Management Team Members Research Articles

Health care prioritization process for the elderly in rural Tanzania under decentralized system: Prospects and challenges.

Beginning the early 1990s, many countries globally adopted the third-generation health sector reforms with a focus of strengthening the primary health care system through community participation. On the contrary, three decades later, primary health care systems in many Low- and Middle-Income countries (LMICs) including Tanzania have remained weak. Specifically, priority setting for the vulnerable groups including the elderly have been weak. We aimed to analyse the prospects and challenges of the priority setting process for the elderly health care services following the 1990s health sector reforms in Tanzania. We conducted an exploratory case study on priority setting process for the elderly healthcare services in Igunga and Nzega Tanzania. We carried out 24 Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with the positions of District medical officers, social welfare, Medical Officers in-charge (MOI), planning officers and health system information focal person. Additionally, we carried out two focus group discussions (FGDs), one from each district with six participants from each group. Participants for the FGDs were MOI, health secretary, representative members of Health Facility Governing Committee (HFGC) and Council Health Management Team (CHMT). Data were analyzed using the qualitative content analysis. Two categories emerged from the analysis of the transcripts. These were the prospects and challenges in priority setting for the elderly population under the decentralized health sector in rural Tanzania. The prospects included; the capacity of the LGAs on priority setting; existence of strategies used by LGAs; availability of teamwork spirit and the existence of guidelines for priority setting at LGAs. The challenges included difficulties of elderly identification, insufficient resources to implement the planned activities at the LGAs, unintegrated digitalized government health information tools or programs at the LGAs, interference of LGAs by the Central Government and low interest of stakeholders on elderly health care. This study highlights the prospects and challenges facing priority setting for elderly care at the centralized health system in rural Tanzania. From the results the process is well organized but faces some challenges which if not addressed jeopardized and has potential to continue affecting the priority setting. Addressing the challenges highlighted requires joint efforts from both the elderly population in the community, healthcare providers and decision makers across all levels of the health system. This study serves as an eye-opener and calls for a bigger study to get a comprehensive picture of priority setting of the elderly health care in Tanzania.

Female CHRO appointments: A crack in the glass ceiling?

Executive succession in conjunction with a gender shift is a key factor for enhancing gender diversity in senior management positions. Although an extensive strategic leadership literature has examined CEO turnover and succession, research is lacking on the succession of top management team (TMT) members or non-CEO executives at the individual level. By focusing on a specific executive position—the chief human resources officer (CHRO)—this study examines how executive succession in conjunction with a gender shift occurs. Although women are underrepresented in TMTs, we observe an increase in the number of women appointed to the role of CHRO. By utilizing social role and social categorization theories, we describe the dynamics of the gender shift in the CHRO position. We find that CHRO succession with a gender shift is not prevalent and that male-to-male or female-to-female successions are more common. However, our results suggest that CEOs’ board positions in a firm with a female CHRO and the industry-level diffusion of female CHROs tend to be negatively associated with male-to-male CHRO successions. Our results highlight how such factors may mitigate the effect of social role perceptions.

Monitoring the Training of School Management Teams in Educational Institutions of the Novosibirsk Region

Introduction. The article discusses topical problems of team building typical for state educational organizations. The problems of team formation, formal leadership and the differences between a team and a working group are considered. The purpose of this article is to present the methodological grounds for the use of team building in the management activities of school leaders, as well as to show the monitoring of the training of management teams in the Novosibirsk region. Methodology. The study of the possibilities of using the technology of team building in the organization of innovative activities of teachers of educational organizations (on the example of management teams of schools in the Novosibirsk region) was carried out in several stages: organizational, diagnostic, approbation, and reflexive-evaluative. The purpose of the monitoring was to study the conditions created for the professional growth of members of school management teams at the regional and municipal levels, as well as the demand for various forms of training. Also, in the course of monitoring, information was collected on organizations that train management teams. Results. The analysis of the information provided has shown that the heads of general educational organizations and representatives of municipal educational authorities often do not understand what the concept of “training of management teams” includes and often replace it with a referral to advanced training courses and training events of the group. Conclusion. The monitoring recorded the need to form a system of work at the regional and municipal levels to organize the training of school management teams. Heads of educational institutions should consciously approach the issues of team building and assess the need to create a team based on the actual need.

