Critical analysis of Fire Safety Legislation of Botswana

Question: Discuss about the Critical analysis of Fire Safety Legislation of Botswana. Answer: Fire outbreak is one of the potential risks that any organization may face anytime especially when there are no established measures of preventing or dealing with fire hazards. Various organizations have taken the initiative of equipping their organizations with fire fighting machines. Others have gone an extra mile and trained their employees about fire hazards, especially on how they should act when there is a fire emergency. All nations have fire safety regulations that provide guidance on fire prevention, evacuation, and fire fighting. The country of interest in this paper is Botswana which is my main place of work. Carrying out a critical analysis of the fire safety regulation in Botswana will aid in understanding its adequacy for life safety, and how this relates to the general property or asset protection, and reduction in business interruption. Botswana has a fire service team which comprises of fire brigades and is responsible for the control and prevention of fires in the country. This service forms parts of the Unified Local Government Service (ULDS). The Fire Service Act of 1996 is enforced by the local authorities. The service is headed by a director, a public offer whose duties include regulation and coordination of fire brigades in Botswana. The Fire Safety Legislation of Botswana is adequate in ensuring life safety. The fire service of Botswana has ensured that every council area has a fire brigade with the necessary equipment, and trained personnel to respond to fire outbreaks (Government of Botswana, 2005). Also, the fire service ensures that there is adequate provision of water supplies. Each council ensures that there is adequate water supply available for use when necessary. Various councils have entered into an agreement for water authorities under the recommendations of the Waterworks Act (The World Law Guide (WLG), 2016). This has enabled fire brigades in each council to have access to water when necessary. Under the provisions of the Waterworks Act, the fire brigade is required to replace the water of pay compensation for the water used thereof. Regarding the availability and response of fire fighting officers, Botswanas fire officers are always ready for duty always and may at any time respond to a duty call. Botswanas Statute Law, Volume 89, under fire prevention, requires every officer, at all times, to perform the duties allocated to him/her effectively and to fulfill the specific or general orders issued by the director of the fire brigade under which he/she operates. The duty of every fire officer is to act within all his power towards protecting persons, and property in case of fire outbreak. Most importantly, fire and police officers in Botswana may break into any business premise where fire has broken out for the purpose of extinguishing fire even without the consent of the occupier or the owner. This is to ensure the evacuation of the property and people in such premises. This is an indication of the responsiveness and alertness of the Botswana fire service according to the provisions of the Fire Safety Act of the country. Besides, the safety measures employed by fire brigades in Botswana ensure that fire outbreaks in any building are contained. Obeng (2001) asserts that any fire brigade officer, in regard to fire prevention, can obtain and assemble information concerning the quality of buildings and property in the area, the availability of water, means of accessing property and premises, and any other local situation. This is to provide advice concerning property and buildings for the aim of fire prevention, inspection and escape in case of fire purposes. Such data collection on buildings and property, as well as inspection is important for fire prevention and in the case of fire, successful and on time fire fighting to ensure the safety of persons and property. The Fire Safety Legislation of Botswana inspects buildings to ascertain their quality and equipment, the ventilation systems, and presence of fire extinguishing equipment. These are taken into account regarding the alleviation of fire outcome s. According to IAEA (2004), buildings are expected to have adequate access and escape routes for the field operators or fire fighters. Such routes should not have combustible materials. The legislation provides that the layout of premises should regard the prevention of the spread of fire, and smoke from neighboring fire cells to the access or escape routes. Also, ventilation systems should not compromise the availability of unnecessary safety systems. Such conditions on the nature of buildings are tackled in the fire risk analysis (Botswana Law Revision Commissioner, 2007). However, the Fire Safety Legislation of Botswana has not done enough towards the prevention and response to fire outbreak. Despite the fact that it has equipment for fire fighting and a ready trained response team, in several occasions, many businesses such as supermarkets lose their properties in fire outbreaks due to the delay of fire brigades. The legislation has failed to demand that all premises and organizations should train their employees on fire prevention and fighting. Only a few large organizations in Botswana have done so. In other workplaces, there are only one or two fire extinguishers, which