Introduction
The term normative power refers to a type of authority derived from standard norms and beliefs. In the current society, diverse cultural practices exist that differentiate one community from another. In addition to the intrinsic benefits, culture also provides important economic and social benefits. This type of power is exercised in various aspects of global health, especially in decision-making procedures. Global health leadership aims at developing experienced individuals with skills to deliver affordable, efficient and effective healthcare in the various health systems. Normative power is applied in the concerns of research analysis and by the stakeholders in the various departments. Research projects aimed at coming up with new preventive measures for existing and emerging diseases must consider people’s norms to avoid contradictions. Additionally, the participants are obtained from the population and therefore, the need to consider cultural respect is mandatory.
Significance of Power Paradigm
A power paradigm is a coherent agreement of the existing beliefs, procedures for achieving set goals in society, and habits. Its significance is seen in governing global health in various ways. This standard controls the communication process with clients in health facilities. The applications of virtuous interaction skills are critical in handling cases of abusive and forbidding patients. The main intention of the healthcare givers is to understand the client’s experience, concerns, and opinions. This is achieved through active listening and turn-taking techniques involving the appropriate use of non-verbal cues. Establishing a good relationship with the clients creates a conducive environment that facilitates healing. In the communication process, patients give confidential information, and the doctors must exercise high levels of privacy.
Rules governing the work experience can be derived, ensuring that the already established laws and policies are followed. Healthcare professionals are expected to abide by complex regulations that govern their mode of conduct. Some of these rules include upholding standards of professionalism, being honest in all interactions with patients, and possessing morally accepted behaviors. Cases of unqualified physicians are reduced since a high level of professionalism is expected. Such individuals may risk patients’ lives by applying ineffective practices in their work, leading to harmful outcomes.
Research concerning various diseases, treatment plans, and diagnostic procedures has increased tremendously due to the urge to improve healthcare. Emerging diseases need immediate attention hence the need for a well-established and equipped team. Technological advancement is critical in hospitals as scientific devices store patient information in online portals. Patients can access their data anytime and even interact with doctors who can prescribe appropriate medicines. Through this, financial costs are reduced and utilized in other important issues.
However, normative power, a type of authority derived from standard norms and beliefs, poses some challenges to global health priorities. Growth in research is limited due to the beliefs and norms inherited from parents to children. They restrict their interaction as they have a controlled life circle. The dynamic nature of life, which involves changing needs and circumstances, is not considered. For instance, new treatment techniques due to research are not likely to be implemented since the set limitations create barriers. Furthermore, due to the new norms, the individual thinking capacity is restricted, reducing professional capability and openness to responding to challenges.
High cases of patients with poor health conditions are likely to be reported, as most people are unaware of dealing with that kind of situation. However, in such circumstances, some victims may only require natural remedies and maintenance of a healthy body by regular exercise. Diseases such as diabetes are caused by poor lifestyles, which can be improved through proper education. Avoiding intake of some foods can reduce the chances of falling sick. Implementing regular and light exercises is essential for a healthy body because they help reduce extra calories that accumulate in the body, causing obesity and overweight problems. Public awareness plays a vital role in preventing some ailments such as high blood pressure. Literacy is limited due to the common power paradigm in society, making some individuals reluctant to adopt preventive measures. Other people prefer using herbs to cure sicknesses other than the prescribed medicines, which leads to an increased death rate.
Concept Clarification
A type of power that represents the opposite of normative is legitimate, which is based on a particular person in a specific position of authority. This gives leaders in authority control over others leading to a personalization of the decision-making process. The above power permits the mentioned persons to undertake more significant societal responsibilities. Administrators and other stakeholders who apply this power can offer advice and even implement public programs. For instance, countries with low general income can be advised by officials from World Health Organization on possible disease remedies. This interaction can lead to the sharing of ideas, cost-effective treatment strategies, as well as challenges brought by the pandemics.
Normative power does have positive impacts and negative effects on the health sector. Negative effects arise from misuse of authority where those in leadership fail to comply with governing guidelines. Possessing legitimate power is directed by set policies and procedures, setting the standards within which the administrators should operate within. Firstly, legitimate power should not be used for individual gain but rather benefit the public. Leaders in various positions dealing with health matters should aim to improve the current situation.
Individuals who have been entrusted with this power are not necessarily accredited as noble leaders. The concept of leadership calls for responsibility and possession of required skills. A frontrunner should be a role model to other people who look up to them. Health concerns such as public illiteracy in controlling some common diseases require urgent attention. Groups of volunteers should be organized and directed on what to do. In addition, populations should be educated on the precautions to take in case of emerging diseases such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Potential leaders must possess good communication skills for easy socialization. Failure to cooperate in better interaction strategies may lead to disagreements. Additionally, discourteous and impolite administrators are likely to promote hatred among their followers. A plan for decision-making requires an effective collaboration to achieve the set objectives. To complete the global goals in health issues, proper communication strategies must be established and followed, where all the stakeholders involved must be cooperative and accommodative.
