Organizational Structure Essay

Organizational Structure Essay

Organizational structure is a fundamental aspect of any organization, as it establishes how it operates and makes decisions. This paper will explore the organizational structure of a hospital, where the formal hierarchy was well-defined, with a clear chain of command from the board of directors down to the departmental managers. However, the hospital also had a strong culture of informal leadership, where nurses played a critical role in providing guidance and support to their colleagues and advocating for their patients.

In one of the busiest hospitals where I worked as a nurse, there was a distinct organizational structure that was easy to understand. The hierarchy was set up with an emphasis on employee satisfaction and efficiency, and the structure was per classical and human relations theories. The classical theory is founded on scientific management concepts emphasizing effectiveness, standardization, and formalization (Smith et al., 2020). On the other hand, the social and psychological aspects that affect employees’ behavior and productivity are the main focus of the human relations theory. This idea acknowledges the value of a positive work environment, social interactions, and job satisfaction in enhancing employee performance (Omodan, 2020).

Several departments were established within the hospital according to the tasks they undertook. Each department had a distinct leader in charge of organizing their staff, assigning duties, and ensuring everything went well. Each department’s managers reported to a higher-level manager who organized the hospital’s general operations and managed many departments.

The hospital had a distinct chain of command and a specified formal leadership structure. The hierarchy was arranged with the hospital board of directors at the top, the administrative team, and finally, the departmental managers. The hospital needed this formal leadership structure to make crucial decisions, allocate resources, and ensure it achieved its goals, as indicated in the figure below.

The hospital also has a solid informal leadership culture. Under this informal leadership system, nurses, in particular, were critical. They frequently had the closest relationships with patients and their families; thus, they had a comprehensive awareness of the hospital’s operations and the requirements of the patients. Nurses frequently assume unofficial leadership positions, advising and encouraging their coworkers while standing up for their patients.

Informal leadership is crucial in health organizations as it significantly facilitates communication, promotes teamwork, and enhances job satisfaction. Informal leaders can positively influence organizational culture, employee engagement, and patient outcomes. They can act as a liaison between management and staff, offering guidance and support to new employees and helping to resolve conflicts (Lawson & Fleshman, 2020). However, informal leaders can also have adverse effects when their influence is not aligned with the organization’s values or goals, leading to resistance to change, lack of accountability, and division within the team.

Creating a collaborative and communicative culture is critical in any health organization. It encourages employees and management to communicate and dialogue in formal and informal settings (Nordby, 2020). This approach can enhance employee engagement, job satisfaction, and organizational effectiveness by fostering teamwork and providing opportunities for feedback and input from all stakeholders. Therefore, it is essential to prioritize fostering a culture of collaboration and communication within the health organization.

Another successful strategy to foster innovation, creativity, and agility inside an organization is to design a flexible and adaptable organizational structure. This can be done by supporting cross-functional teams, fostering departmental cooperation, and giving staff members opportunities for skill development and career promotion. (Ling et al., 2021). By implementing such a structure, an organization can better adapt to changing healthcare demands, emerging technologies, and evolving patient needs.

Organizational structure is a multidimensional system that must account for formal and informal leadership hierarchies. The formal hierarchy offers the required structure for making crucial choices and distributing resources, whereas informal leaders promote communication, collaboration, and job satisfaction. To achieve success, health organizations must prioritize building a culture of collaboration and communication and developing a flexible and adaptive organizational structure capable of keeping up with healthcare innovations and changing patient requirements.