are not enough to contain fire. The legislation should therefore ensure that all workplaces train their workers on fire prevention and fighting as a way of minimizing deaths and property loss in the event of fire. Also, most of the portable fire extinguishers in Botswana are not approved by the Botswana Bureau of Standards. This is according to a recent press release which advised fire service providers to ensure that their equipment are approved by the bureau by the 1st October 2016. The Fire Safety Legislation of Botswana, also known as the Fire Service Act has worked to ensure fire prevention through the provision of necessary equipment and have responsive and trained personnel to contain fire hazards. The fire service officials inspect the layout and quality of buildings to ascertain whether they have a safe escape and access routes in the event of fire. Also, fire brigades in each council area ensure that there is sufficient water supply and equipment for responding to fire outbreaks. This has minimized business interruptions due to power outbreaks, reduced the destruction of property, and loss of lives. Though the legislation has not demanded the training of workers on fire prevention in every organization, it is adequate in life safety and property protection. References Botswana. (2005). Statute Law, Volume 89. Government Printer Botswana Bureau of Standards (BOS). Press release; implementation of fire safety standards. Retrived from file:///C:/Users/Winnie/Downloads/Press%20Release%20-%20Implementation%20of%20Fire%20Safety%20Standards.pdf Botswana. Law Revision Commissioner. (2007). The laws of Botswana: LRO 1/2007 (up to and including Act 22 of 2006 and S.I. 96 of 2006). Republic of Botswana Fire Service Act. (1996). CHAPTER:40:04An Act to provide for the creation of a Fire Service for Botswana. Volume VII. Retrieved from https://www.elaws.gov.bw/desplaylrpage1.php?v=VIIvp=id=1246 Government of Botswana (GOB). (2005). Act 14; National Security Act. CHAPTER 23:01. Retrieved from https://www.vertic.org/media/National%20Legislation/Botswana/BW_National_Security_Act.pdf International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). (2004). protection against internal fires and explosions in the design of nuclear power plants. Safety standards series, No. NS-G-1.7. Retrieved from https://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1186_web.pdf Obeng, K. E. (2001). Botswana:institutions of democracy and government of Botswana. Botswana: K.E. Obeng The World Law Guide (WLG). (2016). Legislation of Botswana. WEB. Retrieved from https://www.lexadin.nl/wlg/legis/nofr/oeur/lxwebot.htm

Understanding the UPSA Essay Criteria

Understanding the UPSA Essay CriteriaIf you are interested in a UPSA (Uniform Qualification for Admission) essay, the criteria required to qualify for this essay include: you must be at least eighteen years old, a registered graduate, and must have a minimum GPA of at least 3.5. For graduates, the graduate degree (or degree equivalent) must be completed within the last four years, while for those already holding a degree, the student must still be attending an accredited college or university. To earn a UPSA essay, you should choose your topic from a list that is provided by the UPSA College Office and then have it reviewed by a college official.Some topics commonly written about by UPSA candidates include: personal situations, specific experiences, community life, and personal values. As you can imagine, this can be quite an extensive topic to cover, and the type of essay that you choose will depend on your personal and academic interests.However, the UPSA sample Apa essay can serve as a guide. That said, the objective of the Apa essay is to present information, and since the topic of your essay is not always straightforward, the goal of the Apa essay is to convey a clear and concise message. The trick is to write your Apa essay to impress the reader while making them want to keep reading. It is also imperative that you write with maximum impact - writing to impress, not to simply 'sell' the information.As mentioned above, the ideal Apa essay is one that have clear writing, compelling concepts, and convincing arguments. Additionally, you must have an ability to use language effectively - whether it's writing speaking, or the amount of research that you do. In other words, your Apa essay must be able to function like a letter, and not just another paragraph of filler.One way to get an idea of what an ideal Apa essay would look like is to first visit the sample Apa essay sample website. Once there, you will find several sample essays, as well as a sample resume, to get your foot in the door. You can easily get some inspiration, along with a feel for how the writer should go about doing things.It's also worth noting that writing samples of Apa essays are available online for free. You can use them to get an idea of what your ideal Apa essay should be like. Keep in mind, however, that these samples are not 'step-by-step' instructions. Instead, they are examples, to show you how the Apa essay writer used common writing techniques to come up with a concise, informative, and persuasive essay.Finally, remember that some samples are 'less is more'. For example, the real test of an Apa essay is how much you can cut and paste (or, edit), and how well the topics of your Apa essay line up with your personal goals and values.

