Caterina Manfrini and Izabelle Bäckström
The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the connection between creativity and innovation in the context of public healthcare. This is achieved by applying the theoretical…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to scrutinize the connection between creativity and innovation in the context of public healthcare. This is achieved by applying the theoretical concept of employee-driven innovation (EDI) to explore employees’ perceptions of their creative engagement in innovation processes, as well as to capture the managerial implications of setting up such processes in the sector.
Design/methodology/approach
A critical discourse analysis (CDA) is applied as a methodological lens to capture the interaction between the macro-level production and meso-level distribution of innovation discourse (top-down), and the micro-level perception of, and response to, the same (bottom-up). This study is based on a qualitative approach and is set in the public healthcare system of the Autonomous Province of Trento, Northeast Italy. In total, 26 semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 healthcare professionals. For triangulation purposes, observation and document analysis were also performed.
Findings
The findings of this study reveal that tensions are present between the macro-level discourses and the meso-level strategies around innovation, and the micro-level perceptions of employees’ creative engagement in innovation processes. Healthcare professionals’ creative efforts are not easily recognized and supported by top management, which in turn does not receive a framework of reference in policies acknowledging the importance of human skills and creativity in innovation processes.
Research limitations/implications
That this is a single case study implies a limitation on the generalizability of its results, but the results may nevertheless be transferable to similar empirical contexts. Therefore, a multiple case study design would be preferable in future studies in order to study EDI strategies and policies across various types of organizations in the public sector. Moreover, apart from CDA, other theoretical and methodological lenses can be applied to investigate the interaction between top-down organizing and bottom-up responses to innovation.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the EDI literature by providing a more integrative understanding of EDI in the public sector, demonstrating the importance of scrutinizing the interactions between employees and top-level management.
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Kevin Hub and Lori Jones
This paper considers boundary spanning in relation to the creation of an executive-in-residence position at a midwestern comprehensive university and the resulting impact on…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper considers boundary spanning in relation to the creation of an executive-in-residence position at a midwestern comprehensive university and the resulting impact on school–university partnerships.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is a case study. The researchers chronicle several current and ongoing school–university partnerships.
Findings
The creation of an executive-in-residence position is a unique approach to creating and strengthening school–university partnerships. This paper provides information and creates awareness of the potential benefits of using this approach within the context of the reader.
Originality/value
With increasing expectations and decreasing resources, it is as important now as ever to encourage the development of school–university partnerships. This paper is focused on practitioners with enough detail for replication.
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Denise M. Cumberland, Andrea D. Ellinger, Tara McKinley, Jason C. Immekus and Andrew McCart
Leadership development programs (LDPs) have emerged relatively recently in the healthcare context as a mechanism not only to develop capable and competent leaders but also to…
Abstract
Purpose
Leadership development programs (LDPs) have emerged relatively recently in the healthcare context as a mechanism not only to develop capable and competent leaders but also to retain them. The purpose of this paper is to describe a perspective on practice by illustrating a case example that showcases a pilot LDP for newly promoted healthcare leaders. The details about how it was developed and implemented collaboratively by a healthcare consortium and higher education institution (HEI) to address shared healthcare leadership talent pipeline and retention challenges are provided.
Design/methodology/approach
This perspective on practice describes how a consortium of competitive healthcare organizations, a type of branded Inter-organizational Relationship referred to as “Coopetition,” contracted with a HEI to design, develop and launch a pilot LDP, referred to as the Academy for Healthcare Education and Development program, using the analyze, design, develop, implement and evaluate model.
Findings
The significance of this illustrative case example is discussed along with some initial lessons learned based upon this pilot LDP that 24 program participants completed. Implications for research, theory and practice are presented, followed by limitations and a conclusion.
Originality/value
Inter-organizational relationships, particularly coopetition, are relatively new in the healthcare sector, along with collaboration with HEIs to develop interventions to solve compelling industry problems. This illustrative case example offers insights that address scholars’ calls and practitioners’ needs to explicate different approaches for LDPs to build the healthcare leadership talent pipeline.
