functional leadership assignment

8/10/2019 Functional Leadership Assignment

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Acknowledgements

I would like to extend my gratitude to Florence Mawindo for providing invaluable guidance

and proofreading this assignment. This assignment would not have been possible had it not

been for the ideas and information from Albert Makone, ongai Macherenga, !oyful

Mapuranga, "dson Muchemwa, #eorge $hinomona and Terence $higwada.

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1.0 Introduction

The general development of any society encompasses the health of the individuals in that

society. This implies that health is a dynamic process. In 8imbabwe, the Ministry of 9ealth

and $hild :elfare ;M<9$:= continuously changes its functions and structure to better meet

the ever>evolving challenges and demands. The #overnment of 8imbabwe ;#<8= desires to

have the highest possible level of health and ?uality of life for all its citi@ens. This vision has

to be attained through guaranteeing every 8imbabwean access to comprehensive and

effective health service.

The M<9$: has various departments to ensure that its vision is achieved. These are the

(rovincial Medical 6irectorates, $entral hospitals, 9uman -esources, Finance and

Administration, <ral 9ealth 1ervices, ursing 1ervices, Traditional Medicines, +aboratory

1ervices, 1TI, 9I*, AI61 and T7 nit, (olicy and (lanning, Monitoring and "valuation,

uality Assurance, $hief Internal Audit, "pidemiology and 6isease $ontrol, -eproductive

9ealth, "nvironmental 9ealthB and (harmacy 1ervices.

This assignment will be limited to the (harmacy 1ervices. The 6irectorate of (harmacy

1ervices encompasses the +ogistics nit ;+= which is responsible for managing essential

medicines and medical supplies including 9I*5AI61 commodities distribution systems and

the related +ogistics Management Information 1ystems ;+MI1=. In addition, the + forecasts

and ?uantifies essential medicines and medical supplies. It analyses and interprets data in

order to report logistics information, including feedback reports to the various levels of the

M<9$: and its partners such as the #lobal Fund to fight AI61, T7 and Malaria ;#FATM=,

nited 1tates Agency for International 6evelopment ;1AI6= and the $linton Foundation.

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+, Manager

6eputy +,

Manager

4 +ogistics <fficers

,pstream

+ogistics Coordinato

r

(MT$T Coordinato

r

AdminstrativeAssistant

<ffice <rderly

MI1 <fficer

)

6ata"ncoders

The +ogistics nit is made up of The + Manager, the 6eputy + Manager, pstream

+ogistics $oordinator, (revention of Mother to $hild Transmission ;(MT$T= $oordinator,

Management Information 1ystems ;MI1= <fficer, three data encoders, an Administrative

Assistant, an <ffice <rderly and four +ogistics <fficers at the 9arare office.

Figure 1: Organogram of the L

<f the fourteen members at the + 9arare office, ' are pharmacists, ) are pharmacy

technicians, and the rest have no pharmacy>related background. This diagram below shows

that the team is composed of members from diverse professional fields. "ach member brings

different skills to give a potential fusion of expertise.

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Figure !: L staff b" #rofessional background

(harmacistsB '

(harmacy TechniciansB )

+ogistics>related backgroundB )

Information Technology backgroundB

<ffice ManagementB %

<therB %

1.1 Assignment

An analysis of the +ogistics nit of the 6irectorate of (harmacy 1ervices;6(1= under the

Ministry of 9ealth and $hild 1ervices basing on twelve characteristics of a successful

football team.

1.! $ur#ose

The 6irectorate of (harmacy 1ervices has a mission to ensure that medicines which are safe,

efficacious and of good ?uality are available, accessible and affordable ;1"AAA= to all

those in need.

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It is the information hub which consolidates data from 16(s to ?uantify national needs and

inform procurement.

