WEEK TWO DISCUSSION One REPLIES

1. Respond to at least two peers with EACH question. Peer posts must be thoughtful, insightful and rich in content.

2. 150 word minimum.

Ricardo Moctezuma

According to the lecture for this week, an informal organization refers to how workers have their “unofficial rules, procedures, and communication networks that coexist and may conflict with those of the formal organization” (Foundation of the American College of Healthcare Executives, 2019) (Moseley, 2023). In other words, they refer to the microcosm/microculture that workers have within a healthcare organization that encompasses unique norms and unspoken rules. The “unit” of the informal organization is the shared small group – workers within a department that share responsibilities and begin to have similar contact, interaction, and emotions.  

Informal groups ad unofficial arrangements emerge from shared interests and relationships among people who work together. Examples include the overnight shift of clinical laboratory scientists that begin to support one another, form camaraderie, engage in gossip, and can even interact eventually outside of work by going for drinks.   

The informal organization within an HCO affects management because it reflects how work is truly carried out (outside of proper, standardized channels) and how employees feel about their work and influence over the organization (their true feelings). However, most concerning, this type of organization disrupts managers’ official jobs and alters the organizational structure. Work procedures and recorded communication are foregone in favor of informal rules and the “grapevine” (communication networks that occur normally outside the purview of management) (Status.net, 2022). 

Because of the nature of informal organizations spontaneously forming because of the innate human drive for social interaction, HCO managers and directors should not fight this but rather encourage it, to a degree. The reason for this is that the informal organization contains multiple advantages that may contribute to the company’s official structure. For instance, communication occurs at a much faster rate because it does not obey a chain of command; there is also faster troubleshooting because employees can congregate and discuss work and non-work issues and can arrive at solutions collectively rather than waiting for a superior to resolve the issue. Additionally, informal groups can ease into new management changes, leading to less resistance and greater adoption by adopting a “team mentality.” Lastly, because employees are able to share their feelings and opinions with one another more comfortably, they are more “free to explore and express their creativity and ideas” instead of going through formal management (Nasrudin, 2022).    

References

Moseley, C. (2023, January). Week 2 – Management. HCA 620 – Health Organization Management. Online; Online.

 Nasrudin, A. (2022, May 16). Informal organizational structure: Characteristics, advantages, disadvantages. Penpoin. Retrieved January 12, 2023, from 

Status.net. (2022, December 24). What is Grapevine Communication? 5 solutions and challenges. Status.net. Retrieved January 12, 2023, from 

Brett Turano 

Management of Healthcare Organizations defines an informal organization as a worker’s unofficial and unwritten work rules, procedures, expectations, agreements, and communication networks (Olden, 2019, p. 93). I would describe an informal organization as one that leads the organization with a decentralized command. This leadership tactic means that workers can choose what methods or procedures work best for their operating style. However, the methods used do continue to follow laws and regulations that are in place. The leadership can use this type of management so long as the end goal is completed and thoroughly explained. An informal organization affects managing an HCOs because if the administration is not engaged, these tactics can lead to severe issues. The benefits of informal organizations are giving power and influence to the worker, reflecting how employees feel about the work. However, this can disrupt how managers conduct official jobs and the organizational structure. The way the HCO managers can work with the informal organization would be to improve communication skills and transparency or establish specific performance standards like many top managers to guide their organizations (What Are the Main Methods Top Managers Use to Control the Organization?, n.d.).

Thank you for your time and feedback.

Sincerely,

Brett Turano

References

Olden, P. (2019). Management of healthcare organizations: An introduction (3rd ed.). Health Administration Press.

What are the main methods top managers use to control the organization? (n.d.). Small Business – Chron.com.