I need help in the following ways:

Make sure it is APA formatted.

I need to Integrate methods and principles of social psychology to develop training that promotes independent, creative, and innovative thinking in a group. (The comment from the instructor was “You have a good start to this section of your paper. Please be sure to fully describe the training/training activities and how they will be used to promote independent thinking. This section was less developed than other sections.”)

I need to Write clearly and logically, with correct use of spelling, grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and APA format and style. (The comment from the instructor was I would encourage you to use headings to help with the flow and organization of your paper. Additionally, I want to hear your thoughts and opinions, please refrain from using so many direct quotes and block quotes.)

EXECUTIVE COACHING 1

Executive Coaching

Rebecca Faino

Capella University

PSY-FP7520 Social Psychology

Dr. Franklin

February 28, 2021

Executive Coaching

The current referral system is narrow and thus making the decision-making functions ineffective in achieving desired healthcare outcomes in the community. The social cognitive theory requires the use of reinforcements such as incentives to employees as a way of boosting participatory decision making. The absence of non-physician staff means that there are no new perspectives that can improve the current monopolized referral system. Groupthink in this setting can be attributed to deindividuation such that there is more value attached to group unity compared to freedom of expression (Paulus, 2017).

The medical director has an important role to play in ending groupthink in this facility. It was determined that during the COVID-19 deliberations to mandate quarantine groupthink was used to make this decision. Forsythe (2020) found the following:

The current analysis examined media descriptions of these anti quarantine groups to determine if these groups’ divergent responses to a legally and medically warranted health initiative resulted from groupthink: the deterioration of judgment and rationality that sometimes occurs in groups. In support of this possibility, accounts of these groups indicated that (a) the conditions that cause groupthink, including high levels of cohesion and isolation, were present and potent within these groups and that (b) the groups exhibited many of the symptoms of groupthink, including group illusions and pressures to conform” (Forsyth, 2020).

In the scenario situation, it is clear that some employees conformed with the other decisions because they are aware that it will not make any difference if they question the authority of the others. Therefore, the director and senior management staff should use consensus as a way of masking apathy. Individuals must use creativity and apply their uniqueness in the facility. Applying such personality traits can help in ensuring that there is diversity in meetings.

“Social identity theory predicts, and research confirms, that people generally cooperate with members of their identity groups” (

Turner & Hoggs, 1987

). With that being said, the individuals participating in groupthink for this scenario have worked together for some time and have not succeeded in improving referrals, they have conformed to their own “identity group”. Including z others in their group of different backgrounds and cultures could raise referral rates due to their knowledge of where it is best needed in their communities as well as others. Having a diverse group meeting could lead to conflicts. According to Spell (2011):

“Group fault lines form when group members multiple characteristics (e.g., age, sex, tenure) come into alignment and create so-called rifts in diverse groups. These divisions are typically thought of as violent splits that provide the impetus for members of diverse groups to differentiate themselves across a divide and fracture into subgroups (Lau & Murnighan, 1998).” Spell also indicates, Li and Hambrick’s (2205) “prior research has generally focused on understanding the direct effects of fault lines and how fault lines may create an environment of distrust, conflict, and problems in particular 312 Small Group Research 42(3) (e.g., Li & Hambrick, 2005; Polzer et al., 2006).” “Little, however, is known about how group fault lines may work as a moderator shaping the link between injustice and conflict” (Spell, 2011).

“Directness in our theoretical approach relates to the explicitness of the opposing positions being conveyed, and oppositional intensity refers to the degree of force with which opposition is conveyed. Directness and oppositional intensity constitute two independent, continuous dimensions by which a conflict expression can be categorized.” (WEINGART, 2015). There are many ways people respond to conflict, some of which are they generalize the issue, some have to be right all the time and will argue that fact, and some are defensive of their answers or even of themselves which is why others just say nothing and go with the majority to refrain from confrontation.

