The process and impact of workplace change: a business unit in the NSW public hospital sector

Abstract

Over the last decade most of the debate regarding workplace reforms in the health sector has tended to centre on funding and activity levels and their impact on outcomes. Yet there has been little analysis of either the mechanisms by which these reforms have been introduced or their impact on the work life of employees. It is the intention of this paper to analyse the mechanism used to implement workplace change and the impact of that change on employees using a case study method. The paper will firstly identify the various mechanisms by which workplace change may be introduced and provide a brief background on the case study unit. The following sections will discuss the development and implementation of a performance management system, using an informal workplace consultation and negotiation mechanism. The final section will explore the impact of the change mechanism by analysing the objectives of the organisation. The paper, in conclusion, will argue that while the mechanism and the introduction of this instance of workplace change did not in the long term achieve the desired objectives as a specific management tool it has had an ongoing impact on managers, employees and the workplace. The paper draws on evidence from related literature, analysis of primary documents and 10 semi-structured interviews. Data collection, including the interviews with employees and managers, was conducted primarily during the second half of 2001, as part of a broader research project on bargaining structures and workplace change.