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The purpose of this paper is to explain progress, or the lack of it, in achieving workplace gender equality goals prescribed by affirmative action regulation by using concepts from soft regulation and organizational learning.

The research design is a longitudinal study (2002-2012) of a critical case, that of a single large organization in the male-dominated steel manufacturing, distribution and mining industries. The case focusses on the evidence about organizational learning to be found in that organization’s reports to government on its activities to promote workplace gender equality.

While other factors play a role, the apparent failure of the soft regulation to generate a significant shift in gender equality outcomes may also be attributed to ineffective organizational learning, demonstrated by the absence of systematic reflection within the organization on how to improve workplace gender equality, and the lack of firm targets and external benchmarking.

Self-reported data may be overstated or incomplete. More research is needed to confirm the nature of the specific learning processes occurring within organizations.

Absent the advent of hard sanctions in workplace gender equality regulation, the responsible government agencies may find it valuable to focus on ways to encourage target organizations to develop competence in organizational learning.

More effective gender equality regulation may change organizational policy and practice and improve work opportunities for women.

Rather than concluding that the only alternative, when soft regulation is unsuccessful, is hard regulation, this paper shifts the focus to ways that soft regulatory processes might be improved to strengthen their effect.

Integrated care models have shown to deliver efficient healthcare, but implementation has proven to be difficult. The Support Consultation is an integrated care model, which enables full integration by bundled payment, insurer involvement, predefined care pathways and strengthening of primary care. The purpose of this paper is to provide an indication of the improvements in healthcare delivery after implementation of this proposed model and to create a base for extension to similar interfaces between primary and secondary care.

A retrospective study was used to compare the effect on the number of referred patients with non-acute cardiac complaints and the cost effectiveness before and after implementation of the Support Consultation. Patients who previously would have been referred to the cardiologist were now discussed between general practitioner and cardiologist in a primary care setting.

The first consecutive 100 patients (age 55±16 years, male 48 percent), discussed in the Support Consultation, were analyzed. Implementation of the Support Consultation resulted in a net costs (program costs and referral costs) reduction of 61 percent compared with usual care. All involved parties were positive about the program.

The Support Consultation has the ability to provide more effective healthcare delivery and to reduce net costs. The setting of the current study can be used as example for other specialties in countries with a similar healthcare system.

This study provides the potential cost savings after implementation of an integrated care model, based on real-life data.