Misuse of power could lead to demotion since those in management engage themselves in evil practices such as misuse of funds. These individuals should always be concerned with the public’s welfare in terms of health and well-being. However, some leaders fail to take responsibility, creating glaring gaps that affect the healthcare sector, thus, leading to poor quality of services in the healthcare facilities. Financial mismanagement makes it impossible to purchase the necessary hospital equipment, especially in the emergency units.
Despite the many adverse effects of legitimate power, its positive impact is seen in its aim to influence other participants. Leaders who take the initiative to create changes in the surrounding environment act as role models to other individuals who emulate them. Professional goals beneficial to the target groups are achieved by improving the general state of global health. Tasks are accomplished quickly and efficiently since the required support is readily available. The leaders in power easily understand the hierarchical flow of authority, making exploration more accessible. Flexibility is enhanced, and those who copy their administrator’s exhibit can inherit some essential managerial skills.
Literature Review
Research on normative power shows distinct features that are unique compared with other types of authority. The diffusion of accepted beliefs that depict socially accepted behaviors is related to normative power (Kim, 2021). Literature defines normative power basing on the concepts of social constructivist theory (Abderrahim, & Gutiérrez-Colón Plana, 2021). It emphasizes the socially constructed conduct of people and institutions in global relations. The identifying qualities of an individual are gained through the use of language, the development of ideas, and the establishment of norms. Notion development involves critical thinking strategies employed in the overall concerns on health matters.
The societal shared beliefs and expectations create desired manners that give the social structure, stability, and order. Additionally, norms regularize behavior by limiting the range of choices (Katagiri, 2021). Thus, those actions are controlled, leading to constraining the conduct of the concerned actors. Considering social constructivism, beliefs are thought to be contingent and dynamic in nature (Wong & Heeren, 2021). Need to embrace change is emphasized as it may create platforms for developing new ideas.
Further, normative power in global health ideas and norms shifts is the primary transformation channel. Established beliefs are likely to bring change faster than the effects of peer pressure from friends (Silver, 2020). Thus, the above indicates that the kind of people one associates with are likely to affect how the person sees and perceives things. This is made possible through emulating the characters shown, whether good or bad. Attitude toward one’s culture impacts them as it could probably influence their choices (Albada et al., 2021). In some scenarios, some individuals ignore the particular cultural norms they are exposed to since they feel ineffective.
Normative power is associated with standard norms, obeying the rule of law, considering essential freedoms, and recognizing the importance of human rights. Rules which guide human beings on what should be done must be followed, and failure to obey can lead to legal actions (Frímannsson, 2021). A person’s life is sacred and should be protected at all costs. Universal healthcare should be accorded to every individual to eradicate unnecessary death cases. In the fight against common diseases such as malaria, the government should take initiatives to curb the ailments. This can be done by providing free mosquito nets and medications. Other factors that can improve the health status include building safer structures for the inpatients. These include maintaining higher levels of hygiene to reduce the chances of being exposed to any other health problems while on treatment.
Another important concept in literature is the normative boundary provided by global health policymakers. A stakeholder can create a norm expected to be accepted by individuals for their benefit and must be passed on to other people (Posner, 2020). The model can be adopted through successful socialization in international meetings and research proposals. Nonetheless, cases of differences in the perception of the beliefs may occur. However, through the adherence to established guidelines, commitment is gained, leading to the diffusion of the ideologies. Professional boundaries provide healthcare specialists with guidelines on handling patients through mutual respect (Mendes, 2021). Sick individuals should not be physically or emotionally harassed since they deserve respect.
The concept of patient safety is a major concern in global health priorities. Healthcare givers should operate in a conducive environment and use safety equipment to reduce common workroom accidents. The communication process involves utilizing threat actions against egotistical individuals (Kleib et al., 2021). Most importantly, the concept of dialogue can be applied to pass critical information to people. In case of reluctance to comply with the set rules, the use of force can be emphasized to make the involved party obey the policies. For instance, in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government had to use police officers to punish those who would not follow the precautions set. Some of these rules involved the compulsory wearing of masks in public places and washing hands (Yi et al., 2021). In addition, keeping social distance was observed to curb the spread rate of the virus.
Dialogue applies to the quiet mode of interaction to discuss a particular issue affecting the set population. Arguments can be raised and later solved since normative power involves persuasion (Haugstvedt et al., 2020). Platforms for suggestions are created to allow individuals to develop ways to improve the state of healthcare services. Through the above, the gaps, which have been left untried, are likely to be filled, improving the overall quality of services offered to the sick. The client’s safety is improved, and the client’s satisfaction with the services provided is realized. The flow of communication should follow a hierarchy in any formal organization (Palmer & Burrows, 2020). This reduces cases of confusion that may occur due to an ineffective way of disseminating information.
