Critical assessment of the management practices of Dr. Yusuf Dadoo Hospital

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The objective of the study was to critically assess the management practices of DrYusuf Dadoo Public Hospital in terms of the five public management functions,namely: policy-making, planning, organising, leading and controlling.From the study it is evident that managers of the public hospitals work in a complexand dynamic environment. This is as a result of the pressure felt due to expectationsof the public on the quality of service rendered in the hospitals. The primary functionof public managers is to ensure that efficient and effective services are rendered to thepublic. Therefore, all public managers are subject to compliance to the uniqueguidelines of the relevant legislative framework. In the study, the five publicmanagement functions were explained in terms of the broad theoretical framework onmanagement practices on the part of the public sector.The research approach was qualitative and the diagnostic evaluation design was used.The target population for the study included all 48 managers of Dr Yusuf DadooPublic Hospital who occupy supervisory and higher positions. From the results in theanalysis of the questionnaire it is evident that the five public management functions,namely, policy-making, planning, organising, leading and controlling weresatisfactory - except the leadership function that needed attention. Public managers ofhospitals are an important link between the legislature and the community who are therecipients of policy and are involved at the ground level in the execution of policy.These managers are at an advantage to identify the shortcomings in the existing policyand bring them to the attention of policy-makers. Policies and procedures at Dr YusufDadoo Public Hospital were developed, interpreted and implemented. Whendiscipline on employees was taken, relevant policies as stipulated in the LabourRelations Act, no 66 of 1995, were followed. Policies that support personaldevelopment through training and development were not implemented satisfactorily.The existing updated policy manuals were not adequately available to all theemployees of Dr Yusuf Dadoo Public Hospital. The function of planning at thehospital referred to the planning processes and mechanisms that were designed tofacilitate the planning work. The purpose of planning as a management function was to give guidelines to the managers of Dr Yusuf Dadoo Public Hospital on what theywould do in the future.Management of Dr Yusuf Dadoo Public Hospital ensured that employees understoodthe vision and mission of the hospital. These employees were involved in developingthe operational plan of the hospital. Management of Dr Yusuf Dadoo Public Hospitalalso ensured that operational plans of the employees supported the overall goals of thehospital. Recruitments, selections and appointments were done by human resourcedepartment, as was the orientation of new employees to the job. The organisationalstructure gave employees a clear idea of their responsibilities, the authority they had,and the person to whom they had to report.The functional structure of Dr Yusuf Dadoo Public Hospital grouped together similaror related occupational classes. Expectations were clearly explained by supervisors tosubordinates when assigning tasks. Activities and functions were organised andmanagers allocated responsibility commensurate to authority when delegating tasks tosubordinates. Personnel expenditure at Dr Yusuf Dadoo Public Hospital did notimpede service delivery. The hospital needed strong leadership to survive andovercome challenges that managers faced.The leadership function at Dr Yusuf Dadoo Public Hospital related to the waymanagement defined what the future of the hospital would look like, to align peoplewith the vision and inspire them to make things happen. Not enough was done by themanagement of the hospital in this area. The management of Dr Yusuf Dadoo PublicHospital should do everything it could to train and develop managers and thoseemployees who show potential in this area.The five public management functions, namely, policy-making, planning, organising,leading and controlling are executed in a complex and dynamic environment. It isnecessary to assess, regularly, the management practices of public hospitals, focusingon the five public management functions. It is also necessary for public managers ofDr Yusuf Dadoo Public Hospital to ensure that the public management functions arecarried out, to realise the set goals of the hospital.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University