Understanding the Work Environment

Working constitutes a part of what all capable human beings are required to do to earn a living and to survive. Over the years, the concept and meaning of work have changed both from the perceptions of employers and employees. Before most organizations embraced technology, workers were bound by physical offices, warehouses, or the places in which production was based (Graham and Lehdonvirta, 2017). For businesses to prosper, they had to establish as many production sites and to hire as many full-time workers as possible. Today, however, some companies have changed their business models and have fewer physical offices than they would otherwise have. For those who are navigating all these shifts, seeking business dissertation help can offer invaluable insights into adapting strategies for the modern landscape.

Technology has redefined work in terms of where productive work is based. Today, thanks to technology, workers can carry out productive activities from different places, say at home as long as they have an internet connection, and be just as productive as office-based employees (The World Bank Group, 2019; Gentry et al., 2008). The internet has changed the view that work is confined to buildings with nicely dressed people seated behind desks (Gentry et al., 2008). Today, an employee can work from the comfort of his or her home, make real-time communication with employers, and relay results in both a timely and efficient manner (Cooper and Kurland, 2002; The World Bank Group, 2019). Companies, particularly in advanced economies, do not necessarily require their workers to work from offices. Some businesses today only maintain office buildings that act as headquarters where administrative work is done and have allowed employees to work from other places other than the office in what is commonly known as telecommuting (Cooper and Kurland, 2002; Gentry et al., 2008). Telecommuting has really changed the concept of work.

The globalized world we live in today has also redefined work in terms of employment. Technology has led to the development of the gig economy in which employers can employ short term contractors to complete tasks that are often not core business operations (Friedman, 2014). Before the development of technology, employers would have to hire permanent employees to carry out tasks that otherwise not core to their operations. Employees today, even those in mainstream jobs, are also venturing into the gig economy, also known as freelancing. During their free time, employees are offering freelance services to organizations such as Upwork, where their skills can earn them extra income. The gig economy, supported by technology, has redefined work.

Furthermore, employers are redefining their view of work from the hours based approach to a productivity-based approach. Even though this concept is still not fully embraced, it is slowly taking root in most organizations. Today, working hours are not limited to the eight to five-time schedule but rather to the labour productivity of time. Today, some companies are reviewing their productivity measures by work done rather than time spend by employees. This increases flexibility and productivity since the employee will be motivated to finish early enough and have some free time during which he or she might even freelance or attend to other issues, thus ensuring there is a life-work balance (Pencavel, 2014). Therefore, the changes in perceptions of work from time to worked to productivity have redefined work.

Evaluation of Organizations Based on Values, Culture, and Ethics

Organizations are defined by their values, culture, and ethical standards. Organizational values refer to sets of principles or ideas that guide the actions of an organization. Often, corporate values are founded during the foundation of a business or entity and are vital to the culture of that organization. In most organizations, a glimpse of organizational values is often encompassed in the mission statement, which states the very essence of the existence of the organization. On the other hand, organizational culture, simply put, refers to how things are done in an organization (Linnenluecke and Griffiths, 2010; Büschgens et al., 2013). The culture of an organization and its values are synonymous in that organizational values can be a source of corporate culture. Organizational culture, like organizational values, begins to take shape from the moment an organization begins to exist and is developed by employees and management alike (Davies and Mannion, 2013). Every organization has a code of conduct that guides how members of that organization relate with each other. These codes of conduct are guidelines of how different levels of employees and management relate and the interpersonal conduct that is expected of the members of the organization. Organizational ethics are often synonymous with organizational values and culture.

The Organizational Values, Ethics, and Culture of the National Health Service (NHS)

The National Health Service, founded in 1948, is the world’s largest healthcare system. The National Health Service is publicly funded by the United Kingdom government using taxes. The healthcare system provides all healthcare services to patients, with most of its services being offered free of charge. According to Bell (2018), the NHS seeks to create cultures that promote trust, equality, transparency, and that put the patient first. Zwetsloot et al. (2013) explains that often, organizational values are synonymous with mission statements. One of the core values of NHS is a commitment to quality of care. NHS insists on quality care and strives to get the basics right by confidentiality, safety, accountability, professionalism, managerial integrity, good communication, and dependable service delivery.

The second core value of NHS is respect and dignity. NHS values every individual and respects his or her ambitions, commitments, and aspirations, and seeks to understand individual needs, limits, priorities, and abilities (Littlejohns et al., 2012). The organization also considers the opinions of others, provides honest points of view, and clearly states what it can or cannot do. Therefore, the organization is committed to understanding the needs and priorities of its members, their ambitions, and seeks to support their causes. However, NHS also clearly stipulates what it can or cannot achieve, given the circumstances.

