| Unit name | Leadership and Management in Healthcare |
|---|---|
| Unit code | EFIMM0090 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52) |
| Unit director | Professor. Gianluca Veronesi |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Pre-requisites |
None |
| Co-requisites |
None |
| School/department | School of Management - Business School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
The unit explores the issues and challenges related to the leadership and management of healthcare organisations by focusing on a wide range of theory and research that has addressed this topic. It will offer insights into the theory that has informed change in healthcare systems and the historical context including changes in management and governance arrangements of healthcare organisations. The unit will also review the evidence to support different leadership framework and models. In particular, it will focus on leadership for healthcare professionals, looking at what the evidence base suggests in relation to its relationship with performance and how it can be supported and strengthened through ad hoc strategies and policies.
The unit aims to give students a critical understanding of:
a) The key notions of leadership and management in the healthcare context;
b) The main features and characteristics of healthcare organisations and the nature of the environmental context where they operate;
c) The history of leadership and management reforms in healthcare services with a specific focus on the National Health Services;
d) The research evidence on the influence and consequences of healthcare management reforms;
e) The antecedents of the effective development of leadership for healthcare professionals and the consequences, including risks and benefits, of a greater alignment between clinical and management priorities.
On completion of this unit, students should be able to:
1) Discuss different conceptual approaches to the study of leadership and management in healthcare organisations;
2) Understand and critically analyse current leadership and management theories in the context of complex professionalised healthcare organisations;
3) Demonstrate an understanding of leadership and management reforms and their outcomes in healthcare organisations;
4) Critically appraise risks and benefits associated with a closer alignment between clinical and management priorities;
5) Identify and critique relevant research to inform an evidence-based understanding of leadership and management in healthcare organisations.
The unit will be taught through a mixture of short lectures, discussion, case study work, readings, and group and individual exercises. There will be some compulsory pre-course work which will include core readings and critical analysis which the students are required to carry out. The use of the Blackboard online learning environment will be actively pursued to develop students’ understanding and engagement with the unit content.
The unit structure offers 18 contact hours in total. The remaining 182 learning hours will be spent in independent study and in the preparation of assessment.
Formative assessment (ILO 1,2,3)
Students are required to actively participate and contribute class discussions. The formative assessment is aimed at allowing students to gauge and evaluate levels of understanding, progress and development. They will be required to engage with a leadership and/or management issue and related challenges in the healthcare context. They will use the relevant academic and practitioner-focused literatures to analyse and summarise the relevant issue and related challenges.
Summative assessment (ILO 1,2,3,4,5)
The unit is assessed by means of a 4000-word written individual assignment (100%) based on a topic defined by the unit director and related to the teaching content. Students will be assessed on their knowledge and understanding of leadership and/or management models and theoretical frameworks and their implications for practice-oriented organisational issues and environmental challenges.
Students are expected to read extensively around the subject to inform their knowledge and develop critical analysis skills. Students are encouraged to draw from a range of sources including academic texts and papers, practice-oriented and policy-driven reports, and online sources.
Core Texts for this Unit are:
Ferlie, E., Montgomery, K., and Pedersen, A.R. (2017). The Oxford Handbook of Healthcare Management. Oxford University Press.
Ham, C. (2009). Health Policy in Britain. 6th ed. Palgrave McMillan.
Other recommended Text Book:
Greener, I., Harrington, B.E., Hunter, D.J., Mannion, R., and Powell, M. (2014). Reforming Healthcare? What’s the Evidence?. Policy Press.
Recommended Reading:
A number of recommended journal articles will be provided to each session. Students are encouraged to read a selection of articles. Details will be provided on the Blackboard.