Genetic Engineering Essays (342 words) - Medical Specialties

Genetic Engineering *HTML**FONT SIZE=2 PTSIZE=8*However, if the problems of today and the need to remember historical atrocities in genetics are important, it is just as critical to plan ahead. The next 100 years will see changes more dramatic than the 20th century, which saw the creation of molecular genetics, the rise and fall of eugenics, and the creation of a U.S. and international human genome mapping effort. It is time, I believe, to use some imagination to think about what might come to be in the world of genetics in the next 100 years. Only by looking at the long-term outcomes of our current genetic research will we see the compelling need to confront the most basic questions posed by genetic medicine. And, in any event, it is no more dangerous to exercise a little imagination about our future than it is dangerous to fail to be prescient about possible surprises, such as human cloning.*/FONT**FONT SIZE=3 PTSIZE=10**BR* *BR* */FONT**FONT SIZE=2 PTSIZE=8*One shape in the crystal ball is not difficult to discern. Some areas of genetic medicine, such as the effort to identify simple genetic etiology for complex diseases and traits, will plainly begin to fall away during the next few years. *BR* *BR* I am even more frightened of by the prospects of genetic engineering. I truly see little good in *BR* going forward in this technology unless we are willing to accept the fact that we are going toplay god and transform humans into, really, another species altogether. Disease is in our lives for a reason; it's a means of population control.*BR* *BR* I really believe that the key to preventing disease is nutr ition; Teach people *BR* to nourish themselves properly instead of filling up with the crap most people are *BR* consuming. Why do you think degenerative diseases are on the rise in first world *BR* countries? I often wonder whether given the chance whether or not Einstein would *BR* give forth the knowledge he came upon. I think we're heading in the same direction with *BR* genetics as we have been with nuclear power-No good! * Science

vanishing twin essays

vanishing twin essays The Vanishing Twin Syndrome happens when one of the twin fetuses disappears from the mothers womb while she is pregnant, which usually result in a single birth. What actually happens to the fetus is that it spontaneously aborts normally during the first trimester and the fetal tissues is absorbed by either the other twin, the placenta, or the mother, which makes the fetus looks like it has vanished. Since there isnt really a clear cause for most miscarriages there are also not always reasons or explanations for one of the fetus to spontaneously abort. In some situations the fetus may have some type of chromosomal or placental abnormalities, which may cause it to abort. A problem with the umbilical implantation may also play a role in VTS. Scientists studies have shown that 1 in 8 people start their life with a twin but only 1in 70 actually become a twin. Studies have also shown that 80% of twin pregnancies result in the lost of one or both of the babies. Even though the loss of a ba by for a multiple pregnancy is high the Vanishing Twin Syndrome occurs in 21-30% of multiple pregnancies. In the recent years there has been more incidences of the Vanishing Twin Syndrome not because it wasnt happening so much before but because of the fact that modern technogly has advanced which allows it to detect more of these cases. In the past, many women experienced Vanishing Twin Syndrome without ever knowing it. When this syndrome occurs in pregnant women the mother may not have any symptoms at all but if they do they may have mild cramping, bleeding or pelvic discomfort. In most cases when the fetus has aborted, neither the mother nor the remaining parts of the fetus receives any kind of medical treatment. If VTS occurs in the first trimester the mother would go on as usually and deliver the other baby. However in some cases the fetus may die in the second or third trimester and the surviving baby may develop ce ...