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Monica Puri Sikka, Jameer Aslam Bargir and Samridhi Garg
Intense interest has been shown in creating new and effective biocide agents as a result of changes in bacterial isolates, bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics, an increase in…
Abstract
Purpose
Intense interest has been shown in creating new and effective biocide agents as a result of changes in bacterial isolates, bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics, an increase in patients with burns and wounds and the difficulty of treating infections and antimicrobial resistance. Woven, nonwoven and knitted materials are used to make dressings; however, nonwoven dressings are becoming more popular because of their softness and high absorption capacity. Additionally, textiles have excellent geometrical, physical and mechanical features including three-dimensional structure availability, air, vapor and liquid permeability, strength, extensibility, flexibility and diversity of fiber length, fineness and cross-sectional shapes. It is necessary to treat every burn according to international protocol and along with it has to focus on particular problems of patients and the best possible results.
Design/methodology/approach
The objective of this paper is to conduct a thorough examination of research pertaining to the utilization of textiles, as well as alternative materials and innovative techniques, in the context of burn wound dressings. Through a critical analysis of the findings, this study intends to provide valuable insights that can inform and guide future research endeavors in this field.
Findings
In the past years, there have been several dressings such as xeroform petrolatum gauze, silver-impregnated dressings, biological dressings, hydrocolloid dressings, polyurethane film dressings, silicon-coated nylon dressings, dressings for biosynthetic skin substitutes, hydrogel dressings, newly developed dressings, scaffold bandages, Sorbalgon wound dressing, negative pressure therapy, enzymatic debridement and high-pressure water irrigation developed for the fast healing of burn wounds.
Originality/value
This research conducts a thorough analysis of the role of textiles in modern burn wound dressings.
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Sameh Farhat Ammar, Martin R.W. Hiebl and Martin Quinn
Burns and Scapens (2000) (B&S hereafter) offered a well-cited framework conceptualising management accounting change. This paper aims to provide a systematic review of how B&S has…
Abstract
Purpose
Burns and Scapens (2000) (B&S hereafter) offered a well-cited framework conceptualising management accounting change. This paper aims to provide a systematic review of how B&S has been used to inform management accounting research and presents an updated framework as a point of departure for future work.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review method is used to ascertain various contexts and designs of B&S-based research. After an extensive examination of citations, 77 journal articles published are identified, described and analysed.
Findings
The systematic review shows that the B&S framework has been applied in many contexts, yet its main tenets remain unchallenged. Several researchers have suggested additions and amendments, and this paper synthesises these to an updated framework. Similar theoretical advancements were noted, indicating that future contributions should be grounded in comprehensive reviews of literature.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation is that the analysis is limited to journal articles and the results of the review are contingent on the authors’ reading.
Originality/value
An updated framework is a core contribution, serving as a basis for further advances in the understanding of the complexity of management accounting change/stability. In addition, concrete and fruitful areas for future research are presented.
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Mirghani N. Ahmed and Amr Mohamed Said Abdel-Halim
This study aims to evaluate the applicability of Ferreira and Otley’s (2009) framework in describing and explaining the structure and components of performance management systems…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to evaluate the applicability of Ferreira and Otley’s (2009) framework in describing and explaining the structure and components of performance management systems (PMSs).
Design/methodology/approach
Data are gathered through semi-structured interviews and by analyzing the company’s annual reports, electronic records and printed documents. To enhance the understanding of the observed performance management (PM) practices, the study utilizes Burns and Scapens’ (2000) institutional framework.
Findings
The findings reveal that the selected case company operates a relatively advanced PMS with objectives, techniques and procedures that transcend the conventional boundaries of performance measurement. While the analysis of the case materials shows certain alignments with the chosen theoretical framework, the PM practices observed within the company and its strategic business units also highlight certain gaps in the conceptualization of the framework.
