Abstract

This paper shall discuss the issue of organizational development as it impacts companies desiring to implement change within their organizations. The Drugs and Poisons Section [DPS] of a forensics laboratory is troubled by legal problems as lawsuits continue to threaten the stability of the organization. There were complains because of the long procedures needed to be followed for giving samples. Moreover, results were affected because of the weak system. Complains and results problems means that there is a need for change. It is for this reason that an effective change management program is urgently needed if DPS expects to survive as a strong system. For this reason, this researcher proceeded to undertake a change program which soon evolved and developed its own distinct character; one which adapted to the business climate surrounding it. In regard to this, Chapter 1 shall present the introduction to the paper; Chapter 2 will be the Review of Literature, Chapter 3 shall be the Methodology section; Chapter 4 shall present the Evaluation section; and Chapter 5 will be the Discussion and Conclusion Section. The project concluded that the implementation of a change program is vital to the interests of any organization which needs to undergo major changes. Although the final outcome may not always be the most ideal organizational environment, it should be recognized that continued application of best business practices should be pursued in order to achieve success in the future.

 

Acknowledgements

With gratitude, the writer acknowledges the significant participation of all who unselfishly contributed countless hours of their time, talents, and dedication in order to bring into realization the rewards of the change management program that we all tirelessly worked for. First and foremost, the writer recognizes the efforts of his colleagues, the other four members of the DPS Change Program Planning Team, who, despite the seemingly impossible task of finding time in the midst of all the chaotic work schedules, still prevailed against all odds. Secondly, the writer wishes to express gratitude for the invaluable patience, understanding, and professionalism of all the hospital staff and morgue personnel with whom the writer had the privilege of having successful collaboration on matters pertaining to forensic science. Thirdly, none of the successes of the change program would have been possible without the unwavering support of the officers and men of the local police force who assisted the writer in the implementation of the programs that needed to be enforced, from the early stages of the project and all the way to the end. Last but far from being the least, the writer would like to express his deepest gratitude for the time and patience extended by the General Manager of the pharmaceutical company in which the writer and his DPS colleagues are privileged to work for; without the guidance and wisdom, all of the combined efforts would have been in vain.

 

Chapter 1: Introduction

• Introduction

This section will provide an introduction for the issues to be discussed; primarily on the topics of organizational development and change management as these apply to the issues confronting a forensics laboratory requiring an exhaustive change program which will enhance its operational effectiveness while increasing the professional competence and business competitiveness of the organization.

• Details about the organisation

The organisation under consideration is a Drugs and Poisons Section [DPS] of a forensic laboratory in the pharmaceutical industry. It is a newly-opened department and currently lacks in the overall requirements [machineries; information technology processes; security and privacy protocols] for a forensic laboratory.  A total of five employees work in the DPS and this includes two pharmacists and three lab technicians. The workload of each employee depends on the volume of incoming cases arriving at both regular and odd hours of the day and shared among co-workers with similar specialisations. It is for this reason that there are no fixed work schedules in the section.  The forensic lab receives various kinds of samples for testing such as blood, urine, body tissue, among others, from various hospitals as well as public and private morgues. There are also instances when clients personally provide or deliver their samples for laboratory testing. Apart from the numerous medical reasons for sample testing that clients may have, it should be stated that the professional service provided by the DPS is crucial to the conduct of ongoing police investigations for crime-related cases as it can aid in the direction of legal actions which rely on either sufficiency or lack of evidence against an accused individual.

Samples for testing are either sent directly to the forensic laboratory or are received from outside the premises [i.e. in the hospital or police station] by an authorised representative. In the latter case, all pertinent information and required details about the concerned client are retrieved, along with a mandatory police station stamp, prior to the acceptance of the said sample. Otherwise, a client personally arriving at the lab momentarily stays in a waiting room before the extraction or collection of sample(s) by an attending lab employee who registers the sample(s) under the full name of the client, the age, and the nationality. For foreign-born clients, supporting legal documentations are produced. The identification details are checked against the validating police station stamp similarly required on the said client. The sample, along with an accompanying form describing the required testing procedure [i.e. drug or alcohol testing], is then sent to the Lab Machines Room where either of the two pharmacists receives it and begins testing according to the requested lab procedure. The pharmacist saves all client information in a computer for purposes of statistics monitoring. It should be noted that the computer in use is similarly utilised by other staff for different purposes. The specific pharmacist who receives and conducts testing on a sample is also required to produce the report for the test results and accordingly affix his name and signature, making sure that a duplicate/file copy is kept in the lab. The entire process of receiving, testing, and report generation normally takes two days before the examination report reaches the reception desk where a client can receive it.

With the current processes being employed, several problems emerge and these include:

1. Damages on some samples by the time they arrive at the lab. Cause of damage ranges from poor storage, delay in transporting or delivering samples to the forensic lab, to the use of wrong test tubes for samples by hospital staff which can negatively impact test results. Damaged samples cannot reveal accurate results and people have lost crucial legal cases due to this;
2. Insufficient knowledge of hospital staff on the subject of forensic testing. Some tubes have contaminants such as gel and/or other volatiles. Thus, generating accurate results become impossible;
3. Lack of compliance to samples labelling procedures. There are instances when samples arrive at the forensic lab without any label or have labels with missing data;
4. Delay in producing examination results due to the delay in transporting the samples to the laboratory either because of distance or procedural inefficiencies within the originating organisations [i.e. hospital, morgue, etc]. Such delays in test results have compromised cases in the past since material evidence could not be presented to court on time;
5. Poor protocols in securing the privacy of clients. The identities of clients are readily revealed especially in cases where clients are escorted around the hospital by uniformed police officers. Similarly, samples with client identification labels go through numerous personnel in other organisations before reaching the forensic lab, further compromising the privacy of clients.

1.3       Rationale for carrying out the project

There is a need of implementing an effective operational procedure which: 1) protects the identity of the client; 2) optimises record privacy, and; 3) provides an efficient system for the gathering and retrieval of accurate data and samples from clients. The rights of the clients are essential because non-adherence potentially leads to various complaints and lawsuits. An efficient system can also protect the company from legal problems especially in instances where samples arrive at the lab damaged and thus, no conclusive results could be provided. Moreover, an improvement of the system will ensure that the client data records on file coincide with the actual information provided by the clients. An improved system will limit access to pertinent information to a few authorised staff since there is a need to limit the number of persons with access to the identities and records of the clients; this is with reference to the lack of privacy concerns in hospitals regarding samples and/or protection of client identity. The overall objective of this project is to establish a highly qualified section for the receiving and processing of samples [and test results] in the forensic lab itself in order to resolve all the above-mentioned problems.

Upon analysis of the current situation in the organization, it was apparent that there was a need to protect client privacy. In regard to this, there are presently six lawsuits against the company for breach of client privacy during the past six months. All were sparked by complaints from clients that results of sample analysis reached the ears of unauthorised individuals before the clients themselves or even the courts could be provided with the said results, thereby affecting the course and outcome of the cases. Additionally, client registration data which are supposedly confidential and securely kept on file are easily leaked outside the organisation. In addition to this, the organization realized that there were consistent errors in the clients’ data records as suggested by incidents wherein similar samples from the same clients were sent to another laboratory which arrived at different results than our own findings.

There have also been occasional instances wherein some clients received the results of analysis of a sample that does not belong to them. Moreover, the finance department has unknowingly overcharged or undercharged clients due to confusing client data. There was a realization that the strengths of the organization mainly relied on the competent and skilled personnel the organization employs. However, the weakness existed in the poor system of the organization. These weaknesses are easy to overcome using available opportunities of adopting a qualified management team that would support any change and would aid in efficient delivery of services. The strengths of the organization include a favourable work environment and the availability of adequate personnel resources that would help facilitate transformation of the system.

Furthermore, the competent and hardworking management team is well-versed in the latest trends in forensics technology. It is crucial for the management to recognise that the changing state of technology similarly necessitates changes to the system that will accrue with the evolving technology. A highly qualified sample-receiving department in the forensic lab would equate to better client privacy, less time for getting results, correct procedures in the physical handling of samples, and reduced lawsuits. All of these positive outcomes will eventually lead to an increase in public trust on the organization.

