This course introduces the foundational theories of management and human resource management, and shows how they apply to healthcare quality improvement and patient safety. You’ll start with the classic thinkers who shaped modern management — Taylor, Fayol, Weber, McGregor, and Maslow — before exploring modern lenses for analyzing organizations, from structure and systems to leadership and culture. From there, you’ll dive into core human resource management practices, including how organizations design fair and motivating pay systems.
In the final two modules, you’ll apply these ideas directly to healthcare: exploring the theories behind quality improvement, and the practical frameworks — from the Swiss Cheese Model to patient safety culture surveys — that hospitals use to keep patients safe. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, an aspiring manager, or simply curious about how organizations work, this course will give you the grounding to think more clearly about management, and to see the systems behind the decisions made around you every day.