Take a Stand Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Take a Stand Letter - Essay Example I am a nursing student currently residing in Washington, D.C. I have observed some of the facts regarding nurses and their problems. I have witnessed the work of American Nursing Association about protection of nurses and their insurance. For a considerable length of time, the American Nurses Association has been supporting the social insurance changes that might provide insurance facilities to a wider segment of population to gain access to high caliber medical services. Due to the emergence and adoption of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), a large number of individuals with different health conditions, now have improved insurance coverage along with improved accessibility to essential and preventive utilities (Goodson, 2010). American Nursing Association (ANA) establishes that the level headed discussion of social insurance is still continuing and stays bound to instructing the nurturing open as to how the modifying framework affects the lives and health of the wider society. I am in a position to write to the government agency that regarding education of nurses, funds need to be raised as number of nurses required to maintain nursing workforce is being increased as proved by following: Countrys 3.1 million enrolled registered nurses (RNs) are the essential source of service to patients during the times of illness in their lives (Brewer & Rosenthal, 2008). Almost each individuals health awareness experience includes a RN. Any interaction of a common individual with the health care providers remains incomplete without the services of nurses. Accordingly, a sufficient supply of attendants is basic in furnishing our countrys requirement of providing adequate health care services. Medical attendants are needed to play an even greater part sometime later. But, nurture need to battle to get the assets they require. If the basic needs of this group of care-providers are not taken care of, there is a chance that the depiction of this sector

Managed Healthcare Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Managed Healthcare - Assignment Example Information technology enables faster acquisition of test results as well as better forms of treatment being administered to the patients. The managed care sector is therefore keen on ensuring that they offer quality services to their patients (Kongstvedt, 2012). There are various factors in the managed care industry. These factors include the government, the employers and the employees as well as the providers. The process of providing managed care is driven by two factors which are the federal government policy and market-driven business practices. Each of this is important when it comes to care provision since the law has to be followed. On the other hand, an organization also has to consider whether it is making profits or not and just how up to standard their equipment is. This will ensure that despite the provision of managed care going on, they make revenue and stay up to

Leadership And Management In Nursing Nursing Essay

Leadership And Management In Nursing Nursing Essay Mergers illustrate the focus on organisational restructuring as the key lever for change as indicated by the ninety nine health care provider mergers in England between 1996 and 2001. (Fulop, Protsopsaltis, King, Allen, Hutchings, and Normand, 2004) However, in many cases, mergers have unexpected consequences and drawbacks including problems in integrating staff, services, systems and working practices, clashing organisational cultures and poor leadership capacity. This essay considers leadership and management in the context of a problematic merger of services from two hospitals onto one site. The essay focuses on the change management process within one department to highlight key leadership, team, and cultural issues that negatively affected the newly merged department. The microcosm of the department mirrors similar occurrences across the two merged hospitals. The essay concludes with a comment on the organisational consequences if a macro intervention is not implemented. Confidentiality has been preserved by anonymising the identity of the hospitals and departments concerned. BACKGROUND This essay explores a recent change process involving the creation of a psychiatric liaison team based in a NHS hospital Accident and Emergency Department. (A E) in January 2004. The change occurred because of the merger of two hospitals that resulted in a number of structural changes, including the amalgamation of a traditionally split emergency service into a one site A E department. The liaison team replaced the existing deliberate self-harm service which had operated in the one hospital for two decades. The new liaison team consisted of eight newly appointed G-grade mental health nurses, a team leader, and a consultant psychiatrist who had both previously worked in the deliberate self-harm service. The hours of operation initially were 08:00 to 22:00 and there were two nurses on duty on early and late shifts. During a four week induction period, the team participated in team building and training exercises and developed into a cohesive, effective group. The team created clear key performance indicators specific to the psychiatric liaison team, established an action plan to achieve the set objectives, and planned to carry out six-monthly reviews. The team developed a shared vision to provide high quality, person centred care to the A E department without breaching governments four hour targets (DOH, 2001). The team leaders leadership style was democratic, and she fostered collaboration and involvement within the team (Walton, 1999). The team members considered her an expert in the field, and respected her for it. In July 2004, the service manager attended a monthly team meeting. At the meeting she was informed that a major change was expected to the hours of operation. The service would be extended to a 24-hour service starting in September 2004. In order for the liaison team to cover a 24-hour roster there was initially be a reduction in the number of nurses on duty, however, more staff would be recruited if necessary after a six month service review. An exact date for the review was not given. The change had not been communicated as part of the strategy for the