Management Certainly Matters, and There Are Multiple Ways to Conceptualize the Process; Comment on “Management Matters: A Leverage Point for Health Systems Strengthening in Global Health”

Document Type : Commentary

Author

Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Abstract

The authors of “Management matters: a leverage point for health systems strengthening in global health,” raise a crucial issue. Because more effective management can contribute to better performing health systems, attempts to strengthen health systems require attention to management. As a guide toward management capacity building, the authors outline a comprehensive set of core management competencies needed for managing global health efforts. Although, I agree with the authors’ central premise about the important role of management in improving global health and concur that focusing on competencies can guide management capacity building, I think it is important to recognize that a set of relevant competencies is not the only way to conceptualize and organize efforts to teach, learn, practice, or conduct research on management. I argue the added utility of also viewing management as a set of functions or activities as an alternative paradigm and suggest that the greatest utility could lie in some hybrid that combines various ways of conceptualizing management for study, practice, and research.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

  1. Bradley EH, Taylor LA, Cuellar CJ. Management matters: a leverage point for health systems strengthening in global health. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2015;4(7):411-415. doi:10.15171/ijhpm.2015.101
  2. World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO Health Systems Framework. http://www.wpro.who.int/health_services/health_systems_framework/en/. Accessed June 2, 2015.
  3. Banaszak-Holl J, Nembhard, Ingrid ME, Taylor L, Bradley EH. Leadership and management: a framework for action. In: Burns L, Bradley E, Weiner B, eds. Shortell and Kaluzny’s Healthcare Management: Organization Design and Behavior. Clifton Park, NJ: Cengage Learning; 2011.
  4. Longest BB, Darr K. Managing Health Services Organizations and Systems. 6th ed. Baltimore: Health Professions Press; 2014.
  5. National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL). NCHL Healthcare Leadership Competency Model, version 2.0, 5–7. Chicago: NCHL; 2012.
  6. Longest BB. Managerial competence at senior levels of integrated delivery systems. J Healthc Manag 1998;43:115-135.
  7. Katz RL. Skills of an effective administrator. Harv Bus Rev. 1974;52:90-102.
  8. Daft RL. Management. 12th ed. Mason, OH: South-Western College Publishing; 2015.
  9. Longest BB. Health Program Management: From Development Through Evaluation. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; 2015.
  10. Mintzberg H. The Manager’s Job: Folklore and Fact. HBR Classic. Harv Bus Rev.  1990;68:163-176.
  11. Longest BB. Medical practice management in a nutshell. J Med Pract Manage. 2014;29(4):227-231.
  12. Ginter PM, Duncan WJ, Swayne LE. Strategic Management of Health Care Organizations. 7th ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 2013.
  13. DuBrin AJ. Essentials of Management. 9th ed. Mason, OH: South-Western, Cengage Learning; 2012.
  14. Lighter DE. Basics of Health Care Performance Improvement: A Lean Six Sigma Approach. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning; 2013.
  15. Chassin MR, Loeb JM. The Ongoing Quality Improvement Journey: Next Stop, High Reliability. Health Aff (Millwood). 2011;30(4):559-568. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2011.0076
  16. Kotler P, Keller KL. Framework for Marketing Management. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall; 2015.
  17. Wholey JS, Hatry HP, Newcomer KE. Handbook of Practical Program Evaluation. 3rd ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass; 2010.

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 09 July 2015
  • Revise Date: 22 July 2015
  • Accept Date: 22 July 2015
  • First Publish Date: 01 November 2015

Share

How to cite

Statistics