Future of Work
“AI has the potential to take over a range of activities that are currently performed by organisational professionals” The ‘selfish’ managers used their position to act as a buffer between executives and clinicians, presenting themselves as the solution to each other’s problems. They then expected to be rewarded for their ability to integrate the two. 4 . Gain organisational knowledge . To survive, professional workers must possess a unique knowledge base that others cannot replace. Cardiologists, for instance, could not be replaced by other professionals as they have a monopoly on the expert knowledge required to diagnose and treat heart failures. We noted that quality managers could not simply use their professional expertise as leverage. They had to blend that expertise with the contextual knowledge of the organisation that they acquired through their interactions with executives and clinicians. This helped them to develop innovative solutions and speak the language of different stakeholders. In our study, quality managers invested time completing extra work for executives and clinicians, even if that meant low-level activities such as organising meetings or taking notes. This exposed them to the inner
workings of the organisation and, if replicated across different departments, could help them develop a unique understanding of how things work and why. 5 . Maintain a distinctive identity. In hospitals, a lack of clinical knowledge has traditionally been seen as a drawback for organisational professionals. Operations and quality managers could be perceived as intruders whose influence is incompatible with clinical norms. We found that quality managers often tried to assimilate the identity, language, and values of clinicians in order to appear safer and more friendly. However, this was not an effective strategy. On the contrary, quality managers that promoted their identity as operations specialists were more effective in conversations with clinicians. They appeared more assertive in promoting their unique value in projects of integrated care, while not posing any competitive challenge to clinicians. Our study highlights that successful organisational professionals did not compete with executives and clinicians, and nor
did they try to completely align with them. Instead, they created a unique position and knowledge base which others found appealing and were unable to replicate. This could also help to protect organisational professionals from AI encroaching upon their roles. On the face of it, AI has the potential to take over a range of activities that are currently performed by organisational professionals, which could lead to some roles being made redundant. But those who develop more organisational knowledge and forge connections that help the organisation to function are less likely to be replaced by technology. AI could even help them by taking over some of their more mundane tasks, creating time to focus on more relational activities. They should embrace AI rather than fearing it. It might help them to keep their job and enhance their stature.
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Sustainable Development Goals
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