The third core value of NHS is compassion. Compassion refers to being pitiful and showing concern for those suffering misfortunes. In this context, the NHS aims to show concern for its patients who suffer from illnesses, sometimes fatal ones, and to show kindness and humanity in the midst of pain, distress, anxiety, and need. These values are critical to patient care since they ensure that all patients are treated kindly, humanely, and that everything possible is done to facilitate recovery from illnesses and acceptance of conditions that are beyond medical care. Humane and kind treatment of patients fosters better relationships between patients and caregivers, thus improving health outcomes.

The fourth core value of NHS is the commitment to improve lives. NHS aims to improve health outcomes and patient experiences through innovation, better clinical practices, and service improvements (Littlejohns et al., 2012). The fifth core value of NHS is working together for patients by incorporating communities, caregivers, patients, staff, and families in the service delivery by valuing patient needs over organizational boundaries. The sixth and last core principle of NHS is inclusivity. NHS ensures that its resources are used to the benefit of all members of the society, and particularly the neediest of them. NHS also recognizes that everyone has a role to play in the promotion of healthier communities and individuals.

The values and ethical principles of the NHS can impact its work. The said values and ethical principles require that employees of the NHS abide by the established codes of conduct that support organizational values. Therefore, failure to abide by the laid down organizational values and ethical principles may result in disciplinary action. For instance, hospitals and practitioners who fail to adhere to the ethical principles and standards set by NHS may face disciplinary action, including dismissal. Furthermore, the values of NHS define how the organization relates with other organizations that have vested interests in the healthcare industry. Therefore, the organization will seek to ensure that it partners with organizations that understand and respect its core values, mission, and ethical principles. This may affect the work of the organization once it partners with other organizations whose interests and core objectives may not be clear or may not be synonymous with its objectives. Therefore, it is critical that partners of the NHS show values that are synonymous with the values of NSH as this would result in better partnerships.

NHS and Social Policy

Social policy refers to the principles and undertakings that are concerned with the improvement of the quality of human life and welfare. Governments are the primary organizations tasked with improving the quality of life of citizens and are thus the primary organizations responsible for implementing social policies. The establishment of NHS contributes immensely to the establishment of the welfare state in which citizens, regardless of their social classes, can access basic services such as healthcare. If healthcare was left to be provided exclusively by private markets, then those who cannot afford health services would suffer, and welfare would be impossible to achieve. Therefore, social policy often gravitates towards the provision of healthcare as a right (Spicker, 2019). Most governments of the world have some sort of social policies that are usually directed towards the most essential needs, such as education and healthcare. NHS provides a prime example of social policy to ensure that all citizens of the UK receive primary care.

The Wider Context of NHS

The National Health Service is a statutory body established by the National Health Service Act of 1946. The functions of the NHS are under the Department of Health and Social Care, which is tasked with running the activities of the NHS. Therefore, the NHS is a statutorily established organization whose activities and finances are monitored by the Department of Health and Social Care. The statutory position of the NHS has an impact on how it works, its activities, levels of success, funding, and other relevant aspects that define its functions. Being a public organization, the functions of the NHS are open to public debates, political criticism and support, and policy/legislative changes. Therefore, the functions of the NHS and all its relevant aspects can be altered by the government, through parliament, when deemed necessary. The lack of independence, as with most private health providers, means that the functions of the NHS are limited to those stipulated by relevant pieces of legislation. However, the fact that the NHS is statutory makes it more difficult for the government or individuals to alter its operational framework since such changes would require changes in legislation.

The World Health Organization’s Values, Ethics, and Culture

The World Health Organization was formed on 7 April 1948 under the framework of the United Nations (Clifft, 2013). The organization acts as a global health organization that provides guidance and assistance to individual countries to achieve the highest health levels and also to work together with countries, other organizations, and individuals to tackle some of the world’s most complex health problems (World Health Organization, 2017). The WHO has a set of values that define its commitment to its core functions. The WHO is committed to professionalism, respect for diversity, and integrity, values that are synonymous with the values of the United Nations (World Health Organization, 2020). The WHO constitution commits the organization to respect human rights, practice equity, and have high levels of impartiality in its operations. The WHO is committed to serving the most vulnerable communities of the world.

