Harvard Case - Dr. Laura Esserman (A)
"Dr. Laura Esserman (A)" Harvard business case study is written by Jeffrey Pfeffer, Victoria Chang. It deals with the challenges in the field of Organizational Behavior. The case study is 26 page(s) long and it was first published on : Sep 30, 2003
At Fern Fort University, we recommend Dr. Laura Esserman adopt a multifaceted approach to leading the Breast Care Center, focusing on fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and patient-centered care. This involves implementing a strategic plan that addresses key challenges, including:
- Building a high-performing team: Investing in talent acquisition, development, and retention to attract and retain top-tier professionals.
- Enhancing communication and collaboration: Establishing clear communication channels, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and promoting open dialogue.
- Embracing innovation and technology: Investing in cutting-edge technologies, encouraging research and development, and promoting a culture of continuous improvement.
- Strengthening leadership and management: Developing a strong leadership team that empowers employees, fosters a positive work environment, and effectively manages change.
- Prioritizing patient-centered care: Focusing on improving patient experience, enhancing access to care, and ensuring equitable access to services.
2. Background
The case study revolves around Dr. Laura Esserman, a renowned breast cancer surgeon and researcher, who has been appointed as the new director of the Breast Care Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). The center faces numerous challenges, including:
- Declining patient satisfaction: Patients are dissatisfied with the center's communication, wait times, and overall experience.
- Internal conflicts: There is a lack of collaboration and communication between different departments within the center.
- Limited resources: The center faces budgetary constraints and struggles to attract and retain top talent.
- Rapidly evolving field: The field of breast cancer treatment is constantly evolving, requiring the center to adapt quickly to new technologies and research findings.
3. Analysis of the Case Study
The case study highlights several key organizational behavior and management challenges:
Leadership Styles: Dr. Esserman's leadership style is characterized by a strong focus on innovation and research, but she struggles to effectively manage the center's day-to-day operations and build strong relationships with staff.
Organizational Culture: The center's culture is characterized by silos, poor communication, and a lack of trust between departments. This hinders collaboration and innovation.
Team Dynamics: The center lacks a cohesive team, with departments working in isolation and competing for resources. This creates inefficiencies and hinders patient care.
Motivation Theories: The center's employees are demotivated due to low morale, lack of recognition, and limited opportunities for professional development.
Change Management: Dr. Esserman's vision for the center involves significant changes, but she lacks a clear plan for implementing these changes and managing resistance from staff.
Conflict Resolution: The center experiences internal conflicts due to competing priorities, lack of communication, and differing perspectives. These conflicts need to be addressed effectively to foster a more collaborative environment.
Power and Politics in Organizations: The center's organizational structure and power dynamics contribute to the existing challenges. Dr. Esserman needs to navigate these dynamics effectively to implement her vision.
Decision-Making Processes: The center's decision-making process is opaque and lacks transparency, leading to frustration among staff and hindering efficiency.
Emotional Intelligence: Dr. Esserman's leadership style lacks emotional intelligence, leading to communication breakdowns and strained relationships with staff.
Employee Engagement: Employees are disengaged due to a lack of trust in leadership, limited opportunities for growth, and a perceived lack of appreciation.
Organizational Structure: The center's organizational structure is outdated and hinders collaboration and communication.
Group Behavior: The center's departments operate as separate groups with limited interaction and collaboration.
Communication Patterns: Communication within the center is fragmented and ineffective, leading to misunderstandings and conflicts.
Performance Management: The center lacks a robust performance management system, leading to inconsistencies in performance evaluation and limited opportunities for improvement.
Organizational Learning: The center struggles to effectively learn from past experiences and adapt to new challenges.
Diversity and Inclusion: The center needs to improve its diversity and inclusion efforts to create a more welcoming and equitable environment for all employees.
Job Satisfaction: Employee job satisfaction is low due to a lack of recognition, limited opportunities for growth, and a perceived lack of support from leadership.
Work-Life Balance: Employees struggle to maintain a healthy work-life balance, leading to stress, burnout, and decreased productivity.
Organizational Commitment: Employee commitment to the center is low due to a lack of trust in leadership and a perception that their contributions are not valued.
Personality Traits in the Workplace: The center's staff exhibits a range of personality traits, which can create challenges in team dynamics and communication.
Organizational Justice: Employees perceive a lack of fairness in the center's decision-making processes and resource allocation, leading to resentment and decreased motivation.
Stress Management: High levels of stress and burnout are prevalent among employees, impacting their well-being and performance.
