Commissioned by the Healthcare People Management Association (HPMA) and Conflict Management Specialists (CMP), the report, written by researchers from the university's School of Business, finds that the pressures on line managers mean they regularly don't have the capability, capacity or confidence to undertake people management tasks, which created challenges in the service in terms of effective employment relations.
Dr Adrian Wright, director of the Institute for Research on Organisations Work and Employment (iROWE) and associate dean of the School of Business, said: ‘Clinicians transitioning into line management roles frequently struggle to transact their management role partially, due to a lack of preparedness and relevant training.
‘This issue is prevalent in the NHS, where promotion is frequently based on clinical performance rather than managerial competencies. Therefore, senior leaders need to ensure that their aspiring managers and practicing managers are accessing development opportunities regularly, making sure managers have the time and space to access training.'
The researchers also found evidence of a significant culture shift in the NHS around how conflict is managed, where blame is attributed less to individuals but, rather, systemic issues of service delivery are scrutinised and addressed.
Interpersonal and relationship issues were seen as a key source of workplace conflict, and line managers' style and competence were highlighted as the top reasons for conflict in the workplace.
Informal approaches, in particular workplace mediation, were reported as the best solutions for resolving conflict, however, this requires managers to understand when and where informal methods of resolution are appropriate.
The report recommends giving employees a greater voice, particularly as a collective, as a way to improve people management.
Dr Tony Bennett, senior research fellow in iROWE, said: ‘To maintain and enhance employee relations, we would recommend that all NHS organisations fully involve their trade union partners in the reassessment and implementation of management training.'
