Organizational Behavior in Health Services

HA 231

Organizational Behavior in Health Services

Assignment 1

Question Set 1

Consider a large suburban hospital and apply Hofstede’s four dimensions as instructed.

1. How would you rate the following hospital staff in terms of the Individualism-Collectivism dimension? Explain your answer for each staff category.

a. Doctors – By definition, this dimension rates as high Individualism for the United States. Doctors in general tend to fall in this category. There is a strong desire for high achievement in their individual goals and status. They expect hospital staff to look up to them. Doctors value their skills and the work it took to obtain them. Their medical degree is a sign of personal accomplishment and self-respect. Doctors tend to interact with patients without involving the families and are not particularly effective in healthcare teams (Bethany Malone, 2013).

b. Nursing staff - mid to high range Individualism - Employees in the United States tend to rate higher in individualism. Based on my experience as a healthcare professional, I find this to be true among most hospital workers regardless of the job classification. These professionals want to work with management and value the skills they have and achievements they make. They want to see the potential for growth in their jobs and all the benefits that come with that growth. Doctors and nurses in particular value the potential for advancement in their careers and recognition for their efforts. Nurses value the ability to make decisions in seeking solutions to problems. Doctors and nurses tend to interact with the patients directly. Nurses involve family more often that doctors but not in the same way as a typical collective society. Healthcare workers at each level look for open communication where opinions are listened to and valued. (Teran, 2012)

c. Administrative staff – high Individualism – Administration in healthcare organizations in the United States are almost forced to be...