Leader Interview By Elizabeth Hutchins Althea D Ruffin

Leader Interview By Elizabeth Hutchins

Althea D. Ruffin, Ed. M. Research Project Manager at University of Pennsylvania “Biostatistics and Epidemiology” Master of Education “Organizational Dynamics” at Temple University As Research Project Manager she provides diverse and complex administration and coordinates support to the investigators ensuring coordination and synchronization of the project. She connects with groups in other countries and universities to ensure the effective integration of all team members. Also, she has fifteen years experience in clinical research and data management and manages epidemiological studies with multidisciplinary teams.

General Have you ever taken a course in OB? Yes If yes, what do you remember most about the course? The theory of group dynamics. Which topics were most relevant to your day-to -day responsibilities? The forming and maintenance of groups. Do you think all college students, regardless of their major, should take a course in OB? Yes. Just one course, because it is important to have an understanding of how groups work. What do you like the most about being a leader/manager? Motivating. What do you like the least about being a leader/manager? Disciplining employees.

Focus: Motivation Have you ever developed any “Quality Circles” during your career? I’ve never really developed a “quality circle” per se, but have set-up study team meetings for research projects that would meet monthly to discuss various aspects of the project. At these meetings, discussions would revolve around any difficulties or deficiencies detected in the project and the creation of possible solutions to eliminate or improve the problem. Recognition can be a potent motivator. What process do you use when applying the “Employee Recognition Program” theory? I have used various processes. For an employee that has done an outstanding job or has taken that extra unwarranted step I not only thank them for their effort, but I also try to find a more public forum in which to express this. At times I would mention it during the staff meeting and thank the employee again during that time. This is not only to motivate employees to continue with this type of behavior, but it may also cause other staff watching the interaction to step up themselves because they would like the recognition too. How well does “Job Rotation” (cross-training) work in your corporation and what are your thoughts on the subject? It is important that the study continue whether someone is on vacation, sick or on medical leave. This is helpful not only for continued work flow, but often it helps the employee see how their position fits in with other aspects of the study, resulting in a deeper level of understanding regarding their job.

Focus: Motivation (Cont. ) “Representative Participation” is said to be “the most widely legislated form of employee involvement around the world. How would you define it? I would define it as having ways that you can obtain a representative sample of the concerns of your employees, without having to engage the entire employee base. One way this can be obtained is by the usage of ballot boxes where various work issues can be presented and the employees get to express their opinions. No matter how many employees participate, you will never receive full participation, so it will result in a sampling of employees. Another and perhaps the more efficient way would be to have the employees within various work groups, select a representative to whom they express their concerns. Those representative meet with management to convey the thoughts of the employees and they in turn will take management’s response back to the work group. This way employees concerns can be addressed in a proper forum, but it doesn’t require speaking to each individual or reading every ballot which can be a time-consuming and costly prospect. What would you say to companies that don’t allow “Flextime”, especially for students with schedules that change every semester? Should every company have it as a requirement? I would say that they could lose out on having a workforce that is much more motivated and dynamic. Employees that manage to hold a job while attempting to complete studies tend to be employees that are energetic and goal driven. Allowing them to reconfigure their work hours, when possible, can help in the retention of these employees and can sometimes result in the employee deciding to remain with the company once their training is completed. Having hands on/job experience enhances their skills. No, every company should not have this as a requirement as all companies and industries are different and may have different needs. Flextime is more dependent upon the type of industry in which the company is operating. A company has to be operating for numerous hours a day; otherwise the time available for flexing would be under major constraints. Example: It would be easier to offer flextime to employees at a 24 -hr baking company, than to a school teacher whose work occurs only between 8 and 4 pm.

Key Points Job rotation is important to keep the work flow stable. Flextime doesn’t apply to all jobs. A simple “Thank you” can motivate good behavior and let an employee feel that they are appreciated.