ORGANIZING AND STAFFING THE LABORATORY

Eloisa Q. Singian

ORGANIZING

Once the objectives of an organizationhave been specified, a structure of rolesand relationships capable of carrying outthe objectives must develop.

The objective of the managerial functionof organizing is to develop a frameworkthat relates all people and things to oneanother and to the laboratory’s objectives.

CLINICAL LABORATORY ORGANIZATION

Clinical laboratories are organized sothat personnel can work together tocarry out institutional objectiveseffectively and efficiently.

Structure of the organization can bedepicted on a chart, which showswho supervises whom and how thework units within the organizationare interrelated.

CLINICAL LABORATORY ORGANIZATION

By clarifying lines of authority andcommunication, organizationalcharts:◦Planning,◦Preparing job descriptions, and◦helping employees visualize howthey fit into the operation of anorganization.

Organizing Functon

The organizing function deals with all those activities that result in the formal assignment of tasks and authority and a coordination of effort.

The supervisor staffs the work unit, trains employees, secures resources, and empowers the work group into a productive team.

Organizing Function

The steps in the organizing process include: (1) review plans, (2) list all tasks to be accomplished, (3) divide tasks into groups one person can

accomplish - a job, (4) group related jobs together in a logical and

efficient manner, (5) assign work to individuals, (6) delegate authority to establish relationships

between jobs and groups of jobs.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS

An organizational chart consists of blocksconnected by lines.

A block can represent either a single position ora type of position, such as department ordivision, which could have many workers.

The blocks are connected by lines, of whichvertical solid lines indicate authority, andhorizontal solid lines indicate span of control forsupervisory positions.

Dotted lines indicate channels of communication.

Typical clinical laboratory organizational structure

PROPOSED CLINICAL LABORATORY

ORGANIZATIONAL STUCTURE

In 1980 the American Society for medical technology(ASMT) proposed a clinical laboratory organizationalstructure designed to “promote maximally efficientutilization of laboratory personnel within the appropriatescope of their competence”

The unique feature of the ASMT – proposedstructure is the complementary relationship between thedirector of administrative and technical services (Chiefadministrative technologists) and the director ofphysician – patient services (pathologists).

This structure more accurately describes the actualworkings of most laboratories, in which theadministrative technologists manage the overallfunctions of the laboratory while the physician – directorrelates to other physicians in consultative duties.

CONCEPTS OF AUTHORITY

Authority in government generally refers to the ability to make laws or rules

democratic authority◦ Democracy is a system of government by which political sovereignty is retained by the people and exercised directly by citizens

monarchic authority◦ monarchy is a form of government in which supreme power is actually or nominally lodged in an individual (the monarch), who rules as head of state, often for life or until abdication, and "is wholly set apart from all other members of the state

CONCEPTS OF AUTHORITY

Delegation◦ Delegation of authority is a person-to-person relationship requiring trust, commitment, and contracting between the supervisor and the employee.

CONCEPTS OF AUTHORITY

The Delegation Process

◦Five phases: (1) preparing, (2) planning, (3) discussing, (4) auditing, and (5) appreciating.

CONCEPTS OF AUTHORITY

Preparing includes establishing the objectives of the delegation, specifying the task that needs to be accomplished, and deciding who should accomplish it.

Planning is meeting with the chosen subordinate to describe the task and to ask the subordinate to devise a plan of action. As Andrew Carnegie once said,

"The secret of success is not in doing your own work but in recognizing the right man to do it."

Trust between the supervisor and employee - that both will fulfill the commitment - is most important.

CONCEPTS OF AUTHORITY

· Discussing includes reviewing the objectives of the task as well as the subordinate's plan of action, any potential obstacles, and ways to avoid or deal with these obstacles. ◦ The supervisor should clarify and solicit feedback as to

the employee's understanding. ◦ Clarifications needed for delegation include the desired

results (what not how), guidelines, resources available, and consequences (good and bad).

◦ Delegation is similar to contracting between the supervisor and employee regarding how and when the work will be completed.

◦ The standards and time frames are discussed and agreed upon.

◦ The employee should know exactly what is expected and how the task will be evaluated.

CONCEPTS OF AUTHORITY

· Auditing is monitoring the progress of the delegation and making adjustments in response to unforeseen problems.

· Appreciating is accepting the completed task and acknowledging the subordinate's efforts.

THE PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZING

The need for structure in a modern clinicallaboratory exists largely because divisionof work is essential for efficiency; thework performed is so complex that nosingle person can master it all. Division ofwork leads to separate work units thatengage in different activities. It followsthat methods must be developed wherebythese activities can be coordinated.

THE PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZING

Coordination is the act of assembling andsynchronizing different activities so thatthey are carried on harmoniously in theattainment of organizational objectives.The more clearly the activities of a unit ofthe clinical laboratory are delineated andthe more specifically the expected resultsare defines, the more likely that unit willmeet its objectives.

