UK healthcare industry Strategy Management: White Cross Health Center Case Study

Executive Summary

The UK healthcare industry is developed basis on faith, care and transparency. The companies affiliated by NHS understand the value of high quality care, innovative operation management process and customer satisfaction. White Cross Health Center is an emerging healthcare service providing firm, which focuses on integration of innovation. The consideration of employee friendly culture and specific organizational communication network helped the company management of White Cross Health Center to develop a strong relationship between the employees, management and other stakeholders. Time efficiency and cost efficiency oriented approaches should be integrated in order to improve the degree of innovation.

1.0  Introduction

White Cross Health Center is considered to be one of the emerging and highly popular healthcare service providing organizations in UK, which is headquartered in London. The company started its operation management journey in the year 2001. The company offers the health care services to the people and students of London. The company management of White Cross Health Center has appointed the skilled, dedicated and knowledgeable nurses, doctors as well as different health workers to offer differentiated healthcare services within the community.

1.1 Background

People of UK were suffering from different types of healthcare challenges during the post Second World War era. The establishment of National Healthcare Service helped people of UK to receive valuable healthcare services through the integration of care and strong administrative control. The strong administration of NHS also helped the development of several independent healthcare service providing organizations and health centers. White Cross Health Center is one of these health centers. The company started its business journey in the year 2001 and the help of important stakeholders has helped the company management to satisfy the needs and demands of the target customers within the community. The company management of White Cross Health Center has adopted different types of leadership, managerial, organizational culture and innovative management strategies. All the strategic management approaches will be analyzed in this report.

2.0 Leadership and Managerial Approaches

The decision makers and the strategy developers of White Cross Health Center have adopted the transformational leadership approach. According to this leadership approach, all the healthcare staffs, doctors, nurses and social workers are strongly allowed to share their views. Overall, the major aim of the management of White Cross Health Center is to maintain a strong workplace environment in which doctors, nurses, all the social workers and all the healthcare workers will be satisfied enough regarding their job roles and activities. It also helps them to participate in the possible change management approaches with the positive frame of minds (Wheelen& Hunger, 2017). Therefore, the adoption of the transformational leadership approach by White Cross Health Center is highly justified.

In terms of the managerial approaches, the management body of White Cross Health Center has adopted and implemented the democratic management approach. The consideration of the democratic approach always helps the decision makers and evaluators to focus on the workplace demands and job satisfaction of all the employees and staffs. Overall, the major aim of the company regarding the creativity and innovation management has allowed the management of White Cross Health Center to adopt the transformational leadership approach as well as democratic managerial approach.

2.1 Organizational Development

An organizational development theory can be applied in this part of the report to analyze the characteristics of the organizational development process adopted by White Cross Health Center. An organization either can adopt the centralized organizational culture or the decentralized organizational culture. Before going into the critical analysis regarding the organizational development process of White Cross Health Center, it is important for the researcher to determine the basic concepts of two organizational development theories (Alegre et al., 2013).

In the centralized organizational culture, the company management and decision makers always try to take entire control over the decision making and strategy development process. The management and leaders of the companies in the centralized culture used to consider the authoritative approach. On the other hand, the company management with the decentralized approach always focuses on the establishment of the transformational approaches and democratic approaches. In this decentralized culture, the company managements always focus on effective employee collaboration and stakeholder co-operation.

In terms of the organizational development process of White Cross Health Center, the company management always focuses on enhancement of the job satisfaction of employees and staffs. In addition, it is already clarified from the previous section that the management of White Cross Health Center is habituated with the implication of democratic management approach and transformational leadership approach for the better employee management and positive workplace performance (Hill et al., 2014). White Cross Health Center is operating within a sensitive service providing industry in which care and treatment are two important and fundamental aspects of growth and sustainability. The consideration of the decentralized approach has helped White Cross Health Center regarding this particular aspect.

3.0 Role of Innovation in Business Performanceand Managing Change

It is already discussed that the company management of White Cross Health Center has adopted and implemented the transformational leadership approach and democratic management approach. The transformational leadership approach always helps an organization to initiate successful change management approach regarding the development of an effective long-term healthcare goal. On the other hand, democratic management approach also can help the company management of White Cross Health Center to engage the important and competent employees with the decision making process in the future short-term goal development process regarding the healthcare services (Peppard& Ward, 2016). It is also identical that White Cross Health Center is following decentralized organizational culture for better employee engagement and employee collaboration process. Apart from collaboration, decentralization, transformation and democratic approach will also help the company management to motivate nurses, doctors, healthcare workers and social workers to generate innovative ideas for the betterment of social healthcare.The decentralized organizational culture at White Cross Health Center is the major reason behind the growing employee collaboration orientation and approaches. In addition, this is also essential to state that the innovation management process is the major consequence of employee collaboration, transformational leadership approach, democratic management approach and democratic organizational culture.