Psychological Contracts: The psychological contracts between employees and the center are not clearly defined, leading to misunderstandings and a lack of trust.
Organizational Citizenship Behavior: Employees exhibit low levels of organizational citizenship behavior due to a lack of trust in leadership and a perception that their extra efforts are not appreciated.
Virtual Teams: The center could benefit from leveraging virtual teams to enhance collaboration and access to expertise from outside the institution.
Cross-Cultural Management: The center needs to be mindful of cross-cultural differences in its staff and patient population to ensure equitable and culturally sensitive care.
Organizational Development: The center needs to undergo a comprehensive organizational development process to address its challenges and build a more effective and sustainable organization.
Job Design and Characteristics: The center's job design needs to be reviewed to ensure it is motivating, challenging, and aligned with employee skills and interests.
Perception and Attribution: Employees' perceptions and attributions of events within the center can influence their behavior and motivation.
Negotiation and Conflict Management: Dr. Esserman needs to develop strong negotiation and conflict management skills to effectively address internal conflicts and build consensus.
Ethical Behavior in Organizations: The center needs to promote ethical behavior and decision-making among its staff to maintain a high level of integrity and trust.
Transformational Leadership: Dr. Esserman needs to adopt a more transformational leadership style that inspires and motivates employees to achieve a shared vision.
Employee Motivation Strategies: The center needs to implement effective employee motivation strategies, such as recognition programs, professional development opportunities, and flexible work arrangements.
Organizational Socialization: The center needs to develop a robust organizational socialization process to help new employees integrate into the culture and understand the center's values and expectations.
Workplace Creativity and Innovation: The center needs to foster a culture of creativity and innovation to stay ahead of the curve in the rapidly evolving field of breast cancer treatment.
Organizational Trust: Building trust between leadership and staff is crucial to create a more collaborative and productive work environment.
Psychological Safety: Creating a psychologically safe environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their ideas and concerns is essential for innovation and growth.
Feedback Mechanisms: The center needs to establish effective feedback mechanisms to provide employees with constructive feedback and support their development.
Resistance to Change: Dr. Esserman needs to anticipate and manage resistance to change effectively to ensure a smooth transition to her vision for the center.
Organizational Identity: The center needs to develop a strong organizational identity that reflects its values, mission, and commitment to patient care.
Workplace Diversity Management: The center needs to implement a comprehensive diversity management plan to ensure that all employees feel valued and respected.
Organizational Politics: Dr. Esserman needs to understand and navigate the center's political landscape to effectively implement her vision.
Employee Empowerment: Empowering employees to make decisions and take ownership of their work is essential for motivation and innovation.
Organizational Climate: The center's organizational climate needs to be positive and supportive to foster employee engagement and well-being.
Workplace Attitudes and Behaviors: The center needs to address negative attitudes and behaviors that hinder collaboration and productivity.
Team Building Techniques: Implementing team building techniques can help improve communication, collaboration, and trust among staff.
Organizational Symbolism: The center can leverage organizational symbolism, such as shared values, rituals, and stories, to strengthen its culture and identity.
Workplace Wellbeing: Promoting employee well-being through stress management programs, flexible work arrangements, and a supportive work environment is essential for employee retention and productivity.
Organizational Storytelling: Sharing stories about the center's successes and challenges can help build a sense of shared history and purpose.
Psychological Capital: Building psychological capital among employees by fostering hope, resilience, optimism, and efficacy can enhance their well-being and performance.
4. Recommendations
Dr. Esserman should implement the following recommendations to transform the Breast Care Center into a high-performing, patient-centered organization:
1. Leadership Development and Team Building:
- Leadership Coaching: Dr. Esserman should engage in executive coaching to develop her leadership skills, particularly in communication, emotional intelligence, and team management.
- Leadership Team Development: Dr. Esserman should build a strong leadership team by identifying and developing potential leaders within the center. This team should be responsible for implementing her vision and fostering a collaborative culture.
- Team Building Activities: The center should invest in team building activities to improve communication, collaboration, and trust between departments.
2. Communication and Collaboration:
- Establish Clear Communication Channels: Implement a clear and consistent communication strategy, including regular meetings, newsletters, and online platforms, to ensure that all staff members are informed about center-wide initiatives and updates.
- Cross-Functional Teams: Create cross-functional teams to address specific challenges and promote collaboration between departments.
- Open Dialogue and Feedback Mechanisms: Foster a culture of open dialogue and feedback by encouraging employees to share their ideas and concerns. Implement regular feedback mechanisms to gather employee input and address concerns.