Turnover by Non-CEO Executives in Top Management Teams and Escalation of Commitment

This article investigates the relationship between the decision-making bias known as escalation of commitment and the turnover of non-CEO executives in top management teams. The phenomenon of escalation of commitment is observed when decision makers persist with business investments that have a low likelihood of success. Theoretical explanations for the association between executive turnover and escalation include self-justification and reputation protection. Top managers may conceal prior errors, escalate commitment to earlier decisions, and exit the organization before the outcome of decisions is observed. Successor managers do not have a commitment to earlier decisions and have the capability to stop investments that are discovered to be failing. Empirical analysis utilizing a sample of over 1600 U.S. firms confirms that departures by non-CEO executives from top management teams are associated with an increased likelihood of new reporting of discontinued operations and extraordinary items by firms and a reduction in the firms’ performances relative to their industry. These effects reflect de-escalation activities and are amplified in the years concurrent with and following a joint departure of multiple management team members. Prior empirical studies on escalation and de-escalation behavior focused on CEO turnover. The contribution of this article is its documenting of the key role of non-CEO managers and team turnover in the context of escalation.

A collaborative endeavour to integrate leadership and person-centred ethics: a focus group study on experiences from developing and realising an educational programme to support the transition towards person-centred care

BackgroundEnsuring the transition towards person-centred care is a growing focus in health and social care systems globally. Presented as an ethical framework for health and social care professionals, such a transition requires strong leadership and organisational changes. However, there is limited guidance available on how to assist health and social care leaders in promoting person-centred practices. In response to this, the Swedish Association of Health Professionals and the University of Gothenburg Centre for Person-Centred Care collaborated to develop an educational programme on person-centred leadership targeting health and social care leaders to support the transition towards person-centred care in Sweden. The aim with this study was to explore programme management members’ experiences from the development and realisation of the programme.MethodsFocus group discussions were conducted, involving 12 members of the programme management team. Data from the discussions were analysed using a structured approach with emphasis the collaborative generation of knowledge through participant interaction.ResultsThe analysis visualises the preparations and actions involved in programme development and realisation as a collaborative endeavour, aimed at integrating leadership and person-centred ethics in a joint learning process. Participants described the programme as an ongoing exploration, extending beyond its formal duration. Leadership was thoughtfully interwoven with person-centred ethics throughout the programme, encompassing both the pedagogical approach and programme curriculum, to provide leaders with tangible tools for their daily use.ConclusionsAccording to our analysis, we conclude that a person-centred approach to both development and realisation of educational initiatives to support person-centred leadership is essential for programme enhancement and daily implementation of person-centred leadership. Our main message is that educational initiatives on the application of person-centred ethics is an ongoing and collaborative process, characterised by an exchange of ideas and collective efforts.

It Takes a Fool to Remain Sane: How and When HR Executives Use Jesting Techniques to Trickle Up Paradoxical Tensions

Human resource (HR) experts are continuously confronted with paradoxical tensions, which they need to navigate to benefit the HR function and the organization. Because the members of the top management team (TMT) are important stakeholders for the HR function, the HR executives’ effective navigation involves visibilizing paradoxes and trickling them up during interactions with the TMT. However, how HR executives (as low-powered organizational actors compared to their peers) visibilize tensions for TMT members is less understood from either the paradox literature or the HR scholarship perspectives. In this interview study, we use a court jester prompt as a narrative generator to explore HR executives’ reflections on using techniques to visibilize tensions within the overarching paradox of social and business interests. Our findings enrich the literature on paradox salience and provide examples of what we term jesting techniques on cognitive (e.g., exaggerating,), emotional (e.g., expressing feelings), and behavioral (e.g, reordering) levels.

