To promote critical reasoning

Case Study to Promote Critical Reasoning Case Study to Promote Critical Reasoning Case Background A family of a patient who recently died donated a generous amount to a non-profit hospice center located at a small community. The only request of the donor was to put the money to the most beneficial use. All members of the organization provided distinct suggestions for using the money effectively. In the end, conflicts ensued regarding how the donated funds would be put to best use. In this case, the following questions would be hereby addressed:
1. In your analysis of this situation, identify the sources of the conflict that are developing in this facility. The sources of conflict that are developing in this facility are (1) differences in goals (each group or person has a goal or purpose within which the donated funds are suggested to be earmarked); (2) resource interdependence (the units compete with each other for other own share of the resources, specifically, of the donated funds); (3) task ambiguity (there is a lack of clarity as to how the money or donated funds must be used according to a pre-defined guideline or policy); (4) differences in power and status; as well as backgrounds and traits (each group has different perceptions on the relative value of their contributions to the achievement of the hospice center’s goals) (Martires & Fule, 2004).
2. What kind of leadership actions are needed to prevent the escalation of this conflict? The use of authority or leadership through recognition of the highest authorized decision-maker within the hospice center is needed to impose a solution to resolve or suppress the conflict. The highest authority in the hospice center would depend on which role was designated at the organizational structure. For a non-profit hospice, the decision-makers are usually members of the Board of Directors where an executive committee would be headed by the President (AAHPM, n. d.). In this case, the highest authorities seem to be in the professional capacities of the Administrator and the Finance Officer – with no clear distinctions of who should be in charge to decide on matters of the funds (could be the Finance Officer, if explicitly identified within the hospice’s policies and procedures).
3. If the conflict does escalate how could it be resolve? The matter should be elevated to the Board of Directors so they could decide what to do with the donated money.
4. Which Idea do you think has the most merit? Why did you select the one you did?
As it is, I agree with the Finance Officer to initially put the money in the bank for future needed endeavors. Spending the funds must be subject to the plans of the hospice given their urgency and importance to the achievement of the hospice’s mission and vision.
5. Try role playing a negotiation among the administrator, the financial officer, the chaplin, a representative of the nursing staff, and a representative of the social work staff. Can you suggest a creative solution? If I was to negotiate between the abovementioned personnel, I could emphasize that all their suggestions are equally important. However, spending the money wisely would entail giving their projects a degree of importance according to the hospice’s short-term and long-term goals. For instance, I would suggest prioritizing the suggested project according to levels of urgency (or a matter of life and death; meaning, that if these projects were not undertaken, the hospice would not continue to operate) where prioritization could be clearly detailed subject for approval of the Board of Directors (who would decide the sequence of implementation). After which, the top activity, as approved by the Board, would be the recipient of the funds. Accordingly, the Board should also indicate the approving authority in cases of conflicts regarding donations to be included in the hospice’s policies and procedures to assist in this type of cases in the future.
References
AAHPM. (n. d.). About AAHPM: Board of Directors. Retrieved June 14, 2012, from http://www. aahpm. org/about/default/board. html
Martires, C., & Fule, G. (2004). Management of Human Behavior in Organizations. Quezon City: National Bookstore.