greater merger. The Department of Health (DOH) modernisation agenda for the NHS, (DOH, 2002) sets out to modernise services in the NHS, and introduced a three star rating scale against which each NHS Trusts performance is compared against benchmark standards. Funding in turn is dependant on the star rating achieved. One such standard relates to delays in A E departments, and stipulates that mental health patients should have 24 hour access to services, and that patients should be assessed and treated within four hours of arrival. (DOH, 2001) The underlying rationale for the change was therefore that the psychiatric liaison service had to provide a 24-hour service in order for the hospital to comply with the benchmark. Management of the merged hospitals did not consider staff shortages or how the four hour target might affect the quality of service provision, particularly when staff are under constant pressure to discharge patients before they exceed the benchmark standard. (RCP, 2004) In the servic e described above, reaching the necessary 98 % four hour target proved impossible, because the staff numbers did not match the requirements of the service. The service was therefore to be expanded without additional staff, implying not only changes in hours and shifts, but also changes in work patterns. The team members reacted negatively to how the change process was introduced. Concerns were expressed about the reduction in staff numbers and questions were raised as to how the staff would be able to cope. The sense of security and continuity were put at risk. (Walton, 1999) The service manager was not available to address the concerns due to an increased scope of responsibility because of the merger that was beyond her normal remit. Lack of two way communication between the manager and the employees meant that the manager lost a valuable opportunity to resolve the negative reactions, and laid the foundation for resistance to change (Johnson, Scholes, and Whittington, 2005). Within a month of the announcement, the team leader had resigned. A new team leader was appointed and was tasked to lead the team through the change. The team started gradually becoming fragmented, staff sickness rates soared, and morale plummeted. The situation reached a crisis point by December 2005, by which time two more staff members had resigned. The majority of staff had taken sick leave, and the psychiatric liaison service was left uncovered for several days. A number of mental health patients in A E waited for hours, sometimes all night, to be seen by a mental health professional. The A E department laid a formal complaint about the liaison teams performance. In March 2005, following discussion with a union representative, the team took out a grievance against the team leader. The key issues of concern were the way the change process had been introduced, lack of two-way communication and the team leaders unsuitable task-oriented, directive leadership style. The team leader was suspended and the Trust commenced a lengthy investigation into the change process. The investigation continues to date. ANALYSIS Cameron and Green (2004) suggest McKinseys 7S model as a diagnostic tool to identify interconnected and related aspects of organisational change. The model is problem rather than solution focussed, and hence useful for pointing out retrospectively why change did not work. The weakness of the model is that it does not explicit identify drivers from the external environment and accordingly key forces have been described by way of explanation. According to Burke and Litwin (1992), the external environment is any outside condition or situation that influences the performance of the organisation. Systems, Staff and Strategy Systems refer to standardised policies and mechanisms that facilitate work, primarily manifested in the organisations reward systems, management information systems, and in such control systems as performance appraisal, goal and budget development, and human resource allocation. (Burke and Litwin, 1992) Systems are the mechanisms through which strategy is achieved. Strategy is how the organisation intends to achieve a purpose over an extended time scale. Johnson, Scholes, and Whittington (2005) link it directly to environment (industry structure), organisational structure, and corporate culture. Leaders are the executives and managers providing overall organisational direction and serving as behavioural role models for all employees. (Burke and Litwin, 1992) The systems that the service had in place to support the staff prior to the merger had functioned efficiently. The psychiatric liaison team had monthly team meetings, weekly ward rounds and supervision, and twice daily handovers to ensure high quality service. Teams in this context mean a group who share a common health goal and common objectives, determined by community needs, to the achievement of which each member of the team contributes, in accordance with his or her competencies and skill and in co-ordination with the functions of others. (WHO, 1984) Under the previous team leaders management, the team had achieved a mature and productive level of performance that fell within Tuckmans model of team development of a performing team. (Mullins, 2002) The leader demonstrated characteristics of an effective team leader (e.g. good communication) and ensured that the team members views were passed on to the management. (Marquis and Huston, 2003) The team also developed team specific performance indicators to fit the Trusts strategy, such as the goal to provide high quality care within four hours of service users presenting to the A E department. However, the new management of the merged hospitals did not take into account that the reduction in staff numbers would make it difficult for staff to find time to attend ward rounds and to supervise care. Lack of supervision had a negative impact on the quality of care provided, and staff shortages meant that the team did not reach the four-hour targets in A E department. The change process indicated a lack of sincere stakeholder consultation which would have alleviated the crisis in the department. (Iles and Sutherland, 2001) Structure and Style Structure is the arrangement of functions and people into specific areas and levels of responsibility, decision-making authority, communication, and relationships