The Organizing Function

Organizing

• Distributing or allocating resources toward the accomplishment of the objectives defined in the plans

– Requires the understanding of staffing and work distribution

– Includes the allocation of material, machine, and space resources

– Converts goals into actions

Classical Theories of Organization

• Specialization of Labor• Unity of Command• Span of Control• Departmentalization• Centralization vs. Decentralization

Specialization of Labor

• Productivity can be increased if people use their natural and acquired talents to do exclusively what they do best

• Specialists are often more efficient• Disadvantages

– Boredom– Burnout– Increased error rate– Might not feel like part of the team

Unity of Command

• No person should have more than a single boss at any time

• Clear to whom you report• What problems can having multiple supervisors

cause?

Span of Control

• Refers to the number of people a manager can effectively supervise

• Varies from situation to situation• The actual number of employees one manager

can supervise depends upon the characteristics of the manager, the types of employees, and the work situation

Departmentalization

• How managers divide or structure work• Usually based on function

– Example: Hospital setting• Nursing• Radiology• Health Information Management

– File room– ROI– Coding

Centralization vs. Decentralization

• Centralization: Top managers make the decisions and allow few decisions to be made at lower levels– Consistency and control

• Decentralization: Top management encourages decision making at lower levels– Empowers people who do the work to make

the decisions concerning their jobs

Staffing and Work DistributionThe identification of the number and types of employees needed to carry out the work of the department

Number of Employees

• Number of employees needed depends on:– Volume of work and – Pattern of work division that has been selected

Work Scheduling

• Work scheduling is based on:– When employees are needed and/or – What services are required

Work Division Patterns

• For process-oriented departments• 3 types:

– Serial Work Division– Parallel Work Division– Unit Work Division

Serial Work Division

• Refers to the consecutive handling of tasks or products by individuals who perform a specific function in sequence– Tends to create task specialists– Production line/assembly line type of work

Parallel Work Division

• The concurrent handling of tasks• Multiple employees do identical types of tasks

and basically see the process through from beginning to end

• Everyone performs the same tasks• Independent of one another

Unit Work Division

• Enlists simultaneous assembly in which everyone performs a different specialized task at the same time

• The tasks are all related to the same end product but are not dependent on each other

• The work is specialized but the sequence is not fixed

• Manufacturing work (rare in HIM)

Work Distribution Analysis

• A function of effective work process management and is one element of organizational analysis.

• Used to determine whether a department’s current work assignments and job content are appropriate

Work Distribution Analysis

• Possible observations:– Large amounts of time are being dedication to

functions of minor importance– Small amounts of time are being dedicated to

functions of key importance– There is too much or too little job function

specialization

Work Distribution Analysis

• There is duplication of efforts or functions• Some employees are overloaded with work

assignments• Some employees do not have enough work to

keep busy• Staff are performing tasks inappropriate to their

positions

Work Distribution Analysis

• Work Distribution Chart– Used to collect basic distribution data– Each employee fills one out to reflect their

work content– Does all task content come from the job

description?– Productivity is recorded

Work Scheduling

• Effective scheduling includes:– A core of employees on duty at all times when

services must be provided– A pattern of hours to be worked and days off

that employees can be reasonably sure will not be changed

– Fair and just treatment of all employees

Work Scheduling

• Staffing issues to consider:– How is the workweek defined by policy?– What days of the week is the department

open?– How many and what hours/days are covered?– What functions must be performed each day

and within what timeframe?– How many Full Time Employees (FTE’s) are

needed?

Work Scheduling

• Shift Rotation– Employees rotate between day, evening, and

night hours– Not ideal– Used when more than Monday-Friday, 8:00-

5:00 coverage is needed – There should always be at least 12 hours

between the time a person ends one shift and begins another

Work Scheduling

• Shift Differential– A slightly higher hourly wage to employees

who work the less desirable shifts

– Evening, night, weekend shifts

Work Scheduling

• Vacation and Absentee Coverage– Plan appropriately for vacations and absence

– Options:• Tasks are distributed to other employees• Temporary employees

• Which do you think is the best choice? • Why?

Work Scheduling

• Alternate Work Schedules– Flextime

• Employee can choose their hours– Compressed work week

• For example, 4-10 hour days– Job sharing

• Divides one job between two employees– Telecommuting

• Employees work from home

Thought Question…

• What are the benefits of offering alternate work schedules such as a compressed work week, flextime, job sharing, or telecommuting to employees?

• This is the topic of the Discussion this week!

Organizational Charts

• Typically shown from the top of the authority hierarchy down

• Line relationships are shown as solid lines• Staff relationships are shown as dotted lines• Shows limits of each person’s responsibility and

authority

Organizational Charts

– Gives a clear picture of employee structure– Shows job titles or functions– Shows Span of Control and Unity of Command