1.4       Description of the project

With the introduction of a highly qualified system that ensures protection of client information, there is going to be increase in the clients’ trust on the organization and the laboratory results that it provides. Clients tend not to share sensitive information unless the organization shows that it is able to honour the confidentiality of the client. It also will lead to a decrease in the number of suits levelled against the organization in the future. The new system will ensure that the clients can easily obtain or access information about their samples whenever they need it. The organization will carefully handle the information of the clients, thus, ensuring their privacy. It will also keep the information in an individual client record to maintain accuracy as possible. A good client care entails safe record-keeping practices of the information of the client. Furthermore, a client information record is like a unique human being, not just a pile of data the organization is protecting.

The new system will also ensure that the organization adhere to the requirements of Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record (EHRs) Programs of protecting and securing the privacy of a client (patient). The introduction of unique passwords and user names will help in the prevention of unauthorized access to the system of the organization. Moreover, the use of a user and a role-established access controls will prevent an inappropriate access to the client information. Establishment of a secure backup and recovery system will aid in the continuity of the organization after a system failure. Use of encryption will protect clients information while transmitted through the internet, thus, limiting the liability for breach of privacy.

Organizational culture always plays an essential role in the implementation success of change in an organization; however, colleague employees may fail to support the change initiative. This is due to the fact that that the change might necessitate the restructuring of the roles in the organization. Thus, many employees fear transfers to different positions, which does not accrue the benefits they have in their current positions. The new system will impose rigid norms on workflows; therefore, not all employees will accept it.

The existence of rigid hierarchies, structures, and paperwork is mandatory for the approval of the proposal of change. The management might require the accomplishment of short-term visions that may not be possible within the provided time frame for implementation. There is also the possibility of diminishing commitment and lack of patience from the management if the new change takes a long time to bear fruits due to the complexity of the new system and general lack of team experience. The clients may find the new system strange and may not adapt easily with the requirements of the new system.

The organization will gain success of this change through a continuous monitoring of activities that will follow the implementation of the new system. The key factor that will denote success in the new system within the organization is the ability to obtain user support for the new system. In order to measure the support, the organization will gain the extent to which both the clients believe the information availed to them meets their information needs. Achieving maximum effectiveness from a system will depend largely on the reactive attitudes of the clients toward the new system.

1.5       Role in the organization and the project

The role I play in the organization is that I work in the forensic lab as a pharmacist in the Drugs & Poisons Section. My role in this change project will be to initiate the need for the change project. I will lead the change team and guide it toward achieving the objective of the change project. However, I will report to the management during the change program. Some of the other staff will be included in the change team to overlook the change process. Whereas, others will aid by giving advice on the necessary actions the change team will take. They will also present recommendations for whatever changes they believe should be included or removed from the program before and during the implementation stage of the change process. The management will aid by approving the budget necessary for the change process.

1.6       Overview of succeeding chapters

The succeeding chapters will generally discuss the topic of organizational development and how its theoretical precepts impacted the developments of change in the forensic laboratory under consideration. In view of this, Chapter 2 will be a section for the literature review where relevant topics will provide background information on the said topic at hand while providing a critique of previous literature on the subject. Topics such as patient confidentiality, chain custody of samples, quality assurance in a controlled environment, resistance to change, organizational development theory, organizational strategies, and the HSE Change Model will be discussed in the review of literature. Chapter 3 will be the Methodology Section of the paper and it will provide a method for analysis of the effectiveness and impact of the HSE model on the DPS as an organization needing change management. Chapter 4 will be the evaluation section while Chapter 5 will be the Discussion and Conclusion sections.

 

Chapter 2: Literature Review

This chapter is a systematic type of review which draws extensively on the literature relevant to the topic at hand. Strategies used in searching for pertinent literature related to the subjects of change management, organizational development, and change models included online search of numerous databases not exceeding five years from the present year. All literature published before 2009 were thus excluded from the material except for the HSE Change Model which began to be implemented by the Health Service Executive in the year 2008. This review of literature provides a critique of the gathered material on change management as it applies to the working environment scenario in the Drugs and Poisons Section of a forensics laboratory set in the pharmaceutical industry sector. From this context, the following sections provide a backdrop of the existing conditions in the DPS and the corresponding work that was conducted.

2.1 Patient confidentiality

On the issue of the clarity of roles and responsibilities, the five DPS personnel are fully aware of the limits of their work jurisdictions; in particular, the maintenance of client privacy. On this matter, this writer recognizes that there have been many lapses on the part of the five employees as evidenced by the lawsuits which have been filed by disgruntled clients. In view of the fact that DPS has only a handful of employees, conflict resolutions are easily addressed and there has never been an instance where management has had to step into the picture to solve problems within the small group. In the same manner, the five personnel have never encountered major problems in their work relations with the company. Therefore, the current problems only emanate externally, from the clients who feel that their privacies have been violated.

The invasion of privacy is more problematic in these modern times when advancements in media and other communication technologies make it easier for criminals to tap into the private records of any person. These advancements in today’s modern world are exemplified by rapid technological advances in all fields of endeavour which reshape human civilization as it is now known. Hence, it is not uncommon for organizations to have a need to constantly undergo change in order to keep pace with the world. In regard to this, it should be recognized that there may be numerous obstacles to achieving organizational change and it is for this reason that many organizations have collapsed under the stringent demands of the modern times (Buono, 2009, p.145). In this modern age where patient confidentiality is given the highest regard in the field of healthcare services, the DPS must comply with the requirements for healthcare delivery and be at par with the high standards of excellence in the industry.

2.2 Chain of custody of samples

The impact of change intervention threatens the stability of the DPS. With reference to the fact that there are currently only five employees in the Drugs and Poisons Section of the forensics lab, it should be easier to implement a change in the working environment. However, while it is true that there are only a few employees working in the DPS, it operates under a cooperative working relationship with police station personnel, healthcare staff in different hospitals, as well as employees in public and private morgues, who may not be as cooperative as the DPS personnel. This presents a problem in terms of the chain of custody of samples and with its proper handling. If success is to be achieved by the change program, the cooperation of the employees in the other organizations is as vital to the success of the change program as the cooperation of the DPS personnel. Formulating change strategies in response to probable reactive eventualities is a good way for management to prepare. In a study conducted by Self and Schraeder (2009), the researchers found that employee cooperation may be more easily encouraged if, from the outset, change strategies are specifically designed to counter misunderstandings or confusion (p.167).

Nevertheless, the five personnel within the DPS can implement among themselves a system for chain custody of samples. This would mean that any given specimen sample should be in the custody of any of the five personnel at any given time. In regard to this, outgoing personnel must turn-over the custody of samples to incoming personnel, all of which should be reflected in a log book so that the time, circumstances, and employees involved can be known or identified.

2.3 Quality assurance in a controlled environment

It is common knowledge that people do not normally immerse themselves in activities that they are unfamiliar with (Fox & Balding, 2010, p.78). This is due to the simple fact that the said activity would be inconvenient because of its unfamiliarity. Nevertheless, it is always possible to ensure the delivery of quality service regardless of the unfavourable environment that an organization finds itself in. This can be done through the provision of appropriate training programs for employees. The same is true in the case of the forensic laboratory, quality must first be assured within the confines of its business walls before quality can be expected to be delivered from an external source. According to a study conducted by Aguinis and Kraiger (2009), the authors emphasize the importance of training in improving the competency skills of employees in order to uplift levels of competence and control change resistance (p.451). In the same light, an article by Elias (2009) show the need for management to recognize that when employees do not exhibit support for an implemented change program and there appears to be demoralization among the workforce, managers must find ways and means to boost belief in the new system or else it will surely fail (p.37). In view of the fact that supervisors are in direct contact with the employees, it is important to have technically knowledgeable supervisors who can motivate their people toward creativeness and productivity, as evidenced in the research conducted by Gong, Huang, and Farh (2010, p.765).

