Summary of issues and support
Parkway is committed to offering high-quality healthcare to its patients. However, the study that was launched by the firm shows that most change efforts are associated with resistance. The most common forms of resistance one would expect to see at Parkway are the following: habit, security, selective information processing, structural inertia, and group inertia.
Habit
A habit is an unconscious behavior that occurs on a daily basis. Personnel within the facility were used to providing care to a relatively small number of patients. However, the facility has expanded in the recent past, and it is now characterized by a high number of patients who require high-quality care. The resistance that is witnessed in the facility is a result of habits that personnel has adopted. Older personnel are protesting against the application of healthcare information systems to manage patients’ information because they were used to recording such information manually.
Security
Security is an essential aspect because it could be used to improve performance outcomes within firms. However, it is apparent that security is a form of resistance at Parkway. Some workers within the organization have a high need for security. For example, the worker who was hired after high school needs to have security within the healthcare firm. Therefore, it would be quite difficult for such a worker to accept changes that might threaten feelings of safety.
Selective information processing
Information processing is critical to the provision of high-quality healthcare. Personnel within Parkway do not like processing patients’ data selectively because they would be guilty. Thus, workers in new shifts record their own clinical observations. They ignore the information that could greatly improve patient outcomes.
Structural inertia
Parkway has built-in mechanisms that are intended to maintain stability (structural inertia). However, structural inertia is acting as a form of resistance to change. For example, there is a resistance that is hindering the facility from achieving smooth transitions between shifts. The organization did not have efficient systems to ensure that workers in new shifts would be briefed about previous happenings. Thus, it could be difficult to convince workers to start briefing their colleagues. They could feel that they are being delayed. Also, Parkway was characterized by a small number of staff, but the current high patient population requires an increased number of staff. However, the employee stability mechanism is now acting as a resistance to staffing changes.
Group inertia
Norms of workers within an organization greatly determine the way operations are carried out. Older workers within Parkway want to maintain their norms with regard to recording patients’ data. Thus, they are using group inertia to resist some important changes that would result in improved patient outcomes. Also, there is a concern that workers’ views are being ignored by the management. The views are with regard to designing approaches that would affect healthcare outcomes. Therefore, it is clear that the norms of the workers should not prevail in order to implement changes within the firm.
Recommendations
Based on the above forms of resistance, the following recommendations would be proposed:
- The management should use the right communication approaches to encourage workers to accept changes.
- Positive relationships should be built within the organization.
- Changes should be implemented fairly.
- Support and commitment should be established so that personnel could be part of the team that executes changes.