Christian Di Falco, Guido Noto, Carmelo Marisca and Gustavo Barresi
This article aims to provide the current state of the art of the literature on the contribution of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the measurement and…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to provide the current state of the art of the literature on the contribution of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the measurement and management of performance in the healthcare sector. In particular, the work aims to identify current and emerging ICTs and how these relate to the performance measurement and management (PMM) cycle of healthcare organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
To address the research objective, we adopted a systematic literature review. In particular, we used the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (PRISMA) methodology to select articles related to the investigated topic. Based on an initial screening of 560 items retrieved from Scopus and ISI Web of Knowledge, we identified and analyzed 58 articles dealing with ICTs and PMM in the healthcare sector. The last update of the dataset refers to February 2024.
Findings
Although we attempted to address a relevant topic for both research and practice, we noticed that a relatively small sample of articles directly addressed it. Through this literature review, in addition to providing descriptive statistics of research on ICTs and PMM in healthcare, we identified six theoretical clusters of scientific streams focusing on the topic and eleven categories of ICTs effectively tackled by the literature. We then provided a holistic framework to link technologies to the different PMM phases and functions.
Practical implications
Nowadays, the availability of ICTs to support healthcare organizations’ processes and services is extensive. In this context, managers at various organizational levels need to understand and evaluate how each ICT can support different activities to benefit most from their adoption. The findings of this study can offer valuable insights to top and line managers of healthcare organizations for planning their investments in both existing and emerging ICTs to support the various stages of development and functions of PMM.
Originality/value
Most of the current literature focusing on ICTs in the healthcare sector refers to the contribution that technology provides to clinical processes and services, devoting limited attention to the impact of ICTs on administrative processes, such as PMM. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this represents the first literature review on the contribution of ICTs to PMM in the healthcare sector. The review, differently from other research focused on specific ICTs and/or specific PMM functions, provides a holistic perspective to understand how these technologies may support healthcare organizations and systems in measuring and managing their performance.
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In rural Malawi, money constantly circulates. As soon as villagers, poor as they are, get some money in hands, it is swiftly spent. Tracking how money – and other valued items…
Abstract
In rural Malawi, money constantly circulates. As soon as villagers, poor as they are, get some money in hands, it is swiftly spent. Tracking how money – and other valued items like food and soap – are pushed and pulled around through an extremely poor community offers profound insights into women’s everyday survival tactics. Central to these women’s survival is the ability to mobilise support in times of need. Material wealth is found to be both a prerequisite and a threat to this ability. It can best be spent quickly, in particular ways, so as to transform it into potential sources of future support in times of need. Maximizing access to potential future support while minimizing blockage – by always appearing able to reciprocate and not giving others socially acceptable justifications to withhold support – are concerns that to a great extent shape the village women’s everyday decision-making. Understanding the dynamics of inclusion and exclusion that both result from and trigger these survival tactics is important for social scientists and policy-makers as these have far-reaching consequences, including women’s HIV risk-taking, which are difficult to explain from other vantage points.
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Nusrat Akber and Kirtti Ranjan Paltasingh
This paper finds the returns from soil conservation practices and examines whether the welfare implications of adopting the conservation practices are heterogeneous across the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper finds the returns from soil conservation practices and examines whether the welfare implications of adopting the conservation practices are heterogeneous across the farming groups in Indian agriculture.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses an endogenous switching regression (ESR) method on the data collected from the 77th round of National Sample Survey (2019–21) to quantify the returns from adopting soil conservation practices.
Findings
It finds that farmers adopting soil health conservation practices would have reduced their crop yield by 13% if they did not implement them. Similarly, smallholders who have not adopted soil health management practices would have increased crop yield by 16% if they had adopted the practices. The authors also observed that the returns from adopting soil health management practices vary across farming groups, where marginal and large farms tend to gain higher yields. Finally, the authors find that regardless of farm size, smallholders who did not adopt soil health management practices would benefit from adopting these with increased crop yields of 29%–31%.
Research limitations/implications
More data could have been better for drawing policy implications, since the number of soil card users are relatively less.
Originality/value
This research work uses nationally representative data, which is first in nature on this very aspect.
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Omid Boodaghi, Zohreh Fanni and Asma Mehan
Despite various comparative studies in the field of cultural heritage protection in the world, there is still a significant lack of comparative research on policies related to the…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite various comparative studies in the field of cultural heritage protection in the world, there is still a significant lack of comparative research on policies related to the legal system of countries' governance. The purpose of this study is to address the comparative policies in Iran and Italy, with a particular focus on the results of the executive experiences of two different types of policies in the cities of Oroumieh (North-West of Iran) and Turin (in North-West of Italy).
Design/methodology/approach
Utilising the comparative, analytical, bibliographic and descriptive historical research methodology, which is based on the study of the local, national and international comprehensive review of regulations and policy-making of cultural heritage preservation policies in Iran and Italy. In this research, the related documents in three languages (Persian, Italian and English) have been examined to compare profoundly and comprehensively the policies and regulations adopted in these two countries to be able to analyze the national and transnational regulations and local policies in the cultural heritage sector.
Findings
In addition to many cultural similarities and numerous commonalities, especially in the multiplicity of urban cultural heritage in historical centers, the results suggest that the legislation structure in Iran is much more centralized than in Italy. Also, the findings suggest that Italy focuses on aligning its previously centralized national legislative system in line with contemporary European heritage and preservation policies.
Originality/value
The paper outlines how to use historical and cultural similarities through comparative study to benefit the experiences of two historical countries in urban heritage conservation and policy-making part despite their differences.
