The changing role of quality assurance: an international industry perspective

As a Scientific Consultant in the area of Good Laboratory Practice and Good Clinical Practice the author has been involved with Quality Assurance (QA) for 18 years and fells the time has come for Industry to explore a better way to utilize the many talents that the QA professional has achieved. They have a wealth of expertise and should become more involved in the integration of "science" with the many "GXPs" to ensure that compliance is arrived at on a cost benefit basis for the company.

Organizational moles: information control and the acquisition of power and status

All organizations have moles or informants who seek to acquire informal power and status within the organization by keeping supervisors and the chief executive officer informed about employees and their activities. If the leaders of an organization are insecure and distrustful, they value the information about the organization that moles provide. Moles survive organizational change because they are loyal first to themselves. Moles often are hardworking, productive people, but their net effect on the organization's moral is negative because they foster distrust and defensiveness among employees. Guidelines are offered to help identify possible moles so they can be avoided lest one become a victim to moles' methods.

Health care supervisors and employee relations success: three C's a day keep the union away

The health care industry is experiencing rapid change and uncertainty. Given the tremendous amount of instability in the industry, many observers are not surprised at the high level of militancy currently being displayed by many health care workers. However, it should not automatically follow that turbulent times will lead to uneasy management-labor relations. Maintaining nonunion status depends largely on the employee relations skills and capabilities of first-line supervisors. The article reviews and discusses three key attributes (communication, consideration, and commitment) that supervisors must display in order to promote employee satisfaction and remain union-free. Practical guidelines and suggestions are provided.

Rational people and why they do irrational things: the theory of psychological reversals

The theory of psychological reversals developed by Michael Apter, a British psychologist, is used to explain behavior and motivation in employees. The article explains that such behaviors are neither haphazard nor necessarily undesirable. Reversal theory provides a structured way of analyzing employee behaviors through the use of four pairs of exclusive, opposite states. An employee may reverse back and forth between these states.

Delegation versus empowerment: what, how, and is there a difference?

Delegation--or empowerment--represents the essence of the supervisory task: getting things done through people. The terms are no different from each other; empowerment is simply delegation done properly. The process still fails for the same old reasons, and failure still causes the same kinds of problems. Delegation or empowerment involves authority; it is authority that is delegated, not responsibility, as commonly claimed. Under either name it is an imperfect process requiring subjective judgments and chronic risk. Although either label is acceptable--the few differences between delegation and empowerment are semantic only--the significant constant that must be present is a sense of task ownership on the part of the empowered employee.

When you think a subordinate is after your job

Many managers find themselves in a position where they think a subordinate is after their job. Guidelines are presented for the manager's response when it appears a subordinate is after the manager's job. Deciding on a plan of action, discussing the matter with the supervisor and subordinate, confronting the subordinate with lack of support, maintaining a positive self-image, avoiding actions that can be criticized, and setting limits on the employee's behavior can all be acceptable approaches for the manager to use.

Fostering a drug-free workplace

Drug abuse costs American industry and the public an estimated $100 billion a year. As a result, workplace drug testing programs have become a serious option for many companies. Federal guidelines regarding testing and laboratories are in place. An overview of the current components necessary in designing a corporate drug testing program that complies with these guidelines is presented. Essential features of a corporate workplace drug testing program, that is, the policy, the testing process, and the laboratory contracted to test employees, are detailed from designs suggested in the current literature and in compliance with federal guidelines. Developing a cost-effective corporate program that meets federal guidelines, stands up to court scrutiny, and is universally accepted by employees is the objective of a drug testing program. The challenge can be met by building consensus, spelling out policy, maintaining high testing standards, and above all making rehabilitation of employees who test positive the ultimate goal of a drug-free workforce/workplace.

Are you obsessed with interaction?

