Case Scenario
Holyfield Healthcare Systems and Jonesville Regional Hospital, each with different organizational structures, are merging. The senior leadership, of which you are a part, must decide on the overarching organizational structure that will be used for the newly formed healthcare system. This will impact the distribution of power, which includes lines of authority, chain of command, and how operations will be carried out. Before the new structure can be adopted, a thorough exploration of the two existing structures, with attention paid to how power is distributed and wielded, must occur. In addition, leadership styles and their impact on power management within each organization will be explored.
Overview of Organizational Power: For this , you will begin by providing an overview of the types of organizational power, how power affects the health of an organization, and the impact of power on the work environment.
Organizational Structures and Power: From the four major organizational structures, Line, Matrix, Service-Line, and Flat, you will identify which one is currently used at each of the two healthcare systems (Holyfield and Jonesville). Then you will compare the characteristics of the two organizational structures*. The comparison will include a description of how power is distributed, managed, and wielded within each of the organizational structures. Then you will select one of the two structures to use in the newly merged system and provide a substantive, evidence-based rationale for your choice. *Shared governance and the Magnet Model are not considered organizational structures for this.
Leadership Styles and Power: Of the five major leadership styles**; authoritarian, democratic, laissez-faire, situational/contingency, and interactional; choose one used at each of the existing healthcare systems (Holyfield and Jonesville) and describe its characteristics. You will discuss how each leadership style is supported by the organizational structure chosen earlier for that system. As part of the discussion, you will include how power is distributed, managed, and wielded by each style. Finally, you will discuss your preference for the leadership style that is supported by your chosen organizational structure and provide an evidence-based rationale for your choice. **Transformational and transactional leadership are broad types of leadership within which several of the styles fit. Your focus is to be on the styles, not the two broad types.
Use the following format outline/template for your paper to complete your assignment. Bold-type is used here for emphasis only. Follow the guidelines for use of bold-type and headings using the most current edition of the APA manual.
Introduction (no heading)
Statement of paper’s purpose
Identify the chosen setting and the framework you will apply to it
Overview of Power within Organizations (heading, centered)
Types of organizational power
Impact of power on the health of the organization
Impact of power on the work environment
Organizational Structure and Power (heading, centered)
Describe at least two specific examples with expected outcomes of the framework’s impact on nursing
Engagement of staff and leadership (centered, with heading)
Identify, compare, and contrast two organizational structures of the scenario facilities
Describe how power in distributed, managed and wielded within each structure
Preferred organizational structure (of the two) for a merged system with evidence-based rationale
Leadership Styles and Power (heading, centered)
Compare two leadership styles supported by and used within the structures of the scenario facilities
How is power distributed, managed, and wielded by the two leadership styles within the preferred structure described
Preferred leadership style (of the two) for the merged system with evidence-based rationale