The WHO has sets of values that define its operations, and that must be observed by its workforce and collaborators. The WHO puts the health interests of people, first makes independent, fair, timely, and transparent actions and recommendations (World Health Organization, 2020). Another value of the WHO is its commitment to high levels of professionalism that are reflected in the organization’s use of technical evidence, science, expertise, and innovation in its operations. Furthermore, the WHO requires its staff to practice high levels of integrity, honesty, and accountability (World Health Organization, 2017). For the WHO to achieve its objectives, it values positive collaborations with other organizations and persons, open and transparent communications, and the power of diversity to realize better global health outcomes. Also, the WHO values and defends people’s right to health, and strives to empower people, show compassion, and promote sustainability in healthcare provision. The WHO’s values set standards for its employees and collaborators to abide by in the realization of better global health outcomes.

The WHO also has a set of ethical principles that define how employees are supposed to behave and relate to each other. These ethical principles also form part of the organization's values. One of the ethical principles the WHO abides by is a commitment to accountability, which in essence means that the organization is committed to taking responsibility for its actions, decisions, and consequences (World Health Organization, 2017). The WHO organization also embraces integrity as another of its ethical principles. Integrity requires that the organization acts in good faith, honestly, and fairly. Independence and impartiality also form another ethical principle of the WHO. The organization embraces independence and requires that all decisions made by its staff be made based on the values of the organization and its interests, not personal interests. As such, personal values and views should not compromise the organization’s ethical principles (World Health Organization, 2017). Furthermore, the WHO embraces respect and professionalism as core ethical principles. The organization expects its employees and collaborators to respect the diversity and dignity of all persons, and to have loyalty to the organization and a commitment to help it achieve its core objectives.

The organizational culture, values, and ethics of the WHO impact on the work of its employees and collaborators. The ethical principles set by the organization require that both employees and collaborators live by these principles. Failure to adhere to the principles and the values of the organization can result in the cancellation of tenders and prevent implicated collaborators from accessing future tenders. Employees who fail to adhere to the code of ethics and values by engaging in dishonesty, undermining the organization, or engaging in any other activities that the WHO deems inappropriate and contrary to its values may face disciplinary action (World Health Organization, 2017). Therefore, the WHO’s values and ethics affect its work with employees and collaborators alike.

The WHO Social Policy

The WHO is committed to the realization of better global health outcomes. The very operations of the WHO and its commitment to better health constitutes a social policy. The WHO is an intergovernmental organization that is funded through contributions by member countries and works to the benefit of all persons, more so the most vulnerable (Clifft, 2013). The fact that the organization is interested in the promotion of health by governments and private healthcare providers makes it a social organization. Social policies are often drafted to help the vulnerable through equalization in the sharing of resources for the betterment of all. In the case of the WHO, the organization relies on donor funding, particularly from member countries (Clifft, 2013). Developed countries with more developed economies and higher incomes like the United States often contribute more funds to the WHO compared to lower-income countries even though most of those funds are spend on improving health policies in developing countries. Therefore, the WHO technically provides a platform through which developed countries can help their less developed compatriots to create better health policies.

The WHO Wider Context

The WHO is based on a constitution that guides its mandate, the relationships between its members, values, ethics, and operational framework (Clifft, 2013). The WHO was established under the United Nations charter and allows memberships from all member countries of the United Nations. The organization's constitution also relays how the organization manages its finances and leadership with an emphasis on accountability, transparency, and responsibility. Since the WHO is a non-statutory organization, its operations are not legally binding on member countries. While the organization plays a key role in influencing global perceptions of universal healthcare, countries are not legally bound by its recommendations. Furthermore, the WHO relies mostly on donor funds and contributions by member countries. These contributions are not legally binding, and countries cannot be forced to contribute; this may negatively affect the functions of the organization (Clifft, 2013). Therefore, the WHO may not achieve its objectives due to lack of resources or failure by member countries to abide by its recommendations.

Conclusion

Indeed, over the years, the concept of work has changed for both employers and employees. One of the changes that the concept of work has undergone is through the possibility of telecommuting. Telecommuting has made it possible for employees to work from locations other than the office and achieve similar or more levels of productivity as office-based employees. Furthermore, telecommuting has enabled employees to achieve a life-work balance that results in higher job satisfaction and productivity both at work and elsewhere. The concept of work has also changed through the gig economy that allows employees the flexibility to work as independent contractors who can offer their services to several employers simultaneously. Furthermore, work is today viewed more on labour productivity than the time spend in the office. Organizational cultures, values, and ethics are critical to the operations of an organization. Different organizations have different cultures that are often culminations of ethical principles and values. Organizations with proper values, cultures, and ethics are more attractive to employees and tend to perform better. Lastly, the social policies, statutory and non-statutory positions of organizations affect their performances since they define how an organization will operate based on the social and legislative context.

References

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