Reference no: EM13234094

Mr Smith - the Hospital General Manager.

Mr Smith has been General Manager of the Petersdale General Hospital for six years. It is an acute hospital of 200 beds, serving a population of around 50,000 scattered across a wide rural area in a number of villages and small market towns.

Most people like Mr Smith but his own staff, who see him at close quarters, find him exasperating as a boss although they like him as a kindly man. He is 44, likes his job, usually starts work at 9.20 am, only takes a short lunch break and goes home at about 6.30 pm. He has a family of three children, likes photography and goes to church on Sunday, but has little time to join local organisations. He supports the activities of the Institute of` Health Services Management (IHSM) and likes to keep up to date with hospital developments.
Two months ago he went on a four-week management course in London, during which time he tried to keep in touch with the hospital by popping into the office when he was home at weekends.

Other characters in order of appearance:

Mr Bond - Director of Operations & Deputy General Manager.
Aged 26. Joined the hospital service six years ago. He has passed the IHSM exams. Took his presentjob as a sideways move to gain experience of unit hospital management. He has been in the post five months. Energetic. Enjoys the opportunity to take the initiative. Previous boss thought he was almost ready to be a hospital general manager of a small hospital, but he himself decided to work as a deputy for about eighteen months.

Mrs Brown - Catering Manager.
Very pleasant. Likes Mr Smith and tries to keep in with him.

Mr George - Director of Human Resources.

Mr Peters - Head Porter.
Capable. Has been at Petersdale for twelve years. Knows a ‘good porter' when he sees one. Worthy of a better job but is happy enough as he has an ex-services pension to supplement his income.

Miss French - Director of Nursing.
Has been at the hospital for fourteen years. Gets on well with Mr Smith.

Richard Graham - Radiographer.
Plays tennis with Mr Bond.

Miss Ford - Mr Smith's secretary.
Competent and experienced. Worked in commerce before coming to Petersdale two years ago. Capable of using initiative and wishes Mr Smith would give her more scope.

Mrs Smith - Wife of` Mr Smith.
A quiet person. She often worries that her husband's health will suffer through overwork.

Sequence of events at Petersdale Hospital on Tuesday 14 May:

Incident No 1 - 9.30 am
Mr Bond is in his office. Enter Mrs Brown, the Catering Manager.
"Morning, Mr Bond. Is Mr Smith in?"
"'Fraid not. He's at a meeting. Should be here after lunch."
"Oh well. Can you ask him to ring me? It's rather urgent."
"Certain1y, or is it something I can help you with?"
"Well, I'm sure you could, but there were a couple of other things I wanted to mention to Mr Smith. Thanks all the same."

Incident No 2 - 10.30 am
(Phone rings. Director of Human Resources, Mr George on the line.)
"Morning Mr Bond. Sorry to bother you but you know the request you made for an additional porter? You're OK. Ask Mr Smith to let me have the job description if you want it advertised."
"Good. Actually, I didn't know anything about it, but I'll let Mr Smith know."

Incident No 3 - 11.30 am
ln comes Mr Peters, Head Porter.
"Morning, Mr Bond. Any chances of seeing Mr Smith?"
"Sorry, but he's tied up at a meeting. By the way, we've heard we can advertise for the extra porter,"
"Marvellous. Can they get an advert in tonight? Otherwise, we will miss this week's local paper."
"Good idea. I'll mention it to Mr Smith."

Incident No 4 - 12.30 pm
Miss Ford (secretary to Mr Smith) chatting to Mr. Bond:
"Poor Mr Smith. You should see this morning's post. He'll have a shock when he gets back from the meeting: The Regional Board are wanting details about that accident in outpatients: a consultant from St. Mary's wants to look around the new intensive care unit; there are ten applications for the physiotherapy job; the local community committee have written again to ask if we are doing anything about visiting times, to fit in with the bus timetable, He's interviewing medical secretaries at 2.45. Goodness knows when he will give me the minutes of last week's advisory committee."
"I thought he did those at home?"
"Yes, he usually does, but I think he was out talking to a Woman's Institute meeting last night."

Incident No 5 - 1.30 pm
Mr Smith comes into the hospital, rushes off to the dining room and joins Miss French, the Director of Nursing, at the table.
"Hello, Mr Smith. What sort of day are you having?"
"Oh, usual. Like a madhouse. Haven't really started yet. Haven't even read the post or opened my e-mail."
"By the way, how are you liking your new Mr Bond?"
"Seems very good. Very bright. Seems to run the general office very well."
"Good, I'm pleased with him. Mind you, he's typical of the new school. Off at 5 pm like a shot. Although he says he wouldn't mind working ‘over the top'. Makes me laugh when I think of all there is to do. I never seem to have time to think. It's time you and I thought about visiting arrangements. Didn't we also say last week that we'd have a chat about the Operating Theatre Technician's report'?"

