Use of the classical functions of management by health services midmanagers.

Abstract

One of the main concerns of all devoted mid-level health care managers is to be successful on the job. Thus, this article looks at many of the managerial functions used by midmanagers to be successful in their position. One major question answered by this article is, "Do successful mid-level health service administrators actually use the classical functions of a manager and to what extent are they used?" It was found that the functions of a manager in fact are used, with problem solving being the most commonly used. The classic functions of a manager also were used extensively, with organizing, coordinating, planning, and directing being the top four functions used by health services midmanagers. It was found that males were more concerned with motivation and developing human relations while females were more concerned with planning. Both sexes indicated that oral communication and problem solving were top issues. Delegation of responsibility was reported to be used more than delegation of authority. Levels of formal education in management ranged from none to graduate degrees.