Task
This task is called an in-tray exercise and is commonly used by employers to test the ability of
potential employees to understand and resolve complex problems whilst being presented with
partial pieces of information. Unfortunately this is a common problem in the business world.
Below is a detailed case study of Sacred Heart NHS Foundation Trust. Read the case study carefully
and understand the issues it presents. You are not precluded from researching some of the issues
raised in the case study. This is something you would be expected to do prior to attending an
assessment centre!
Be careful to read and study all the items as some are directly interconnected. You are required to
consider these issues and complete the following tasks.
Use the proforma provided to:
1. Prioritise each of the items in terms of urgency using high, medium and low.
2. For each item, explain what you see as the main issue(s) facing the organisation? Remember
to use any theory covered in lectures to help explain these issues, including considering any
constraints affecting your decision. Identify any connections/links between in-tray items
3. Briefly discuss what action if any needs to be taken by management. Remember to consider
the consequences (if any) of your actions This is a Student Sample ORDER YOUR PAPER NOW
BSP5071 Business in Action 2016/17 IN TRAY EXERCISE
| Item number | Key issues | Recommendation | Priority( High medium, low) |
| 1. | It is the organizational chart which shows the structure and relationships, ranks of job and the flow of authority, communication and responsibilities (Rummler, and Brache, 2012 pp.7). | I, as the CEO of Sacred Heart NHS Foundation Trust, should use the organizational chart to communicate, divide functions and guide the employees. |
Low |
| 2. | The Letter from Chair of Board of Directors shows that the board is concerned about the rate of change which is happening to the hospital to make it achieve the proposed budget before 31st March 2018. They also want to know decisions taken to ensure that the key strategic objective of achieving balanced budget since the previous management had failed according to the report released by CQC. | (Castro, Galán, and Casanueva, 2016. pp. 223) Says that the Board of Directors provides the direction of the organization, they establish the governance system and are the monitors and controllers of the firm. Therefore, I should respond to their letter urgently to ensure that they receive accurate, clear, and timely information about the strategies being taken for the success of the organization. The response letter is attached at the end of the proforma. |
High |
| 3. | The email from the operations director shows that there are delayed transfers of care which mean that patients are ready to depart the hospital but due to several reasons, he or she does is not discharged and continues to occupy the hospital bed (Liu, Kipnis, Rizk, and Escobar, 2012, pp.227). | I should request the operations director to obtain relevant information from the lower clinical directorates as to why they are not discharging ready patients. It may be unpaid hospital bills by the patients. After the information is obtained, we can now discuss what to do to reduce the level of DToC. |
Medium |
| 4. | The Healthwatch has written a letter to know the measures taken towards the proposal made for developing a new hospital and the review of rationalizing the clinical services at the two hospital sites. | Responding to the proposals will mean that the hospital will have experience cash out to construct and improve related services. Therefore, the proposal may not be looked into at the moment since the management is reducing expenditure so as to meet a balanced budget before the proposed date. |
Low |
| 5. | The Nurse Director has sent an email concerning deduction of the nursing staff budget which seems to be more than enough due to agency staff to cover sickness and absence. | Emma shows honesty which assists in building foundations of trust among workers and drives the business forward (Luft, 2016. pp.81). Reducing the agency staff budget will facilitate minimization of expenditure, and thus it will help to bring up a balanced budget. |
High |
| 6. | The HR Director has sent an email being concerned with the management to be employing medium to long-term staff. | The firm should retain most of its employees for the purpose of lowering recruitment costs now that the organization is out of the EU, getting employees from EU will increase agency staff expenses. |
Medium |
| 7. | A concerned member of staff writes a letter concerning the malpractice happening in the surgical department. The patients’ referrals are being shredded so as to lie to the management that the department is doing its duties adequately and timely. | This is unethical behavior classified as misrepresentation which occurs as a result of giving false information so as to impress the directors (Moore, Detert, KLEBE TREVIÑO, L.I.N.D.A, Baker, and Mayer, 2012.pp.34). It is an urgent matter which I should involve the related directors to investigate the matter and take disciplinary action to employees participating in such work. |
High |
| 8 | The assistant deputy director – facilities have sent an email to regarding identification of asbestos within the operating theater number two. He suggests we shut down the theater temporarily for eight months as remedial works are applied to the theater. | Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous magnesium silicate mineral The fibers are believed to cause cancer when they lodged in the lungs. (McCormack, Peto, Byrnes, Straif, and Boffetta, 2014 p p.2381). I should follow the suggestion from the Ellen Ripley to close the theater for it may cause more harm to the patients undergoing surgery in the theater. |
Medium |
| 9. | The senior inspector of the care quality commission (CQC) requires an interim report on the progress of the agreed plan on inspection and other reports on clinical services. | The CQC is a national body which carries on inspection and so as to improve services offered to patients by hospitals and other health centers in the UK (Blake, Sparrow, and Field, 2015. pp.112). I should ask the Secretary to prepare a report urgently to respond to the CQC since it frequently wants a report for health centers to regulate health and social care. |
High |
| 10. | The Freedom of information letter is an open government request requiring Sacred Heart NHS Foundation Trust to provide data regarding surgical procedures performed, clinical outcomes, and mortality rates among others. | The government wants to get data from my firm and various aspects illustrated in the letter. However, they need it within a period of 20 working days which reduces the urgency of the feedback. I will ask the concerned directors to provide such information to the secretary for typing. |
Low |
| 11 | The key performance indicators KPIs are a table showing the measure of value and how efficiently an organization is achieving its goals and objectives (Parmenter, D., 2015 pp. 11).
