First-line Managers Research Articles

The Role of First-Line Managers in Healthcare Change Management: A Ghanaian Context

The Role of First-Line Managers in Healthcare Change Management: A Ghanaian Context

Going from “paper and pen” to ICT systems: Perspectives on managing the change process

ABSTRACTBackground: Lack of participation from staff when developing information and communication technologies (ICT) has been shown to lead to negative consequences and might be one explanation for failure. Management during development processes has rarely been empirically studied, especially when introducing ICT systems in a municipality context. Objective: To describe and interpret experiences of the management during change processes where ICT was introduced among staff and managers in elderly care. Design: A qualitative interpretive method was chosen for this study and content analysis for analyzing the interviews. Results: “Clear focus–unclear process” demonstrated that focus on ICT solutions was clear but the process of introducing the ICT was not. “First-line managers receiving a system of support” gave a picture of the first-line manager as not playing an active part in the projects. First-line managers and staff described “Low power to influence” when realizing that for some reasons, they had not contributed in the change projects. “Low confirmation” represented the previous and present feelings of staff not being listened to. Lastly, “Reciprocal understanding” pictures how first-line managers and staff, although having some expectations on each other, understood each other’s positions. Conclusions: Empowerment could be useful in creating an organization where critical awareness and reflection over daily practice becomes a routine.

Neglected on the front line

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the first-line manager-academic (FLMA) role against a guiding hypothesis that “The first-line manager-academic role is not clearly defined or understood; there is great variety of practice and of recognition of the role across the business school sector”. Design/methodology/approach – A descriptive, deductive approach through three linked (internet) surveys of deans of UK business schools, FLMAs in UK business schools and UK university human resource directors. Findings – The FLMA role in UK business schools is important to organizational effectiveness, personal development and career progression yet is poorly defined and supported, inconsistently enacted and perceived. FLMAs struggle to balance academic and management demands, with line management a particular issue and HR support and development systems are inadequate. Differences between chartered “old” and statutory “new” UK universities provide an additional layer of complexity. Research limitations/implications – FLMA roles need to be better defined and FLMAs better supported to ensure that FLMAs are effective in role contributing to organizational performance and personal development. Practical implications – The paper throws light on a neglected aspect of management in UK business schools that has potential value for university HR directors, university managers and business school deans. Originality/value – First empirical study into the role of the first-line manager academic in UK business schools.

Person-centred care: A qualitative study on first line managers’ experiences on its implementation

Person-centred care is an up-and-coming care model for reducing fragmentation in healthcare by using the core component partnership between patients and care providers. Therefore, it is important to develop knowledge of the implementation processes. The overall aim of this qualitative study was to describe managers’ experiences of the implementation of person-centred care. This paper provides an example of how person-centred care was implemented in the medical department of a hospital in the western part of Sweden. The study comprised eight interviews with first-line managers, and the data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The results formed three categories, structured approach – to be organized; care planning – to be continued and teamwork – to be together, that describe the implementation of person-centred care from philosophy to practice application. Managerial skills of first-line managers are key components to developing a structured approach that improves and develops person-centred care, i.e. work together towards the mutual care plan. Continuous cooperation within and across organizational boundaries is needed (synergy effect) to decrease high working load when person-centred care is implemented to improve quality of care.

Leadership Roles and Management Practices of Educational Managers and Their Relationships to Teachers’ and Students’ Performance

A descriptive-correlational research was conducted to determine the extent educational managers in the four state universities in Panay Island portrayed their leadership roles and management practices and its relationship to teachers’ and students’ performance. Ninety three respondents were classified according to highest educational attainment, position occupied, and length of experience. Questionnaire was used to gather data and Performance Evaluation System (PES) of teachers and passing percentage in Board Examination for students’ performance. Results were interpreted at 5% level of significance using One-Way Analysis of Variance and Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient. Descriptive data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, weighted mean, and standard deviation. Results showed that majority were doctorate degree holders, first-line managers, and serve their positions for less than ten years. Leadership roles and management practices were rated “to a very large extent.” Only management practices in physical facilities development performed “to a large extent” were although when taken as a whole in the five years of concern were performed they “to a very large extent.” Teachers’ performance mostly rated Outstanding and a lesser number was rated Very Satisfactory. The passing percentage above the national passing set was by the Philippine Regulation Commission (PRC). Leadership roles significantly affect teachers’ performance and only leadership and human resource development were related to teachers’ performance. Leadership roles and management practices were not related to students’ performance except in physical facilities development. Only educational attainment was found significantly correlated to teachers’ performance but not to students’ performance.

