Marwa Khalfalli, Fouad Ben Abdelaziz, Jerome Verny and Meryem Masmoudi
Operating theaters are considered as the most sensitive health department within hospital centers due to their significant cost/necessity for patients and their economic benefits…
Abstract
Purpose
Operating theaters are considered as the most sensitive health department within hospital centers due to their significant cost/necessity for patients and their economic benefits for hospitals. In this paper, the authors consider patients that may require more than one surgery on the same day in the surgery scheduling problem which is a major technology enhancement in the health industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The surgery scheduling includes both the preoperative and the postoperative units of the operative stage. Two objectives are considered in a lexicographic way: the minimization of the makespan while prioritizing the patients having two surgeries and the total completion time to perform. An adapted tabu-search algorithm is used to tackles this NP-hard scheduling problem.
Findings
The proposed schedule is more relevant for operating theaters as it integrates all stages of the surgical procedure and considers patients with more than one operation during the same day.
Originality/value
This paper is original as it considers patients who need more than one operation, which responds to real challenge faced by decision-makers' in hospitals. The application of the time lags between stages of the surgical procedure generates a good utilization of the hospital resources and makes the scheduling task more flexible.
Details
Keywords
Wei Guan, Wenhong Ding, Bobo Zhang and Jerome Verny
The deployment of blockchain technology (BT) throughout the supply chain is usually led by large firms that dominate the supply chain. Leading firms can encourage other…
Abstract
Purpose
The deployment of blockchain technology (BT) throughout the supply chain is usually led by large firms that dominate the supply chain. Leading firms can encourage other resource-constrained partners to get on board by providing technical and financial support. However, due to the uncertain consequences of relying on leading firms, these partners may still be reluctant to adopt BT. Drawing on resource dependence theory, this study aims to investigate whether and when supply chain alignment can be used as a dependency coping strategy to increase the willingness of resource-constrained partners to adopt BT. Moreover, it aims to examine the motivators for supply chain alignment.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a survey research design and collected data from 364 small and medium-sized enterprises in China.
Findings
Supply chain alignment positively affects BT adoption. The effect of supply chain alignment on BT adoption is contingent on guanxi (a Chinese cultural tradition of interpersonal connections that facilitate a mutual exchange of favors). Relative advantage, technology complexity, organizational readiness and cost are motivators for supply chain alignment. Supply chain alignment mediates the effect of cost, technology complexity and relative advantage on BT adoption.
Originality/value
This research addresses the problem of resource dependency in the context of BT adoption which has been overlooked by previous research. Moreover, this paper enriches the BT literature by identifying supply chain alignment as an important channel for technology–organization–environment factors to influence BT adoption.
Details
Keywords
Mauricio Garita, Celso Fernando Cerezo Bregni and Rodrigo Asturias
The purpose of this academic paper is to analyze Argentina’s inflationary situation through an understanding of its monetary policy over the years, and to identify its effect on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this academic paper is to analyze Argentina’s inflationary situation through an understanding of its monetary policy over the years, and to identify its effect on the country’s poverty, explaining the relationship between fiat currencies and stable currencies.
Design/methodology/approach
By analyzing the case of Argentina through descriptive methodology, the authors provide information on the use of stable currencies in Argentina and the reasons behind their use.
Findings
Through descriptive research, the authors were able to find out the situation regarding the use of stable currencies in Argentina. We identified how the country’s monetary policy has affected inflation and thus purchasing power parity.
Research limitations/implications
Given that cryptocurrency information is based on privacy, there are certain arguments that must be referred through qualitative aspects.
Practical implications
The importance of stablecoins in high inflation countries.
Social implications
The understanding on how cryptocurrencies are able to maintain purchasing power and help avoid inflation related poverty.
Originality/value
Discussion of cryptocurrency items, specifically stablecoins, has been limited due to their recent emergence and the existing discussion about their legality. The study presents an argument on the use of stablecoins by presenting a case that has not yet been studied.