Managerial effectiveness and its relationship with leadership in the contemporary health organisation

Presented by
Rod Perkins BDS (Otago) MHA (Georgia State) PhD (NSW)
Senior Lecturer in Health Management & Associate of the Centre for Health Services Research and Policy School of Medicine University of Auckland
Presentation   HTML     Flash(340Kb)  PPT(340Kb)

The meeting on the 27th of October was attended by 25 nibbled, sipped (courtesy of Eurest (NZ) Ltd) and networked prior to a fascinating presentation by Rod Perkins, BDS (Otago) MHA (Georgia State) PhD (NSW), Senior Lecturer in Health Management & Associate of the Centre for Health Services Research and Policy School of Medicine University of Auckland. His visit was made possible by the generous support of the Public Health/health Management programme of the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Rod has over thirty years experience in health as a clinician, senior manager (Thames, Auckland) and academic. Rod teaches and conducts research on management and health policy and has published journal articles, technical publications and in books. He has organised executive short courses on a wide range of health areas using his network of international experts.

Rod presented his research into managerial effectiveness in the health sector. He described his own journey through the sector and focused on his conclusions that effectiveness as a construct cannot be defined or discussed without reference to the broad context in which it is evaluated. If you want to measure it you need to take into account factors such as- Time frame? Data? What level of analysis? What benchmark? What or whose perspective? What domain of activity (e.g. internal processes or outcomes)?

Rod went on to characterise the various epochs of the health system in New Zealand over the past 60 years. Post War Welfare State 1944-1967, Health: 1938 legislation, 1957 Hospitals Act Welfare State-in-crisis 1968-1983, Health: Buff paper 1969, White paper, Sachso Reforming State 1984-1992, Health: AHB Act, Health Benefit Review.,Gibbs, NIPB  Nightwatchman State 1993-2000, Health & Disability Act, Coalition agreement....a fifth, the Third Way Current system

In analysing and understanding managerial effectiveness it is useful to break it up into constituent parts:

• Methods of approach to work

• Nature & quality of working relationships

• Management of subordinates

• Clarity of vision

• Background and experience

• Temperament

• Confidence & assurance

• Drive and commitment

(From Flannagan and Spurgeon's "Managerial Effectiveness in the Public
Sector" 1966)

Rod's research has been based on interviews with many senior health managers who have worked over parts of the whole of the period in question. He asked each executive to think of their most effective manager and their least
effective manager and, without naming names, talk about the key differences between the two. He then categorised their responses under those broad headings suggested by Flanagan and Spurgeon. What he found was that there
were major shifts in focus over time such that the qualities which characterised effective managers in the 50's were virtually ignored in the 90's and vice versa.

Rod then went on to look at the characteristics using a simple model, Karate and Jujutsu. The key difference is in the way you approach your opponent. In karate, you approach your opponent in order to deliver your blow, you move towards him or her. In jujutsu, you exploit your own weakness and your opponents strength by moving backwards as your opponent moves towards you, the combined movement giving you the momentum to enable you to easily throw your opponent.

He then sorted the characteristics into K or J or K&J by subgroup. He was expecting that Jujutsu would dominate in the current era but was surprised to find that Senior Managers recognise many Karate attributes as key to success as well.

A set of the power point slides is attached with a great deal more information and detail. It was an excellent meeting and many commented that the ideas Rod put forward were immediately useful in understanding the environment in which
they work.

Regards
Michael Aitken FCHSE
National Councillor
NZIHM/ACHSE
www.achse.org.au

This event was made possible by the generous support of