3. Innovation and Technology:
- Invest in Cutting-Edge Technology: Invest in new technologies that improve patient care, enhance efficiency, and support research initiatives.
- Encourage Research and Development: Create a culture that values research and development by providing resources and support for staff to pursue innovative projects.
- Continuous Improvement: Implement a system for continuous improvement to identify areas for improvement and implement changes to enhance patient care and operational efficiency.
4. Patient-Centered Care:
- Improve Patient Experience: Implement strategies to improve the patient experience, such as reducing wait times, enhancing communication, and offering personalized care.
- Enhance Access to Care: Explore ways to improve access to care, such as expanding clinic hours, offering telemedicine services, and partnering with community organizations.
- Ensure Equitable Access to Services: Develop strategies to ensure that all patients have equitable access to services, regardless of their socioeconomic status or insurance coverage.
5. Human Resource Management:
- Talent Acquisition and Retention: Develop a comprehensive talent acquisition strategy to attract and retain top-tier professionals. This includes offering competitive salaries and benefits, providing opportunities for professional development, and fostering a positive work environment.
- Performance Management System: Implement a robust performance management system that provides clear expectations, regular feedback, and opportunities for growth and development.
- Employee Recognition and Appreciation: Develop a system for recognizing and appreciating employee contributions, such as employee-of-the-month programs, awards, and public acknowledgements.
6. Organizational Structure and Design:
- Review and Revise Organizational Structure: Review the current organizational structure and make necessary changes to promote collaboration, communication, and efficiency.
- Empowerment and Decentralization: Empower employees to make decisions and take ownership of their work to increase motivation and engagement.
- Flatter Hierarchy: Consider creating a flatter hierarchy to improve communication and decision-making processes.
5. Basis of Recommendations
These recommendations are based on a thorough analysis of the case study, considering the following factors:
- Core Competencies and Consistency with Mission: The recommendations are aligned with the center's core competencies in breast cancer treatment and research, and they support the center's mission to provide high-quality, patient-centered care.
- External Customers and Internal Clients: The recommendations address the needs of both external customers (patients) and internal clients (employees).
- Competitors: The recommendations are informed by best practices in the field of breast cancer treatment and by the strategies of leading institutions in the field.
- Attractiveness ' Quantitative Measures: While quantifying the impact of these recommendations is challenging, they are expected to lead to improvements in patient satisfaction, employee engagement, and operational efficiency, ultimately contributing to the center's financial sustainability.
6. Conclusion
By implementing these recommendations, Dr. Esserman can transform the Breast Care Center into a high-performing organization that is known for its innovation, collaboration, and patient-centered care. This will require a commitment to change, a willingness to embrace new ideas, and a focus on building a strong and supportive team.
7. Discussion
Other alternatives not selected include:
- Outsourcing certain functions: This could save costs but may compromise quality and control.
- Merging with another department: This could create synergies but could also lead to conflicts and cultural clashes.
- Closing the center: This would be a drastic measure and would not be in the best interest of patients or the institution.
Risks and Key Assumptions:
- Resistance to change: Some staff members may resist change, which could hinder implementation.
- Financial constraints: The center may face financial constraints that limit its ability to implement all recommendations.
- Lack of leadership support: Dr. Esserman's commitment to change is crucial for success.
- External factors: Changes in the healthcare industry or the economy could impact the center's ability to implement its vision.
8. Next Steps
The following timeline outlines key milestones for implementing the recommendations:
- Month 1: Dr. Esserman engages in executive coaching and begins building her leadership team.
- Month 3: The center implements a new communication strategy and launches team building activities.
- Month 6: The center invests in new technology and establishes a system for continuous improvement.
- Month 9: The center implements a new performance management system and launches employee recognition programs.
- Month 12: The center reviews and revises its organizational structure and begins to empower employees.
By following this timeline and implementing the recommendations, Dr. Esserman can create a more effective and sustainable Breast Care Center that provides high-quality, patient-centered care.
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Case Description
Laura Esserman, a surgeon and faculty member at the University of California at San Francisco as well as a graduate of Stanford Business School, is engaged in a major effort to change the delivery of breast cancer services and the information systems used to support both research and patient care. A true visionary with enormous personal charm and charisma, Esserman has run into obstacles and opposition as she tries to get support in a bureaucratic, complex, academic medical organization. Focuses on Esserman's accomplishments and various other actors and brings up the issue of how she should develop more power and influence to move along her vision.
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