Delegation of tasks and responsibilities is important in making the team effective (Stewart, 2019). For instance, in this situation, the medical director who is well-loved should learn to trust specialists and non-physician staff with the referral system. The director should also coordinate with team members for a better referral system. This is because the team is part of the front-line force that witnesses challenges of the current referral system. In this scenario, there is process conflict regarding the overwhelming referral system. Such conflict has reduced the effectiveness of the decision-making process because the director disregards other people’s input. Changing the culture in the organization requires strategic planning, teamwork, shared responsibility, reducing abuse of power, and attaching value towards diversity and innovation (Gilbert, 2006). The medical director should embrace a participative decision-making approach. A hands-off leadership approach can ensure that specialists, non-physician staff gain confidence in making changes to the referral system that has proved to be ineffective in the facility.

Organizing for Quality model of challenges in implementing quality improvement initiatives:

Ending the training program with focus group discussions is fundamental in ensuring that the participants appreciate the essence of balancing team spirit and their personality (Mcfadzean, 2016). In this regard, there should be no friction between the two, but each component should complement the other. For instance, a non-physician employee may have worked in a different setting and observed how a referral system can be decentralized. Such an employee can share their insights during the focus group discussion (Gilbert, 2006). The program also includes booklets that contain further information about the subject. Assessing mock team tasks is important for the program coordinator to develop a list of recommendations. The training program integrates structural social psychology and other social psychology principles. This covers formal social interactions in the organization. Further, it also emphasizes the need for rewards and other incentives in boosting participation in policies made at the organization. Symbolic interaction

covers the unique social value of human beings in the organization (Mcfadzean, 2016). Each employee has a unique perspective regarding the improvement of services at the organization (Harman, 2016). An amalgamation of the activities in the training program can help in boosting team spirit while reducing the adverse implications of group thinking in the organization.

References

Bisordi, J., & Abouljoud, M. (2015). Physician leadership initiatives at small or mid-size organizations. Healthcare, 3(2), 70-80.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hjdsi.2015.08.008

Forsyth, D. R. (2020). Group-level resistance to health mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic: A groupthink approach. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, . In D. R. Forsyth, Group-level resistance to health mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic: A groupthink approach. Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice, (pp. 24(3), 139–152.). https://doi.org/10.1037/gdn0000132.

Gilbert, I. (2006). Big Book of Independent Thinking: Do Things No One Does or Do Things Everyone Does in a Way No One Does (Independent Thinking Series) (1st ed.). Crown House Pub Ltd.

Harman, C. (2016). The Power of Thinking: Positive, Creative and Innovative: How to Handle Frustrating Moments and Turn Bad Predicaments into a Productive Environment (1st ed.). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Jowsey, T., Beaver, P., Long, J., Civil, I., Garden, A. L., Henderson, K., . . . Weller, J. (2019). Towards a safer culture: Implementing multidisciplinary simulation-based team training in new zealand operating theatres – a framework analysis. BMJ Open, 9(10) doi:http://dx.doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027122

Mcfadzean, E. (2016). Enhancing Creative Thinking within Organisations. Management Decision, 36(5), 309-315.

https://doi.org/10.1108/00251749810220513

Paulus, P. (2017). Developing Consensus about Groupthink after All These Years. Organizational Behavior And Human Decision Processes, 73(2), 362-374.

https://doi.org/10.1006/obhd.1998.2767

Spell, C. S., Bezrukova, K., Haar, J., & Spell, C. (2011). Faultlines, fairness, and fighting: A justice perspective on conflict in diverse groups. Small Group Research, 42(3), 309-340. https://doi.org/10.1177/1046496411402359

Stewart, C. (2019). Coexisting Values in Healthcare and the Leadership Practices That Were Found to Inspire Followership Among Healthcare Practitioners. Journal Of Values-Based Leadership, 2(3), 50-60.

https://doi.org/10.22543/0733.122.1282

WEINGART, L. R., BEHFAR, K. J., BENDERSKY, C., TODOROVA, G., & JEHN, K. A. (2015). the directness and oppositional intensity of conflict expression. The Academy of Management Review, 40(2), 235-262.