A Conflict Of Cultures Kerry Beck - 1610 Words

A Conflict of Cultures Kerry Beck Charleston Southern University All material in this paper is the author’s original work and all resources have been properly cited. Outline The Mothers of Good Will are a religious order that operates two hospitals which have recently been merged The two facilities have developed very different cultures over time and are having difficulty integrating as a result Hospital ‘A’ was, until recently, an acute care facility Its culture was more fluid and open to change Hospital ‘B’ is a chronic care facility Its culture was focused on consistency History Both hospitals were built in 1860 by the same founder Hospital ‘A’ changed its mandate from acute care to chronic care in 1980 They were determined†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ËœA’ was originally an acute care facility and its leadership and culture was more fluid and open to change while ‘B’ was a chronic care facility more focused on consistency. In 1988, over a century since they were founded, the two agreed a merger was necessary for each to survive. Since the merger, however, both facilities have found it difficult to assimilate. This transition occurs in the midst of a more widespread one as traditionally religious medical institutes across the nation were becoming more secularized. External Environment The hospital has two primary external factors that it must appease. First is government needs and regulations. This contributed largely to why ‘A’ wanted the merger to begin with. The government was looking to reduce chronic care facilities and by merging with their larger cousin, their survival was more certain. The second external aspect is the business aspect, the reason that ‘B’ agreed to the merger. Despite their strong customer care, they were not business minded and as a result were facing potential bankruptcy. For the purposes of this analysis, the external environment is assumed to be outside the control of the hospital and is mentioned here due to its importance to the internal environment, which can be controlled. Approach Due to the nature of this case, this analysis will focus