The Management Function of Directing free essay sample

Module 4 Case: The Management Function of Directing Case Study Assignment Expectations: After reading the article, please respond to the following questions. 1) Briefly summarize the article. 2) Define and discuss the directing function of management. 3) Based upon the information in the article, what are some examples of how you would use this management function? Compare that to some actual examples from the article. How do they differ? 4) What might be the result of this re-engineering initiative if the directing isnt managed well? Conversely, what are the potential outcomes if it is? Briefly summarize the article. The article â€Å"Business process re-engineering in healthcare management: a case study†, was very informative and in some aspects argumentative. It explains how they were attempting to implement certain changes to hospitals and clinics. These changes will ultimately benefit the patient/customer, as well as, the hospital itself as a business. The primary challenge was that Doctors, Nurses, and administrators were reluctant to changes in their workplace. We will write a custom essay sample on The Management Function of Directing or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page That is where the argument of Hospital vs. Business comes in. The administrators see the Hospital as a place of business, while the Doctors and nurses see it as a place to care for the ill. Fact of the matter is that you cannot simply have one without the other. Hospitals have ill patients who need treatment and care – treatment and care cost money. In this article, â€Å"business process re-engineering’s approach is used in order to improve the service quality and the efficiency in the surgical ward of a hospital†. Define and discuss the directing function of management. Directing is â€Å"a basic management function that includes building an effective work climate and creating opportunity for motivation, supervising, scheduling, and disciplining†. (Business Dictionary). Directing refers to how to supervise and motivate people to do their best – i. e. factors that make workers happy and productive. Motivated workers come from being treated righteous and being paid fair wages. Directing is one of the important functions of management. It consists of elements such as issuing orders, continuous training activities, and motivation of subordinates, maintaining discipline and rewarding those who perform properly. One of the elements of directing is the issuing of orders and instructions by the superiors to the subordinates for getting the work done in the desired manner. Another important element of direction is guiding the subordinates. The subordinates have to be guided to the proper method of work. Supervision follows: it implies overseeing the work of subordinates to ensure that the performance of the subordinates conforms to plans and contributes to the attainment of the organizational goal. Finally, there is communications it is the core of direction. It is through the communication network that a manager instructs his subordinates as to what they should do and how they should do it. Based upon the information in the article, what are some examples of how you would use this management function? Compare that to some actual examples from the article. How do they differ? I would direct personnel in the appropriate fashion. First, I would begin by communicating with them and explaining the goal at hand. With communication, I am also educating them in the upcoming tasks. People do not like being left in the dark. They want to feel like they are part of the team and part of the contribution. With simple communication and education, one would be able to direct effectively and efficiently. Compared to some actual examples of the article, our views of directing are different. In the article, they direct and inform the head physician, Doctors, and nurses. While I agree that the function of directing is communicating and delegating to one’s personnel, it should not be limited to certain titles or job roles. As I have stated before, everyone appreciates being informed in the matter of reaching a goal. In the article, it clearly limited the directing function amongst managers themselves. What might be the result of this re-engineering initiative if the directing isnt managed well? Conversely, what are the potential outcomes if it is? The result of this re-engineering initiative would be catastrophic is the directing is not managed well. Workers need a sense of direction in order to properly complete their tasks. Directing individuals gives them a sense of guidance and purpose. If the directing is not managed well, one would encounter poor work performance, deadlines not being met, budgeting conflicts, and goals not accomplished. In a sense, it would be as if one would instruct a blind man to walk a path without proper instructions. Eventually, the blind man would either fall or hit a wall. Some may see potential outcomes conversely; however, I do not. I do not see how re-engineering any business would have a positive outcome without effectively directing.