THE PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZING

Departmentalization◦ After reviewing the plans, usually the first step in the organizing process is departmentalization. Once jobs have been classified through work specialization, they are grouped so those common tasks can be coordinated. Departmentalization is the basis on which work or individuals are grouped into manageable units.

THE PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZING

Decentralization◦ Decentralization - is the process of dispersing decision-making governance closer to the people or citizen.

◦ Decentralization is also possible in the dispersal of population and employment.

◦ Law , science and technological advancements lead to highly decentralized human endeavours.

THE PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZING

Unity of command ◦ The principle of unity of command, from both the joint

and air and space perspectives, calls for unified efforts that are directed and coordinated toward pursuing common objectives.

Scalar Principle◦ It refers to the chain of direct authority relationships

from superior to subordinate in an organization. Every employee throughout the laboratory should know who delegates authority to him and to whom matters beyond his own authority must be referred. The clearer the line of authority from the laboratory manager to every subordinate position, the more effective the laboratory will be.

THE PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZING

Span of Control◦ Span-of-control is a term originating in military organization theory, but now used more commonly in business management, particularly human resource management. Span of control refers to the number of subordinates a supervisor has.

Exception Principle◦ The principle that only activities that deviate from standards are reported to a supervisor.

Principles of organizing

Objectives. ◦ Every job must have objectives that are

congruent with unit, departmental and institutional objectives.

Authority. ◦ The parameters and scope of authority for

each position must be clearly defined.

Responsibility.◦ Each supervisor has responsibility for the

actions of his subordinates, thus, responsibility and authority go hand in hand.

Principles of organizing

Scalar principle. ◦ Each person should know his position within a hierarchy and who is superior and subordinate to him.

Unity of command.◦ A person should have only one superior.

Coordination.◦ Different activities are organized so that they work together.

STAFFING ASPECTS OF THE ORGANIZING

To enhance its effectiveness, anorganization must employ competentpeople. The activity of supporting theorganization with competent people –through selection and development ofpersonnel to fill the roles designed intothe structure – is called staffing.

Staffing the organization involves

Job descriptions and specifications for each position

Recruitment of personnel

Placement of personnel

Induction of personnel

Orientation of personnel

Instruction of personnel

STAFFING ASPECTS OF THE ORGANIZING

Staffing activities result in the appointment ofindividuals to vacant or newly createdorganization positions, either by attracting themfrom employment from outside the laboratory, bytransferring them from within the organization,or by moving them into new positions bypromotion.

STAFFING ASPECTS OF THE ORGANIZING

Job descriptions arise from job analysis,which is a method of obtaining detailedinformation about the tasks and dutiesinvolved in each job, as well as thequalifications an employee must have toperform them. Information obtained fromjob analysis is written up in the jobdescription, from which job specificationscan be abstracted.

STAFFING ASPECTS OF THE ORGANIZING

Recruitment is the search for prospectiveemployees. The amount of attention thisstep receives determines how well othersteps can be carried out. It should bestressed that recruitment from within,whenever feasible, helps build morale.

STAFFING ASPECTS OF THE ORGANIZING

Placement is the assignment of anemployee to a specific job.

Induction, in turn, consists of the formalprocedures an employee goes throughimmediately after being employed.

STAFFING ASPECTS OF THE ORGANIZING

Orientation is the process of informing the newemployee about the organization and his place init. Successful orientation instills in the newemployee an awareness of his part in meetingthe objectives of the laboratory, gives him asense of identification with the laboratory, helpshim gain acceptance by his fellow employees,and supplies him with a clear andunderstandable picture of the many things heneeds to know as he assumes his role in thelaboratory.

STAFFING ASPECTS OF THE ORGANIZING

The final step in staffing is instruction,which is teaching employees the skills,abilities, and attitudes needed to performtheir work optimally.

THE SCHEDULING PROCESS

The scheduling of the laboratory staff for workcoverage is usually a responsibility of theadministrative technologist.

Designing a work schedule for each work period(month or quarter) can r time – consuming andoccassionaly frustrating since there are no absoluterules to follow.

There is no “ideal” schedule because each health carefacility and each laboratory has unique needs andstaff capabilities.

Along with these internal constraints, institutionalpolicies and procedures, as well as regulations fromgovernmental and labor organizations, influenceschedule making. Therefore, a schedule must betailored to fit an individual laboratory.

Scheduling process

The scheduling process for a health care organization is dependent on

[1] size and kind of institution,

[2] types of patient served,

[3] services offered,

[4] volume and kind of work performed,

Scheduling process

[5] demands for work output (e.g., emergency, as soon as possible, routine) and policies regarding tests performed at night, on weekends, during holidays,

[6] institutional personnel policies,[7] institutional budget, [8] external constraints of governmental

regulations and labor agreements, and[9] availability of personnel.

Assignment:

Describe the type of organization we have at AUFMC- Laboratory Department.