Principals' systems thinking and student outcomes: the intervening role of school structure

PurposeThis study examines the relationship of principals’ systems thinking (PST) to student outcomes of academic achievement and school violence. The investigation relies on the contingency theory, according to which effective leadership is contingent on the nature of the situational influences to which managers are exposed. Specifically, the study investigates the influence of school structure – bureaucratic vs organic – on the relationship between PST and student outcomes of academic achievement and school violence after accounting for students’ socioeconomic backgrounds and principals' demographics.Design/methodology/approachA three-source survey design with self-reported and non-self-reported data was used, with a sample of 423 participants from 71 elementary schools in Israel. The sample included senior management team members and teachers. The data were aggregated at the school level of analysis.FindingsHierarchical regression analyses showed that organic school structure moderates the relationship between PST and student academic achievement, and bureaucratic school structure moderates the relationship between PST and school violence beyond the impact of students’ socioeconomic backgrounds.Originality/valueThis study provides important evidence for the benefits of aligning PST with school structure for improving student outcomes beyond the impact of students’ socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition, the study suggests principal system thinking leadership to achieve effective student outcomes that circumvent the effects of inequality on disadvantaged student groups.

Translating team-member exchange relationships to school outcomes: the mediating role of leader-member exchange

PurposeRelying on the principles of the social exchange theory, the current study is aimed at investigating the impact of team-member exchange relationships (TMX) among school management team (SMT) members on school outcomes (organizational citizenship behavior [OCB], job satisfaction and innovation) via the mediating role of leader-member exchange (LMX) relationships between principals and SMTs.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from multiple sources in 86 elementary and junior high schools to avoid one-source bias: 86 principals, 357 SMT members and 683 schoolteachers who were not members of the management teams.FindingsThe results revealed a positive relationship between TMX and teachers' job satisfaction and OCB, but no significant link between TMX and innovation. LMX partially mediated the relationship between TMX and OCB and between TMX and teachers' job satisfaction. Full mediation was found in TMX-innovation relationship.Practical implicationsThe findings carry a message for school principals and policymakers regarding the importance of developing and maintaining high-quality horizontal and vertical exchange relationships among the SMT members for their positive influence on school outcomes.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to examine the link between TMX and LMX as a team phenomenon, and specifically in the educational setting. The finding that there is a positive link between the two constructs may imply that SMTs contribute to school success not only directly by exhibiting high-quality TMX but also indirectly through the high-quality LMX.

Profiles of Community Care Sites and provider Community Health Workers: A Case study at Gombe Matadi, Kenge and Kisantu Rural Health Zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo

BACKGROUND: In sub-Saharan Africa, the DRC is ones of countries with high infant and child mortality. To solve this problem, the Ministry of Public Health has set up a new program: ICCM at the level of Community Care Sites managed by non-health professionals who are provider CHWs to serve Health Areas with difficult access. Since its implementation, there have not yet been many studies that concretely describe the functionality of CCS. To contribute to the extension of CCC in other Rural Health Zones, we conducted a study in 3 RHZ by choosing the Realistic Evaluation Approach to analyze the functionality of CCS in the DRC.
 
 METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study which is essentially a case study. Data were collected at the CCS level in these 3 RHZ chosen after multistage random sampling by mixed method (qualitative, quantitative). We used the following techniques: documentary review, direct observation at the CCS level, an in-depth interview with registered nurses and members of the health Zone management team and a survey using quantitative questionnaire with provider CHWs. The conceptual model that we developed is inspired by realist evaluation with an emphasis on Mechanisms. The relationship between the dependent variable (CCS functionality) and the independent variables was proven using Odds Ratio and Multiple Logistic Regression.
 
 RESULTS: CCS functionality and provider CHW profile were measured through the standards enacted for CCS implantation. At the significance level (p=0.05) has been in place for 3 years or more increases by 7 times chance that it is functional (OR = 6.7; p = 0.000). Has household been located less than 5 km from CCS increases by 4 times chance that the CCS is functional (OR = 7.04; p = 0.034). Has provider CHW is regularly trained and supervised increases by 10 times chance that the CCS is functional (OR = 10.01; p = 0.031). If provider CHW participate in Community cell animation meetings (OR = 4.34; p = 0.009) and CCS Management is done by CCS Management team increase by 4 times chance that this CCS is functional (OR = 3.6; p = 0.002). Finally, if there is an initiative for funding CCS increases by 8 times CCS functionality (OR = 8.69; p = 0.009).
 