Research limitations/implications
The results and interpretations in this study are derived from a single case company, which restricts the ability to generalize the findings across a broader range of organizations. However, the study’s findings are expected to contribute to the theory-building of PM frameworks.
Practical implications
The study’s findings may help bridge the gap between PM theories and real-world business practices, providing feedback on how PMSs are applied in practice and their usefulness and relevance to practitioners.
Originality/value
This study’s insights may inspire researchers in the field of management accounting (MA) to continue developing more integrated theoretical frameworks and to delve further into the study of PM and management control (MC) practices.
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Gourab De, Himanshu Joshi, Neena Sondhi and Ayona Bhattacharjee
Preventive health-care behavior (PHB) adoption as a primordial prevention to stay healthy and avoid lifestyle disease risk is a global trend. This paper aims to use the PHB model…
Abstract
Purpose
Preventive health-care behavior (PHB) adoption as a primordial prevention to stay healthy and avoid lifestyle disease risk is a global trend. This paper aims to use the PHB model and stimulus-organism-response theory to empirically examine the role of individual and technological factors in influencing primordial PHB.
Design/methodology/approach
A sequential mixed-method was adopted to identify the primordial PHB adoption and propose a conceptual framework. The identified determinants and the hypothesized relationships were empirically tested using a convenience sample of 406 urban Indians. Partial least square structural equation modeling is used for data analysis.
Findings
The derived conceptual framework was empirically tested to assess the role of health literacy (HL), health value (HV) and digital health information seeking (DHIS) on primordial PHB. Findings confirmed the significant influence of DHIS on HL, HL on HV and PHB and HV on PHB. The direct effects of DHIS on PHB and HV were insignificant. HL solely mediated the indirect effect of DHIS on PHB, while the mediation of HV was insignificant. HL and HV fully mediated the relationship between DHIS and PHB.
Research limitations/implications
The impact of DHIS on PHB adoption and the serial multiple mediating roles of HL and HV are significant in understanding primordial PHB adoption for both academic theory and practice. However, the cross-sectional study on urban Indians needs further validation across geographies.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this pioneering study is among the first to propose and validate a comprehensive model of primordial PHB adoption.
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Ellen Haustein, Peter C. Lorson, Lasse Olavi Oulasvirta and Lotta-Maria Sinervo
By focusing on the perspective of politicians, this paper aims to question the change brought about by local government financial statements for accountability. It applies the…
Abstract
Purpose
By focusing on the perspective of politicians, this paper aims to question the change brought about by local government financial statements for accountability. It applies the Burns and Scapens’ (2000) framework of accounting change to explore politicians’ routines when using the accrual accounting information and which type of change was induced by financial statements on financial accountability to politicians and citizens.
Design/methodology/approach
Considering that accounting reforms take time to unfold their effects, this paper studies two countries that have 11 years of difference in the reform implementation and thus a different accounting maturity. A qualitative research approach was used based on 55 semistructured interviews in five Finnish and six German municipalities with 25 councilors from Finland and 30 from Germany.
Findings
Councilors with a longer period of time to adjust to the accounting reforms seem to have developed more routines in using financial statements to assess the financial situation and performance. The change induced in accountability to politicians is partly formal and more evolutionary than revolutionary. The complexity of financial statements can lead to regressive change, especially in financially distressed local governments. As for accountability to citizens, a real change is not observed, reflecting a regressive type of change.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the empirical studies on financial accountability in the public sector context by analyzing the use of financial statements in two-way accountability relations from the perspective of politicians. Thereby, the paper adopts a transnational comparative approach and draws on old institutional economics.
