TASK 1- ANALYSIS

In Shafait’s hospital, there were some rumours among nurses about the time table issue that needed to be solved.

The management came up with the new working arrangements without any consultation with the staff. They imposed it on the staff, resulting in a number of nurses living the hospital for others.

According to Rensis Likert’s Theory, when management uses fear and threats and communication is top down with decisions taken at the top and there is a gap between superiors and subordinates, that management style is exploitive authoritative.

In Paula’s case ward sisters were invited to a meeting with the matron. In turn the sisters organised a meeting with they own staff to explain the new arrangements and its benefits. Questions were invited, although some said there have no impacts on the management’s final decisions about what was best for them.

From Rensis Likert’s Theory perspective, when information flowing upward is restricted to what management want to hear, policy decisions come from the top and only some prescribed decision that can be delegated to lower levels, one can easily assume that a benevolent authoritative management style is being applied.

Contrary to Shafait and Paula, In Jackie’s hospital the ward sisters were instructed to discuss the problem of changes with their own nurses. Afterwards the ward sisters attended a meeting chaired by the matron where they discussed all the viewpoints of the staff. After the meeting the matron sent a copy of the new arrangements, which seemed to take account of many of the points raised at the meeting, to all staff.

Here the management’s approach is to involve all subordinates in the decision-making process thus a participative or democratic leadership style.

Rensis Likert’s Theory says that a participative group management is a management that encourages