State Department Of Health Organizational Debacle
Case Study Analysis:
State Department of Health Organizational Debacle
V-504: Organizational Behavior in the Public Sector
July 18, 2014
Introduction
This case study titled, “ State Department of Health Organizational Debacle” shows the major problems associated in organizational management behavior between Dr. Oputa and Dr. Ajiri. The case study clearly states both leadership styles, and the inconsistency of director has created a downfall with employees within the State Department of Health. Dr. Oputa, the current executive director for the Indianapolis office, arrived two years ago and made several changes within the department. His organizational management style shows a workplace deviance behavior by using …show more content…
centralized management principles for restructuring and decentralized management principles for service delivery functions. Additionally, Dr. Oputa’s “Ethical Decision Making” has affected the workforce gender and age diversity within several areas of the department. Dr. Oputa believes he has developed a smooth running operation and that is progress has lead to s sense of accomplishment under his leadership, but over the recent months the morale has decreased with the employees (Public Organizational Behavior Case Study). Dr. Ajiri who is the current “Director of Operations” has a different style of organizational management behavior. His organizational style shows a pragmatic characteristic, which falls under the “Organizational Citizenship Behavior,” by showing a voluntary responsibility with his employees and brings a positive approach to the organization (2013).
Problems: The problems in this case study stems from when Dr. Oputa arrived two years ago, he reorganized the State Health department into six divisions, and he centralized these departments. Most functions of the departments centralized were human resources and a few other functions like staff recruitment (Case Study…). Dr. Oputa brought along his own regional directors and allowed them to perform centralized duties, as in hiring and firing employees while the other directors were not allowed to do the same, which seems to be based on favoritism. Dr. Oputa has a problem with staff recruitment and termination of certain employees. He has forced retirement for employees fifty-five years and older, removed women from all sectional head positions, and violated equal employment laws (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). The employee’s morale is low, and they are mistreated and demoralized.
Critical Analysis:
It is my belief that the cause of the downfall in the State Health Department is due to the difference of internal and external behaviors of the inconsistency of the management roles between Dr. Oputa and Dr. Ajuir (2013).
Dr.
Oputa Management Behavior: The issue with Dr. Oputa when he arrived two years ago he reorganized the State Health Department into six divisions and by centralizing these departments. Most functions of the department and a few other functions as in staff recruitment, which can be overwhelming, the fact he obviously cannot handle all of the functions he has under his management decisions are made at the top. Therefore, due to this “centralization” the directors were not prepared and/or willing to accept the sudden change. Dr. Oputa brought along his own regional directors and has allowed them to perform centralized duties as hiring and firing employees, unlike other regional directors, which seems to be based on favoritism. This type of attitude has a “psychological tendency expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor” with the employees. An additional fault in Dr. Oputa has forced retirement for employees fifty-five years old, which can be an age diversity issue and is also biased against women this forms a problem with gender and cultural diversity, bottom line he is unfriendly. The employee’s morale is low, and they are mistreated and demoralized and Dr. Oputa has disregarded the provisions of distributive justice, procedural justice and social …show more content…
responsibility.
Dr. Ajiri Management Behavior: The issue with Dr. Ajiri has characteristics of a typical pragmatic executive and has a work value for compassion for others. He is very understanding, social and kind hearted. Dr. Ajiri has a different style of management then Dr. Oputa, he believes incompetent employees should be trained and reorganized to other areas of their specialization. He spends a great deal of time with his employees, listening to their problems, and strives to be a good manager (Case Study…).
Recommendations: My recommendations to the Indian State Department of Health, policies, can be implemented by providing an organizational structure that has proper job descriptions, which provides a hierarchy of powers between all upper and lower staff members.
The Department of Health can be improved by allowing Dr. Oputa to take responsibility for his unethical and illegal terminations, forceful retirements, gender discrimination, favoritism, irregular appointments of his followers, and the mishandling of granting his followers more power that the other regional directors with similar responsibilities and titles. I also feel that the employees should receive a questionnaire yearly to give a report on various areas within their employment duties and managements behavior. The organizational management would value from training classes to understand: employee behavior; organizational culture; the need for diversity; strong communication; a formal ethics code; and how to promote and manage change. I feel the first step is to understand employee behavior and how to manage that behavior would be from training. The organization needs to focus on hiring, maintaining, developing and utilizing the skills of their employees. In addition to maintaining quality employees, it is important for an organization to monitor and manage employee interactions with their coworkers and their customers. By understanding these interactions and the skills of each employee, manager can place employees in positions
they are best suited.