The + receives $onsumption5-e?uisition;$5-= forms from 1ervice 6elivery (oints ;16(s=

which detail the number of patients receiving antiretroviral medicines by regimen as well as

the consumption of the said medicines. These $5- forms are then approved by +ogistics

<fficers who generate an order which will be filled by the ational (harmaceutical

$ompany, a ?uasi>government entity responsible for distribution and storage of

pharmaceuticals. The movement of $5- forms, information and commodities is shown on

Figure ). The twelve given characteristics of a successful football team are described in detail

below together with the application to the +.

!.1 Clear 'isual goals

Dat@enbach and 1mith ;%44= intimated that goals are ideas. A goal is a consciously planned

and desired result towards which people are endeavouring. There must be consensus as

regards the goals between the team members for the goals to be the foundation of the teamHs

vision. This motivates the members while providing a common purpose and direction. :est

;%44= emphasised the need for organisations to have a clear purpose encompassing the

underlying values. The + is a part of the 6(1 and has clearly laid down goals and

obectives. The Dey -esult Areas ;D-As= are documented and agreed upon as a directorate.

This assignment found out that the clarity of organisational goals is certainly evident with the

exception perhaps of the lowest levels of personnel. These personnel are typically those

without a pharmacy>based background.

Figure %: Linkages between the L as a team and the other #arts of the #ublic health

su##l" chain

7L (anagement manages and

leads the + team providing

direction, motivation and guidance.

Logistics Officers approve orders and

generate Facilit" feedback )e#orts

electronically and send to *at$harm. They

com ile a re ort to submit to + mana ement

(I+ Officer compiles

and analyses data and

sends to +ogistics

<fficers and reports to

L mana er

Facilit" sends $5-

form to the +,ata encoder enters data

into the electronic system

for order approval and

send to +o istics



!.! Attainable goals

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*at$harm packs medicines

and medical supplies

according to orders and

distributes to the facilities



The ministry is decentralising Antiretroviral Treatment ;A-T= services and the + is leading

the training of nurses at rural health centres to manage A-T medicines and *oluntary Medical

Male $ircumcision commodities. The increase in programs has strained the staff at the +.

Three trainings may run concurrently and may compromise the ?uality of trainings as well as

affect order approvals by the +ogistics <fficers. (rogram managers in the M<9$: and the

6(1 should improve their coordination and synchronisation of activities.

!.% )ecognising achie'ers

1uccessful teams usually have members who excel and drive the team in times of crisis. In as

much these super achievers tend to have a positive influence on teamsB they have a propensity

to re?uire the limelight all the time. If leaders fail to recognise the talent in others, the

efficiency and effectiveness of other team members will decline as supported by 1kinnerHs

theory of reinforcement of behaviour. 1kinnerHs theory was based on ". +. ThorndikeHs earlier

work on the law of effect. 1kinner found out that behaviour which was reinforced tends to be

repeated while that which was not reinforced was extinguished as shown on Figure .

Figure -: An illustration of the law of effect

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1witch off (unishment-eward

7ehaviour eed



This means that leaders should praise and offer critical feedback to members who have

successfully met challenges. A discussion with + staff showed that this recognition has not

been forthcoming. It would appear that no feedback comes from the managers regarding task

undertaken or reports submitted. The previous deputy + manager would complement one

+ogistics <fficer though for consistently offering ?uick responses to issues and reports.

!.- Immediate feedback

Feedback means letting someone know on a timely and continual basis how they are

performing. This includes both positive and negative observations. +eaders should use

descriptive rather than udgemental language to make particular statements or give general

statements supported by specific examples. Team members and organisations re?uire accurate

and timely feedback to maintain and5or improve their effectiveness. The managers should

analyse reports submitted and provide feedback on tasks undertaken by the team.

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9ackman ;%44&= recommended a balance between the more traditional individual reward

systems with team>based incentives that are contingent upon the whole teamHs performance to

emphasise cooperation rather than competition. The + manager is reported to provide

feedback on rare occasions to subordinates. + staff believes that the management has little

or no time to scrutinise reports send to the managers. This lowers morale and commitment of

the team members and subse?uently lowers performance.