A change process sometimes encounters resistance because employees feel unfamiliar with new work processes. Not all people adapt similarly to changing work environments and as such, there will always be those that will resist change because they fear they may not be able to perform as well as expected. Such insecurities can be resolved through appropriate training that would prepare all workers for the new system (Hanna, 2009, p.300). Change leaders should constantly be aware of the relevance of their influence in encouraging organizational learning (Yukl, 2009, p.49).

In regard to this, training programs would be beneficial not only to the employees but also to the company because it would ensure that the skills of the workforce would be commensurate to the demands of the times. However, the fear of the unknown can be overcome by educating the stakeholders on the details of the new system. Make the unknown be known and fear disappears (Norton & Hughes, 2009, p.166). Fear would be neutralized and management can begin to gain the support of the employees. Otherwise, the stakeholders would surely resort to rumour-mongering because they are not informed of the facts; this is something that would not be to the benefit of the company and as such, educating the employees would be a crucial step toward company progress.

2.4 Resistance to change

In a research conducted by Erwin and Garman (2010), the researchers concluded that key factors influencing resistance in the workplace include “individual predispositions towards openness and resistance to change; individuals’ considerations of threats and benefits of change; communication, understanding, participation, trust in management, management styles, and the nature of relationships with the change agents” (p.39). Hence, an organization fails to implement change because of the workforce resistance that it encounters (Robbins, 2009, p.20). In an article written by van Dijk and van Dijk (2009), the researchers develop two hypotheses with regard to understanding how resistance impacts an organization in the face of a change initiative: 1) change threatens the work-based identity of employees and they respond to it through self-enhancement strategies which typify resistance; 2) resistance threatens the work-based identity of change leaders and, similarly, they respond to it through self-enhancement strategies (p143). However, it should also be noted that the cause of failure may be due to the over-confidence of management in imposing changes to their organization, neglecting to carefully consider how the reactive attitudes and behaviours of the workforce could dictate the success or failure of the endeavour (Kreitner, 2009, p.242). Yet another problem that may arise pertains to the problem of who should be in charge of the change program. According to a study conducted by Crawford and Nahmias (2011), project managers, program managers, and change managers generally disagree among themselves on who is better qualified to handle an intervention program (p.405). In another research conducted by Burnes and Jackson (2011), they posit that 70% of all change initiatives fail because of a lack of a value system not only in the change program being implemented but also in the reactive response of the employees to the initiative (p.133).

The effects of social pressure on the employees of the affected organizations should be considered. Individually, members of the organization may feel social pressure to resist the change program that is being imposed upon them (Rainey, 2009, p.388). The pressure does not necessarily need to come from their co-employees; it may also come from their families who may feel that they could be directly affected by the new system, at least economically. It is the belief of this writer that the effects of peer pressure can be mitigated by addressing the concerns of the workforce on an individual basis (Vukotich, 2011, p.90). This is especially easy to do in the DPS because there are only five employees but, as stated before, it would be more difficult to allay the concerns of employees in other organizations which transact with DPS. Taken from this perspective, the issue of power-resistance relations become even more problematic due to the larger scale of influence being implied.

Change leaders are divided in their perspectives when it comes to confronting resistance; some welcome it as an opportunity for improvement while others demonize it, preferring to encounter as little resistance as possible. However, in an article by Thomas and Hardy (2011), they argue that both of these opposing views fail to sufficiently address the issue of power relations and further raise problems of practical, ethical, and theoretical concerns; they propose a more critical approach where power-resistance relations is at the very core of any change program (p.322). In such a context, the overall business scenario and circumstances of the DPS require the addressing of power-resistance relations within and among the different organizations affected by the change intervention.

There are several reasons why people have a tendency to resist change in the workplace. The problem of resistance is compounded by the fact that such resistance is accompanied by rational reasoning through valid arguments that basically counters the change program being implemented (Baum, 2009, p.139). Most common among the reasons behind change resistance is the loss of status security in the company or organization where the person belongs (Lussier, 2009, p.205). This notion of insecurity is counterproductive especially in cases where coordination is required within and between different organizations, such as in the case of the DPS. According to a study conducted by Agboola and Salawu (2011), the status quo of employees is threatened by “new situations, new problems, challenges, ambiguity and uncertainty” (p.235). The researchers conclude that the ability of management to handle deviant behaviour dictates the success or failure of the change initiative. They propose the use and/or combination of a number of measures which include education, communication, facilitation, motivation, negotiation, manipulation, co-optation and coercion; the most ideal approach depends on the organizational climate and nature of operations (Agboola & Salawu, 2011, p.235).

Nevertheless, whatever unfavourable climate an organization may find itself in, it can be stated that the inherent nature of people to veer away from personal harm can be a primary cause for resistance. In view of the fact that people tend to find comfort in every aspect of their lives, they feel ill at ease when circumstances threaten to change things and situations that they have been accustomed to (Hales & Christian, 2009, p.17). Hence, resistance becomes an almost automatic reaction not only for lower-ranking employees but even for supervisors and department/section managers. Forcing the issue wilfully against the sympathetic nod of the employees may work for a short time but in the long run, employee discontent is sure to follow (Williams, 2009, p.252).

It is for this reason that a thoughtful change management process should be set into motion so that the process of change can be gradually incorporated into the system without so much resistance from the stakeholders. It should be recognized, however, that before a change process can be successful, the implementing party must first gain the trust of the stakeholders (Palestini, 2009, p.17). The relevance of trust in a change initiative is supported by the study conducted by Oreg and Sverdlik (2011), where they conclude that employees with higher levels of trust for the organization respond more positively to change despite a sense of ambivalence to the ongoing changes around them (p.337). However, the element of trust should go both ways; employees must trust management as much as management must trust its employees. This can be achieved through transparency or clear-cut aims and objectives that all stakeholders understand.

It cannot be denied that countless organizations have collapsed due to disharmonious relationships between the management and the workforce. Hence, it would be beneficial for both parties to establish a strong working relationship that is built on trust. It should be noted, moreover, that organizational politics can be a stumbling block to successful implementation (Kirst-Ashman & Hull, 2012, p.155). In a similar study on organizational politics, Reid and Toffel (2009) stated: “building on theories of how social activists inspire changes in organizational norms, beliefs, and practices, we hypothesize that … actions … and threats are likely to prime firms to adopt practices consistent with the aims of a broader social movement” (p.1157). It is therefore important to recognize that social activism and organizational politics play crucial roles in the formulation of policies, and that politics cover not only the relationship between employees and management but also between employees. This is because a competitive environment in a workplace normally produces people who desire authoritative influence over their peers. This means that some employees may want to resist change simply because they want to prove that the ideas for change are wrong and that their own ideas are better. If the change program fails then they can claim to be right, after all; thus, they get the sympathy of the group and has a chance to lead the group.

Another significant factor which has to be carefully considered is the issue of acquiring the support of the employees through a reward system (Cummings & Worley, 2009, p.43). This method negates the negative notion that the change being implemented threatens their current status. In the case of the DPS, it has to be made clear that the change program will benefit the organization in the long run. With the current course of events which show that lawsuits against the company are continuing to pile up with the current processes that are being applied, it is time to change company procedures.

Otherwise, it is highly probable that unfavourable public clamour would soon shut down DPS operations. It can be anticipated that it would be relatively easier to convince the five employees of DPS but it would be more difficult to do so with the other organizations [police station, hospitals, and morgues] that DPS transacts with. All concerned employees must understand the importance of corporate reputation and good public image because they influence the behaviour of customers as well (Friedman, 2009, p.229).

As such, the company has to make the other organizations understand that the change program will be beneficial for all concerned parties. It should also be considered, moreover, that good timing should be observed in introducing the change program to the stakeholders (Bridges, 2009, p.36). The management should always be sensitive to the current issues confronted by the stakeholders. For instance, it may not necessarily be an opportune moment to reduce the size of the workforce a few days before the start of an academic school year wherein parents need to raise money for the education of their children. Awkward timing should be avoided when implementing a change program as it can hinder progress for the organization.

