

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 The Importance of Organizing
27

It provides the mechanism for the

implementation of plans
It creates and maintains relationship
between all organizational resources
It helps managers to minimize costly
weaknesses such as duplication of
effort.

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 STEPS IN ORGANIZING
28

While organizing, a manager differentiates and

integrates the activities of his organization.
By differentiation is meant the process of
departmentalization or segmentation of activities
on the basis of some homogeneity.
Integration is the process of achieving unity of
effort among various departments, segments or
subsystems.
Organization involves the following interrelated
steps:
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 STEPS IN ORGANIZING CONT’D
29

Consideration of objectives:
The first step in organizing is to know the objectives
of the enterprise.
Objectives determine resources and the various
activities which need to be performed and the type of
organization which needs to be built for this purpose.
Objectives also serve as guidelines for the
management and workers.
They bring about unity of direction in the
organization.

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 STEPS IN ORGANIZING CONT’D

30

Identification and grouping of activities:

• If the members of the group are to pool their efforts
effectively, there must be proper division of the
majoractivities.
• Each job should be properly classified and grouped.
• This will enable the people to know what is expected
of them as members of the group and will help in
avoiding duplication of efforts.
• The jobs then can be classified and grouped to
ensure the effective implementation of other steps.

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 STEPS IN ORGANIZING CONT’D
31

Assignment of duties:
After classifying and grouping the activities into
various jobs, they should be allotted to the
individuals for ensuring certainty of work
performance.
Each individual should be given a specific job to do
according to his ability and made responsible for
that.

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 STEPS IN ORGANIZING CONT’D
32

Delegation of authority:
Authority without responsibility is dangerous and
responsibility without authority is an empty vessel.
Hence, corresponding to the responsibility authority
is delegated to the subordinates for enabling themto
show work performance.

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 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
33

Organizational structure is defined as

the typical hierarchical arrangement of
lines of authority, communications,
rights and duties of an organization.

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 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
34

It determines how the roles, power

and responsibilities are assigned,
controlled, and coordinated
It also determines how information
flows between the different levels of
management.

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Reasons for Organizational
35 Structure
1. To delineate levels of authority.
 It is essential for all employees to
know to whom they are responsible
and for whom they are responsible,
especially as the number of people
within a level increases.

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Reasons for Organizational Structure
36

When levels of authority are clearly

delineated and functioning well, the
chances for personal satisfaction and
effectiveness for everyone concerned,
including the patient, are markedly
increased.

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Reasons for Organizational Structure
37

2. To reduce duplication of effort.

A division of labour identifies
subgroups in relation to special
interests or skills.
Within the subgroups, levels of
authority are described.

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Reasons for Organizational Structure
38

The reason for division of labour is to

use material and human resources
most efficiently by having those most
skilled in a specific area carrying out
essential tasks.

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Reasons for Organizational
39 Structure
One approach to division of labour is
departmentalization within the hospital.
This is where each department is
expected to deliver a particular
specialized function such as
pharmacological services, maternal
health services, outpatient care, etc.

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 Reasons for Organizational Structure
40

3. To identify channels of
communication, horizontally as well as
vertically.
In the traditional structure, most
communication was from the top down,
in the form of rules, policies, and
directives issued by superiors to
subordinates.
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 ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE
41

Organizational Climate is the

emotional state shared by members of
the organizational system.
It can be formal, relaxed, defensive,
cautious, accepting, trusting, etc.

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 ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE
42

It is employees’ subjective

impression or perception of their
organization.
The employees of major concern to
health managers are the practicing
health personel.

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 ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE
43

Staff create, or contribute to the

creation of , the climate perceived by
patients.
The work climate set by healthcare
managers determines the behaviour of
the practicing health personnel in setting
the work climate.

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 ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE
44

Employees want a climate that will give

them job satisfaction.
Employees achieve job satisfaction
when they are challenged and their
achievements recognized and
appreciated by managers and patients.

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 Activities to Promote a Positive
Organizational
45 Climate
Develop the organization’s mission, goals, and
objectives with input from staff.
Establish trust and openness through
communication that includes prompt and
frequent feedback and stimulates motivation.

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 Activities to Promote a Positive
Organizational Climate
46

Provide opportunities for growth and

development, including career
development and continuing education
programs.
Provide teamwork.

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 Activities to Promote a Positive
Organizational
47 Climate
Analyze the compensation system for
the entire health personel organization
and structure it to reward competence,
longevity, and productivity.
Market the midwifery organization to
the practicing health personel, other
employees, and the public.

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 Activities to Promote a Positive
Organizational
48
Climate

Promote self-esteem, autonomy, and

self-fulfillment for practicing health
personel, including feelings that their
work experiences are of high quality.
Be inclusive in all relationships with
practicing health personel.

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 Activities to Promote a Positive
Organizational
49 Climate
Ask practicing health personelto state
their satisfactions and dissatisfactions
during meetings and conferences and
through surveys.
Follow through on activities involving
practicing health personel.

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 Activities to Promote a Positive
Organizational
50 Climate
Help practicing health personel to
complete their short-comings and develop
their strengths.
Provide job security with an environment
that enables free expression of ideas and
exchange of opinions without threat of
recrimination.
Be a role model of performance desired
of practicing midwives. 2/2/22
 Informal Organizational Structure
51
It is the actual working structure in
many instances.
In most cases the informal structure is
not documented in writing.
The best method of discovering it is by
direct observation of the unofficial
relationships and communication
channels in which employees at all levels
are active
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