Key Learning Points

• Explore the role of the manager

• Define the roles and functions of management

• Discuss organizational structure and function.

The purpose of this chapter is to introduce some of the concepts associated with management in the context of the operating department, the hospital and the health service. Management is management, wherever it is carried out. But operating department management is special because of the context of patient care, the management needs of diverse groups of staff and the challenging environment, distinctive by its high technology, fast pace and constantly changing requirements. This chapter introduces some of these challenges for the operating department manager by looking at the context in which managers work, what managers do and why they do it.

What comes to mind when thinking about management? Some of the key concepts are shown in Table 2.1.

According to Koontz & Weihrich (1990), management is the process of designing and maintaining an environment in which individuals work together in groups efficiently to accomplish their goals or aims. These principles apply at all levels of hierarchy in an organization. The role of the manager is, therefore, concerned with increasing productivity, effectiveness and efficiency. It is the art, or science, of ‘getting things done’. In the operating department, this can be identified as ensuring the maximum numbers of patients are treated safely and quickly and that the best treatment is delivered in the best way, with the least cost.