A longitudinal study of working life among first-line managers in the care of older adults

AimTo study whether the number of subordinates plays a role in first-line managers’ and subordinates’ ratings of empowerment, stress symptoms, and leadership–management performance. The aim was also to study relationships between managers’ empowerment and stress symptoms and leadership–management performance. MethodsA longitudinal and correlational design was used. All first-line managers (n=98) and their subordinates (n=2085) working in the care of older adults in five municipalities were approached. ResultsWith fewer (≤30) subordinates per manager, there were higher ratings of structural empowerment among managers and subordinates and lower stress symptoms among subordinates, than with ≥31 subordinates. Furthermore, structural empowerment was related to the managers’ stress symptoms and leadership–management performance, mediated through psychological empowerment. Moreover, structural empowerment can control/adjust for large numbers of subordinates in relation to stress symptoms. ConclusionThe higher FLMs rated their access to empowerment, the lower stress symptoms and higher leadership–management performance they rated over time.

Sustainable Lean in psychiatry? Assessment through socio-technical principles

Purpose – This paper aims to identify conditions affecting sustainability of Lean implementations in Swedish psychiatric healthcare, from a socio-technical perspective. Design/methodology/approach – Longitudinal focus group interviews were conducted with 24 first-line managers within Swedish psychiatric healthcare. The analysis was made using Cherns’ ten socio-technical principles and a framework for sustainable development work in healthcare. Findings – The most critical socio-technical principles for a sustainable Lean implementation were boundary location; power and authority; and compatibility. At hospital level, socio-technical principles were inhibited by the weak ownership of the Lean implementation. However, strong ownership at division level meant the same principles were supported. Unclear goals made follow-ups difficult which had negative effects on the learning processes in the Lean implementation. The role and responsibility of first-line managers were unclear in that they perceived they lacked power and authority resulting in negative effects on the participation – an important sustainability concept. Originality/value – Empirically based papers assessing Lean implementations in psychiatry are rare. This study is a contribution to the research area of sustainable Lean implementations in healthcare. The practical implication of this study is that decision makers, senior managers, first-line managers and psychiatrists can be supported in reaching sustainable implementations of Lean.

Prioritization of Factors Affecting Time Management among Health Managers

Introduction: In today's world, having principle and targeted management is one of the progress and development factors of any organization. Effective use of time for each manager is the most important base for managing current affairs and controlling daily activities. The present study aimed to investigate and analyze the relationship between factors affecting time management among the senior, middle and first-line managers of the hospitals in Kermanshah in 2015. Methods: This was a cross-sectional and descriptive-analytical study conducted in 2015 in ten hospitals of Kermanshah. The study population consisted of all senior, middle and first-line managers of the studied hospitals (N=240) which were selected using census method. The required data were collected using a researcher-made pair-wise comparison questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using the DEMATEL technique through Matlab8.1.0.604 software. Results: The results showed that, from the studied managers’ viewpoints, the variables of goal setting and prioritization of objectives and activities were certainly affecting variables and located in the cause group. Also, the variables of planning, delegation, communication management, and meetings management were affected variables and located in the effect group. Furthermore, in the hierarchy of affecting and affected variables influencing time management, goal setting and meetings management with the coordinates (1.23, 1.23) and (1.06, -1.05) were identified as the highest and lowest priorities and were considered as the most affecting and most affected variables, respectively. Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that among the studied variables influencing time management, goal setting was the highest priority and most affecting variable, and meetings management was the lowest priority and the most affected variable. It is recommended to increase the hospital managers’ knowledge about time management and the need for accurate goal setting through providing management and time management courses, and requiring them to develop a time management plan in order to improve their time management.