References

Lawson, D., & Fleshman, J. W. (2020). Informal leadership in health care. Clinics in Colon and Rectal Surgery, 33(04), 225–227. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0040-1709439

Ling, B., Liu, Z., Chen, D., & Sun, L. (2021). Team flexibility in organizational change context: Antecedents and consequences. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, Volume 14, 1805–1821. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.s332222

Nordby, H. (2021). Communication and organizational culture. A Closer Look at Organizational Culture in Action. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92318

Omodan, B. I. (2020, March 24). (PDF) analysis of human relations theory of management: A quest to re-enact people’s management towards peace in the university system. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347521634_Analysis_of_human_relations_theory_of_management_A_quest_to_re-enact_people

Smith, C., Babich, C., & Lubrick, M. (2020). 2.1 classical management theories. Ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub. https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/educationleadershipmanagement/chapter/2-1-classical-management-theories/

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

 

Activity 8
Organizational Structure
Organizational structure defines the hierarchy within an organization by identifying each job and where it reports to within the organization.
Explain the organizational structure where you work or an organization you are familiar, include an organizational chart, you may remove specific names.
• Discuss if the organizational structure supported by theory or not
• Describe the formal leadership
• Describe the informal leadership
• Discuss the importance of informal leadership, is the informal leadership a positive or negative influence?

Reading and Resources
• Review chapters 1-3 in Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2021). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.
• Deschamps, C., Rinfret, N., Lagacé, M. C., & Privé, C. (2016). Transformational leadership and change: How leaders influence their followers’ motivation through organizational justice. Journal Of Healthcare Management, 61(3), 194-212.
• Review chapters 4 & 6 in Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2017). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.
• Stewart, K. R. (2017). SBAR, communication, and patient safety: An integrated literature review. Medsurg Nursing, 26(5), 297-305.
• Review: IOM Future of Nursing Report
• Review: Campaign for Action Resource

Additional Instructions:
1. All submissions should have a title page and reference page.
2. Utilize a minimum of two scholarly resources.
3. Adhere to grammar, spelling and punctuation criteria.
4. Adhere to APA compliance guidelines.
5. Adhere to the chosen Submission Option for Delivery of Activity guidelines.
Submission Options
Choose One: Instructions:
Paper • 2 page paper. Include title and reference pages.

Management and Leadership – Organizational Structure
Description: The baccalaureate-graduate nurse will demonstrate an awareness of complex organizational systems.
Course Competencies: 2) Critique decision making models for effective leadership and management in professional nursing practice. 3) Examine the change process and how it may impact an organization both positively and negatively. 5) Assess various staffing methodologies/models related to building an effective health care team.
QSEN Competency: 2) Teamwork and Collaboration
BSN Essential II
Area	Gold Mastery	Silver Proficient	Bronze Acceptable	Acceptable Mastery not Demonstrated
Explains the Organizational Structure	Explains the organizational structure, includes the organizational chart	Mentions the organizational structure, includes the organizational chart	Explains the organizational structure, does not include the organizational chart	Does not discuss the organizational structure, does not include the organizational chart
Supported by Theory	Discusses the organizational structure as supported by theory	Discusses the organizational structure and mentions theory	Discusses the organizational structure but does not discuss theory	Does not discuss the organizational structure as supported by theory
Formal Leadership	Describes the organizations formal leadership	Mentions the organizations formal leadership	Lists the organizations formal leadership	Does not discuss the organizations formal leadership
Informal Leadership	Describes the organizations informal leadership	Mentions the organizations informal leadership	Lists the organizations informal leadership	Does not discuss the organizations informal leadership
Importance of Informal Leadership	Discusses the importance of informal leadership, discusses if the informal leadership a positive or negative influence	Discusses the importance of informal leadership, does not discuss if the informal leadership a positive or negative influence	Lists the importance of informal leadership, does not discuss if the informal leadership a positive or negative influence	Does not discuss the importance of informal leadership or if the informal leadership a positive or negative influence

 

Two Best Practices	Discusses at least two best practices from the literature that could benefit your organization	Mentions at least two best practices from the literature that could benefit your organization	Lists at least two best practices from the literature that could benefit your organization	Does not discuss at least two best practices from the literature that could benefit your organization
APA, Grammar, Spelling, and Punctuation	No errors in APA, Spelling, and Punctuation.	One to three errors in APA, Spelling, and Punctuation.	Four to six errors in APA, Spelling, and Punctuation.	Seven or more errors in APA, Spelling, and Punctuation.
References	Provides two or more references.	Provides two references.	Provides one references.	Provides no references.