Managerial Authority

A 25 year old individual has just assumed responsibilities as supervisor of a sevenbed pediatric intensive care unit. The new supervisor worked as a staff nurse for one year in the pediatric intensive care unit, and for six months as evening charge nurse in the regular pediatric unit before being appointed as supervisor of the pediatric intensive care unit. Most of the nursing staff in the pediatric intensive care unit are both older than the new supervisor, and have greater clinical experience than the new supervisor. The unit staff is highly competent. A personality conflict between the new supervisor and the day charge nurse had developed at the time the new supervisor was a staff nurse in the pediatric intensive care unit.

The older staff members in the unit are resistant to change, accustomed to exercising discretionary power in their work, and are uncooperative with and disdainful towards the new supervisor. Communication between the unit staff and the new supervisor is poor. Newer staff members feel threatened by the older members of the unit staff, dissension is developing over scheduling and organizational responsibilities, and friction appears to be surfacing among the unit's three charge nurses. The new supervisor of the pediatric intensive care unit must gain the trust of the staff, assert supervisory authority within the unit, and overcome the resistance to change w

. . .
t will be applied within the framework of the dualfactor theory of motivation. In this context, both job enrichment programs and quality circles will be developed to motivate staff members by providing a basis for individual growth and selffulfillment that is beneficial to both staff members and the unit with activities and policies that are maintainable through changing conditions. 3. Authority will be delegated to the maximum feasible extent. Based on the conflicting assumptions of Theory X and Theory Y, it may be postulated that, in general, a Theory X manager thinks that he or she must somehow force unwilling employees to do the work necessary to reach organizational goals (Schilit and Paine, 1987, pp. 160179). By contrast, it may be postulated that the Theory Y manager believes that employees will voluntarily exert the effort required to reach organizational goals, if the manager makes it known to employees that all of them will be adequately rewarded, if the goals are attained (Schilit and Paine, 1987, pp. 160179). A Theory Y manager will decentralize, and delegate authority, where a Theory X manager will not (Schilit and Paine, 1987, pp. 160179). Under the recommended strategy, all senior staff will function a
. . .

Some common words found in the essay are:
Schilit Paine, Kimberly Rottman, Psychiatric Association, RESISTANCE CHANGE, Theory Theory, Chrunden Sherman, Communication Monographs, Recommended Strategy, Management Journal, Maslow Herzberg, pediatric intensive, pediatric intensive care, intensive care, care unit, intensive care unit, 1987 pp, theory theory, unit staff, rottman 1987, kimberly rottman, kimberly rottman 1987, staff pediatric intensive, schilit paine 1987, schilit paine, paine 1987,
Approximate Word count = 4411
Approximate Pages = 18 (250 words per page)

More Essays on Managerial Authority