a. What are the ethical issues in this case?
There are a number of ethical issues that the case raises. Competence is one of these issues. Ethical standards stipulate that all practitioners that are involved in the delivery of care should possess the necessary competencies and qualifications (Sporrong et al., 2007). In the case, it is revealed that Les lacked a degree and many in the hospital questioned his qualifications to handle the upgrade of the hospital’s system. There is a serious risk that Les’ incompetence could harm patient wellbeing. Another ethical issue in the case involves financial accountability. The effectiveness of a healthcare delivery system hinges on transparency and integrity (Datskovsky, Hedges & Empel, 2015). When practitioners flout procedures, they create a climate that allows such issues as fraud and misappropriation of funds to occur. The case notes that Les was contracted to supply keyboards without a formal bidding process. This is a serious violation of ethical guidelines and finance procedures.
b. What management mistakes were made in this case?
In addition to the ethical issues above, the case involves a number of management mistakes. Among the mistakes that Richard made was his failure to involve practitioners in the decision making process. When stakeholders feel that their opinions and input are being ignored, they are likely to become disgruntled and sabotage an organization’s operations. Another mistake that Richard made as the head of the hospital is trusting outsiders while dismissing the concerns of his own employees. This is dangerous as it created a climate of chaos and acrimony.
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c. Who are the key stakeholders in this case?
There are a number of stakeholders in the case of the hospital. The management, practitioners and patients are the key stakeholders. That they were in charge of the implementation of the new system is what makes the management a stakeholder. The fact that the new system would affect their work and their health is what qualifies the practitioners and the patients as stakeholders.
d. What steps can be taken within this organization to remedy these mistakes?
The management mistakes that were made are indeed serious and should remedied urgently. Seeking the input of all stakeholders is one of the steps that the hospital can adopt. It is understood that when employees are consulted, they feel valued and become motivated (Bosak et al., 2017). Therefore, to appease his employees and secure their support, Richard should involve them in all decisions. Establishing strict policies that govern such issues as procurement and contracting is another intervention that the hospital should adopt. Through these policies, the hospital will be able to tackle fraud, encourage transparency and achieve its mission.
References
Bosak, J., Dawson, J., Flood, P., & Peccei, R. (2017). Employee involvement climate and climate strength: a study of employee attitudes and organizational effectiveness in UK hospitals. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 4 (1), 13-38.
Datskovsky, G., Hedges, R., & Empel, S. (2015). Evaluating the information governance principles for healthcare: accountability and transparency. Journal of AHIMA, 86 (2), 52-3.
Sporrong, K. S., Ametz, B., Hansson, M. G., Westerholm, P., & Hoglund, A. T. (2007). Developing ethical competence in health care organizations. Nursing Ethics, 14 (6), 825-37.
