Human resources management: tools for developing the health care sector (a case study of university of benin teaching hospital, benin city)

Thesis Overview

<p> <b></b></p><p><b><b>INTRODUCTION</b></b></p><p><b><b></b></b></p><b><b><p><b>1.1 &nbsp; &nbsp; </b><b>BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>In the recent past, the term, “Human Resources<br>Management” has begun to be used instead of personnel management or personnel<br>administration. This is due to the fact that people employed in the<br>organization are resources which are as important, if not more important than financial<br>or material resources. Like fund and materials, people in the health care<br>sector must be given careful and expert attention to enable them maximally<br>utilize other resources of the health care sector.</p><p>With improvement in the education of people and the<br>development of trade unions, not many employees will want to submit passively<br>to manipulations or dictatorial or autocratic control by management. Many<br>employees expect and demand some degree of involvement in decision making,<br>particularly with issues affecting their job performance.</p><p>More importantly, some personnel management<br>techniques such as performance appraisal, job evaluation, training and<br>management by objective can only be successfully implemented with the consent<br>and support of the employees. Human resources (workers) are now regarded as the<br>most important assets of the health care sector because the success and failure<br>of health services is largely dependent on the caliber of its workforce.</p><p>People represent the most flexible resources available<br>to the senior managers of the health care sector. Deploying people in the right<br>numbers, with the right skills and in the right place is fundamental to<br>success. Personnel specialist can play a central role in assisting with the<br>planning of human resource requirements of the health care sector.</p><p>Human resource planning is a systematic approach to<br>the acquisition, use and deployment of people in an organization. It is viewed<br>as a corporate activity arising from the objectives of the health sector and leading<br>to specific plans for recruitment, training, promotion etc.</p><p>The basic component of maintaining human resource is<br>a complete understanding of their performance in the organization. This<br>understanding comes from the employee appraisal and can lead to rational<br>training and development of employees through discipline, promoting, transfers,<br>demotions and separations.</p><p>Once the human resource is sufficiently effective,<br>there is bound to be prudent material management. This is because human<br>resources will ensure adequate utilization and evaluation of both employees and<br>materials.</p><p><b>1.2 &nbsp; STATEMENT OF<br>RESEARCH PROBLEMS</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>This study is aimed at providing answers to general<br>questions. But specific problems of the study which it aim to address are:</p><p>1. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>What<br>is Human Resources Management?</p><p>2. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>What<br>are the functions of Human Resources Management?</p><p>3. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>What<br>is the relevance of Human Resources Management to health care providers?</p><p>4. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>What<br>is the effect of Human Resources Management on patients in the health care<br>sector?</p><p>5. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>How<br>does Human Resources Management help in the development of the health care<br>sector?</p><p><b>1.3 &nbsp; OBJECTIVES OF<br>THE STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>The specific objectives of the study are as follows:</p><p>1. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>To<br>understand the relevance of Human Resources Management.</p><p>2. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>To<br>determine how Human Resources Management help to improve the health care<br>sector.</p><p>3. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>To<br>know the factors that could help to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of<br>Human Resources Management in the health sector.</p><p>4. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>To<br>provide an insight on how Human Resources Management help in improving the<br>services rendered by health care providers and the effect on patients.</p><p><b>1.4 &nbsp; SIGNIFICANCE<br>OF THE STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>1. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>This<br>study will help the University<br>of Benin Teaching Hospital<br>and the general public to achieve effective Human Resources Management and<br>identify tools for developing the health care sector with a view of effecting<br>corrections for the progress of health services.</p><p>2. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>The<br>study will enlighten the general public on the importance of Human Resources<br>Management in improving overall patient health outcomes and delivery of health<br>care services.</p><p>3. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>It<br>will expose the role of Human Resources in the health care sector.</p><p>4. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>To<br>provide a reading material on Human Resources Management for students of Health<br>Information Management and allied professions.</p><p>5. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>To<br>provide research material for other researchers on related topics.</p><p><b>1.5 &nbsp; SCOPE OF THE<br>STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>The scope of the study is essentially on the University of Benin Teaching<br>Hospital, Benin City<br>and the subjects of the study are the Human Resource Personnel in U.B.T.H. The<br>information used for this research are generated using questionnaire. However,<br>the researcher obtained some information from secondary sources for the study.</p><p><b>1.6 &nbsp; LIMITATIONS OF<br>THE STUDY</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>Like every other study of this nature, this study<br>was bedevilled by certain constraints.</p><p>1. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>The<br>time used for this research was short.</p><p>2. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>The<br>researcher was limited by finance.</p><p>3. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br>The<br>irresponsiveness of the respondents was also a problem.</p><p>However, irrespective of the foregoing constraints,<br>frantic effort were made to ensure that the outcome of the project’s work meet<br>the quality it deserves.</p><p><b>1.7 &nbsp; DEFINITION OF<br>TERMS</b></p><p><b></b></p><b><p>1. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br><b>Human<br>Resources:</b>&nbsp;People (employees)<br>that perform activities for which they were employed to do in an organization<br>to accomplish its objectives.</p><p>2. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br><b>Management:<br></b>This is the ability to manage<br>human and material resources to achieve expected goals. It is the process of<br>getting things done for, with people and through people.</p><p>3. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br><b>Development:</b>&nbsp;This is the gradual growth of the health care<br>sector so that it become more advance, stronger etc. It has to do with<br>innovations that bring new changes occurring in the health sector through<br>training, education etc.</p><p>4. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br><b>Training:</b>&nbsp;Training is the organizational effort aimed at<br>helping an employee to acquire basic skills required for the efficient<br>execution of the function for which he/she was employed.</p><p>5. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br><b>Selection:</b>&nbsp;Is the process of choosing the most qualified<br>personnel from the numerous applicants who applied for employment in an<br>organization.</p><p>6. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br><b>Organization:</b>&nbsp;An organization is the planned coordination of the<br>activities of a group of people for the achievement of some common goals or<br>purpose through division of labour, function and through hierarchy of authority<br>and responsibility.</p><p>7. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br><b>Strategy:</b>&nbsp;A plan that is intended to achieve a particular purpose;<br>the process of planning something or putting a plan into operation in a<br>skillful way.</p><p>8. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br><b>Motivation:</b>&nbsp;Motivation is an inner force which drives an<br>individual to a certain action. It may be positive (carrot) or negative<br>(stick). Without motivation, behavioural changes cannot expect to take place.<br>Motivation is not manipulation, a motivated person acts willingly and<br>knowingly.</p><p>9. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <br><b>Hospital:</b>&nbsp;A place where people that are sick or injured are<br>given medical treatment and care.</p><p>10. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br><b>Efficiency:</b>&nbsp;The ability to perform a duty well with no waste of<br>time or money.</p><p>11. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br><b>Quality:</b>&nbsp;The standard of health care in the hospital when it<br>is compared to other hospitals.</p><p>12. &nbsp; &nbsp; <br><b>Promotion:</b>&nbsp;Is the reassignment of an individual to a job of<br>higher rank. It is the elevation of staff from one position to a higher one.</p><p><b>Recruitment:</b>&nbsp;This is the process of attracting applicants with<br>the skills, knowledge and ability needed to achieve the organizational<br>objectives. </p></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b></b> <br><p></p>