Module 7: Value-Adding Support Strategies

Discussion Question:

Why is culture change so difficult in health care organizations? What are some ways strategic managers could make culture change easier?

OR

Which do you think changes first, strategy or structure? After formulating your answer and making your case, argue the opposite position.

 

Peer Response: Changing the Culture of Healthcare Organizations

Marina Jelen posted Jan 17, 2023 5:12 AM

Changing the Culture of Healthcare Organizations

 

            According to Ginter et al. (2018), organizational culture determines the organizational ability to support the strategy overall and service delivery in the organization. The overall culture is infused in the organization and organizational strategic resources and provides a powerful influence on how well an organization performs and how people in the organization function (Ginter et al., 2018). Culture must serve the organization and strategy during its implementation.

            Any type of change is difficult to accept and is not an easy process for the leadership of the organization and the whole organization overall. A new strategical implementation will be successful when the culture is considered and appreciated, making sure that the current culture is supportive of the strategic efforts (Ginter et al.., 2018). When culture is supportive of the strategy, there is no need to make changes in an already existing culture. When culture is not supportive of strategic efforts, changes in the culture must be made, and the changes in the emotional and cognitive cultures will lead people in the future to experience the emotions valued by the organization (Ginter et al., 2018). Further, a new organizational culture will move the organization toward vision realization and help to understand the significance of the change (Ginter et al., 2018). 

            People in the organization or business have a hard time dealing with the change. Changes in the culture make people question everything that the organization holds like their deepest values and beliefs, their goals and roles in the organization, all processes of the organization, and organizational policies. Aligned with the culture, strategic efforts will help to develop new behaviors, actions, and values, or maintain and improve already existing ones to support the new strategy implementation, and will help the organization navigate during the implementation of the new strategy and achievement of new goals. One of the reasons for why it is difficult to change the culture is a lack of clarity for the employees as to why this change is necessary or a lack of understanding of the steps of the change process. Communication with employees must occur when strategic managers decide whether the culture can help to achieve the strategy or not and whether the current organizational behaviors, values, and assumptions cannot carry out the strategy and have to be changed (Ginter et al., 2018). 

            The drastic change and lack of plan for cultural change and strategic implementation can provide resistance to change, while a lack of training will further reinforce the employees’ resistance. The leaders must seek feedback to understand how effective the new culture implementation is and reinforce the process by providing constant training and teaching among employees about the whole process.     

The culture-changing process requires planning, time, and energy (Ginter et al., 2018). Specifically, creating a strategic plan on how to align the culture with the new strategic plan. Identifying and analyzing all barriers and eliminating those barriers. Assessing culture as a weakness or organizational strength using the HYEY model, H-high value, Y-being rare, E-difficult to develop, Y-sustainability, and if the culture can offer a sustainable competitive advantage or not (Ginter et al., 2018). The organization will be assigned clear roles for the process of change, the employees must be communicated with and aware of their roles, and training and teaching will be provided regarding the whole process. Furthermore, people empowerment during the process and barrier removal are important in the creation of a desired culture (Ginter et al., 2018).  

References

Ginter, P. M., Duncan, W. J., & Swayne, L. E. (2018). Strategic management of health care organizations (8th ed.). Jossey-Bass.

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