How Far Can a Short Leadership and Management Programme Address the Challenges for First Line Social Work Managers? An Evaluation of One of the Skills for Care Leadership and Management Demonstration Sites

This article describes the evaluation of a leadership and management training programme for first-line social work managers, focussing on safeguarding. The programme was developed collaboratively with local authority partners, including both children’s and adult services’ managers. The evaluation, funded initially by Skills for Care, used a multi-level evaluation framework, tried and tested previously by one of the authors. The evaluation testified to the value of the training to participants who reported enhanced learning and changes in their behaviour. These reported changes included improved leadership and management skills, underpinned by greater reflection which was reportedly transferred to managers’ decision-making and confidence in safeguarding. In two cases, these changes in participants’ reported behaviour were also observed by their managers. Participants particularly appreciated the opportunity the training afforded them to reflect on practice and spend time exploring issues around safeguarding and risk. Feedback from the two participants’ line managers confirmed the benefits of the course to staff and offered a model for evidencing the transfer of learning into practice.

Safety climate, perceived risk, and involvement in safety management

This article examines the relationship between safety climate, risk perception and involvement in safety management by first-line managers (FLM). Sixty-three FLMs from two French nuclear plants answered a questionnaire measuring perceived workplace safety climate, perceived risk, and involvement in safety management. We hypothesized that a positive perception of safety climate would promote substantial involvement in safety management, and that this effect would be stronger than the perceived-risk effect. We also expected that safety climate dimensions would have a different impact on involvement in safety management. Especially, we expected climate dimensions dealing with safety-related exchanges between managers and their supervisees to be more related to FLMs’ involvement in safety management. As expected, perceived risk, as well as safety climate, was related to FLMs’ involvement in safety management: the more they perceived risks as probable and serious for their supervisees, the more involved they got in safety management. Similarly, FLMs who perceived a good safety climate in their company reported getting more involved in safety management than did FLMs who perceived a poor safety climate. Moreover, the results showed that safety climate was the key variable because it completely mediated the effect of perceived risk on involvement in safety management. Another important result showed that immediate supervisor encouragement was more influential than senior management views on safety. Furthermore, the fact of being called upon by supervisees on safety issues prompted the FLMs to be more involved in safety management. Possible avenues for improving the involvement of FLMs in safety management are suggested.

The Effect of Vital Exhaustion On 16 Years Risk of Stroke in Female Population in Russia: Monica-psychosocial Epidemiological Study

Objective To study the effect of vital exhaustion (VE) on relative risk of stroke in female population of 25-64 years during 16 years in Russia. Methods Under the third screening of the WHO “MONICA-psychosocial” (MOPSY) program random representative sample of women aged 25-64 years (n=870) were surveyed in Novosibirsk in 1994. Questionnaire 'MOPSY” was used to measure vital exhaustion (VE). From 1995 to 2010 women were followed for 16 years for the incidence of AH. Cox proportional regression was used for risk (HR) assessment. Results The prevalence of high level of VE in women aged 25-64 years was 31.2%. Stroke was developed in 35 (6.3%) women over 16 years of study. Within 16 years of follow-up women with VE had 3.34-fold risk of stroke (95.0%CI:1.02-10.93; p>0.05) than those without VE. There was a tendency in increasing of stroke rate incidence in those with VE: in married women compared to unmarried ones and widowed; in those with secondary specialized education compared to lower educational levels; in first-line managers and hard manual laborers compared to easy manual workers without VE. Conclusions The prevalence of VE in women aged 25-64 years is more than 30%. Women with VE had higher relative risk of stroke over 16 years of follow up. Rates of stroke tend to be higher in managers and manual workers and in married women.

