SPHUMRES – FINAL OUTPUT
Organizational Study
UnitedHealth Group is a distinctively diversified health and well-being company headquartered
in the United States, and a leader worldwide in helping people live healthier lives and helping
make the health system work better for everyone.
United Health Group are committed to introducing innovative approaches, products and
services that can improve personal health and promote healthier populations in local
communities. Our core capabilities in clinical expertise, advanced technology and data and
health information uniquely enable us to meet the evolving needs of a changing health care
environment.
UnitedHealth Group serves clients and consumers through two distinct platforms.
UnitedHealthcare provides health coverage and benefits services and Optum Global Solutions
which provides information and technology enabled health services
Optum Global Solutions is a leading health services and innovation company focused on
improving affordability, quality and efficiency of care. Optum has been operating in India since
2006 and has teams supporting healthcare operations, product development, automation,
analytics and data solutions.
This paper will tackle mainly on the Health Service Part which is Optum Global Solutions.
Organizational Diagnosis
Using the Galbraith Model - we will diagnose the Optum Customer Service Organization and
check what are misaligned or aligned and determine what are the driving and restraining forces
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Strategy
The strategy is the company’s formula for winning. And it has long been a strategy for Optum
Global solutions to adhere and be aligned with its core values, mission and vision which is to
“help people live healthier lives and to help make the health system work better for everyone”.
Its mission and vision is telling its customers that Optum Global Solutions, being part of
UnitedHealth group, is going to take care of them and the company is going to make it easier for
them in such a difficult time. This will attract potential customers because of how the company
envision itself as customer obsessed and how it is finding ways to improve everything for the
customer.
Its core values are Integrity, Compassion, Relationship, Innovation, and Performance. Its core
values serve as a moral compass not just to its external clients but also internally. This is a
driving force for its employees and the company makes sure that each and every one is aligned
in order to meet the objectives and goals of the company.
Structure
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Some minor decisions can be made by some department heads but it has to be relayed to the
top. Optum follows a top to bottom or vertical structure for its organization.
Processes
Optum Global Solutions flow of information and decision process across the organization
structure is vertical. Vertical communication is the communication where information or
messages flow within the top level of the organizational structure to the bottom level of the
organization. Though it has advantages like it can maintain organizational discipline, can
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maintain good labor-management relations, it can sometime slow down improvement because it
has to be relayed to the very top. Delay process is very common as turn-around time for
decisions make take some time and may hinder employees to provide great customer service.
This kind of structure may cause misalignment because of the delayed process and may
hinder some of its employees from performing some tasks that will help them achieve the
mission and vision of the company which is to make the health system better for everyone.
Rewards Systems
As part of its core values, Optum Global Solutions make sure that every employee performs to
the best of their abilities to ensure good customer satisfaction. Every year, thousands of
employees are acknowledged and rewarded within the organization. Optum Global Solutions
has the BRAVO! Portal for employee recognition. This is where other employees can leave
positive feedbacks and share value points to an employee for a certain task that they were able
to do for the organization and in return, the recognized employee can turn it into reward points.
Optum Global solutions also rewards exemplary performers for every month providing rewards
that will motivate each employee. With this system, it will align all employees to its core value of
performance not only for its customers but also to its organization.
People Practices
Optum Global Solutions hiring team go far beyond traditional human resource. We lead our
organization as a trusted advisor, business partner and driver for change, Human resource help
attract, lead, and support the most valuable asset: our high caliber people. Human resource
expects and empower people to be the best, to grow and develop skills, engage proactively and
to think strategically.
Human Resource makes sure it recruits the best and brightest from the talent pool. It also
provides a fair and safe environment to work. The Human Resource department coordinates
with other Department heads to make sure that all areas of the operations are being provided
with talented candidates with good expertise. Optum Global Solutions offer equal opportunity for
all. They value and appreciate employees within the organization but they also offer
opportunities for external hires.
Human Resource makes sure that the talent they are recruiting fits the organizations and
embody the company’s culture. It welcomes diversity and frowns upon discrimination.
VISION for Change Effort
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To remain true to the organizations mission, misalignment is evident on the decision making
process. When front line employees encounter a problem on the production line, swift actions
need to be done and problems need to be addressed quickly. However, because of laws in the
United States and information being sensitive, it may take some time to get a feedback on the
problem thus inconveniencing customers which will result to customer attrition.
It is best to empower different people within the organization in making major decisions as to
provide better service for its customers.
Objectives and Strategies:
Our objective is either to streamline the process for timely decision making or decentralize
decisions so issues and information can be dealt by department heads swiftly. By doing this,
customers will feel valued and increase customer retention and help the business grow.
Stakeholders Analysis
Change Goal:
STAKEHOLDER
INTEREST
POSITION
DEGREE OF
INFLUENCE
Customers
Convenience and
Resistor
Medium
Ally
High
Ally
High
Ally
High
lower turn-around
time
Shareholders
High revenue and
good company
reputation
First Line Employees
To provide quality
service to internal
and external clients
Department Heads
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Empowered and
quick turn-around
time
INTERVENTIONS
This is fundamental because this tackles change of mindset and process which has been
institutionalized. Change in process takes some time to see the results thus by changing it now,
it will fundamentally help the business in the long run.
How would you go about implementing your intervention?
Addressing the problem first is the first step to implement intervention. Since information comes
from the bottom to the top, it may take some time. Once the executives will have knowledge
about problems in the process, Town Hall meetings can be done so there will be interaction
between the leaders of the organization and its employees.
One of the biggest barriers will be the geographic location and time difference between the main
office and the production site. Since the main office is based in Minnesota and production sites
are based in Philippines, India, South America and etc. It may be costly but it will be beneficial.
Communication Plan
Target Audience
Message
Messenger
Medium
employees
Weekly updates and
Front Line Supervisor
Web Emails
feedbacks on issues
Team Huddles
being addressed
Department Heads
Updates on business
Site Director
Front Line Supervisor
process
Organizational
Internal decision
Top Level
Leaders
making process on
Management
Meetings
Conference Calls
Board Meetings
Internal processes
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