Conclusion: This is an interesting case study, where there are two completely different styles of organizational behaviors in management. Dr. Oputa and his “negative effect” with the employees, due to the various abrupt changes internally. It seemed he was inconsistent in several areas with the major problems the Department of Health was facing and the abrupt firing of employees. As state in the: Indiana Civil Rights Commission it states “you cannot be treated less favorably in hiring, firing, hours, wages or other benefits because of your race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, age (over 40) or disability (some cities or towns also prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity). (Indiana Civil Rights Commission. 2010) As state in the equal employment law; “In addition to sex discrimination prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (see above), the Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended, prohibits sex discrimination in payment of wages to women and men performing substantially equal work in the same establishment” and “The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, protects applicants and employees 40 years of age or older from discrimination on the basis of age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment”. (EEOC). Workplace diversity is about acknowledging differences and adapting work practices to create an inclusive environment for employee’s diverse skills, perspectives, and backgrounds. I believe if the department had hired someone with the experience and knowledge of the inner workings of the Department of Health, as in Mr. Nelson, it would have kept the morale in order. Postings through out the building on the Equal Employment Laws for all employees to read. Implementing diversity training can make a difference within the internal and external behaviors. It can bring opportunity to the organization and reduce the causation for liability.
References:
Public Organizational Behavior Case Study: State Health Department Organizational Debacle.
Mills, A. J., Eds, P. T., & Korabik, K. (1993). Gendering organizational analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 14(7), 705-707. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/job.4030140711/abstract
Nelson, D. L., & Quick, J. C. (2013). Organizational behavior (8th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
Indiana Civil Rights Commission. (2010, December 7) What are my Rights.
Indiana State Health Department. http://www.state.in.us/isdh/
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
http://www.eeoc.gov/field/indianapolis/
State Department of Health Organizational Debacle
V-504: Organizational Behavior in the Public Sector
July 18, 2014
Introduction
This case study titled, “ State Department of Health Organizational Debacle” shows the major problems associated in organizational management behavior between Dr. Oputa and Dr. Ajiri. The case study clearly states both leadership styles, and the inconsistency of director has created a downfall with employees within the State Department of Health. Dr. Oputa, the current executive director for the Indianapolis office, arrived two years ago and made several changes within the department. His organizational management style shows a workplace deviance behavior by using …show more content…
centralized management principles for restructuring and decentralized management principles for service delivery functions. Additionally, Dr. Oputa’s “Ethical Decision Making” has affected the workforce gender and age diversity within several areas of the department. Dr. Oputa believes he has developed a smooth running operation and that is progress has lead to s sense of accomplishment under his leadership, but over the recent months the morale has decreased with the employees (Public Organizational Behavior Case Study). Dr. Ajiri who is the current “Director of Operations” has a different style of organizational management behavior. His organizational style shows a pragmatic characteristic, which falls under the “Organizational Citizenship Behavior,” by showing a voluntary responsibility with his employees and brings a positive approach to the organization (2013).
Problems: The problems in this case study stems from when Dr. Oputa arrived two years ago, he reorganized the State Health department into six divisions, and he centralized these departments. Most functions of the departments centralized were human resources and a few other functions like staff recruitment (Case Study…). Dr. Oputa brought along his own regional directors and allowed them to perform centralized duties, as in hiring and firing employees while the other directors were not allowed to do the same, which seems to be based on favoritism. Dr. Oputa has a problem with staff recruitment and termination of certain employees. He has forced retirement for employees fifty-five years and older, removed women from all sectional head positions, and violated equal employment laws (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). The employee’s morale is low, and they are mistreated and demoralized.
Critical Analysis:
It is my belief that the cause of the downfall in the State Health Department is due to the difference of internal and external behaviors of the inconsistency of the management roles between Dr. Oputa and Dr. Ajuir (2013).
Dr.