2.2 Organizational Development Theory

One of the key topics which are relevant to the issues confronted by the DPS is on the theory of organizational development [OD]. It is a field of endeavour that aims to expand the knowledge of major stakeholders in an organization toward the accomplishment of established goals for change (Chance, 2009, p.208). Moreover, OD can be helpful in enhancing the performance of all company personnel, from the top management to the lower-ranking employees. Basically, this is accomplished through exhaustive analysis of the current situation, planning, implementation, and diagnosis of the effects of the change program in order to apply more effective measures that would lead to overall progress (Rothwell, Stavros, & Sullivan, 2009, p.15). This is viewed as a process where, in the face of a perceived need for alterations to the implemented change initiative, a freezing or momentary halting of the change process; a rebalancing of the process; and a refreezing of the new process is applied. This perspective is supported Kickert (2010) as he cited the study conducted  by Weick and Quinn (1999) where it is posited that continuous change requires a freeze-rebalance-refreeze sequence (p.491).

With reference to the issues confronted by the DPS, the same procedure is necessary to ensure that the organization can overcome the problems that it presently faces. It should be mentioned that unfavourable impacts on change initiatives are primarily triggered by the lack of attention to emotional demands of the initiative on the workforce. It is for this reason that in the study conducted by van Emmerik, Bakker, and Euwema (2009), it was found that employees relied on their direct supervisors for emotional assurance, buffering the impact of the implemented process (p.594). Hence, the details of the overall scenario must carefully be considered.

In order for the DPS to assess the overall scenario, it is first necessary to determine the organizational climate. In an article by Latta (2009), this is defined as “one of the many situational variables that have emerged as pivotal in determining the success of leaders’ efforts to implement change initiatives” (p.19).The organizational climate pertains to the character of the organization. In regard to this, it should be understood that al organizations have a distinct character because the people that make up the organization are themselves distinct or unique (Plunkett, Allen, & Attner, 2012, p.69). Moreover, the combined personalities or characters of the individuals in the group further add to the distinctness of the group, as compared to other groups or organizations. The individual personalities, behaviours, attitudes, or characters of the members create a collective and distinct group character. In turn, the group character influences the thoughts and actions of the individual members. It is through this interplay of characters that an organizational climate emerges.

From this perspective, this writer proceeded to analyze the level of employee satisfaction within the DPS. In this aspect, the different characters or personalities of the five employees can result in different levels of satisfaction. For instance, a person who prioritizes salary over the love of the profession may not be as satisfied as another person who does his/her job for the sake of the profession. Employees who are motivated by the element of compensation is said to be extrinsically motivated while those who prefer to work for the sake of working are intrinsically motivated (Daft & Marcic, 2012, p.484).

In regard to this, four of the DPS personnel, or 80% of the total employees, are extrinsically motivated while one, or 20%, is intrinsically motivated, as illustrated in Figure 1. Moreover, it has been mentioned in an earlier section of this paper that there are no fixed work schedules in the DPS, especially during times when large volumes of cases come in. This scenario can be very stressful for people in our profession and it can directly affect the organizational climate. In addition to this, it has also been mentioned that for the past six months, there have been six lawsuits filed against the company due to problems in client privacy and this similarly impacts the organizational climate.

Figure 1: Extrinsic versus intrinsic motivation within DPS.

For these reasons, this writer focused on more issues which affect OD such as issues pertaining to leadership, communication, management-employee relations, clarity of roles and responsibilities, and employed measures for conflict resolution (Jaksic & Rakocevic, 2012, p.1738). With regard to the situation in DPS, top management gives the five employees freedom to employ whatever measures are necessary to perform their responsibilities for as long as these measures are productive and justifiable. This may be due to the highly- technical nature of the required work [especially for the pharmacists] which top management has had no sufficient training.

The organizational climate acts as a platform where the organizational culture can evolve. The culture within an organization is comprised of established norms of behaviour and values that people in the group share among themselves. It should be understood, however, that organizational culture can also be a deterrent to the implementation of better processes, as pointed out by Bartel and Garud (2009) in an article (p.107). In the case of the DPS, it can be stated that all personnel work to the best of their abilities in order to finish the work at hand in the most professional manner possible [so as to avoid the possibility of errors] and in the most time-efficient way so that the time spent on work would not extend unnecessarily, especially in consideration of the large volumes of incoming cases.

2.2.1 Organizational Strategies

In a study conducted by Erwin (2009), he discovered that organizational strategies often fail because individual organizational members tend to deviate from established plans for change; he posited that there were four crucial elements for success: 1) realization of the need for change, planning the change, implementation, and sustaining the change (p.28). In the same manner, in order to strategically incorporate a change program in DPS, it is initially important to analyze the current circumstances of the organization so as to establish a need. This helps in pinpointing the problems which act as roadblocks to optimum performance. For this diagnosis phase, this writer conducted informant interviews and work surveys on all members of the DPS, all of which will be presented at a later chapter. Many organizations prefer to use the services of outside specialists who may have a clearer perspective of the scenario without having any subjective views or biases (Goel, 2009, p. 57). The DPS, on the other hand, is a newly-opened department in the company so employing outside specialists is not deemed to be appropriate as of this time, at least until after we have tried a change program by ourselves. In any case, conscientious leadership skills remain the most vital virtue in encouraging workforce cooperation; a leader must be able to motivate, communicate, and build teams toward successfully achieving organizational change (Gilley, McMillan, & Gilley, 2009, pp.38-47).

For the second phase, action planning is conducted (Blazey, 2009, p.115). It is at this stage that the writer developed carefully considered interventions against the problems confronted by the DPS. In regard to this, it should be mentioned that the action planning stage may take a long time to conduct since numerous plans or change strategies have to be designed and assessed for their validity before a final plan is put into action. With reference to the fact that all five members of the DPS helped in formulating the ideal strategic design for the change program, the different views and opinions of the members further prolonged the time period for the action planning phase.

The third phase is the intervention stage wherein the actual change program is implemented (Mumford, 2011, p.682). The DPS plan was to impose change on a step-by-step basis so as not to cause undue resistance from outside stakeholders, especially personnel in the police station as well as hospital staff and morgue employees. After the change program has been set into motion, this writer monitored the progress of the program in order to determine if the commitments of the stakeholders are improving, declining, or inactive. Monitoring stakeholder commitment is necessary because it has to be encouraged by the implementing entity. Otherwise, the program could very well fail.

The final phase of the change program is the evaluation stage (Zimmerman & Holden, 2009, p.12). It is at this point that the effects of the program on the current organizational and business scenarios are evaluated for their values. For the DPS, assessment of the impact of the change program on the organization was readily apparent in the decreasing number of client complaints from the time that the change program was incorporated into the operational procedures of each and every member of the DPS. Additionally, the rise in the number of incoming orders suggests that client confidence or trust in the DPS increased because of the changes being implemented. Overall, the change program had a positive impact on the company.

 

Chapter 3: Methodology

3.1 Introduction

This section shall present the method used in formulating the most appropriate change management program for the Drugs and Poisons Section of a forensic laboratory. In regard to this, it is necessary to briefly present an overview of the main points of the change model that was utilized for this particular purpose; namely, the HSE Change Model. Presented below are some of the aspects of the HSE model which influenced the conduct of the project.

 

3.1.1 HSE Change Model

The Health Service Executive [HSE] Change Model is a change management program adopted by the HSE in 2008 and continues to create positive impact for the organization. The HSE was established in 2004 in Ireland through the Health Act and it provides healthcare services for everyone in the country (HSE, 2008). It should be noted that the HSE Change Model was applied by this writer in the change management program for the DPS and as such, it is necessary to outline the basic points of the HSE model for the purpose of clarity.

The HSE Change Model is composed of four major interactive elements, and these include: 1) initiation; 2) planning; 3) implementation, and; 4) mainstreaming (HSE, 2008). The HSE Change Model is designed after the previously mentioned OD plan for strategic change management which, as previously explained, includes stages of diagnosis, action planning, intervention, and evaluation.