!. The satisfaction of social needs

#ood social relationships maintain effective teams. This is the third step on MaslowHs

hierarchy of needs. In order to avoid challenges of loneliness, depression and anxiety, people

need to feel loved and accepted by other people. Dirkman and -osen ;%444= wrote that

Esocial networks within and beyond teams facilitate a better understanding of team tasks and

an increased belief in the teamHs effectiveness. The + has no initiative to have in place

group activities.

It is noteworthy though that the employees themselves make contributions towards birthdays,

births and deaths within families of members as well as end of year parties. These are efforts

by team members to socially interact outside of work duties. The + should try to form even

sports teams, religious groups or provide lunch ;maybe once a month or a ?uarter with

various themes=. These would provide team members with an opportunity to interact without

the pressures of the work environment. MaslowHs theory points out that peopleHs needs are

not ust met by hard cash. :ell paid people may still have needs that re?uire satisfaction.

Furthermore, MaslowHs hierarchy offers leaders a whole range of options to use for building

team satisfaction. It is often inexpensive to have team socials such as a barbecue.

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!./ +atisfaction of esteem needs

The fourth level of MaslowHs hierarchy is the need for respect and appreciation. :hen the

physiological needs are met and social relationships flourish, esteem needs become more

prominent. The need for feelings of accomplishment, prestige and personal worth begin to

receive more attention in motivating behaviour. (articipation in professional activities,

academic accomplishments and personal hobbies play a role in fulfilling esteem needs.

(harmacists at the + are sponsored to go to a !oint $ongress between the (harmaceutical

1ociety of 8imbabwe and the $ollege of (rimary $are (hysicians of 8imbabwe.

(harmacy Technicians are sponsored to attend the oint congress5conference of the 8imbabwe

(harmacy Technicians Association. Members of the $hartered Institute of (urchasing and

1upply are not sponsored. 1ome members of the + believe that part of their esteem

re?uirements are met as they train and supervise 1ervice 6elivery (oint ;16(= staff.

Feedback on these activities from the leaders would help motivate the + staff more.

!. (oti'ation and influence of grou# #ressure

Members in a team believe that the group has a better understanding of the situation and

special expertise. The team members may experience extreme discomfort that discourages

them from speaking out against the group even if it is wrong. The team is made up people

with different backgrounds and areas of expertise. In turn, each motivates others by excelling

in their line of work. The + should strive to recruit the best candidates for its positions and

resist pressure to ErewardH long service within the M<9$: without due regard to

?ualifications.

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This in turn should help the inter>influence between members of the team. These members

should undertake continuous training so that they keep abreast of developments in their

particular fields. Interaction between the professionals would probably help in improving

motivation. Maple ;%432= suggested that the professionalHs self>image was the most

influential in team members understanding and interacting with each other. As a result of the

diverse backgrounds of the professionals at the +, the team members seek to excel so that

they do not bring the name of their profession into disrepute.

!. +tri'ing to meet higher indi'idual standards

Individual contributions are a pre>re?uisite of characteristics of effective team work. 7rill

;%420= wrote that establishing and managing relationships between individuals who have a

variety of personalities and a range of professional and non>professional experiences is a

critical component of teamwork. The + has no formal structures in place to measure

individual performance. In as much as the + staff may want to excel, feedback from the

leaders is rarely forthcoming therefore motivation is low. The reasons that necessitate and

promote group pressure and influence above result in individuals who seek to perform to the

best of their abilities and search for continuous improvement of the skills.