Oputa Management Behavior: The issue with Dr. Oputa when he arrived two years ago he reorganized the State Health Department into six divisions and by centralizing these departments. Most functions of the department and a few other functions as in staff recruitment, which can be overwhelming, the fact he obviously cannot handle all of the functions he has under his management decisions are made at the top. Therefore, due to this “centralization” the directors were not prepared and/or willing to accept the sudden change. Dr. Oputa brought along his own regional directors and has allowed them to perform centralized duties as hiring and firing employees, unlike other regional directors, which seems to be based on favoritism. This type of attitude has a “psychological tendency expressed by evaluating a particular entity with some degree of favor or disfavor” with the employees. An additional fault in Dr. Oputa has forced retirement for employees fifty-five years old, which can be an age diversity issue and is also biased against women this forms a problem with gender and cultural diversity, bottom line he is unfriendly. The employee’s morale is low, and they are mistreated and demoralized and Dr. Oputa has disregarded the provisions of distributive justice, procedural justice and social …show more content…
responsibility.
Dr. Ajiri Management Behavior: The issue with Dr. Ajiri has characteristics of a typical pragmatic executive and has a work value for compassion for others. He is very understanding, social and kind hearted. Dr. Ajiri has a different style of management then Dr. Oputa, he believes incompetent employees should be trained and reorganized to other areas of their specialization. He spends a great deal of time with his employees, listening to their problems, and strives to be a good manager (Case Study…).
Recommendations: My recommendations to the Indian State Department of Health, policies, can be implemented by providing an organizational structure that has proper job descriptions, which provides a hierarchy of powers between all upper and lower staff members.
The Department of Health can be improved by allowing Dr. Oputa to take responsibility for his unethical and illegal terminations, forceful retirements, gender discrimination, favoritism, irregular appointments of his followers, and the mishandling of granting his followers more power that the other regional directors with similar responsibilities and titles. I also feel that the employees should receive a questionnaire yearly to give a report on various areas within their employment duties and managements behavior. The organizational management would value from training classes to understand: employee behavior; organizational culture; the need for diversity; strong communication; a formal ethics code; and how to promote and manage change. I feel the first step is to understand employee behavior and how to manage that behavior would be from training. The organization needs to focus on hiring, maintaining, developing and utilizing the skills of their employees. In addition to maintaining quality employees, it is important for an organization to monitor and manage employee interactions with their coworkers and their customers. By understanding these interactions and the skills of each employee, manager can place employees in positions
they are best suited.
Conclusion: This is an interesting case study, where there are two completely different styles of organizational behaviors in management. Dr. Oputa and his “negative effect” with the employees, due to the various abrupt changes internally. It seemed he was inconsistent in several areas with the major problems the Department of Health was facing and the abrupt firing of employees. As state in the: Indiana Civil Rights Commission it states “you cannot be treated less favorably in hiring, firing, hours, wages or other benefits because of your race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, age (over 40) or disability (some cities or towns also prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity). (Indiana Civil Rights Commission. 2010) As state in the equal employment law; “In addition to sex discrimination prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (see above), the Equal Pay Act of 1963, as amended, prohibits sex discrimination in payment of wages to women and men performing substantially equal work in the same establishment” and “The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, protects applicants and employees 40 years of age or older from discrimination on the basis of age in hiring, promotion, discharge, compensation, terms, conditions or privileges of employment”. (EEOC). Workplace diversity is about acknowledging differences and adapting work practices to create an inclusive environment for employee’s diverse skills, perspectives, and backgrounds. I believe if the department had hired someone with the experience and knowledge of the inner workings of the Department of Health, as in Mr. Nelson, it would have kept the morale in order. Postings through out the building on the Equal Employment Laws for all employees to read. Implementing diversity training can make a difference within the internal and external behaviors. It can bring opportunity to the organization and reduce the causation for liability.
References:
Public Organizational Behavior Case Study: State Health Department Organizational Debacle.
Mills, A. J., Eds, P. T., & Korabik, K. (1993). Gendering organizational analysis. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 14(7), 705-707. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/job.4030140711/abstract
Nelson, D. L., & Quick, J. C. (2013). Organizational behavior (8th ed.). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning.
Indiana Civil Rights Commission. (2010, December 7) What are my Rights.
Indiana State Health Department. http://www.state.in.us/isdh/
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
http://www.eeoc.gov/field/indianapolis/