 

3.1.2 Initiation stage

For the initiation stage of the HSE Change Model, the following concerns are addressed (HSE, 2008): 1) the change drivers and the level of urgency; 2) designating the change leader and identifying the people involved in the change; 3) the readiness of the organization in embracing the change effort; 4) knowledge of the people in organizational politics; 5) opportunities for change to happen; 6) forecast of the impact of change on stakeholders; 7) intended objectives and outcomes; 8) resources needed for the change effort; 9) establishing a solid business case for a change process. For the methodology section of this paper, three of the nine mentioned factors which were deemed crucial to the aims of this project were included. This is because all the other factors were perceived to be generally accepted by all five DPS personnel and as such, did not need deeper analysis. The factors involved in the methodology section are: 1) opportunities for change to happen; 2) intended objectives and outcomes, and; 3) resources needed for the change effort.

3.1.3 Planning stage

The planning stage is divided into three major elements which include: 1) building commitment; 2) determining the change detail, and; 3) developing the plan for implementation (HSE, 2008). To build commitment, the following concerns are addressed: 1) creation of commitment for a shared vision; 2) communicating the business case and shared vision to staff; 3) accelerating the readiness for change, and; 4) raising awareness to ongoing changes (HSE, 2008). Determining the change detail involves the following: 1) difference of the current situation with the envisioned changes; 2) providing feedback information to stakeholders, and; 3) identifying the changes needed (HSE, 2008). In developing the implementation plan, it is necessary to: 1) envision and create a detailed plan with stakeholders; 2) identify probable impacts of the detailed design; 3) determine how the changes will be agreed and implemented, and; 4) produce a final plan which will be outlined and agreed by leaders and managers in the organization (HSE, 2008). All of the three above-mentioned elements in the planning stage are included in the methodology section.

3.1.4 Implementation stage

The implementation stage of the HSE Change Model is the phase where the final plan is put into action. However, this stage further requires other steps that should be undertaken to ensure the smooth flow of the designed processes. Foremost among these is to ensure that the implemented procedures are meeting its objectives and that all actions are proceeding according to the plan. In order to guarantee the continuance of the program, momentum must be sustained at all times on all levels of the designed program. To achieve this, constant communication with all stakeholders is necessary (HSE, 2008). The program leader should also see to it that all actions coincide with the projected time frames initially agreed upon; this will reveal if there are lapses or problems emerging and where these lapses are coming from so that they can be immediately addressed before they negatively impact the outcome of the program (HSE, 2008). It should be recognized, moreover, that new changes to the system must be done sensitively in order to sustain the support of people who may feel that they could be negatively affected by the ongoing change process. For the methodology section, three factors are included in the implementation stage and these are: 1) new procedures are in accordance with the program objectives and proceeding according to plan; 2) momentum is constantly sustained, and; 3) constant communication exists between top management and all concerned DPS personnel and if possible, with all concerned stakeholders outside the organization. This is crucial if management wishes to create the best possible impact on the current business scenario, given the problems that the company now has.

3.1.5 Mainstreaming stage

For the mainstreaming stage of the HSE Change Model, the experiences and data gathered from the implementation stage provide material and support to the integration of new policies and methods to the daily operations of the DPS. It can be stated that the mainstreaming phase further reinforces the initial plans which were established in the planning stage and put into action during the implementation phase as it draws upon emerging problems which were encountered along the way. The mainstreaming stage requires acknowledging and incorporating the best business practices in daily operations and searching for ways and means to continually improve the system (HSE, 2008). For the former, this writer coordinated with the rest of the DPS employees in setting periodic goals, the results of which were reported to the management and accordingly recognized as departmental accomplishments whenever the goals were successfully achieved. This acts as a morale booster for the DPS, thereby sustaining momentum.

In addition, this phase of the change program required the systematic but gradual integration of the change process into the system, making sure that the concerned employees understand that the new processes are not ‘additions’ to the job but are actually integral to the entire process. This is done by linking new processes with old ones; hence, the old and the new cannot succeed without the other (HSE, 2008). Successful integration can be accomplished through: 1) inclusion of new processes in business plans; 2) providing a platform for reaching departmental decisions which are agreed upon by all internal stakeholders; 3) periodic review of individual and team performances, and; 4) efficient and interactive communication system between the five DPS personnel. For the last step in mainstreaming stage of the change process, it is necessary to evaluate the outcomes of the program and learn from mistakes that may have been done along the way. Three factors which are deemed essential to the objectives of this project are included in the methodology section, and these are: 1) periodic review of individual and team performances; 2) available platform for decision-making, and; 3) outcome evaluation resulting in the integration of improved business processes (HSE, 2008).

3.2 Business scenario in the DPS

Figure 2: HSE Change Model applied in the DPS.

This chapter provides an overview of the methodology and methods used as part of the OD process. This is structured using the HSE Change Model, designed after the Organizational Development Model which was discussed in a previous chapter of this paper. The HSE Change Model was adopted due to its applicability to the current scenario in the DPS wherein organizational change must immediately be implemented in order to uplift the organization.

 

 The DPS has made major changes to work processes in the department and in its transactions with other organizations/parties. With the approval of top management and in close coordination with the other DPS personnel, this writer has set into motion corrective measures involving the following:

1. The DPS shall no longer transact directly with various public and private hospitals as well as public and private morgues with regard to incoming requests for samples testing. These organizations are to coordinate with the police station if they need the services of the DPS. The DPS shall exclusively transact with the police station in order to simplify the process. The DPS acquired the support of the police chief in regard to this matter and has even agreed to be a respondent in the change management program being implemented in the DPS. In instances wherein client identity and privacy is compromised [i.e. client is personally escorted by a police officer throughout the hospital all the way to the DPS], the DPS can be cleared of probable blame.
2. Identities of the clients will remain confidential through the use of control numbers which corresponds with the police stamp control number. This will replace the old method of client identification which includes the full name of the client, the age, and the nationality. In this manner, none of the DPS personnel will have knowledge on whose test results belong to whom and thus, any privacy problems that may arise would be the concern of the police station and not of the DPS.
3. DPS has provided basic forensics training to the personnel of the establishments [hospitals and morgues] which shall no longer be entertained directly by the DPS. The 1-day training was conducted free-of-charge to a total of 49 participants from different hospitals and morgues in the city. The participants were appropriately furnished with soft and hard copies of forensics training manuals delving into the subject of proper labelling and handling of different samples/specimens prior to laboratory testing. The training they received is to be passed on to their colleagues in their respective organizations, as they may deem necessary.
4. Walk-in clients will not be entertained unless they have an accompanying police-stamped document signifying their intention to seek DPS services. Their names and other identifying details will no longer be known to DPS personnel since only the police stamp control number will be used. This number will be entered in a computer file along with the laboratory procedure requested and the corresponding results of the exam. Each of the two pharmacists should be provided with personal computers which cannot be accessed by unauthorized individuals and exclusively used for this purpose. These measures are intended to protect the privacy of clients.
5. The new system of computerized data entry will ensure that the organization adhere to the requirements of Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record [EHR] Programs of protecting and securing the privacy of a client. The introduction of unique passwords and user names will help in the prevention of unauthorized access to the system of the organization. Moreover, the use of user and role-established access controls will prevent inappropriate access to client information. Establishment of a secure backup and recovery system will aid in the continuity of operations even in instances of system failure. Use of encryption will protect clients’ information while being transmitted through the internet.
6. A walk-in client or a police officer bringing in a sample/specimen for laboratory testing will have to wait momentarily while the lab personnel checks if the specimens are damaged or not. If a sample is damaged, DPS will immediately inform the client about it and another sample will have to be provided.
7. Procurement of new and better forensic laboratory equipment have been requested by the DPS to top management in order to enable the department to arrive at more accurate and reliable test results. Improved services will continue to enhance public trust on the DPS.

With reference to the above-stated policies newly-implemented by the DPS, there is a need to utilize a system that will monitor the progress of the change program on the five personnel of the DPS and one personnel from the police station. For this purpose, the HSE Change Model was adopted, exerting an impact on the work environment of the concerned personnel.

