Lynn Godkin

Supervisor gender, leadership style, and perceived job design

Using a national sample of 7,733 young working adults, the relationship between supervisor gender and perceived job design was explored. Results indicated that a supervisor’s gender did indeed influence subordinates’ perceptions of their job, and the differences were attributed to the different leadership styles men and women frequently use in the workplace. Overall, subordinates who had female supervisors perceived greater interpersonal aspects in their jobs, while subordinates who had male supervisors perceived greater structure in their jobs.

Caring behaviors among nurses: fostering a conversation of gestures.

Abstract: Caring behaviors have been shown to financially benefit business in general and the health care industry in particular. Nursing presence is a concept representative of caring behaviors within the nursing profession. This article suggests a means through which nursing presence might be identified and taught. Patients may, as a result, increasingly view their assigned nurses as caring in attitude and behavior.

Examining closure rates of rural hospitals: an assessment of a strategic taxonomy.

This article reports a study of rural hospital failure. Testing a model previously suggested by Drain and Godkin (1996), analysis incorporated four financial ratios used to graphically depict the external environment of a hospital or portfolio of hospitals relative to that of an average facility. Applied to a random sample of rural hospitals, the evidence supports the models ability to exhibit clustering differences on five of seven selected structure-related variables, and trend activity for the group of hospitals that failed during the period under study.

Gender and ethics

Purpose – Previous research indicates that women often perform more ethically on the job than do men. However, the results have been mixed, suggesting that further inquiry is needed. The purpose of this paper is to explore this important topic in a large healthcare organization. A field study sought to identify gender differences in ethical judgment, ethical intention, and organization‐based altruism in a healthcare organization, thereby providing some insight into the individual differences that influence ethical reasoning in the healthcare industry.Design/methodology/approach – The investigation was based on survey data returned from a large sample of faculty and staff employed by a multiple‐campus health science center. Multivariate and univariate statistical modeling was used to evaluate the relationship between gender and ethical reasoning/conduct.Findings – The findings suggest that women are generally more ethical than men. Being a woman was related to increased ethical judgment, being a woman and ...

Nursing Presence, Patient Satisfaction, and the Bottom Line

Abstract Hospital planners rely on a number of motivational models to increase patient satisfaction. Missing is the user friendly model oriented to nursing presence. Absent is the approach which taps into that contribution particular nurses might make to increase patient satisfaction and enhance the bottom line. This paper remedies this circumstance by the introduction of the Nursing Presence Grid model. The model is based upon a review of the literature conducted in the manner of Polit and Hungler (1995) and appearing since 1983. Nursing presence is defined. The Nursing Presence Grid matches the various dimensions of nursing presence with various courses of action thought to attain nursing presence. An explanation of how the model might be applied is presented.

Employment selection in health care: the case for structured interviewing.

The literature related to selection interviewing dates, at least, to 1915. The focus of that literature and the conclusions represented by the various authors assumed that the employment selection interview had limited validity or predictive value until the late 1980s. Papers appearing since contradict those conclusions. This article proposes that the selection interview can be a valid portion of the hiring process to the degree that each is highly structured.

Women’s management, perceived job responsibility, and job search intention

The impact of manager gender on subordinates’ perceived job responsibility and intention to look for work was explored using a national sample of 1,825 supervisors employed in a variety of industries. After accounting for several covariates, results indicated that supervisors who had a female manager perceived lower job responsibility than did those who had a male manager. Results also showed that supervisors who had a female manager had higher intentions to look for work than did those who had a male manager. The causes and managerial implications of these findings are explored.

Institutional narcissism, arrogant organization disorder and interruptions in organizational learning

Purpose – This article aims to present an alternative approach to diagnosing behavioral barriers to organizational learning.Design/methodology/approach – The paper juxtaposes interruptions in organizational learning with characteristics of narcissism and arrogant organization disorder. Psychoanalytically informed theory and DSM‐IV criteria are applied to interruptions in organizational learning and an alternative approach to diagnosing behavioral barriers to organizational learning is suggested.Findings – This paper illustrates how managers might account for human failings when considering organizational learning in less than ideal settings.Originality/value – This paper demonstrates how informed psychoanalytical theory can be applied to the learning organization and provides a framework from which to diagnose and deal with arrogant organization disorder.

The zone of inertia: absorptive capacity and organizational change

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe how interruptions in organizational learning effect institutional absorptive capacity and contribute to organizational inertia.Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory model is presented as a heuristic to describe how interruptions in organizational learning affect absorptive capacity.Findings – A number of pivotal factors may result in a zone of inertia hindering organizational learning and process.Originality/value – This paper describes the concept of a zone of inertia and introduces a model placing the notion in context.

Workplace psychodynamics and the management of organizational inertia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a psychoanalytical approach to dealing with organizational inertia.Design/methodology/approach – The concept of organizational inertia is defined and factors contributing to insight inertia and action inertia are delineated.Findings – It was found that applying psychoanalytically informed theory provides alternative insight into dealing with organizational inertia.Originality/value – The paper illustrates how human nature influences the workplace in general and contributes to organizational inertia in particular.