Justification of norms may occur if the content covers universal needs without discriminating against a particular group of individuals. Habermas’ principle of universalization can be used to justify the uses of normative powers in global health issues (Ameller, 2021). This logic depicts that people decide whether it is morally acceptable for a person to act by looking at the final consequence. If they agree that the action is morally upright, then the deed can be freely undertaken, and if they disagree, there will be no more negotiations. New governing rules are generated by considering the outcome associated with the particular action.
Compared to legitimate powers, which focus on centralized decision-making, normative force is the most preferred. This is because it involves the individuals who are the primary victims in making decisions. These people are given the freedom of expression and choice on what is ethically right (Naumann et al., 2020). On the other hand, legitimate power denies rights against human life. Thus, cases where the leaders in management disobey rules may be reported. However, legal actions might not be taken due to the concerned individuals’ positions in their respective sectors, making them misuse their authority. In order to improve global health issues, a free and fair approach should be implemented, which will have more benefits than cohesive power.
Normative power is derived from the accepted and standard social norms that are universal to all human beings. The right to health is fundamental, and every individual should be accredited to it. Thus, the above authority takes a communicative approach and actions that follow the logic of arguments. Therefore, it allows the participation of other individuals who are not stakeholders to give out their suggestions. Involving these people in decision-making is critical to ensure none of them is disadvantaged.
Stakeholders’ Power in Global Healthcare
In healthcare, a stakeholder refers to a person or a group who shares a standard curiosity in an organization and is concerned for its outcomes. They can include but are not limited to caretakers, patients, physicians, nannies, unions, workers, employers, administration, insurance organizations, societies, and pharmaceutical firms. The most critical stakeholders in healthcare include the policymakers who are responsible for setting guiding policies. Structural power is applied in global health due to a hierarchy of individuals. Those in higher ranks advise those in the lower positions to promote order and peaceful coexistence.
The stakeholders exercise expert power in the global health priorities. This power demands that society perceive a leader as possessing a high level of knowledge, expertise, or skill in a particular field. For instance, researchers and officials in international organizations such as World Health Organization apply normative power. In the fight against the spread of disease globally, the WHO is responsible for developing measures to curb the ailments. Similarly, patients expect doctors to possess proficient knowledge and abilities to treat any type of disease. Thus, doctors should minimize errors in the medication process as they can lead to more significant damage. Moreover, in setting policies that govern the hospital workers, policymakers must apply expert skills. The participants must ensure that the established procedures are valid and not against human rights.
Moral Ethics versus Utilitarian Logic
Utilitarian logic is one of the most preferred and convincing moral theories. Utilitarians acknowledge that morality aims to improve life by doing the right thing at all times. Further, it depicts that an action is right if it results in happiness in a majority of people and wrong if most individuals are upset. Since the future is unpredictable in most circumstances, it is difficult to determine the consequences of people’s actions, which becomes a limitation. Additionally, it is practically challenging to account for values such as individual rights and justice. Some situations do not need to consider for better outcomes. Some involve the breaking of universal rules and regulations to satisfy this logic.
Utilitarianism logic has three prevailing principles that govern what is considered right or wrong. The first principle argues that happiness is the only thing with an intrinsic value. The term utilitarian comes from ‘utility,’ which means pleasure. Another concept claims that actions are right if they promote happiness and wrong if they lead to sadness. This is controversial since it emphasizes that the morality of a deed is determined by its consequences. Lastly, everyone’s happiness counts equally, and no one should experience any discrimination.
On the other hand, moral ethics judges the rightness or wrongness of an action by its morality. This has two senses known as normative and descriptive, and the duo has a clear distinction between them. In normative, morality is described as a code of conduct accepted by anyone who meets certain volitional and intellectual conditions. Therefore, a person who agrees with these conditions is seen as a moral agent. Descriptive ethics can be defined as the study of morality from a scientific point of view. Conceptual models are tested to verify the intensity of morality in a varietal aspect.
Importance of Ruling Paradigms
Ruling paradigms are essential as they shape how people perceive and behave with reality. Some actions needed the application of a real-life setting to make favorable judgments. Failure to look into them from this perspective can lead to human rights abuse. For example, in global health issues, a concern may arise in the case of abortion, which may be aimed at saving the mother’s life. Killing is prohibited since every individual has a right to live, and it can be seen as going against human rights, but from the above scenario, it is correct.
Paradigm provides flexibility making complex actions seem simpler: thus, the treatment process involves the division of labor in the various departments by cooperating group work. The laboratory tests are essential before the doctor can make a diagnosis and administer the required medications. On the other hand, nurses work together with physicians by monitoring the patients’ welfare and noting changes. In case of worsening conditions, healthcare givers can apply alternative methodologies.