Chapter 4: Evaluation

This chapter provides details of the methods of evaluation employed and the analysis carried out. Qualitative analysis is employed in this chapter and reference is made to the literature associated with the chosen methods. As an introduction, the following illustrates the change in samples spoilage in the last 6 months:

Month	November	December	January	February	March	April
Number of spoiled samples	3	2	5	3	0	0

Figure 3: Number of spoiled samples from November to December, 2013

Samples can be spoiled by several ways. Some samples used to reach us with clotted blood because of the bad storage or the long time it takes until it reaches the forensic lab. Moreover, some hospitals are not aware of the tests that we do, they use a wrong type of tubes which contain volatiles and can affect our forensic results. The problem with such a defective system is that it only negatively impacts the public image of the DPS and not the public image of the hospitals or morgues. The public does not realize the responsibility of these samples sources as it impacts the accuracy of forensic testing.

It is obvious that the number of spoiled samples reached ZERO after the forensic lab started to receive samples directly from the clients. This means that the new system is highly effective. This also means that the hospitals and morgues have applied proper methods and procedures for handling specimen samples. After four months of intensive work, the efforts of the DPS to positively influence the actions of the other stakeholders have finally paid off, resulting in zero occurrence of samples spoilage.

Radar diagrams are utilized to illustrate the level of preparedness of concerned personnel, while responses to prepared questionnaires provided the necessary information needed to evaluate the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of the program. For the radar diagram, a perfectly-balanced circle represents the most ideal work/business scenario. The two variables that are under consideration in this particular appraisal are the ‘current’ assessment and the ‘desired’ assessment, revealing the direction that the respondent intends to take in the future.

The following sections will present radar diagrams which reflect the opinions and perceptions of the six respondents as these relate to the results of the HSE Change Model surveys and interviews included in the appendices section of this paper.

Radar Diagram for Respondent # 1

Figure 4: Radar Diagram for Respondent #1

 

The radar diagram of Respondent 1 shows that his rating for ‘Resources’ is the lowest; his highest rating is for ‘Plan Development’. The radar diagram in Fig.3 is somewhat balanced, suggesting an ideal perspective on the part of the respondent. However, there are still several aspects that will have to be addressed by Respondent 1.

Radar Diagram for Respondent # 2

Figure 5: Radar Diagram for Respondent #2

The radar diagram of Respondent 2 shows that his rating for ‘Resources’ is the lowest; his highest rating is for ‘Outcome Evaluation’, ‘Plan Development’, and ‘Change Detail’. The radar diagram in Fig. 4 is unbalanced, suggesting a confusing perspective on the part of the respondent. There are several problems that will have to be addressed by Respondent 2.

Radar Diagram for Respondent # 3

Figure 6: Radar Diagram for Respondent #3

 

The radar diagram of Respondent 3 shows that his rating for ‘Opportunities for Change’ is the lowest; He gave the highest rating for many other aspects in the diagram. The radar diagram in Fig. 5 is balanced only in the ‘desired’ aspect [pink line] and not in the ‘current’ aspect [blue line]. There are still several aspects that will have to be addressed by Respondent 1.

Radar Diagram for Respondent # 4

Figure 7: Radar Diagram for Respondent #4

 

 

The radar diagram of Respondent 4 shows that his rating for ‘Resources’ and ‘Objectives and Outcomes’ are the lowest; his highest rating is for ‘Outcome Evaluation’. The radar diagram in Fig. 6 is unbalanced, suggesting problems with regard to the perspectives of the respondent. There are still several aspects that will have to be addressed by Respondent 4.

Radar Diagram for Respondent # 5

Figure 8: Radar Diagram for Respondent #5

 

The radar diagram of Respondent 5 shows that his ratings for several aspects of the HSE change model are equally distributed, with “Performance Review’ and ‘Opportunities for Change’ having the highest ratings. The radar diagram in Fig. 7 is somewhat balanced, suggesting an ideal perspective on the part of the respondent. However, there are still several aspects that will have to be addressed by Respondent 5.

Radar Diagram for Respondent # 6

Figure 9: Radar Diagram for Respondent #6

 

The radar diagram of Respondent 6 shows that his rating for ‘Performance Review’ is the lowest. He gave the highest rating for all other aspects of the HSE change mode1. The radar diagram in Fig. 8 is balanced except for the ‘Performance Review’ aspect, suggesting an ideal perspective on the part of the respondent.

It is evident from the survey conducted for Respondent # 1 that there is a desire to attain an ideal organizational environment as evidenced by the rating of “10” on almost all aspects of the HSE stages. However, it is noticeable that the respondent gave a lowest score of “7” for the availability of resources while all the rest of the ratings [from 8-9] were equally distributed among the other stages.

It can be stated that the radar diagram of Respondent # is almost an ideal model with reference to the almost balanced circle for the ‘desired’ assessment, as illustrated in Fig.3. Moreover, none of the stages were given a rating of lower than “7” except for the above-mentioned resources variable. Other than that, the diagram can be considered as somewhat balanced and whatever insufficiencies are present may be corrected easily.

For Respondent # 2, it is again noticeable that the primary concern is the issue of lack of resources in the form of appropriate laboratory equipment. The rating of “6” is even lower than the rating given by the earlier respondent and considering the fact that these two respondents are the only two pharmacists in the group, the perceptions of the two should attract the attention of top management.

Like Respondent # 1, this respondent appears to desire an ideal working environment as shown by the ratings of “10” in many aspects of the HSE model, as evidenced in Fig.4. However, it is likewise noticeable that ratings of “8” were given by the respondent for the initiation and implementation stages of the change process. This suggests that the said respondent does not favor too much interference from top management as well as in changing current work processes. It may be possible that organizational politics may be at play in this instance. Recognizing that the first two respondents are the highest ranking personnel in the DPS, it is possible that Respondent 2 may be challenging the competence and judgment of Respondent 1.

This perspective is readily evident in the appearance of the said respondent’s radar diagram in Fig.4 where the circle is far from balanced, showing “resources” as the lowest rated variable and closely followed by “viability of new procedures” and “opportunities for change”. It can be stated that the radar diagram of Respondent # 2 requires a lot of work before a more ideal working attitude and behaviour can be hoped for. This perspective is further enhanced by his statement in the interview that new procedures should never be conceptualized by a single individual but instead, it should be a joint effort of the entire group.

Respondent # 3 is a laboratory technician and in evaluating his responses in the HSE change model survey, it appears that he had no problem with the lack of resources in the same way that respondents 2 and 3 had. Instead, the primary concern of Respondent 3 was on contributing new work procedures to the group. In this aspect, he gave his lowest rating of “6”.  All the rest of were equally distributed and it can also be deduced that he desires a high rating for future endeavours of the group as evidenced by his score of “10” in almost all aspects of the “desired” variables, as illustrated in Fig.5.

In the same manner, it can be stated that his work outlook is fairly balanced as shown in his radar diagram, especially among the “desired” variables. The only variable that stood out was his low rating for “opportunities for change”. Judging from his personal assessment, it can be deduced that Respondent # 3 is contented with his current status in the organization and although he desires progress for the DPS group, he sees no point in finding new ways and means to perform his work more efficiently.

As stated by Respondent # 3, “I think my present job description is good enough for me to contribute to the overall effort of the group but if the group thinks that the change program requires more work on my part, I will be willing to comply”. This solidifies the conviction of the said respondent that he has no plan of changing his current status unless it is imposed upon him by the circumstances.

Respondent # 4 is likewise a laboratory technician and unlike the previous respondent, the lowest rating he provided was “7” for two variables of the initiation stage. It can be seen that he believes that the intended objectives of the program do not sufficiently meet the requirements of the organization and that there are not enough resources in the DPS. This view is very evident in the radar diagram of the said respondent since the circle of the diagram is almost balanced except for the two said variables, as shown in Fig.6.

In his interview, he stated that, “it just goes to show that we have not perfected the system yet and we need to constantly refine our objectives”. Moreover, he mentioned in the interview that, “we need fewer resources; the story is different for our DPS pharmacists, however. They need more equipment to do their job better”. This shows that this respondent is sympathetic to the plight of the pharmacists and believes that management should give more attention to the concerns of the two.