 CONCLUSION: CCS are functional in the 3 RHZs. Their organization, establishment and operation are directly linked to the provision of services to populations living mainly in health areas with difficult access, the availability of inputs of three ICCM-C diseases management, namely uncomplicated malaria, diarrhoea and pneumonia as well as building provider community health workers capacity to ensure their management. This study shows an effective contribution of provider CHWs on CCS functionality in health areas with difficult access.

Human resource executives' relative pay and firm performance

AbstractTo operationalize the extent to which firms place a strategic emphasis on human capital and human resource management (HRM), we draw on the strategy field's dominant logic theory and on the emerging literature on executive compensation for the heads of major firm functions, such as HRM. Specifically, we investigate whether the pay of human resource executives (HREs) relative to other members of top management teams (TMTs) is related to firm performance. After controlling for the endogeneity of HRE status as one of the highest paid executives on the TMT, we find in a comprehensive sample of the largest US firms that HRE relative pay is positively related to firm financial performance, specifically Tobin's Q. We also find that the relationship of HRE relative pay with Tobin's Q is stronger in relatively smaller and younger firms in our sample. The findings suggest that a strategic emphasis on human capital and HRM leads to higher firm value.

Which Top Management Team Characteristics Drive a Firm’s Tax Aggressiveness?

ABSTRACT This study examines the relationship between a firm’s tax planning and several observable characteristics of its top management team. We obtain empirical evidence based on multiple regressions of a sample of listed companies in China from 2013 to 2019. We find that a top management team’s education level positively relates to tax planning. While tenure, age, and expert experience are negatively related to tax planning. These results are robust when further tests are conducted. These findings provide further evidence of the upper echelon theory and research in the field of taxation area. Practically, the study provides useful insights for board committees to appoint top management team members pursuing healthy performance. Furtherly, this study is valuable to investors, creditors, analysts, and auditors, as it serves as a reminder that top management team characteristics need to be considered when making decisions.

Top Management Team Incentive Dispersion and Managerial Efficiency

AbstractThis study examines the association between dispersion in pay‐performance sensitivities (PPS) among top management team (TMT) members and managerial efficiency. While prior research has focused on managerial efficiency as an innate characteristic of managers, this study explores how managerial incentive dispersion shapes managerial efficiency. Using a sample of US firms from 1993 to 2019, we find a negative relationship between TMT incentive dispersion and managerial efficiency, suggesting that higher levels of incentive dispersion can potentially affect managerial efficiency by reducing coordination and cooperation among TMT members. We employ a range of robustness tests and find consistent and robust results. Overall, this study contributes to the literature on executive compensation by providing novel insights into the implications of incentive dispersion among executives for managerial efficiency.

The two faces of hierarchy: CEO power and TMT learning diversity in technology venture innovation

AbstractThe relationship between top management team (TMT) members’ learning behavior and the innovation strategy of technology ventures remains unclear, especially when complicated by social hierarchies within the team. We draw on organizational learning theory to theorize that diversity in TMT members’ learning behavior has both positive and negative latent effects that produce an inverted U-shaped relationship between TMT learning diversity and a firm’s radical innovation strategy. Building on the social hierarchy literature, we also suggest that CEO power moderates this relationship by altering the latent forces: structurally powerful CEOs neutralize the benefits of TMT learning diversity, turning the link between learning diversity and radical innovation strategy predominantly negative, whereas prestigiously powerful CEOs neutralize the costs of TMT learning diversity, turning its relationship with the firm’s radical innovation strategy predominantly positive. Longitudinal, multi-source data from 77 TMTs support our model. The findings contribute to the research on learning and social hierarchies by illustrating how hierarchies rooted in different sources of power have different effects on the relationship between TMT learning diversity and innovation strategy.