Conclusion
There is a need to apply normative power in the planetarium health as it considers the norms associated with each philosophy. Through this, cultural sensitivity is observed to eliminate unfair deeds. The social needs of the society, in general, are responded to by promoting universal peace and understanding. This eradicates boundaries, and when emergencies occur, the developed countries can offer help to the lower economies. Research can be conducted collaboratively to improve the healthcare settings and application of technology. The advanced equipment used in laboratories to test diseases is invented to facilitate treatment. Further accuracy of results is guaranteed since errors that could have occurred are minimized.
Normative power emphasizes the accepted norms in the society, hence preserving them. Culture is an essential aspect of the community that must be observed; therefore, it must adopt the above type of governance. Existing and established paradigms pose a challenge in society by emerging with new governing rules. Additionally, the order is maintained in communities because the accepted beliefs oversee behavior. This leads to developing a positive relationship with other people, hence worthy coexistence.
The norms depict what is right or wrong in society, and actions that are likely to bring disorders such as stealing can be avoided: thus, any person found abusing them is punished. The good actions or behavior shown can be praised and maintained for the well-being and existence of individuals who fit in the community. Decent role models can be emulated by others who might be misfits leading to behavior modification. Established paradigms in global health involve the application of legitimate power, which disadvantages some people who are not granted freedom of expression. This is because only a few individuals participate in making important decisions that affect the health sector. Considering the normative principles is likely to succeed since examining governing norms is given priority.
The application of normative power has been illustrated throughout this paper. The main stakeholders in the international organization, such as World Bank and World Health Organization, apply normative power. Through grants and aid, the lower-income earning countries can gain support to deal with diseases. Other needs in the health sector are responded to by following the set procedures to achieve common goals.
References
Abderrahim, L., & Gutiérrez-Colón Plana, M. (2021). A theoretical journey from social constructivism to digital storytelling. The Eurocall Review, 29(1), 38.
Albada, K., Hansen, N., & Otten, S. (2021). When cultures clash: Links between perceived cultural distance in values and attitudes towards migrants. British Journal of Social Psychology, 60(4), 1350-1378.
Ameller JM, N. (2021). Democracy and governance in the light of Jürgen Habermas. Philosophy International Journal, 4(4), 1-8.
Frímannsson, G. (2021). Jacob Dahl Rendtorff, Moral blindness in business. A social theory of evil in organizations (Cham: Palgrave Macmillan, 2020). Nordicum-Mediterraneum, 16(1), 1-3.
Haugstvedt, A., Hernar, I., Graue, M., Strandberg, R. B., Stangeland Lie, S., Sigurdardottir, A. K., Richards, D. & Kolltveit, B. H. (2020). Nurses’ and physicians’ experiences with diabetes consultations and dialogue tools in the DiaPROM pilot trial: A qualitative study. Diabetic Medicine, 38(6).
Katagiri, N. (2021). Why do international law and norms do little in preventing non-state cyber attacks. Journal of Cybersecurity, 7(1), 1-9.
Kim, H. (2021). The implicit ideological function of the global health field and its role in maintaining relations of power. BMJ Global Health, 6(4), 1-4.
Kleib, M., Jackman, D., & Duarte-Wisnesky, U. (2021). Interprofessional simulation to promote teamwork and communication between nursing and respiratory therapy students: A mixed-method research study. Nurse Education Today, 99, 104816.
Mendes, A. (2021). Maintaining professional boundaries in the care home. Nursing and Residential Care, 23(2), 1-3.
Naumann, E., Möhring, K., Reifenscheid, M., Wenz, A., Rettig, T., Lehrer, R., Krieger, U., Juhl, S., Friedel, S., Fikel, M., Cornesse, C. & Blom, A. G. (2020). COVID‐19 policies in Germany and their social, political, and psychological consequences. European Policy Analysis, 6(2), 191-202.
Palmer, K., & Burrows, V. (2020). Ethical and safety concerns regarding the use of mental health-related apps in counseling: Considerations for counselors. Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science, 6(1), 137-150.
Posner, E. (2020). The boundaries of normative law and economics. SSRN Electronic Journal. 1-18.
Silver, D. (2020). Haste or waste? Peer pressure and productivity in the emergency department. The Review of Economic Studies, 88(3), 1385-1417.
Wong, Q., & Heeren, A. (2021). Understanding the dynamic interaction of maladaptive social-evaluative beliefs and social anxiety: A latent change score model approach. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 45(6), 1164-1179.
Yi, H., Pingsterhaus, A., & Song, W. (2021). Effects of wearing face masks while using different speaking styles in noise on speech intelligibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 1-16.