Respondent # 5 is the third laboratory technician in the group and it can be readily seen in his HSE change model survey form that he is a very optimistic employee. This is evidenced by his balanced ratings from 8 to 10, almost equally distributed among all the variables. Moreover, his “desired” variables have all been rated “10” which further confirms his attitude of optimism.

Of the four previous respondents, Respondent # 5 has a perfectly balanced “ideal” circle in the radar diagram, as presented in Fig.7. Although the “current” circle does not appear to be as balanced, it is noticeable that none of the ratings fall below the score of “8”. For his interview, the said respondent stated: “I don’t think there is a sufficient platform for such decision-making schemes. Especially for the change program, decisions are discussed and finalized among the DPS personnel”. This means that he feels that top management may not be as visible as necessary in the DPS although he does not complain about it.

Concerning the mainstreaming stage, Respondent # 5 stated: “I have some ideas which can help further improve the evaluation process but the group turned them down after a vote”. This shows that he is willing to contribute his ideas to the group even though the group may not always appreciate his ideas. The process, nevertheless, shows how democracy runs through the DPS.

Respondent # 6 is different from the rest of the respondents in the sense that he is not a member of the DPS. He is, in fact, the police chief who transacts with the DPS on matters pertaining to the testing of specimens for police-related incidents. Although the police chief is an outsider among the group of respondents, events will later show how crucial his role would be in the change program that was implemented by the DPS.

The police chief was included among the list of respondents because originally, the plan was to severe all transactions with other organizations such as private and public hospitals and morgues, instead, the DPS intended to exclusively transact with the police station. In view of the fact that the police chief belongs to a completely different organizational environment, it is understandable that his views are relatively different from the rest of the respondents.

His autocratic nature as a police officer is immediately evident in the almost perfect ratings that he provided in the HSE change model survey form. It is very noticeable that all ratings are “10” except for the rating of “9” under one of the variables in the mainstreaming stage. The said variable pertains to the periodic review of individual and team performances. It can be deduced that his rating of “9” can be attributed to the fact that he cannot meet with the other DPS personnel as often as needed. As a result of the almost perfect ratings given by the police chief, his radar diagram in Fig. 8 shows a perfectly balanced circle for the “desired” variables and an almost perfect circle for the “current” variables, as illustrated in Appendix 6. As he mentioned in the interview: “The momentum of my Department in relation to the change effort of DPS will always be in full force. We will support the initiatives of the DPS for the public good”.

For the initiation stage of the interview, Respondent # 1 acknowledged that the DPS was a fairly new department and as such, there were still a lot of improvements that could be done to uplift the quality of its operations. The respondent, however, was careful in introducing new processes because according to him, it may upset current operational effectiveness. While this is true, Respondent # 1 should realize that the urgent nature of the circumstances of the DPS requires urgent implementation of measures.

This does not mean that the respondent should bypass the organizational hierarchy; instead, the DPS should be prepared to expedite all proposed activities which are deemed beneficial to the organization, especially in view of the fact that top management gives the group relative freedom in deciding the best courses of action for the department. Respondent 1 believes that there are still many more improvements that can be done to enhance his performance and the performance of his co-workers. In regard to this, he mentions that because the DPS is a new department, work processes have only been adopted recently and as such, there may be many more improvements that can be incorporated into the work processes. He therefore admits that there were many flaws in the current processes and this awareness compels the employees into positive action.

For the same question, Respondent 2 stated:

I prefer to think of new procedures as the result of a combined effort of the entire group rather than a personal or individual initiative. I believe this view is crucial to teamwork. Although new ways of dong things can be individually conceptualized and tried, it would be to the best advantage of the group if new ideas originate from group brainstorming. (Appendix B)

It appears that Respondent 2 does not want to give credit to any single member of the group for whatever success the group accomplishes. Being one of the two highest ranking members in the group, there is a probable undertone of dissatisfaction with regard to the leadership of Respondent 1. This, however, was far from the views of Respondent 3 who mentioned: “I think my present job description is good enough for me to contribute to the overall effort of the group but if the group thinks that the change program requires more work on my part, I’ll be willing to comply” (Appendix C). In contrast to the views previously mentioned, Respondent 4 stated: “I try to think of better ways of doing things but I haven’t been successful so far. Everything that I need to do to be an asset of the company has already been laid out. My good track record proves this” (Appendix D). Respondent 5 shared the views of Respondent 4 as he stated: “I have come up with all the probable scenarios that could improve my work processes but I think I am doing everything as efficiently as possible” (Appendix E). This suggests that there may be tendency for work complacency on the part of laboratory technicians. Even more contrastingly, the opinions of Respondent 6 differ from all the rest as he believed that: “All actions performed in my capacity are based on what the law allows me to do so I cannot do more than the law requires” (Appendix F).

It was also asked from Respondent 1 if the intended objectives of the change program were performed accordingly and if the corresponding outcomes are favourable. In answer to this, he mentioned that the intended objectives were performed to the best of the capacity of all DPS personnel although some tended to resort back to the old ways whenever large volumes of cases came in. This means that because they have been accustomed to those ways and the pressure makes them resort to ways that are familiar to them, the team does not perform optimally when under pressure. To this question, Respondent 2 stated: “The intended actions are performed in accordance to the objectives but sometimes it turns out that their outcomes are unfavourable so we immediately work out a better plan to replace the original one” (Appendix B).

Respondent 1 was also asked if there were sufficient resources for the change effort and he replied that in terms of manpower, there were enough personnel to run the department although the DPS needed to have permanent lab technicians. Moreover, he mentioned that the department needed more equipment for forensic testing because the employees cannot be expected to do their jobs well without sufficient equipment to work with. It can be noticed that he feels that the management lacks support in this aspect and that he blames the failures of the DPS to such deficiencies. Respondent 2 similarly feels the same way, as evidenced in his following statement: “I don’t think so, in terms of laboratory equipment. It is difficult to establish a program that will have to change again once new equipments and methods/processes arrive so I am hoping those lab equipments arrive soon” (Appendix B).

With regard to the planning stage of the HSE change model, it was inquired from Respondent 1 if there were measures in place which would strengthen the commitments among stakeholders. He replied that he believes that all the DPS personnel are committed to their work and have, in fact, contributed to the implementation planning of the change program. In response to the answer whether the details of the change program were well-defined and understood by all concerned parties, he replied:

Yes. The fact that there are only five of us in the DPS makes it very easy to get the message across each and every one of the staff. Questions and concerns were raised but they were easily addressed, especially when top management affirmed its full support to recommendations forwarded by the DPS in regard to the change program. (Appendix A)

This suggests that Respondent 1 believes that the support of top management is crucial to the success of the program especially at a time when several of the DPS personnel had questions which could only be addressed by the management itself. The positive response of the top management with regard to the recommendations of the department shows how eager the company is to resolve problematic issues through the technical know-how of its employees. When asked whether there was a well-developed plan of action for the change program, Respondent 1 said that:

The entire DPS team worked hard to formulate a good initial plan of action although with the passage of time, it is evident that problems will always crop up no matter how carefully a plan is prepared. Nevertheless, the problems we encounter help us to identify the critical areas where improvements to the change program have to be further developed. (Appendix A)

Concerning implementation stage, Respondent 1 was asked if the new procedures were in accordance with the program objectives and if they were proceeding according to plan. He replied: “The agreed-upon procedures are put into action although there have been some new procedures which had to be further amended in order to facilitate greater performance efficiency” (Appendix A). This suggests that the planning team was closely monitoring the developments of the change program and were prepared to address any problems that may have arisen. The several amendments to the original plan indicate that the team was not able to anticipate several problems partly because the team may have lacked the necessary experience in dealing and managing a change program in a forensics laboratory setting. When asked if momentum or motivation was constantly maintained and sustained in the department, Respondent 1 stated:

So far, yes. However, it is probable that all five DPS personnel are motivated by the possibility of new forensic equipments arriving soon as we have requested from the top management. My fear is that if the requested equipments take a long time to arrive, the momentum may dwindle before the change program could be successfully integrated into the system. (Appendix A)

The response of Respondent 1reveals that the motivation of the team is dependent upon the arrival of new equipment; without it, they realize that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to overcome the adversities. This shows the unstable morale that the team has and it for this reason that to management must recognize the relevance of upgrading its equipments for the good of the company. In relation to this, it was asked if there was constant communication between top management and all concerned DPS personnel; Respondent 1 stated that:  “DPS has an open communication system with top management although the DPS tends to exercise some independence in the management of the department, especially since the work is very technical” (Appendix A). Although it may be convenient for the DPS personnel to be given a free hand in the operational aspect of the business, top management must ensure that the administrative side of the business remains under the control of the company.