Parent–school-community relationship: a comparative study of highly effective schools and schools with low effectiveness in Andalusia

When studying an educational system, the relationship between school and parents is one of its most important components. The literature shows that highly effective schools demonstrate good parent–teacher relationships, while schools with low effectiveness are generally characterised by a lack of good parent–school linkage. The purpose of the research carried out in this article was to identify the differences between parent–school relationships in highly effective and less effective primary schools in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Twenty-five interviews with members of management teams from both types of schools were analysed in order to understand the existing school reality. The results obtained show that parental involvement, parent–school communication, the perceived needs of the parents, the parent–teacher association, the relationships with entities of the educational community and parental complaints about the school are all factors that contribute to differentiate parent–school relationships between highly effective schools and schools with low effectiveness. The conclusions reached reveal that highly effective school management teams perceive greater involvement of parents and better parent–teacher association functioning. However, the people in the schools with low effectiveness highlight the complaints they receive from parents and the needs they present.

The Vision of Spanish Schools in Post-Pandemic Times

Extraordinary measures were required due to Covid-19, such as confinement and emergency distance education. With health regulations in place, the schools then returned to face-to-face instruction and used the lessons they had learned to improve the teaching standard. The study's intention is to investigate how Spain's schools are evolving post-confinement, with a particular interest in the digitalization of schools, teaching competence and future models of education. Method: The approach was qualitative; the instrument was a semi-structured interview, constructed ad hoc by experts and applied by trained interviewers. The sample consisted of 75 principals or members of management teams from primary and secondary schools in Spain. We carried data coding and analysis out using Atlas.ti software. Results: The confinement led to difficulties in adapting teaching to the online modality. Using the pandemic as a catalyst, schools were able to quickly move to digitalization, expand teacher training in digital technology with varying levels of compliance, and introduce new methodologies such as active learning strategies. Conclusions: Schools in Spain have introduced changes in their technological processes and equipment and slight methodological aspects. Teachers require more training on teaching skills, especially digital skills. Finally, the traditional face-to-face model is valued but is questioned and alternatives are considered.

Organisational Design and Sustainability Performance

The collapse of many organizations could be linked to the weak performance of management team members. The management team is the engine of growth implemented through designing strategies with which organization will manage its internal affairs bearing in mind the external environmental influences. Drawing on our research and the work of others, we explore the various organization design strategies and how that could bring sustainability. In doing, it was deduced that sustainability initiative, and the accompanying changes to the organizational structure, must have executive sponsorship and the CEO must be a visible proponent of the sustainability vision for the company. Executive sponsorship accelerates engagement by employees and business units, but even better results can be expected if the CEO is proactive and assume personal leadership of a highly visible sustainability program. It was however, recommended that: The leader of the sustainability initiative should have a direct reporting relationship with both the CEO and the board of directors in order to send a signal to employees and other stakeholders about the important of the initiative and provide the initiative with access to the support and resources available from high-level executives and managers in other departments.

How SWAT Changed the Conversation: Implementation of a Discharge SWAT Team Improves Morale and Facilitates Communication During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Hospital overcrowding and delays in discharge are serious issues in the modern health care landscape and can lead to poor patient outcomes and health care personnel (HCP) burnout. The goal of this project was to develop a collaborative forum where HCP representing the entire spectrum of the inpatient care team, including case management team members, could connect to discuss challenges and barriers to patient discharge. The following describes the development, implementation, and outcomes of the discharge SWAT (Solutions, Wins, Actions, and Tactics) team, which is a 30-min virtual daily meeting where discussion is primarily centered around challenges in discharging individual patients and addressing case manager needs. The primary aim of SWAT meetings is fostering a positive atmosphere to address barriers to discharge while prioritizing patient care and outcomes. This study was conducted in a 40-hospital academic health system in the United States. SWAT meetings were first implemented at a representative flagship facility in a health system. HCP at this first facility were surveyed to assess satisfaction with SWAT meetings. SWAT meetings then were implemented at the majority of facilities in a 40-hospital academic health system. During SWAT implementation, average inpatient length of stay (LOS) and patient care transitions were monitored for participating and nonparticipating service lines. Among surveyed HCP, the majority view SWAT meetings favorably and reported that it was a valuable use of their time and positively impacted their work in the patient discharge space. Nonprovider and case management staff in particular valued the SWAT meetings and found them beneficial. LOS remained stable for patients under the care of participating providers, despite the upheaval of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and the research team also observed a positive impact of SWAT meetings on appropriate inpatient care transitions.

