The Piñata syndrome

The Pi?ata Syndrome is manifested by physician lounge grumbling and griping; sniping at medical and administrative leadership; resistance to examining best practices; refusal to hold colleagues responsible for their behavior, and general melancholy. This disease is characterized by grousing physicians who do not enjoy the practice of medicine and if self treated will leave medicine. It is accompanied by patients who receive inappropriate care and caring. The treatment, which can result in an excellent prognosis, is self-administered and must be vigorously pursued to avoid chronic Pi?ata Syndrome, a professional death.     

The state and the macro-industrial economy—The use and abuse of offset

State intervention to establish, develop and retain particular industrial sectors in the world economy is widespread, often stimulated by the perceived threat to sovereignty posed by foreign based macro-industrial enterprises. The paper examines a particular form of such intervention, known as offset, which is widely used in major purchases of aerospace products. In this the State, in consideration of such a purchase from a foreign based company, requires that a proportion of the contract value be placed as work in its own related manufacturing sector. Current examples of how widespread and complex these have become are given and analysed by reference to a matrix of possible types of offset and levels of industrial development of the purchasing State. On the assumption that the efficient diffusion of appropriate industrial capabilities to all nations of the world is a desirable goal, the use and abuse of offset to this end is discussed and conclusions drawn.     

The ultimate goal? It depends

The knowledge that cervical cancer should be a preventable disease has provided the impetus to improve the Pap smear. Now, for the first time in 50 years, two new computerized technologies are available--the AutoPap and Papnet systems--that could change the way they are interpreted. Of course, these new innovations come at a price, perhaps doubling or tripling the cost--by one estimate, the new technologies could add $1 billion per year. The health policy issue is whether these innovations address the limitations of cervical cancer screening programs in an efficient way. The analysis is entirely different when cast as an individual patient care issue. Here the patient and physician, who serves as her advocate, want to use the best screening method. The goal is not how to best allocate resources to improve the health of the overall population, but instead how to get the best care for the individual patient.     

The next step for physician executives?

The next step for career growth for many physician executives will be the top leadership role in a health care organization. The availability of such positions for physicians has been limited in the past but could very well open in the future. As physicians, administrators, and boards begin to trust each other more and form meaningful partnerships, the potential for physician CEOs increases. In 1997, the Physician Executive Management Center conducted surveys of physicians serving in CEO roles in hospitals and group practices throughout the country. We compared the results with earlier surveys we had conducted since 1986. This article reports the significant findings of these surveys on areas such as employment contracts, job duties, skills and talents, and remuneration.     

The Social Policy Response to COVID-19 – The Failure to Help Vulnerable Children and Elderly People

Public Organization Review - Norway’s handling of COVID-19 has been seen as a success. Vulnerable groups among young and elderly people, have however, not been part of this success. Their...     

Planning for banking—The Indian experience

Long Range Planning (LRP) as an integrated total planning system had been accepted by two major public sector banks in India. The system through its maiden cycle was confronted by many difficulties, particularly regarding the application of the model. The paucity of adequate environmental data, lack of appreciation of the purpose of internal appraisal, avoidance of sophisticated quantitative techniques were some of the major problems faced by the Corporate Planning Team. The author explains his experiences as the co-ordinator of Corporate Planning Team for implementation in one of these banks. Despite the hurdles, the system has taken roots in his bank.     

Diversification—The key factors for success

This paper describes research aimed at finding the key factors for success and failure of diversification decisions. A survey of a sample of 200 French medium size companies was conducted through a mailed questionnaire. Further interviews were made in 20 firms which recently diversified their activities.     

The strategic planning matrix—a quantitative approach

This article introduces a new strategy formulation analytical tool called the Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM). QSPM represents an objective approach for evaluating and choosing among alternative strategies in both small and large organizations. Several practical applications of QSPM are provided. The positive features and practical limitations of QSPM are described. A number of useful tips for effective strategy formulation are presented.     

The new marketing—Developing long-term interactive relationships

This article places emphasis on relationships and interaction in marketing, an emphasis which has developed out of new theories of services marketing and industrial marketing and also out of practical experience. Building and maintaining relationships have significant long-term implications and therefore affect the strategic and long-range planning of the firm's marketing. In the author's view, the present Marketing Concept, as it appears in research, textbooks and seminars, is unrealistic and needs to be replaced. One reason is its inability to absorb new developments in marketing and its rigid attachment to traditional consumer goods marketing. The conclusions can be seen as part of a progress report from an ongoing research project which aims at developing a New Marketing Concept, that draws both on theory and on the views of practitioners.     