to assure effective implementation of the organisations mission and strategy. (Burke and Litwin, 1992) The NHS Leadership Qualities Framework (DOH, 2002, p34) suggests leading change through people with effective and strategic influencing is essential in a merger environment. This is supported by Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2005) who suggest that strategic, transformational leadership is a key element within an organisation staffed by professionals and that a collaborative style is required to achieve transformational, lasting change. However, the new team leaders leadership style was autocratic and the team members were no longer consulted about matters concerning it, which was inappropriate in team nursing approach associated with collaborative patient centric care. Marquis and Huston (2003) suggest that a democratic leadership style works best with a mature experienced team with shared responsibility and accountability. The change in leadership style meant that the team felt disempowered and uninvolved in decision making which did not allow ownership of the change process to emerge. Furthermore, the flow of information to the team slowed down and the teams concerns about the change did not reach top management implying that communication channels in the new organisational structure were not functioning efficiently. Management style equally affects culture. Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2005) state that culture is the taken for granted assumptions that are accepted by an organisation or team. These work routines are not explicit, but are essential for effective performance. Ignoring these as the new team leader did, reduces motivation and performance, and stiffens resistance to change. Skills Skills are the distinctive capabilities of key people. (Cameron and Green, 2003) The nature of the team membership implied a range of key skills interdependent on the other for effective performance. A problem area in the skills portfolio was information technology skills. The Trust managing the merged hospitals had introduced a Trust wide electronic patient record system in accordance with NHS requirements. (DOH, 2003) This was implemented simultaneously with the decision to extend the working hours. The change aimed to improve the service user experience by allowing staff a 24-hour access to service users care and crisis plans. (DOH, 2003) The staff shortage meant that team members did not receive appropriate training on the system and the use of the electronic patient record system became a source of frustration and confusion. Lack of computer skills contributed to staffs frustration and negative attitudes with the change process. Superordinate goals Superordinate goals are the longer term vision of the organisation and the shared values and guiding principles that that shape the future of the organisation and motivation achievement of strategy. (Cameron and Green, 2003) The teams superordinate goals were initially created during the four-week team building period and aligned with those of the larger organisation. The teams vision was to provide high quality, service user centred care. The team also considered change as a natural part of organisational development. However, the team became increasingly resistant to change when it felt that the organisation did not really care about its employees, their concerns, and the ultimate reason for the organisations purpose, being the patient. DISCUSSION OF CHANGE PROCESS Change management is art of influencing people and organisations in a desired direction to achieve an agreed future state to the benefit of that organisation and its stakeholders. (Cameron and Green, 2003) A number of models can be used to model a change management process. A popular model is Kurt Lewins forcefield analysis. A forcefield analysis is a useful tool to understand the driving and resisting forces in a change situation as a basis for change management. This technique identifies forces that might work for the change process, and forces that are against the change. Lewins model suggests that once these conflicting forces are identified, it becomes easier to build on forces that work for the change and reduce forces that are against the change (Cameron and Green, 2003). The difficulty is the assessment of strength or duration of a force, partlicularly when the human dimension is considered. The key resisting force in the change process was a lack of staff and poor leadership. The change process under discussion was largely motivated by external factors. However, due to poor project planning, Trust management failed to consider the internal factors that had a major impact on the change. In particular, the management failed to involve the necessary stakeholders at a local level to increase ownership of the change thus failed to consider the human dimension (Walton, 1999 and DOH, 2004). The new team leaders autocratic leadership style did not fit the requirements of the task, or the culture of the team and thus sowed the seeds of resistance to change. (Hogg and Vaughan, 2002). The poorly managed change process became costly to the Trust due to the loss of human resources, reduced staff morale and lowered the credibility of the management. The change left the psychiatric liaison team feeling betrayed, and individual team members traumatised. As the change process progressed, it became evident that a thorough analysis of current resources and various dimensions of organisational change had not been carried out (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2005). The management had not prepared a clear plan for launching and executing the change at a local level. The NHS Modernisation Agency Improvement Leaders Guide (DOH, 2004) stresses the importance of taking into consideration the human aspect when planning a change project. Similarly, Walton (1999) argues that change initiatives should be thought through and planned as far as possible taking into account the psychological bonds that staff form with their work groups and their organisation as a whole. It follows then that no precautions had been taken to address resistance to change. Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, (2005) state that there should be a clear communication plan to state how information about the change project will be communicated inside and outside the organisation. The team members were not given an opportunity to challenge and test the change proposal, or clarify what aspects of the change they could or could not influence. (Walton, 1995) Fulop, Protsopsaltis et al, (2004) suggest that change project should be presented as an opportunity to improve the quality of performance and that clinicians should should be involved on a consultative basis. Team members were aware of the consequences of extending the hours of operation without increasing the resources, however, there were no systems in place to communicate these views to the Trust management, a key aspect of the change process. The lack of key stakeholder involvement in the change meant that the management did not have access to the psychiatric liaison teams valuable experience on the immediate and wider implications of cutting down resources. (Henderson, 2002) The team members felt that their concerns about the lack of resources had not been taken seriously, and this inevitably led to a feeling that the Trust did not care about its employees or their views. Strong emotions such as anger and frustration were expressed by the team members. The lack of formal communication channels, meant that the team members took them out on each other. Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, (2005) confirm that at times of change, rumours, gossip and storytelling increases in importance and that team members engage in countercommunication, thus unconsiously spreading distrust, suspicion and negativity which leads to lowered staff morale and job satisfaction. Although the rationale for change was clear to everyone, the change was executed at such short notice that the team members did not have time to develop strategies to deal with it. The NHS Improvement Leaders Guide to Managing the Human Dimension of Change (DOH, 2004) suggests that clinicians go through phases of shock, denial, anger, betrayal, conformance and understanding before they finally develop comitment to the change. The team members were left in a state of shock after the service managers initial announcement of the impending change in July 2004 and then moved into a state of denial. The general opinion was that the management would sooner or later realise that the change could not be executed without increasing the resources and accordingly delayed the change process until more staff would be employed. When there was no indication of this in the weeks that followed, the team members became demotivated. The team failed to move on to the next stages in their reactions to cha nge, and commitment to the change process did not develop. The team leaders task-oriented leadership style did not suit the context of the change process, and partly contributed to its failing. Cameron and Green (2003) suggest that leadership will be most effective when the leaders leadership style, the subordinates preferred leadership style and the requirements of the task fit together. A directive leadership style therefore is ineffective if the subordinates preferred leadership style is democratic, even though the task is well defined within tight parameters. In addition, Hogg and Vaughan (2002) argued that the most effective leaders are those who are able to combine task and socio-emotional leadership styles, and organise team members to work towards achieving goals at the same time promoting harmonious relationships. The new team leader paid no attention to the team culture and failed to communicate to management about the impending issue. Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2005) suggest that power is a key element in a change process. Power is the ability of individuals to persuade or coerce others into following a course of action. The new team leaders source of power was based on his hierarchal position in the Trust rather than on expertise or knowledge as shown by the previous team leader. The team members did not consider that the new team leader possessed appropriate expertise or personal characteristics. The team leader exercised coercion which was met with resistance by the team and for this reason the team members lacked respect for him. He was seen as an executor of decisions made by the management. The new team leader appeared to be more concerned about a successful completion of the change, was target driven and lacked sensitivity to employees feelings and concerns. The team leader used his positional power in a negative way, filtered information and gave the management a distorted view of how the staff were coping with the change process. The relationship between the team leader and the staff members eventually deteriorated to a point where communication broke down. Two staff members went on a long term sick leave, and two other staff members resigned. Following a meeting with a union representative in March 2005 the team members, including those who had resigned, made a decision to take grievance out against the teamleader. The key issues brought up in the meeting were the way the change had been introduced, poor project management and the team leaders autocratic management style (Walton, 1999). Back to: Essay Examples CONCLUSION In conclusion, lack of stakeholder involvement, poor project planning and the teamleaders unsuitable leadership style lead to the psychiatric liaison team becomimg fragmented, and resistant to change. No systems were put in place to ensure two-way communication with the employees. Lack of communication reduced the staffs commitment to, and ownership of the change, and lead to a lower quality service provision and increased long waits in A E. The poorly managed change process became costly to the Trust due to loss of trained human resources, staff morale and credibility of the management. Similar incidents occurred in other areas of the hospital indicating that the change processes associated with the merger had created organisational wide problems that were indicative of failure at a top management and strategic level. Strategic leadership is a key element of the change process. A successful merger will only be achieved with consistent communication and the establishment of a vision that percolates throughout an organisation as a basis for effective change to realise the stated benefits of all stakeholders. References Brooks, I. 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