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Rulia Akhtar, Muhammad Mehedi Masud and Muhammad Khalilur Rahman
The purpose of this study is to analyze the economic, social and environmental impacts of climate change on farmers' livelihoods and adaptive capacity while highlighting specific…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyze the economic, social and environmental impacts of climate change on farmers' livelihoods and adaptive capacity while highlighting specific adaptation strategies in the local climate context.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected using a survey questionnaire and analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Respondents were selected from seven farmer organizations (Pertubuhan Peladang Kawasan) located in Kedah, Malaysia.
Findings
The study revealed that farmers perceive the economic, social and environmental impacts of climate change. These adverse effects of climate change have an impact on their livelihoods as well as their adaptive capacity. The findings also demonstrated that farmers' livelihoods mediate the relationship between economic and environmental impacts of climate change as well as the adaptive capacity of farmers.
Originality/value
Climate change severely affects the agricultural sector as well as farmers' livelihoods. To minimize its effect, scientists and policymakers emphasize the improvement of farmers' adaptive capacity as well as appropriate adaptation methods. However, there is little research on how climate change affects the livelihoods of farmers in the context of Malaysia. Therefore, the results of the study will provide a new perspective for policymakers to formulate a better adaptation policy framework as well as select appropriate adaptation strategies for sustainable agricultural development.
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Gianpaolo Basile, Mohammad Fotouhi Ardakani, Andrea Mazzitelli and Georgia Sakka
In developed countries, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an important element for firms, as CSR strategies enhance their competitiveness and corporate reputation…
Abstract
Purpose
In developed countries, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an important element for firms, as CSR strategies enhance their competitiveness and corporate reputation, has CSR the same role in the emergent countries? To answer this question, the authors build a conceptual framework and focus their research on Iran's context with the aim to find an answer to the following research question: does CSR influence innovation processes and how much is it increasingly a cultural value in the same level of competitive ones? Therefore the purpose of this research is to study the role of CSR in firms operating in emergent countries
Design/methodology/approach
In the pandemic era, CSR could be considered not what you do with your money once you have made it but how you make your money safeguarding environmental resources and answering community needs, in collaboration with other social and economic agents. While investigating CSR, we have to take into account the fact that different countries have different priorities and values that shape the way business operates.
Findings
To reach this aim, the authors carried out the research during the pandemic period, between September 2021 and December 2021, on almost 500 small and medium enterprises operating in Ardakan area in Iran, a simple random sample was surveyed by partial least squares-structural equation modelling.
Originality/value
Given the lack of empirical studies on the considered country, this research has attempted to determine the impact of CSR practices on innovation and, simultaneously, to check the effect of innovation on CSR practices, in order to test empirically whether there is a bidirectional relationship. Furthermore, the study reveals the importance of integrating social and economic stakeholders’ requirements and expectations about environmental and social concerns within a country in which the specific norms’ presence is weak.
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This study assesses the extent to which integrated extension services contribute to the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) innovations within the cotton value chain in…
Abstract
Purpose
This study assesses the extent to which integrated extension services contribute to the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) innovations within the cotton value chain in Burkina Faso.
Design/methodology/approach
To address the research question, a probit multivariate econometric model with sample selection is utilized. The model is applied to a random sample of farmers (n = 510), and the endogeneity is addressed through a control function approach.
Findings
The study highlights the central role of value chains, particularly in the cotton sector, in overcoming resource scarcity through integrated extension services. Findings show that smallholder farmers who benefit from sound extension services are more willing to adopt and diversify CSA technologies. These include improved seeds, conservation techniques, adapted planting dates and mechanization. This study confirms the synergistic nature of these technologies and emphasizes that effective climate risk mitigation depends on the combined adoption of CSA technologies.
Research limitations/implications
The use of cross-sectional data limits the analysis of long-term farmer behavior, and due to data limitations, the focus was primarily on the contributions of cotton companies and farmers to climate risk mitigation. Future research using panel data across the value chain could provide a more robust insights for policy decision-making.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by emphasizing the crucial role of integrated extension services within the cotton value chain in developing countries. This highlights the critical benefits for farmers and emphasizes the need to diversify modern technologies to effectively combat climate change and its variability in agriculture.
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Wondimagegn Tesfaye and Lemma Seifu
The purpose of this paper is to analyze smallholder farmers’ perceptions of climate change and its adverse effects, identify major adaptation strategies used by farmers and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze smallholder farmers’ perceptions of climate change and its adverse effects, identify major adaptation strategies used by farmers and analyze the factors that influence the choice of adaptation strategy by smallholder farmers in eastern Ethiopia.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was based on a cross-sectional survey of 296 sample households selected from three districts in east Ethiopia. Data were collected with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire and review of literature, documents and databases.
Findings
The study provides empirical evidence that majority of farmers in the study area are aware of climate change patterns and their adverse effect on income, food security, diversity, forest resources, food prices and crop and livestock diseases. In response to these adverse effects, major adaptation strategies used by farmers include cultivating different crops, planting different crop varieties, changing planting dates, use of soil and water conservation techniques, conservation agriculture practices and engaging in non-farm income activities. Choice of adaptation strategies are influenced by gender of household head, household size, farm size, distance from market and number of farm plots.
Practical implications
The study suggests that developing more effective climate change adaptation strategies need support from the government. Such an effort needs provision of the necessary resources such as credit, information and extension services on climate change adaptation strategies and technologies, and investing in climate smart and resilient projects.
Originality/value
The study adopts multivariate probit model that models farmers’ simultaneous adaptation choice behavior which has been rarely addressed by previous researches.