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Ali Kadhim Sallal, Seyed Alireza Zareei, Haitham A.B. Al-Thairy and Niloofar Salemi
The purpose of this research is to study the effect of high temperature on concrete columns which are considered the most important part of the concrete structure. Glass fibres…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to study the effect of high temperature on concrete columns which are considered the most important part of the concrete structure. Glass fibres were used to study the effect of heat on them as well as on the properties of reinforcing steel and concrete.
Design/methodology/approach
High tensile stress may develop at the tension zone of the column section when the column is exposed to an axial compressive load with a relatively high eccentricity. Since fibre bars have a higher tensile strength than steel bars, they can be used in the tension zone of hybrid reinforced concrete columns to resist tensile stress, while steel bars can be used in the compression zone to resist compressive stress. However, as documented in prior research studies and advised by standards and codes, the mechanical qualities of concrete, steel and fibre bars are considerably damaged when hybrid columns are exposed to high temperatures.
Findings
When the fire temperature rises, the ultimate load value of the reinforced concrete column decreases. Also, steel bar reinforcing is more efficient than glass fibre bars in resisting high temperatures. The rate decrease in the strength of reinforced concrete columns to applied load on it decreases with the rise of the temperature to which the specimen was exposed during the burning period.
Originality/value
The experimental and numerical work includes a study of the effect of a fire furnace on the behaviour of hybrid R.C. columns. Three types of reinforcement were used steel bars only, G.F.R.P bars only and hybrid (steel and G.F.R.P) bars. These columns specimens were cast and divided into three groups according to the details of reinforcement, the effect of fire temperature and according to the eccentricity ratio. Two types of hybrid are used in this work. Fourteen R.C. columns were casted and divided into, 4 specimens not burn and 10 specimens burn at temperatures 300, 500 and 700.
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Manuel Guisado-González, Jennifer González-Blanco and María del Mar Rodríguez-Domínguez
This research aims to study the impact that the interaction between internal R&D and R&D cooperation has on the technical efficiency of firms, as well as to analyse whether firms…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to study the impact that the interaction between internal R&D and R&D cooperation has on the technical efficiency of firms, as well as to analyse whether firms belonging to a group achieve any additional level of technical efficiency.
Design/methodology/approach
We employ the stochastic frontier version of a knowledge production function, particularly the inefficiency model, and we combine the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) and the complementarity approach.
Findings
The interaction between internal R&D and R&D cooperation has a positive and significant impact on technical efficiency when the complementarity test is applied between companies belonging to a group, and there is no interaction when they do not belong to a group.
Practical implications
Knowing this type of information in advance is critical for managers and policymakers, as it allows them to avoid undesirable combinations of innovation strategies or contexts not favourable for their implementation, as well as the formulation of policies leading to an efficient allocation of public resources.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper contributes an original approach in evaluating the complementarity of internal R&D and R&D cooperation from the perspective of technical efficiency and group membership, combining the SFA and the complementarity approach.
研究目的
本研究擬探討內部研發與研發合作之間的相互作用會如何影響公司的技術效率;研究亦擬分析屬於集團的公司會否達致更高一級的技術效率。
研究設計/方法/理念
研究人員採用一個知識生產函數的隨機前沿方法,尤其是低效模型,研究人員並且把隨機前沿分析和互補法結合起來進行探討。
研究結果
研究結果顯示,若互補法在屬於集團的公司之間應用,內部研發與研發合作之間的相互作用會對技術效率產生積極和重大的影響;但是,如果公司不屬於任何集團的話,則沒有任何相互作用。
實務方面的啟示
預先了解這方面的資料和信息對管理人員和政策制定者至關重要,這是因為這可讓他們避開不良的創新策略組合,以及那些不利於推行創新策略的環境;而且,能否制定可為公共資源高效分配的政策,也有賴於了解這方面的信息和資料。
研究的原創性/價值
據我們所知,本研究從技術效率和組成員身份的角度去評定內部研發與研發合作的互補性,在這方面提供了新穎的研究方法;而且,本研究結合了隨機前沿分析和互補法,這也是創新的做法。