!.2 $lanning tactics together

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1trategic leaders work through teams to solve challenges and develop policy alternatives. The

leader is accountable for the effective functioning of the team and developing a stable

structure as the team engages in its work. (lanning tactics as a group helps leaders get a better

understanding of communication styles and motivating drives which can assist them to better

predict how the team will interact, potential challenges that may arise and how they may

approach shared goals. The + develops its work plans as a team. Members share

information on upcoming programs and a consolidated provisional plan is decided upon. This

is then shared with and input sought from the rest of the 6(1. As a result of numerous

programs running concurrently, coordination is of utmost importance for successful execution

of the plans.

!.10 3'aluating #erformance as a team regularl"

(eer evaluations give team give team members an opportunity to assess the performance of

their co>workers. "mployees have been observed to be honest about their assessment of a

team memberHs performance especially as it relates to interpersonal relationships with other

team members. There are two fundamental dimensions of team functioning. These are the

task and the social factors that influence how members experience the team as a social unit.

Teams need to review their performance taking into account their obectives and reflect on

ways in which the team can provide support to each other and resolve conflicts.

The + has no formal structures to evaluate the performance of individuals regularly but

rather relies on problems reported by 16(s of stockouts or expiration of medicines. The

performance of programs is assessed through the analysis of MI1 data. (harmacy services

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pertaining to malaria are assessed through "nd>ser *erifications as well as an analysis of

data gathered through the 8imbabwe Informed (ush 1ystem ;8I( 1ystem=. The 8I( system is

a supply chain solution where a moving warehouse ;Truck= visits the 16(s and delivers

medicines according to consumption in the previous ?uarter of a year while factoring in

seasonality and expiry dates of medicines.

This same system collects data used to assess the availability of anti>tuberculosis medicines

at 16(s. "ssential medicines are supplied as (9$( kits and as bulky items from the central

warehouse. The (9$( kits are delivered during the 8I( 1ystem deliveries. uarterly review

of programmatic progress is good monitoring practice.

!.11 34istence of a high degree of trust among all members

A key building block of successful teams is a strong sense of shared trust among team

members. An absence of trust impedes on the ability of individuals to build rapport and trust

thereby diminishing productivity. A lot of what makes teams successful is embedded in

understanding the individual behaviours and motivating needs of the team members.

+ogistics <fficers have been allocated provinces to service in terms of order approvals.

These provinces ideally send their reports known as $onsumption5-e?uisition forms in

different reporting to avoid congestion during order deliveries. 1ometimes challenges re?uire

that orders for provinces serviced by different +ogistics <fficers are packed at the same time.

This situation creates pseudo>competition for transport. "ach +ogistics <fficer will push for

deliveries to their provinces. +ogistics <fficers out in the field become less assured that their

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Eprovinces of interestH will receive ade?uate attention. This allocation of provinces

encourages competition rather than cooperation and re?uires rethinking.

!.1! The leader5ca#tain is #art of the team

1trong teams have clear leadership. Team leadership is oriented on satisfying the needs of a

team with a view to enhance team effectiveness. :hatever the form of leadership, it should

be known and supported by all team members for the leadership to add value to the team. A

team working together interdependently on a highly important task results in shared

leadership, this is better than if one person were sitting in a control centre, issuing orders. The

+ team is such that the leader is the + manager.

There are concerns that even though he is part of the team, he usually is not involved in the

activities that the team does. 9e appears to be mostly active in attending meetings and other

activities without his team. The higher rates supposedly offered for the activities he attends

do little to motivate the other + members. sing the analogy of the football team, it appears

the + management may not be the captain of the team but rather the coach. This would

mean that the one member of the + team should step up and lead the team towards its goals.

%.0 ,iscussion of findings

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Figure : $harmacists attrition between 7ul" and ,ecember !01!

(harmacist appointments (harmacist terminations0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Increase in facilities that are offering A-T services is evidenced by the graph below showing

an upwards change in facilities reporting to the +. It is should be noted that Manicaland and

Mashonaland "ast report during the even months; August, <ctober.= while Mashonaland

:est, Mashonaland $entral and 9arare report during the odd months.

Figure : Facilities recei'ing A)T medicines and re#orting to the L

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