Health-Care
Organizations
and Physical Therapy
Introduction
 Many physical therapists accept
managerial positions by investigating
motivating factors, such as high starting
salaries and good benefits, perfect
location, and interesting job assignments.
 how the organization that they are about
to join works
 pre-employment assessment to increase
their chances of a good match with
potential applicants
Organizational Culture
 A good starting point for the
investigation of an organization is
culture.
 Culture also may be expressed as “the
way we do it here” or “the rules of the
game.”
 becoming socialized into a new job is
like moving to a new country.
A STRATEGY FOR UNDERSTANDING
ORGANIZATIONS

What do employees wear?

Are employees addressed by their first names? All of them?

How are patients addressed?

Are there oil paintings hanging on the walls?

Is there a wall of fame? Who is on it?

Do you see the organization’s mission statement?

What values and beliefs are reflected in the mission statement?

Are employees or volunteers at the information desk?

Is parking free?

Do they have a Web page? What is included?

What magazines are in the waiting rooms?

What jargon do the patients hear?

Is there a warm, homey feeling or does it feel cold and businesslike?
In-Groups and Out-Groups
 Physical center of a hospital may
consider the therapists who work in the
inpatient units as an out-group.
 They may be reluctant to work in the
other setting and minimally interact with
each other therapists who work in the
outpatient.
PHYSICAL THERAPY CULTURE
 What are the expected behaviors of physical therapists
(PTs)? What do PTs celebrate?
 How do they communicate? What jargon do they
share? What are the symbols of physical therapy? What
are the core values of physical therapy? What are the
norms of physical therapy work?
 Discuss how organizational culture impacts professional
culture and vice versa.
 What are the physical therapy subcultures? How are
they different?
 Are there physical therapy in-groups and out-groups?
 How is physical therapy professional culture different
from, and how is it the same as, the culture of other
rehab professionals, such as speech language
pathologist and occupational therapist?
Organizational Socialization
 The culture shock and fitting in is referred
to organizational socialization
 Although all newcomers ‫القادمون الجدد‬to a
culture experience reality (culture) shock,
they have a strong basic need to belong
and three things can happen when the
shock wears off.
1.
They learn the rules of the game to fit in,
2.
They never fit in,
3.
They may accept some of the culture and
reject other parts as they attempt to change
the organization.
Formal Socialization
‫التنشئة االجتماعية الرسمية‬
 The orientation sessions typically
include presentation of :
o The mission,
o Policies,
o Procedures,
o Safety regulations.
 Mentors ‫الموجهين‬may be assigned to
guide new employees formally as
well.
Informal Socialization
This informal process more often
occurs among peer )‫)النظير‬
employees, rather than between a
boss and an employee.
Effects of Socialization
The following aspects of work are
impacted by the socialization of
employees:
1. Cooperation and cohesion of
employees needed by employers to
get the job done
2. Job satisfaction and job turnover
3. Morale and productivity of individual
employees
4. Interactions among employees and
with their supervisors
Thank you
Read the following scenario and discuss
the answers to the questions.
 Majmaah Physical Therapy has been the only physical therapy practice in the
small town of Majmaah for 15 years. The owner, A, PT and her staff (B, PT and C, PTA)
have prided themselves on their commitment to serving the community, and
especially in their flexibility in scheduling and office hours to meet the transportation
needs of their rural patients who travel great distances to Majmaah for their health
care. Ms. A/ decides to retire and sells her practice to National Physical Therapy
Corporation (NPTC). It is an offer she cannot refuse and she is relieved to be told by
NPTC that all of her good, hard work will continue. She has agreed to stay on until a
physical therapist from another NPTC office relocates and takes over the practice. B
and C will become employees of NPTC and are pleased to learn that their salaries
and benefits will increase as a result, although they will miss A.

Six months later, B and C invite A to lunch to “catch up” because she has been
traveling since her retirement. They report the new “outsider” boss is very difficult in
his demands on their hours and imposed productivity goals. They report that many
people are going to the hospital in the next town for their physical therapy although
it is farther away. They feel like nothing is the same.

If you were A, what would you say to B and C ? Are their reactions to the changes in
Majmaah Physical therapy typical? What values and norms may have changed?
What are policy and procedure issues? What do you expect the outcome for Band
C to be? What formal and informal socialization processes may have occurred?