Does leadership gender representativeness improve policy outcomes? Evidence from local governments in China

AbstractNumerous studies have delved into the intricate dynamics of representative bureaucracy in public service provision, yet a significant gap exists in our understanding of the distinctions between top leaders and members of the top management team (TMT). Using the panel data of 317 subdistricts in Beijing, this research revealed that top female leaders have stronger influences on public service delivery than female TMT members. Top female leaders handle citizens' complaints better than their male counterparts, while the effect of TMT gender representation is nonsignificant. This research underscores the imperative need to differentiate between the representative roles of top leaders and TMT members, thereby revealing nuanced effects in the realm of gender representation.

How does CEO–TMT exchange quality incongruence affect business model innovation? The moderating role of environmental dynamism

AbstractIn today's dynamic business environment, business model innovation (BMI) has become a strategic lever that businesses can harness to unlock new revenue opportunities and fortify their long‐term competitive edge. BMI often hinges on the exchange relationships between chief executive officers (CEOs) and their top management team (TMT) members. However, in practice, CEOs and TMT members often have incongruent perceptions of these relationships, which may impede them from making joint efforts to achieve BMI. When such incongruence arises, relying solely on either the CEO's or the TMT members' perceptions of exchange quality might provide an incomplete understanding of the effect of CEO–TMT exchange quality on BMI. In this study, we investigate how CEO–TMT exchange quality incongruence influences BMI under various levels of environmental dynamism. Using archival industry data and matched survey data from 618 CEOs and 1854 TMT members in China, the polynomial regression and response surface analyses indicate that CEO–TMT exchange quality incongruence negatively affects BMI. This finding suggests that while high perceptions of exchange quality by both CEOs and TMTs independently contribute to BMI, an incongruent perception of exchange quality between CEOs and TMT members can undermine the success of BMI. Moreover, high levels of environmental dynamism aggravate the negative effect of CEO–TMT exchange quality incongruence on BMI. These findings enable us to offer new theoretical insights regarding the influence of the CEO–TMT exchange quality on BMI, thus complementing existing studies on antecedents of BMI and enriching literature on the outcomes of the CEO–TMT interface. Additionally, this study offers practical guidance for enhancing BMI through effective management of incongruent perceptions of CEO–TMT exchanges.

Using the Theory of Learning Organisations to Understand the Role of Principals in School Health Promotion: A Case Study

The role of principals is increasingly recognised as important in school health promotion. There is a significant body of literature regarding school health promotion and its benefits for learners and the school community, but little is known about the role of principals. Using Senge’s theory of learning organisations as a framework, this study qualitatively sought to understand the roles of principals in promoting healthy school environments. The study used a combination of semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups to gather data from six school management team members; seven teachers; and three school governing body members from a high school in Fezile Dabi District of the Free State. Individual interview data was obtained and focus group discussions were conducted to confirm the findings. The data gathered was analysed using a combination of inductive classification and theory analysis. The study’s main findings demonstrate that principals should (i) provide leadership in health promotion activities within their schools and in collaborations and partnerships with the external community and (ii) have personal mastery, vision, knowledge and thinking skills to be able to play their role effectively. Furthermore, it was found that all five principles of the theory of learning organisation can be used to understand the role of principals in school health promotion. Based on these findings it is recommended that a learning culture be created in schools. The findings of this research suggest implications regarding both the practice of providing leadership in school health promotion and practices in the preparation of principals and teachers for the task of School Health Promotion. Keywords: Learning Organisations, School Health Promotion, School leadership, Team Learning