The role of first line managers in healthcare organisations – a qualitative study on the work life experience of ward managers

The role of a first line manager (FLM) in Swedish healthcare has gone through major changes, from a divided role involving both nursing work and supervision to a pure management role. Along with these changes, the experienced core work and meaning of work have been altered. This also means that conditions for work that could regenerate the invested resources of the FLMs have been altered as well. The aim of this study was to describe the ward managers’ experiences of their professional role, their work and how they are handling their everyday practice. Furthermore, the aim has been to interpret these experiences through the lens of regenerative work. Five ward managers at a Swedish hospital setting were followed for approximately four years. The study has had an interactive and pragmatic approach. Data were collected through interviews, observations and a continuous dialogue forum (three years). Four themes are presented in this paper: from supervisor to manager; loyalty; talking about it and dialogue forum. These themes are then discussed in order to understand basic conditions for the regenerative work of the FLM. The most central finding is the importance for the FLMs to make sense of their world through narratives and that the organisation does not provide for this.

Measuring the Relationship between Managerial Resourcefulness and Job Performance

Abstract Managerial resourcefulness includes generic competencies that enable adaptive responses to the demands of complex and volatile aspects of the work environment. However, there is no evidence that managerial resourcefulness increase job performance. In this study, we examined the relationship between managerial resourcefulness and job performance in a sample 119 first-line and middle managers. Data was collected through structured surveys administered to the managers and their superiors. The results indicated that managerial resourcefulness is positively associated with the superior ratings of job performance. The findings also showed that managerial resourcefulness explains additional variance in job performance over and above that of demographic variables and the Big Five traits of personality. These findings suggest the importance of managerial resourcefulness as a critical predictor of job performance. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

First-Line Nursing Home Managers in Sweden and their Views on Leadership and Palliative Care.

The aim of this study was to investigate first-line nursing home managers’ views on their leadership and related to that, palliative care. Previous research reveals insufficient palliation, and a number of barriers towards implementation of palliative care in nursing homes. Among those barriers are issues related to leadership quality. First-line managers play a pivotal role, as they influence working conditions and quality of care.Nine first-line managers, from different nursing homes in Sweden participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using qualitative descriptive content analysis. In the results, two categories were identified: embracing the role of leader and being a victim of circumstances, illuminating how the first-line managers handle expectations and challenges linked to the leadership role and responsibility for palliative care. The results reveal views corresponding to committed leaders, acting upon demands and expectations, but also to leaders appearing to have resigned from the leadership role, and who express powerlessness with little possibility to influence care. The first line managers reported their own limited knowledge about palliative care to limit their possibilities of taking full leadership responsibility for implementing palliative care principles in their nursing homes.The study stresses that for the provision of high quality palliative care in nursing homes, first-line managers need to be knowledgeable about palliative care, and they need supportive organizations with clear expectations and goals about palliative care. Future action and learning oriented research projects for the implementation of palliative care principles, in which first line managers actively participate, are suggested.

First-line managers' descriptions and reflections regarding their staff's access to empowering structures.

To elucidate first-line managers' descriptions and reflections regarding their staff's access to empowering structures using Kanter's theory of structural empowerment. Good structural conditions within workplaces are essential to employees' wellbeing, and their ability to access empowerment structures is largely dependent on the management. Twenty-eight first-line managers in elderly care were interviewed. Deductive qualitative content analysis was used to analyse data. Managers perceived that staff had varying degrees of access to the empowering structures described in Kanter's theory - and that they possessed formal power in their roles as contact persons and representatives. The descriptions mostly started from the managers' own actions, although some started from the needs of staff members. All managers described their staff's access to the empowering structures in Kanter's theory as important, yet it seemed as though this was not always reflected on and discussed as a strategic issue. Managers could make use of performance and appraisal dialogues to keep up to date on staff's access to empowering structures. Recurrent discussions in the management group based on such current information could promote staff's access to power through empowering structures and make job definitions a strategic issue in the organisation.

Managerial competencies among first-line newsroom managers at small to medium-sized mainstream media enterprises in South Africa

Changes in the South African media and management environment have had distinct influences on especially small to medium-sized mainstream media enterprises (media SMEs) which often have to compete with bigger media organisations for the same news stories. Moreover, these media organisations are commonly faced with unique challenges related to human and other resources. This situation adds to the importance of effective and efficient management practices at these media sites. The management practices of first-line news managers in media SMEs are qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated in this paper by considering six managerial competencies found in general management theory. These competencies relate to communication, planning and administration, teamwork; strategic action, global awareness and self-management.