Too many organizations and managers, the author says, are using "interaction" among employees as a means to encourage them to buy-in, to stimulate teamwork, or to build morale. In too many cases, the forced interaction only serves to annoy or embarrass employees--or raise suspicions about management motives. Wise employees fear they will be burned if they open up and interact. There are better ways to run meetings, the author says, and she provides a few.

Dietitians' human resource management skills enhanced by education and experience

The purpose of this project was to examine the influence of education and experience on the development of human resource management skills in dietitians. The performance of 58 experienced dietitians, 67 entry-level subjects, and 63 undergraduate students was compared using a case study about a personnel problem with a dietitian. Performance was scored by comparing subjects' answers with selections of a panel of seven experienced dietetic managers. Experienced and entry-level groups had higher proficiency scores than students. Experienced and entry-level groups scored highest and students lowest in efficiency, defined as the proportion of total information containing sections chosen that contained helpful information. Experienced dietitians examined few inappropriate sections and students the most. Overall, experienced and entry-level groups performed better in this human resource management problem than students. We conclude that supervised practice is important in the development of human resource management skills.

Employee violence in health care: guidelines for health care organizations

Workplace violence is increasing, and health care environments are not immune to this escalating public health problem. In order to prevent or diminish the risk of a violent episode in the health care setting committed by employees, former employees, or family/significant others, health care managers need to be cognizant of certain factors associated with violence in the workplace. These variables include employee characteristics and behavior patterns, coworker indicators, organizational policies and procedures, mentally impaired employees, and so forth. Prevention strategies, use of employee assistance programs, managerial responses in escalating situations, impact of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and postviolence interventions must also be considered as part of progressive health care system administration, relative to the phenomenon of workplace violence.

The seven S's for successful management

Becoming a successful manager in a health care agency is, for most new managers, an awesome goal. Successful management is more than knowledge of leadership roles and management functions that can be learned in school or educational workshops. Successful management involves effective use of both the manager's affective and cognitive domains. Mentoring and apprenticeship with a successful nurse leader is for many novice managers a highly valuable way to learn management skills since this allows for techniques with a successful nurse manager to be visualized and then modeled. "Seven S's" that provide a framework for managerial success are discussed.

Excerpts from "Maintaining Radiation Protection Records". National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements

This is the last in a three-part series of articles reprinted from a report by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP). Section 5, "Workplace Records," is reprinted below. The Introduction and Section 2, "Guidance for Systemic Generation and Retention of Records Relating to Radiation Protection," were reprinted in the winter 1994 issue of Radiology Management, and Section 3, "Radiation Protection Program Records," appeared in the spring 1994 issue.

Professional managers examine their listening ability

This article describes the results of a study of perceived listening abilities among members of a professional organization much like the Clinical Laboratory Management Association (CLMA). Those members completed a listening types inventory, and the results were analyzed. About 75% of the members were classified as passive or detached listeners, the least effective types; only about 2% were active listeners, the most effective type. The results also showed that females perceived themselves to be better listeners than did males, and there were no significant differences based on age. Those who had taken more than one listening training seminar or course had significantly higher scores on the inventory than did those who had no training or just one seminar or course. The implications of these findings for professional managers are discussed at the conclusion of the article.

Six steps to improve discussions of employee performance

Formal performance appraisal interviews are often ineffective because they strain working relationships between managers and employees and provide inadequate feedback to both parties. This article provides supervisors with specific guidance to improve appraisal interviews by addressing three topics: 1) why appraisal interviews are held; 2) what information is exchanged; and 3) how the interviews are planned and conducted. The author advises supervisors to discuss administrative decisions with the employee in an annual meeting and to stress employee development and performance improvement in separate interviews held as often as necessary. The article emphasizes that interviews are more effective when the topics discussed are observable employee performance and results rather than more subjective assessments of personal qualities, skills, and knowledge, which lead to employee defensiveness. Specific guidelines are given to help supervisors draw out the employee's assessments of his or her own performance and plans for improvement. This two-way communication approach contributes to a positive discussion between supervisors and employees and is also appropriate when team members assess the performance of their peers.