Innovation in the business operation process can help the companies within the UK healthcare industry to adopt different types of technologically advanced services and differentiated approaches to care aspects. These innovative approaches will significantly motivate all the important stakeholders of the company, such as doctors, social workers, health center workers and the nurses to participate with the positive frame of mind in the change management development and initiation process (Klingebiel& Rammer, 2014). Hence, it is acceptable that the innovation management helps to motivate all the stakeholders to get engaged with the change management development process. The company management of White Cross Health Center also can get competitive advantages through the consideration of the effective innovation management approaches, which will motivate the decision makers to initiate change. Consideration of effective implication of the change management approach proposed by Kurt Lewin can significantly assist the company management to initiate innovative change management process.

The Change management process of Kurt Lewin is comprised of three stages, such as unfreeze, freeze and refreeze. In unfreeze stage; the company management of White Cross Health Center gets ready to integrate the innovation in the management process. In the freeze stage, the company management should communicate with all the stakeholders regarding the effectiveness and possibilities of the use of innovation. In this stage, the company also implements change. Refreeze is the third important stage and in this stage, the company management of White Cross Health Center reviews the efficiency of the innovative change management process basis on the possible outcome.

4.0 Competitive Strategy

In the era of globalization and post-industrial economy, almost 95 percent companies within the healthcare industry across UK are trying to extend their operation network and reach across the regional boundary. According to the principles and values of the majority of the organizations throughout the globe, care and sustainability are two important considerations.

In terms of the competitive strategic approach, the company management and decision makers of White Cross Health Center used to implement the differentiation business level approach. Differentiation business level approach is an important generic strategic approach by which White Cross Health Center offers different types of integrated and high quality healthcare services to the students as well as citizens of London (Goetsch& Davis, 2014). Slowly and gradually, the company management is eying on the extension of operation network across the borders. Moreover, integration of skilled volunteers, staffs, professionals, financial resources and technological resources are considered to be some important resource allocations processes, which are helping the company management of White Cross Health Center to gain competitive advantages.

5.0 Creativity and Strategic Innovation Management

There are two types of creativity approaches, such as individual creativity and organizational creativity. It is highly acceptable that the integration of the individual creativity, organizational creativity and strategic innovation can play an important role in the business development process. In case of White Cross Health Center, the popularity of the quality healthcare services and effective patient follow up by the doctors and nurses have helped White Cross Health Center to improve the brand image. The employees of White Cross Health Center are allowed to develop the creative ideas due to its specific organizational culture and leadership approach. In addition, this is also important to state that the collaboration approaches and generation of individual creative ideas ensures organizational creativity. The enhancement of individual and organizational creativity is ensuring strategic innovation, which is helping White Cross Health Center to create a benchmark within the industry (Foss & Knudsen, 2013).

First of all, the visionary approach will help to encourage and manage creativity and entrepreneurial activity as these will assist in the development of transparent and sustainable vision. The visionary approach will always assist in the generation of creative and innovative ideas. Lastly, this is also important to accept that the company management of White Cross Health Center should also consider the importance of the combined top-down and bottom-up communication approach for the better strategic innovations in near future. 

6.0 Competitor Analysis

White Cross Health Center is becoming a renowned name within the UK health center industry due to its offering of high quality and differentiated health care services. Cavendish health is the major competitor of White Cross Health Center.

Care, sustainability, ethics, transparency and governance are the five pillars of the growing success of White Cross Health Center. On the other hand, Cavendish highly relies on resource efficiency approaches (Johnston & Marshall, 2016). The company started its business operation process in the year 2001 in London. Slowly and gradually, the company management of White Cross Health Center has succeeded to extend its reach beyond London. Now, the company is present in almost 75 percent of urban and semi-urban areas. Comparing to White Cross Health Center, Cavendish Health Center has presence in almost 65 percent of the areas. The effective innovation management process and noteworthy organizational culture have helped the company to gain effective support from important stakeholders, such as government, customers, policy developers and community members.

First of all, both the company management adopted technological innovation in change management process. Secondly, both the company managements have developed decentralized culture and a strong workforce, which has helped to improve the degree of innovation management. Thirdly, the consideration of transformational leadership approach and democratic managerial approach has helped the company management to enhance effective employee collaboration for White Cross Health Center comparing to Cavendish (Van de Ven, 1986). The strong engagement and collaboration of the skilled and knowledgeable employees have motivated the employees to share the generated innovative ideas to management. Hence, these are considered as some important aspects of innovation and creativity at White Cross Health Center.

7.0 Justification for Innovation

The generation of innovative ideas and integration of creativity is highly justified. First of all, the demand for the sustainable and ethical healthcare services from the health center is increasing significantly. The integration of the strong innovative approach through employee engagement assisted the management of White Cross Health Center to overcome the possible industry saturation and competition related challenges. Secondly, the consideration of innovation in the operation process will help White Cross Health Center to gain effective support from the important stakeholders, such as government. Hence, it may ensure a conflict free and smooth business performance.

