Monday October 3rd, 2011 -
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Jody Hoffer-Gittell
Relational Coordination: New Lessons for Getting from Here to There
Relational coordination is a dynamic, mutually reinforcing process of communicating and relating for the purpose of task integration, of particular importance when responding to high levels of uncertainty, task interdependence and time constraints. Relational coordination has been shown to drive positive organizational outcomes in multiple industries, including healthcare, long term care and airlines. This presentation extends current theory and practice by addressing the question – "how do we get from here to there?" To answer this question, Gittell will present case studies of three organizational change efforts, showing HOW relational coordination was strengthened and how other organizations can do the same.
Bio
JODY HOFFER GITTELL IS A PROFESSOR OF MANAGEMENT at Brandeis University's Heller School for Social Policy and Management. She serves as Director of the newly formed Relational Coordination Research Collaborative, which brings practitioners and researchers together to transform organizational relationships for high performance.
Gittell’s research explores how coordination by front-line workers contributes to quality and efficiency outcomes in service settings, with a particular focus on the airline and healthcare industries. She has developed a theory of relational coordination, proposing that work is most effectively coordinated through relationships of shared goals, shared knowledge and mutual respect, and demonstrating how organizations can support relational coordination through the design of their work systems.
Dr. Gittell is the author of dozens of articles and chapters, as well as books titled The Southwest Airlines Way: Using the Power of Relationships to Achieve High Performance, and Up In the Air: How the Airlines Can Improve Performance by Engaging Their Employees. Gittell presents her findings from ten years of research in the healthcare industry in High Performance Healthcare: Using the Power of Relationships to Achieve Quality, Efficiency and Resilience. Her latest book with Mary Godwyn is titled Sociology of Organizations: Structures and Relationships.