Keeping people alive— The implications for planning

Current and future developments of medical techniques, especially those concerned with resuscitation and intensive care, will result in more people living much longer in the future. Their treatment and care will be very expensive, and this will require consideration of priorities. In this article some ethical attitudes are suggested, and a number of practical planning measures to anticipate some of the inevitable problems are proposed.     

The Founder's Legacy: Hangover or Inheritance?

The legacy of organizational founders is a comparatively under‐studied topic. Through two in‐depth case studies, this article explores the factors which influence whether founding strategic visions, objectives or decisions influence present‐day strategic choice. Furthermore, the study identifies and explores a number of factors which influence whether a strategic legacy is categorized as either an inheritance or a hangover. The article begins with an overview of existing research into the role of the founder, commitment and strategic inertia, which suggests that additional research is required to clarify the legacy of company founders. After a review of the research design and methodology adopted for the study, the findings of two case studies are presented. The findings suggest that the initial establishment of a strong organizational culture, continuing perceptions of success as well as successive family control all contribute to an adherence to the founding strategy, mission or objectives. In addition, the study indicates that the flexibility of the original strategy and environmental issues impact on the extent to which the strategic legacy is classified as an inheritance or a hangover. The article culminates in a series of conclusions and implications.     

The physician-patient privilege: friend or foe?

The physician-patient privilege that has been enacted in most states has usually been seen as having the benign, even salutary, effect of protecting confidences that patients have entrusted to their physicians in the course of obtaining medical care and treatment. However, case decisions in one state have turned the privilege into a sword that plaintiffs can use to interfere with physicians' and hospitals' defense of cases against them by denying their counsel access to key defense witnesses. This development could occur in many other states that have taken a similar general approach in analyzing the privilege.     

The Wiener index of Sierpiński-like graphs

Sierpiński-like graphs constitute an extensively studied family of graphs of fractal nature applicable in topology, mathematics of the Tower of Hanoi, computer science, and elsewhere. In this paper, we focus on the Wiener polarity index, Wiener index and Harary index of Sierpiński-like graphs. By Sierpiński-like graphs’ special structure and correlation, their Wiener polarity index and some Sierpiński-like graph’s Wiener index and Harary index are obtained.     

UK quality circle failures—The latest picture

This paper presents the main findings of postal questionnaires on quality circle failure based on a total response from 127 manufacturing organisations. Also reported are the results of interviews held in four of the respondent companies with facilitators, and leaders and members of quality circles which had failed. The findings indicate that some companies are still ignoring the well documented guidelines for circle programme implementation and operation. Redundancies and or company restructuring remain the major causes of both complete programme and individual circle failure. It is also pointed that most circle members are not interested in financial rewards for their circle activities, but there is a general feeling that non members do not appreciate their efforts. Significant differences in opinion were found between circle members and those of circle leaders and facilitators, in particular, those related to perceptions of management support for circles.     

Was that really funny? The politics of humor

Everybody loves a comic--or do they? A Human Resources Department picked up a pattern when several departing employees, all excellent performers, said they liked their jobs but felt "excluded" from the camaraderie. One said he'd found the humor "barbed." Another said she's never seen anything funny in jokes that seemed to convulse everyone else. The past five years have been so gloomy, economically speaking, that, in many hospitals and health care organizations, laughter is a mega-event. But lately I've been listening to what employees joke about and watching how their humor affects others. Physician executives need to be alert to some kinds of humor that are weapons used by employees against other employees, their managers, and the company generally.     

11 The Effects of Governments on Management and Organization

Abstract

We review and integrate existing research from organization theory, strategy, organizational behavior, economics, sociology and political science on the effects of governments on organization and management, with a focus on how governing ideology and government capability influence independent organizations’ forms, strategies, and their participants’ behavior. When brought together these works suggest significant research opportunities in the fields of management and organization, as well as new perspectives on public policy challenges. Several avenues of potentially profitable empirical research include more attention to the influence of government on corporate strategies, more research on the strategies of pursuing corruption and government capture for competitive advantage, the role of government in fostering innovation and the growth of entrepreneurial organizations, and extra‐organizational contextual effects on managerial and employee organizational behavior. Possible public policy implications are illustrated with an application to the role of organizations in national wealth generation and dispersion.