Thirdly, the demand for the differentiated and improved healthcare services has increased among the 85 percent of target customers of different segments. Hence, integration of innovative approach will automatically assist the company management of White Cross Health Center to ensure potential competitive advantages. Therefore, the innovation is justified.

8.0 Recommendations

First of all, the decision makers of White Cross Health Center should try to develop a strong employee engagement approach. Apart from it, effective stakeholder relationship should be ensured by the management for a strong support from all kinds of stakeholders.

Secondly, the company management should strongly consider the integration of advanced technological applications, such as ICT, Big Data etc. for better data management process through a time and cost efficient approach (Burgelman et al., 1996).

Lastly, the management of White Cross Health Center should integrate 360 degree appraisal process to gain valuable feedback from the important stakeholders regarding the implementation of the effective strategies in near future.

9.0 Conclusion

White Cross Health Center is highly adamant to integrate high quality innovation management approach for better and efficient health care services. The company has adopted the effective decentralized culture, transformational approach, employee engagement approach, stakeholder integration approach, and democratic managerial approach to integrate innovation and creativity. The rapid extension of the network is the consequence of innovation management. Effective use of tangible as well as intangible resources along with effective resource allocation will significantly help in the enhancement of strategic innovation.

10.0 Appendix: Academic Rationale

I have come to know through the analysis that White Cross Health Center has adopted and implemented the democratic management approach. This managerial approach is constantly implemented by the majority of the organizations in this contemporary era. The consideration of the democratic approach always helps the decision makers and evaluators to focus on the workplace demands and job satisfaction of all the employees and staffs. In this contemporary era, the organizations generally focus on the adoption of the effective employee friendly approaches for the better business growth as employees are the real growth drivers. In terms of academic reflection, all the management students as well as the human resource professionals need to understand the reasons behind the aim of the companies in this present era regarding the career growth and motivation. I have understood that the transformational leadership approach always helps an organization to initiate successful change management approach regarding the development of an effective long-term healthcare goal. On the other hand, democratic management approach also can help the company management of White Cross Health Center to engage the important and competent employees with the decision making process in the future short-term goal development process regarding the healthcare services. The management and leaders of the companies in the centralized culture used to consider the authoritative approach. On the other hand, the company management with the decentralized approach always focuses on the establishment of the transformational approaches and democratic approaches. Hence, it is acceptable that companies concerned with the employee centric culture and positive employee performance level should understand the demand of the decentralized culture. The analysis of this study can help the students to understand the importance of the decentralized culture within a company.

In the analysis part, the importance of collaboration of nurses, doctors and other important stakeholders of the company has been discussed analyzed. The decentralized organizational culture at White Cross Health Center is the major reason behind the growing employee collaboration orientation and approaches. Collaboration, decentralization, transformation and democratic approach will also help the company management to motivate nurses, doctors, healthcare workers and social workers to generate innovative ideas for the betterment of social healthcare. The companies within the health care industry as well as other industries should also focus on the implementation of the other approaches. First of all, this is acceptable that the company management of majority firms in this era is trying to gain competitive advantages through the consideration of decentralization, transformation and democratic approach by integrating innovation in the change management process. Innovation management process is the major consequence of employee collaboration, transformational leadership approach, democratic management approach and democratic organizational culture.

The demand for the sustainable and ethical healthcare services from the health center is increasing significantly. The integration of the strong innovative approach through employee engagement is assisting the contemporary firms to overcome the possible industry saturation and competition related challenges. Innovation is important to get success and the future professionals need to understand that the integration of innovation will help to meet the ongoing customer demands within different industries. It is important and acceptable that demand for the differentiated and improved healthcare services has increased among the 85 percent of target customers of different segments. Hence, integration of innovative approach will automatically assist the company management of modern firms within the UK healthcare industry.

The companies in the present era need to integrate some important managerial approaches to lead innovation in the business management activities. Integration of innovation management and creativity can help an organization to improve the business growth as well as profitability. In addition, the managements of the firms in this era are focusing on effective resource allocation and integration process for the better growth. However, the management students need to understand the theoretical concepts along with the practical concept of innovation management. In this era company management adopts technological innovation in change management process. In addition, company managements in this era focus on decentralized culture and a strong workforce, which helps to improve the degree of innovation management. Apart from these, the consideration of transformational leadership approach and democratic managerial approach are also helpful for the company management to enhance effective employee collaboration for the organizations. The strong engagement and collaboration of the skilled and knowledgeable employees have motivated the employees to share the generated innovative ideas to management. Hence, these are considered as some important aspects of innovation and creativity at White Cross Health Center.  The companies in this era should consider effective decentralized culture, transformational approach, employee engagement approach, stakeholder integration approach, and democratic managerial approach to integrate innovation and creativity. This will improve competitive advantages and profitability. On the other hand, the academic professionals should also focus on the analysis of real life examples regarding the innovation management for better knowledge management aspects for future professionals.

 

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