The company’s KPI has rows and columns indicating the various activities, targets set and the performance for financial year 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. |
I should respond to the KPIs urgently since it provides a benchmark to measure current performance, helps in planning decisions, correcting and lowering chances of human error (Bai, and Sarkis, 2014.pp. 281).
Considering the KPIs, I will be able to know whether the hospital is going to achieve its objectives or not. |
High |
| 12. | The BBC News Article Web Link states that my organization has a 23% rise in discharging patients. The news says that the hospital does not discharge well patients on time because there is nowhere suitable for them to be released. | The mass media, such as social and news websites, are a significant force in the modern culture (Greenfield, P.M., 2014 pp.32).Information shared over the internet may make people develop a negative attitude towards an organization. I should respond to the act very urgently to release a press statement about the hospital to avoid misunderstanding to the public who are the main clients of the hospital. |
High |
This is a Student Sample ORDER YOUR PAPER NOW
Response to Item 2: Letter to Chair of Board of Directors
Dear Mrs.
RE: RESPONSE TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Having received a letter from the chair, at this moment, I reply. I am working very hard to ensure our organization achieves a balanced budget before the deadline, 31st March 2018. I have put measures to reduce some expenditure, postponed less relevant proposals so as to reach our targets. This morning, I have sent a letter to the Care Quality Commission regarding measures which are being taken by the Trust and its partners to address this budget matter. My secretary is also preparing a report to be sent to Mr. A. Grieve, the government officer entitled under Freedom of Information. Moreover, I will be making a press statement to respond to the BBC news article posted on the internet.
Lastly, my directors and I are working hard to ensure the organization is back to a considerable business level. We are minimizing costs and working to provide the best services the hospital can offer. I look forward to driving the organization to achieve a balanced budget at the proposed date.
Works Cited
Rummler, G.A. and Brache, A.P., 2012. Improving performance: How to manage the white space on the organization chart. John Wiley & Sons.
Castro, I., Galán, J.L. and Casanueva, C., 2016. Management of alliance portfolios and the role of the board of directors. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 17(2), pp.215-233.
Liu, V., Kipnis, P., Rizk, N.W. and Escobar, G.J., 2012. Adverse outcomes associated with delayed intensive care unit transfers in an integrated healthcare system. Journal of hospital medicine, 7(3), pp.224-230.
Luft, J., 2016. Cooperation and competition among employees: Experimental evidence on the role of management control systems. Management Accounting Research, 31, pp.75-85.
Moore, C., Detert, J.R., KLEBE TREVIÑO, L.I.N.D.A., Baker, V.L. and Mayer, D.M., 2012. Why employees do bad things: Moral disengagement and unethical organizational behavior. Personnel Psychology, 65(1), pp.1-48.
McCormack, V., Peto, J., Byrnes, G., Straif, K. and Boffetta, P., 2014. Estimating the asbestos-related lung cancer burden from mesothelioma mortality. British journal of cancer, 111(12), p.2381.
Blake, A., Sparrow, N. and Field, S., 2015. The CQC inspections: what they mean for general practice. Br J Gen Pract, 65(632), pp.112-113.
Parmenter, D., 2015. Key performance indicators: developing, implementing, and using winning KPIs. John Wiley & Sons.
Bai, C. and Sarkis, J., 2014. Determining and applying sustainable supplier key performance indicators. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, 19(3), pp.275-291.
Greenfield, P.M., 2014. Mind and media: The effects of television, video games, and computers. Psychology Press.