The control process involves three phases that are cyclic: establishing standards, measuring performance, and correcting deviations. Examine the manner in which health care leaders progress through each phase of the control process to manage organizations. What is the management function of controlling as related to performance improvement? What tools are used to measure and monitor performance? Please describe at least two functions and two tools in your response.

The control process involves three phases that are cyclic: establishing standards, measuring performance, and correcting deviations. Examine the manner in which health care leaders progress through each phase of the control process to manage organizations. What is the management function of controlling as related to performance improvement? What tools are used to measure and monitor performance? Please describe at least two functions and two tools in your response.

Explain how this policy or guideline may be a constraint to a healthcare organization’s planning, or how it may shape the healthcare organization’s philosophy.

Locate an example of a policy or guideline from an external source to a healthcare organization. Explain how this policy or guideline may be a constraint to a healthcare organization’s planning, or how it may shape the healthcare organization’s philosophy. For example, given that the American Academy of Pediatrics offers guidelines on child vaccinations, these guidelines might impact the ability of the healthcare organization to deliver services to newborns and infants. Using a similar example, as well as the characteristics of effective plans as your framework, discuss how proper planning can help organizations in their future decision making.

Discuss the benefits of expanding your network. What opportunities could this provide for your organization?

This discussion has two options. Please choose either Option A or Option B to respond to. Be sure to indicate within your post which option you chose.

Option A: Hospitals frequently seek ways to ensure survival. Sometimes an adversarial climate cannot be avoided when the action that is being considered is controversial. For example, a hospital may seek to expand its market reach by opening an inpatient drug treatment facility in a small suburban township. The county where the township sits has seen a steady rise in heroin addiction, as well as an increase in hepatitis cases. As a manager, identify the three possible categories of clients within this new clientele network. Give at least one example of a client for each category and explain the reason for your decision.

Guided Response: Review several of your classmates’ posts. Provide a substantive response to at least two of your peers. Discuss the benefits of expanding your network. What opportunities could this provide for your organization?

Option B: In this increasingly difficult economic environment, many organizations have been forced to take drastic operational and systematic measures to stay afloat and maintain their position within the community. If you were a health care manager leading an organization in which its financial, political, and/or social position was threatened, what survival strategies would you employ? Please choose at least three strategies from your textbook to discuss and thoroughly explain the rationale for your choices.

Discuss the challenge of change as it relates to health care organizations.

Change is usually positive, but it can also be difficult to embrace at times.  Employees can be resistant to change, while managers may feel that it is necessary for organizational stability.  Discuss the challenge of change as it relates to health care organizations.  What is the overall impact of change on the organization, its employees, and its constituents, and what role does the manager play as an agent of change?  In addition to responding to these questions, review the examples of successful change in your textbook and choose two examples to discuss in greater detail.  What did you learn from these examples?  In each case, how did the individuals overcome the barriers to change, and what were the resulting benefits?

Develop a SPC checklist for each dimension of the product that you believe would be subject to statistical control.

For the company and product or service that you selected for W3 Assignment 2, respond to the following in a 3- to 4-page Microsoft Word document:

  • Imagining yourself to be the customer, construct a House of Quality to provide the organization with your perspectives on what the important dimensions of quality are and how well the organization is currently meeting your needs.
  • Develop a SPC checklist for each dimension of the product that you believe would be subject to statistical control.
  • Evaluate the product using the five-step plan that is associated with the Kaizen philosophy.
  • Determine what elements of the production and delivery of the product or service would be subject to benchmarking and describe how you would identify those organizations to which comparisons could be made in a benchmarking process.

Do you think employers should use integrity and personality tests to make recruiting and promotion decisions? Why or why not?

Many employers use integrity and personality tests but some of these have been challenged in courts. One example is where the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals concluded that Rent-a-Center’s use of the MMPI personality test probably prevented mentally challenged individuals from getting promotions in the company. Shortly after this ruling, Jeannine Cruz sued the Louisiana State Police claiming that she was discriminated against based on sex because her scores on several employment tests (including the MMPI) were not high enough to warrant promotion to a trooper position. In fact, her performance on the tests indicated that she was a candidate for “sexual misconduct” and “chemical dependency/” She claimed in her suit that the tests utilized are not fair to women because men tend to score more positively than do women. Some experts think that similar lawsuits can be expected based on the Rent-a-Center case if companies do not relate the test content to specific job content.

1. Do you think employers should use integrity and personality tests to make recruiting and promotion decisions? Why or why not?

2. Can you think of some jobs where integrity and personality tests might be more appropriate than for other jobs? Give your rationale.

3. Do you think companies will use more or less integrity and personality tests in the next five years? Why?

Be certain to integrate the readings and to conduct  independent research providing references (minimum 3) from various credible sources to support your opinions, ideas, and arguments.  You must cite in text and include multiple references (minimum of 3) in addition to the text.

Identify the business problems of each of the cases; describe the metaphor(s) used.

Goal: Create a case study analysis based on two scholarly studies that utilize metaphors (Morgan’s, or similar) to describe the functionality of organizations. After a concise, but thorough, analyses of the cases, summarize the benefits of using metaphorical devices in management practice.

Instructions: Students will write a 600-750 word case study analysis based on two case studies that involve the use of Morgan’s metaphors (or similar) as a tool to understand organizations. Review the Case Study Analysis procedure as presented in a document located in this week’s reading resources (see Lessons). Obtain your case study articles from scholarly peer-reviewed journals in the APUS online library. Use case studies that were published within the last ten years. After a concise, but thorough and clear delineation and analysis of the cases, complete the paper with a summary of what you gleaned from using metaphors to understand management practice within organizations.