Leaving first-line managers to sink or swim will hit your bottom line

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to look at how investing in the skills development of first-line leaders can improve overall business performance. First-line leaders are the largest and arguably the most important group of leaders in any organization; yet recent research shows that they are one of the most neglected in terms of training and development, which is impacting businesses’ bottom line. Design/methodology/approach – This study involves literature review and Forum Europe, Middle East and Africa’s own survey data. Findings – It is the companies that take the time to invest in developing the essential skills of their first-line leaders that will reap the rewards generated through their ability to create a highly motivated, engaged and results-driven team. Originality/value – Focusses on the skills required by first-line leaders, and the five “engagement needs” they must understand in order to motivate the workforce.

Learning outcomes of a work-based training programme

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which first-line managers' (FLMs') support of employee learning activities influence the learning outcomes and the transfer of training from a work-based vocational education and training (VET) programme. Design/methodology/approach – The study was designed as a multiple-case study including six service units in elder care. Data were collected through interviews with managers and care workers in the six units. Findings – The study demonstrated that the role of FLMs was a significant condition for the learning outcomes attained and for positive transfer of training. For care workers to attain benefits from training that went beyond the individual level, that is, benefits at the level of the work team or the organisation, a supportive FLM role appeared to be necessary. Research limitations/implications – The statistical generalisability of the study is limited by its character of a multiple-case study of six work units. At the same time, a strength of the study lies in its potential for analytic generalisations, that is, for identifying and verifying theoretically meaningful patterns across a number of cases. Practical implications – The findings suggest a need for management development that promotes a broader understanding of the task as FLM, and, specifically, improved knowledge and skills regarding how to lead and organise learning and development processes in a workplace. Originality/value – Using a qualitative approach, this study adds to the limited knowledge of FLMs' influences on the learning outcomes and the positive transfer from work-based training.

Managerial Coaching Behaviours and Their Relations to Job Satisfaction, Life Satisfaction and Orientations to Happiness

This paper aims to explore managerial coaching behaviours and their relations to job satisfaction, life satisfaction and orientations to happiness. Chinese Managerial Coaching Behaviours Inventory, Chinese translation of the Orientations to Happiness Scale, General Job Satisfaction Scale and General Life Satisfaction Scale were administered to 145 managers from two factories, one hospital, China Mobile and China Telecom. Results indicate that: Unexpectedly, managerial coaching behaviours are not associated with job satisfaction and life satisfaction. Pleasure of life in Orientations to Happinessis significantly associated with assessing and challenging dimensions of Managerial Coaching Behaviours Inventory. Both job satisfaction and life satisfaction are significantly positively related with all the three dimensions in Orientations to Happiness. Females show more supporting behaviours than males. Compared with the first-line managers and technicians with titles, the middle and senior managers show more challenging and supporting behaviours. Compared with the factory managers, managers in hospitals, China Mobile and China Telecom show more challenging and supporting behaviours. Pleasure of life was positively related to assessing and challenging behaviours.

Measuring First-Line Nurse Manager Work

The objective of this study was to develop and test a 1st-line nurse manager (FLNM) work instrument to measure categories of work and frequency of activities. First-line nurse managers have been demonstrated to be key contributors in meeting organizational outcomes and patient and nurse satisfaction. Identifying the work of FLNMs is essential to help in the development of prioritization and sequence. The need for an instrument that can measure and categorize the work of FLNMs is indicated. The author-developed instrument was administered as a pilot study to 173 FLNMs in New Jersey. Descriptive statistics were analyzed, and validity and reliability were measured. Content validity was established through 2 focus groups using 10 FLNMs and conducting a survey of 5 chief nursing officers. Reliability was assessed by 13 of 16 FLNM participants using the test/retest method and quantified using percent agreement within a 10-day period. Those items with 70% agreement or more were identified as reliable and retained on the instrument. The content validity of the instrument is strong; further refinement and testing of the tool are indicated to improve the reliability and generalizability across multiple populations of leaders and settings.