Capstone project
| dc.contributor.author | Greendale, Lynell Diane | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2025-05-16T00:22:01Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2025-05-16T00:22:01Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2010 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Throughout the years, Kaiser has spent large sums of money on "space". Whether it be purchasing land for development, purchasing buildings, or leasing space, physical space is a huge asset that needs to be appropriately managed. In the five years that I have managed space and moves for the Diablo Service Area (DSA), I have had firsthand knowledge of how huge an asset this is for Kaiser. Every year management discusses various options that might aide the company in better managing this asset. While everyone agrees that maximizing the patient experience and minimizing the amount of physical space that is occupied by individuals who do not truly have a need to be on campus, not everyone can agree on how to accomplish this. I believe that part of the issue lies in the fact that the organization is structured into several different segments. While the purpose of this is to ensure that no one particular segment (i.e., business versus health care providers) has an unfair balance of power, it also creates a dichotomy in which these various groups have difficulty in agreeing on the best course of action. The "landlord" side of the house can often find ways in which to reduce the amount of physical space that Kaiser occupies; thereby reducing the overall funds that are spent on this asset. However, many times they are not aware of the various repercussions and/or loss of service that might be associated with this loss of space. Even if there is no real repercussion, the simple fact that a change in space management might create a negative perception amongst members is something that needs to be taken into consideration. Also a point to consider is that there are a number of employees who have been with Kaiser for an extremely long time, many of whom are not as comfortable with change. While it might be completely feasible from a business standpoint to have a number of Kaiser employees work via virtual spaces in an effort to either reduce the amount of money spent on physical space or to utilize that space in a different manner, the amount of resistance that could be encountered from such a change could be the difference between its success or failure. The question arises then, that while a number of organizations are trending toward virtual workspaces and telecommuting, is this trend something that is feasible for the healthcare environment. My answer that that question is in many, but not all areas, this is highly feasible. Technology continues to progress on its own and workers continue to find new ways to force it to move forward at an even more rapid rate. While physicians clearly need to be on site for patient visits, there is other work they complete that can be done offsite. Identifying and capitalizing on these types of situations enables the healthcare industry to not only provide superior care to its members, but to save money on office space and utilize it on other patient care needs. In the upcoming sections of my case study, I intend to focus in more detail on managing space as an asset and several options that are available to Kaiser. I will also focus in on what I think would be the best decision for Kaiser at this point and why I elected to take that position. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11803/3417 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher.institution | John F. Kennedy University (JFKU) | |
| dc.subject | Business administration | |
| dc.title | Capstone project | |
| dc.type | Capstone | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Business Administration | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | John F. Kennedy University (JFKU) | |
| thesis.degree.level | Masters |