Incident No 6 - 2.30 pm
Mr Smith is in the general office looking for a letter in the tiling cabinet. In comes Richard Graham, Radiographer.
"Is Mr Bond in, Mr Smith?"
"He's somewhere around. Should be back any moment. Can I help you?"
"Actually, Mr Bond knows the story. It's about my on-call money."
"Haven't they paid it? I'll ring Salaries and Wages, if you like."
"No, it can wait. I don't want to bother you with it, Mr Smith."
"No bother. It won't take a minute." (Mr Smith lifts the phone). "Get me wages please, Jenny"... "Smith here. I've got a query about Mr Graham's on-call. Doyou know about it?"
"Yes, I sent Mr Bond an e-mail about it. You probably know he missed it off the return. Now he wants us to make an interim payment. I explained in the email that we will have to adjust it next month."
"Copy me in future, Jenny, so that I can keep a check on things. Anyway, thanks. I'll explain to Mr Graham." Replaces receiver.
"Sorry, Mr Graham. Looks as though Bond slipped up. Anyway, they will put it right next month."
(Mr Bond returns just too late, and sees Mr Graham disappearing).

Incident No 7 - 4.30 pm
(Interviewing the secretaries has just finished.)
Miss Ford (secretary) to Mr Smith:
"Mrs Brown is here to see you."
"Hello, Mrs Brown. Can I help you?"
"Well, Mr Smith, I tried to catch you earlier but you were busy. I wanted to ask if I could use the board room tomorrow night for a staff meeting."
"Oh, you should have asked Mr Bond. He keeps a diary of the bookings. Must delegate, you know! Anyway, I know it's clear. I keep an eye on the book so that I know what the position is."
"'Thanks, Mr Smith. I also wanted to ask whether it would be all right if I could take next Wednesday as a day's leave?"
"Of course. Send me an email about it so that we can let Personnel know."

Incident No 8 - 5.00 pm
Enter Miss Ford with the day's post (still not read). Mr Smith says:
"Oh my goodness, I'd better take that lot home. Another day won't hurt. You'd better go now. Thanks. Remind me tomorrow to deal with the medical secretary correspondence. Must get off a letter of appointment, and I'll try to dictate the ‘regret' letters if there is time."

Incident No 9 - 5.30 pm
Mr Bond, as he puts on his coat to go home:
"Night, Mr Smith. I've been trying to get in to see you. Was going to talk to you about the extra porter. Never mind - but it is a pity we've missed this week's paper."
"You're jumping the gun a bit! We haven't even been allowed the extra post yet."
"We have. Mr George rang me to say we could go ahead."
"When did he ring? I haven't heard about it. Anyway, I think we should think about transferring Reg from the Stores. I promised him a move about a year ago. He needs the shift money. Can't manage on a storeman's pay. Anyway, leave it with me."

Mr Bond leaves, and thinks on the way home:
That management course didn't do Mr Smith any good.
I bet Mr Peters doesn't know Reg wants a portering job. Anyway, I bet Peters would prefer somebody younger.
I wish I could get on with things myself.
I wonder what Mrs Brown wanted to see Mr Smith about?
I wonder what Richard Graham wanted? Probably something about his ‘on call' pay.
No wonder the last Director of Operations only lasted eight months.
Mr Smith is a nice chap, but I hope I don't get like that.
Wish I could have interviewed those secretaries myself I'm sure I would have done it better than Mr Smith.

Incident No 10 - 9.30 pm
(At Mr Smith's home, as he goes through his papers).

Mrs Smith:

"Darling, time you put those away. You must have had a busy enough day."

Task:

Please read chapters two and five of Rees and Porter (2008) Skills of Management book. Write a report with the focus on the following areas:

1. Look at each incident and identify areas of management responsibility that Mr Smith was not dealing with, that perhaps he should have been dealing with. Refer to relevant theories from chapters two and five of Rees and Porter (2008).

2. If you were a management consultant what advice would you give to Mr Smith to improve his effectiveness? Give reasons for your assessment and apply relevant theories in your analysis.

Please note that the word count identified above does not include the title page, the table of contents, the abstract, the introduction, the conclusion, the references list at the end of the report and the appendices.