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REPLANNING SYDNEY HOSPITAL 2. THE SOCIO–TECHNICAL BALANCE IN HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT
Author(s) -
Crawford L. E.,
Ritchie F. L.,
Whyte H. M.
Publication year - 1969
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1969.tb107350.x
Subject(s) - balance (ability) , control (management) , work (physics) , operations management , chart , business , medicine , engineering , management , economics , mechanical engineering , statistics , mathematics , physical medicine and rehabilitation
In the total cost of running a hospital, the cost of people's time is disproportionately important and should therefore receive priority attention. Improving the effectiveness with which people work is not a matter of restrictive rules but of planning, coordinating, stimulating and teaching. Vehicles for doing this are systems for corporate planning and management control. Such systems are part technical, part social; success depends on a correct “socio‐technical balance”. Good planning and effective control allow authority to be more widely delegated. Delegated authority permits decentralized management (little hospitals) and to more people contributing more usefully to managing the hospital. Changes from traditional hospital management must be done slowly to allow time for training‐by‐doing and reorientation through experience, Sydney Hospital will require three to five years. The proposals will not greatly affect the organization chart. The effect on building design is subtle and must be watched. The effect on hospital management will be tremendous. The benefits for the new hospital could well approximate $500,000 to $1,000,000 per year salvaged from the non‐effective use of people's time.