The Principles of Goal Setting and Job Enrichment In Health Information Systems

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According to by Elizabeth Layman (2011) case study on Health Information systems (HIS), HIS departments have been experiencing significant changes due to the implementation of electronic health records and changes in healthcare delivery systems. The paper will highlight the principles of goal setting and job enrichment applied in this case study. It will also analyze the outcomes of job enrichment and the impact of job enrichment on motivation and communication in HIS departments.

According to the case study, “Leaders can examine their departments' alignment to achieve organizational goals at four different levels. In terms of scope, from most extensive to least extensive, these four levels are re-engineering, restructuring, work redesign, and job redesign.” The constant change in health care delivery systems affects HIS departments and it trickles down to employees. According to the case study, there must be a corresponding realignment of goals to match these changes in order to prevent adverse effects on employee performance. Health information managers must perform detailed analysis before an impending change to make sure it does not result in worker overload, which can create unrealistic and unachievable goals. All job related functions are goal oriented, and thus, any change of function must be accompanied with a relative change in goal. Goal misalignment can generate added stress and job dissatisfaction. The case study suggests that goals must be influenced by a thorough examination of sector changes, organizational changes, and employees' perceptions.

Job enrichment, in this case, is being applied as a job design tool for worker motivation. HIS employees have a centralized organizational structure, which implies that t...

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...and/or development at a satisfactory pay grade. If both the latter and the former are not fulfilled, job enrichment does not lead to motivation. Job enrichment gives more control to the employee, thereby, making an organization less centralized. This means that communication can be more bilateral as it opens up employee reporting channels. An employee who has more control over the nature of their work also will have the opportunity to communicate horizontally by giving input (ideas and suggestions) about their job design to improve efficiency.

Works Cited

Carpenter, M., Bauer, T., & Erdogan, B. (2009) Principles of management (version 1.0). Nyack, NY: Flat World Knowledge, Inc.

Layman, E., (2013), Job Redesign for Expanded HIM Functions. Retrieved March 11, 14. http://library.ahima.org/xpedio/groups/public/documents/ahima/bok1_049430.hcsp?dDocName=bok1_049430

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