Write using the APA style format, including a title page and references page (no abstract is required).  When you upload your paper, also upload pdfs of BOTH case studies, so the professor can check your analysis.

Use the following outline in your summary (in APA format with a Title page and References page):

  1. Identify the business problems of each of the cases; describe the metaphor(s) used.
  2. Rank-order the critical issues stated in the cases
  3. Evaluate the proposed solutions. Are the solutions valid? Why or why not? How/why did the use of metaphor(s) assist in the solution?
  4. Submit recommendations you propose beyond what is already stated in the cases.
  5. State how the solutions will be communicated in each case. Do you agree? Why or why not?
  6. At the end of the paper, write a paragraph expressing the takeaways/benefits of using metaphors in management practice.

NOTE: Do not use macros or automatic referencing in your papers for this course. The auto features usually cause unforeseen problems in format.

Follow the Submissions Guidelines as listed in the Syllabus: This assignment should be submitted as Word.doc attachment in the Assignment section of our virtual classroom. The file name of your paper should be named in the following manner: Last name–truncated Week Number-Assignment name (abbreviated if necessary)

Discuss why Van Engen concludes that metaphors “give dimension to language.”

Read the article by Van Engen (click here) and discuss why he concludes that metaphors “give dimension to language.”

Your initial post should contain 3 scholarly citations and 3 references minimum (your textbook may NOT serve as a source for this forum).

Instructions:  Your initial post should be at least 250 words.  Please respond to a minimum of 1 other student..  Responses should be a minimum of 100 words and include direct questions.  Please review the forum grading rubrics in order to understand your responses in the forum will be graded.

If you met the above-mentioned requirements, you will be graded at the proficient level.  However, if your desire is to be graded at the exemplary level, please provide more than what is required.  To receive 100% as a grade (the exemplary level) for the weekly forums, you should ensure that your responses meet the following criterion:

Critical Analysis – Discussion postings display an excellent understanding of the required readings and underlying concepts including correct use of terminology. Postings integrate an outside resource, or relevant research, to support important points. Well-edited quotes are cited appropriately.  No more than 10% of the posting is a direct quotation. (It is important that you integrate the weekly readings in your response.  One way to do that is to make position statements, then add citations to support and validate your position.  A key focus is your ability to present your position in your own words, which is why no more than 10% of the post should be a direct quote.  Paraphrasing is the best alternative).

Participation as a Member of the Learning Community – Discussion postings actively stimulate and sustain further discussion by building on peers’  responses including building a focused argument around a specific issue or asking a new related question or making an oppositional statement supported by personal experience or related research. (Please plan your time wisely.  Your responses should encourage your peers to respond to your postings and build the foundation for the class to review and discuss your initial posting.  It’s important that you meet the Thursday deadline for your initial posting so that others can respond.  Having all of your work in before Sunday afternoon allows your peers to provide comments to your feedback and strengthens your ability to participate as a member of the weekly learning community discussions.)

Professional Communication and Etiquette – Written interactions on the discussion board show respect and sensitivity to peers’ background and beliefs (Regardless of the position you are taking, please ensure that your participation comments are respectful to your peers’ background and beliefs).

Writing Skills – Written responses are free of grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.  The style of writing facilitates communication. (Make sure your work is free of errors.  If there are any errors as outlined above, you will not receive 100% for the forum).

Discuss one the metaphors from Morgan’s writings that applies to your own organizational context

Discuss one the metaphors from Morgan’s writings (Click here) that applies to your own organizational context. From the perspective of a leader/manager, discuss the benefit of identifying the functionality of your organization through the lens of the selected metaphor. What do you learn about your organization using that metaphor? What do you learn about your role in the organization through recognizing the metaphor at work?

This forum is reflective (No citations/references required). First person is acceptable.

Instructions:  Your initial post should be at least 250 words.  Please respond to a minimum of 1 other student..  Responses should be a minimum of 100 words and include direct questions.  Please review the forum grading rubrics in order to understand your responses in the forum will be graded.

If you met the above-mentioned requirements, you will be graded at the proficient level.  However, if your desire is to be graded at the exemplary level, please provide more than what is required.  To receive 100% as a grade (the exemplary level) for the weekly forums, you should ensure that your responses meet the following criterion:

Critical Analysis – Discussion postings display an excellent understanding of the required readings and underlying concepts including correct use of terminology. Postings integrate an outside resource, or relevant research, to support important points. Well-edited quotes are cited appropriately.  No more than 10% of the posting is a direct quotation. (It is important that you integrate the weekly readings in your response.  One way to do that is to make position statements, then add citations to support and validate your position.  A key focus is your ability to present your position in your own words, which is why no more than 10% of the post should be a direct quote.  Paraphrasing is the best alternative).

Participation as a Member of the Learning Community – Discussion postings actively stimulate and sustain further discussion by building on peers’  responses including building a focused argument around a specific issue or asking a new related question or making an oppositional statement supported by personal experience or related research. (Please plan your time wisely.  Your responses should encourage your peers to respond to your postings and build the foundation for the class to review and discuss your initial posting.  It’s important that you meet the Thursday deadline for your initial posting so that others can respond.  Having all of your work in before Sunday afternoon allows your peers to provide comments to your feedback and strengthens your ability to participate as a member of the weekly learning community discussions.)

Professional Communication and Etiquette – Written interactions on the discussion board show respect and sensitivity to peers’ background and beliefs (Regardless of the position you are taking, please ensure that your participation comments are respectful to your peers’ background and beliefs).

Writing Skills – Written responses are free of grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.  The style of writing facilitates communication. (Make sure your work is free of errors.  If there are any errors as outlined above, you will not receive 100% for the forum).