Learning objectives
How do I:
develop my skills in leadership of human resources as a critical component of health policy and organisational activity?
understand the challenging role of the management of human resources in a complex, professionally dominated industry that is affected by constant change?
determine effective strategies for retention policies and practices that are required to respond to the global maldistributions and shortages within the health profession?
consider the requirements that human resources has for the management of four distinct generations in the substantially feminine and ageing health workforce?
Introduction
In a text on leadership and management the perspective on human resource management requires a strategic approach. Health is dominated by a large, diverse, highly professionalised workforce. Human resource management is complex and needs to properly consider three aspects of workforce development – namely, supply, demand and mobility (Narasimhan et al., 2004).
Definitions
The health workforce is globalised, with maldistributions and existing and projected shortages (Health Workforce Australia, 2012 ). The mobilisation and strengthening of human resources are seen as critical in sustainable health systems (Chen et al. 2004, Kabene, Orchard, Howard, Soriano & Leduc, 2006; Karimi, Cheng, Bartram, Leggat & Sarkeshik, 2014). The health (75 per cent) and health management (61 per cent) workforce in Australia is predominantly female as compared with all industries (at 47 per cent and 36 per cent respectively) (Martins & Isouard, 2014). The health workforce is multigenerational, multicultural and substantially female. It requires collaboration across sectors on an interprofessional basis and across organisational boundaries within multidisciplinary teams and networks of service provision (Duckett, 2005).