With regard to the mainstreaming stage of the HSE change model, it was inquired from the respondents whether there was a periodic review of individual and team performances. Respondent 1 answered in the positive, stating that reviews were easily conducted in the DPS, especially because there were only five members. Although it is evident that Respondent 1 finds it convenient to conduct performance reviews with only a few members, there is an undertone of inconvenience because of the greater workload. When asked whether there was an available platform for decision-making which involves coordination between top management and lower-ranking personnel, he stated:

Yes, there is an available platform where DPS personnel can communicate directly with top management. Normally, administrative decisions are exclusive to top management but in terms of operational decisions, they give us the freedom to direct our course of action. (Appendix A)

Respondent 1 attests that DPS members independently decide whatever they think is best for the team and although administrative matters are normally handled by the management, it does not appear that there is real control over DPS decisions.

For the final question, it was asked if there was a process for outcome evaluation which results in the integration of improved business processes. For this question, Respondent 1 replied: “Yes, in the evaluation of outcomes, we always pinpoint where our weaknesses are so we focus on improving those weaknesses by applying new processes. Sometimes it is a trial-and-error exercise, however” (Appendix A). It appears that it is at the trial-and-error stage that errors become problematic for the company and as such, this researcher believes that it is to the best interest of the DPS if work processes remain standardized at the soonest possible time instead of continuing to weigh what the best courses of action may be. All the other respondents shared similar views with Respondent 1 and it is for this reason that this researcher believes that DPS must arrive at the best possible course of action at the soonest possible time in order to correct the deficiencies with the least possible damage.

Chapter 5: Discussion and Conclusions

This chapter draws together the findings from the project conducted in the DPS. This discusses the overall experience of introducing change and a discussion of how the project relates to the literature discussed in chapter 2. This section takes the form of a critical discussion of the experience of leading the OD process as described in Chapter 3 and the evaluation findings as described in Chapter 4. With reference to the issues presented in the previous chapters, the outcome of the project is presented in Figure 10 below:

Figure 10: Business scenario before and after the change.

 

There were several changes which transformed the original policies that were formulated by the DPS, as discussed in the early portion of the methodology section. This conforms to the discussion on organizational development and the HSE Change Model that after evaluation of ongoing processes and procedures, the applied change model continues to transform or evolve into something that is more appropriate for the organization.

The same occurrence transpired in the DPS change program as numerous adaptations were accommodated into the system. In this aspect, the following changes were adopted after two months of HSE implementation:

1. It was originally planned that the DPS shall no longer transact directly with various public and private hospitals as well as public and private morgues with regard to incoming requests for samples testing. These organizations were to coordinate with the police station if they need the services of the DPS. However, there were numerous lapses in the prescribed procedure especially during medical emergency instances where hospital staff continued to send specimen samples for testing to the forensic laboratory despite the earlier advice not to do so.

This continued to impact the privacy of clients and therefore had a negative effect on the public image of the DPS, especially in view of the lawsuits which have been filed in court against the company. As a result, the DPS completely severed all ties with the hospitals and morgues and instead operated as a private contractor for the forensics requirements of the police station. In this manner, the official capacity of the DPS provided a protection against legal complaints as the police station absorbed all emanating problems thereafter. This compelled police authorities to be more sensitive in the conduct of their duties, especially when it pertained to specimen samples crucial to evidence presentation in court hearings.

1. It was originally planned that the identities of the clients will remain confidential through the use of control numbers which corresponds with the police stamp control number. This replaced the old method of client identification which includes the full name of the client, the age, and the nationality. However, although none of the DPS personnel had knowledge on whose test results belonged to whom, leakage of information continued to emanate from the police station and sometimes from the clients themselves.

For this reason, it was further advantageous for the DPS to officially perform its services under the jurisdiction of the police station. Considering that numerous private businesses are now utilized by the public sector due to reasons of practicality and economic sensibility, there are already several legislative protections in place that encourage collaborative relationships between the public and private sectors.

1. DPS has provided basic forensics training to the personnel of the establishments [hospitals and morgues] which shall no longer be entertained directly by the DPS. By conducting free 1-day training to a total of 49 participants from different hospitals and morgues in the city, many were able to benefit from the program. However, it later turned out that it was not the last training program that was provided by DPS. Originally, it was thought that the participants would pass on their acquired knowledge to their co-workers but in later weeks, it was apparent that the method was not effective since they conducted their own training programs poorly, thereby resulting in even poorer specimen handlers.
2. It was also originally planned that the identity of walk-in clients will be limited to the control number present in the police station stamp that they bring along with their specimens for testing. The data should have been entered in a computer file along with the laboratory procedure requested and the corresponding results of the exam. Moreover, each of the two pharmacists should have been provided with personal computers which cannot be accessed by unauthorized individuals and exclusively used for this purpose.

These measures were intended to protect the privacy of clients. However, additional computers were not provided by the company to the DPS within the span of the two months period that the change program was implemented due to time constraints and some problems with the supplier. Fortunately, the police station had numerous computers which were provided to DPS exclusively for the purpose of forensics data entry.

1. It was originally planned that the new system of computerized data entry would ensure that the organization adhere to the requirements of Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record [EHR] Programs of protecting and securing the privacy of a client. The introduction of unique passwords and user names would help in the prevention of unauthorized access to the system of the organization.

Moreover, the use of user and role-established access controls would prevent inappropriate access to client information. Establishment of a secure backup and recovery system would aid in the continuity of operations even in instances of system failure. Use of encryption would protect clients’ information while being transmitted through the internet. However, one of the first requirements of the police chief was that all passwords and access codes should be revealed to him all throughout the process. Therefore, client data privacy would be in the hands not only of the DPS pharmacists but also in the hands of the police chief.

1. Originally, a walk-in client or a police officer bringing in a sample/specimen for laboratory testing had to wait momentarily while the lab personnel checks if the specimens are damaged or not. If a sample was damaged, DPS immediately informed the client about it and another sample had to be provided. However, the company agreed to transfer the DPS to the premises of the police station in order to expedite the process of specimen testing. Although this may have helped in the fast delivery of samples to the DPS, there was no available space for a waiting room and thus, we had to be satisfied with the space that was available for our use.
2. Originally, DPS requested top management to procure new and better forensic laboratory equipment in order to enable the department to arrive at more accurate and reliable test results. Improved services would have enhanced public trust on the DPS. However, equipments were not acquired during the two-month period of the change program due to time constraints and some problematic issues with the supplier. However, top management pledged to provide the said equipment within the coming months and as such, DPS can hope to further improve its services to its clients.

All of these experiences illustrate that the design of an appropriate change model will always be dependent on the current business scenario. This is because half of the original plans were practically transformed into something that was completely unexpected at the beginning of the project. Indeed, the change program impacted the organization in ways that was never anticipated before. If the above-stated changes were not implemented, the DPS may have ceased to operate due to the numerous problems that it confronted as evidenced by the lawsuits that continued to pile up from client complaints. There were, moreover, several positive developments that were accomplished. Among these is the fact that damages to specimen samples were minimized due to the fact that DPS operated within the premises of the police station where transportation problems were eliminated. In addition, the incoming samples are now directly handled by competent professionals of the DPS instead of being passed on through different individuals lacking in forensics training. Although the current business conditions are still far from an ideal organizational environment, the project has proven that without a change model to guide an organization, more problems can be expected by all stakeholders. In view of all the above-stated discussions, it is therefore recommended that further research be conducted in the field of change management for the operation of forensics laboratories in order to enhance knowledge on other business possibilities that may occur.

 

 

 

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