In Support of Evidence-Based Healthcare Management: an ...

In Support of Evidence-Based Healthcare Management_________________________________________________________________________________________Table 1. ‘Alpha’ factorial solution from the ‘bottom up’ ratings of managersPOSITIVE BEHAVIOURSFactor 1: Organisation, planning & supportThis factor is concerned with being well organised, efficient andeffective; being good at planning; thinking ahead and developinglong term plans; and also about supporting staff. The factorexplains 69% of the variance and the key items strongly loaded onto it were:• When faced with urgent problems, is good at making decisions,following them through and keeping promises (0.794)• Runs meetings efficiently and effectively (0.791)• Develops a long term department strategy and plan whichprovides clarity and purpose (0.786)• Gives support to staff in developing their careers (0.768)• Thinks ahead and makes sure things are done in good time andprepares well (0.752)• Takes control of difficult situations and deals with them quicklyand appropriately (0.631)Factor 2: Open & personal management styleThis factor is about developing trust, listening, being open to staffand adopting a personal approach. The factor explains 4% of thevariance and comprises six key items as follows:• Gives time to listen to staff with problems or worries relative towork or personal issues (0.858)• Is approachable and makes themselves readily available to staff(0.828)• Develops a sense of trust with staff (0.790)• Keeps staff and colleagues regularly informed and up to date onwhat is happening and on matters directly affecting them (0.780)• Deals with difficult and personal issues with sensitivity(0.779)• Gives staff the freedom/support to perform their own work in• the way they see fit within their area (0.716)NEGATIVE BEHAVIOURSFactor 1: Undermining and dictatorial/autocraticbehaviourThis factor comprises two main strands, namelyundermining behaviour and dictatorial/autocratic managerial style which indicate a lackof concern or consideration for staff and/orcolleagues.The factor explains 61% of the variance withnine strongly loaded items as follows:• Engages in bullying and humiliates staff(0.819)• Undermines or dismisses the efforts of staff(0.750)• Exhibits manipulative, politicking andundermining behaviour (0.727)• During meetings makes inappropriately offhand remarks or inappropriately voicesdisagreements in public (0.708)• Overrides colleague managers, goes behindthe back or over the heads of other managers(0.677)• Refuses to admit to his/her own mistakes orerrors in judgement (0.629)• Fails to fully understand the problems withthe department/unit or the complexities ofsituations at ground level (0.590)• Forces or imposes change upon peoplewithout consultation and collaboration (0.579)• Is inconsistent or is unfair in their dealingswith people (0.558)Factor 2: Avoidance behaviourThis factor, which is to do with avoidancebehaviour, has two strands. One concerns theignoring of rules, policies, procedures andproblems, and the other concerns avoidingresponsibilities and giving sufficient time tothings.The factor explains 7% of the variance withthe following key items loaded on to it:• Refuses to recognise problems or deadlinesand avoids making decisions or takingnecessary action (0.805)• When in meetings tends to parade andoveremphasise the negative views ratherthan the positive (0.790)• Gives insufficient time to and/or isinsufficiently organised when handlingpaperwork (0.776)• Avoids or abdicates his/her responsibilities(0.704)• Ignores hospital policy/rules and attemptsto bypass the system (0.644)• Fails to follow correct/appropriateprocedures (0.582)Factor 3: Failing to inform otherpeopleThis factor is primarily about failingto keep people informed, of beingopen and forthright incommunications and obtainingnecessary information.The factor explains 5% of thevariance. The following items arekey to the factor:• Neglects to inform own and/orother staff of things that are goingto happen (0.866)• Fails to inform or notify the rightpeople at the right time (0.832)• Takes action before obtaining orchecking the necessaryinformation (0.682)• Fails to be honest, forthright andupfront in their communicationsand dealings with people (0.616)Based on the perceptions of subordinates this research suggests there are five criteria (factors)of managerial effectiveness, two being associated with managerial success and three withmanagerial failure.Results from ‘alpha’ factoring the ‘self’ ratings of managersThis section describes in outline only the factors obtained by the factoring of the ‘self rated’ BIQ dataas set out in Table 2. However an indication is given as to the number of behavioural items (BIs)loaded onto each factor and the range of the respective factor loadings (FLs).11 Management Research Centre 2001