Julia Segar, Kath Checkland, Anna Coleman and Imelda McDermott
What is our unit of analysis and by implication what are the boundaries of our cases? This is a question we grapple with at the start of every new project. We observe that case…
Abstract
What is our unit of analysis and by implication what are the boundaries of our cases? This is a question we grapple with at the start of every new project. We observe that case studies are often referred to in an unreflective manner and are often conflated with geographical location. Neat units of analysis and clearly bounded cases usually do not reflect the messiness encountered during qualitative fieldwork. Others have puzzled over these questions. We briefly discuss work to problematise the use of households as units of analysis in the context of apartheid South Africa and then consider work of other anthropologists engaged in multi-site ethnography. We have found the notion of ‘following’ chains, paths and threads across sites to be particularly insightful.
We present two examples from our work studying commissioning in the English National Health Service (NHS) to illustrate our struggles with case studies. The first is a study of Practice-based Commissioning groups and the second is a study of the early workings of Clinical Commissioning Groups. In both instances we show how ideas of what constituted our unit of analysis and the boundaries of our cases became less clear as our research progressed. We also discuss pressures we experienced to add more case studies to our projects. These examples illustrate the primacy for us of understanding interactions between place, local history and rapidly developing policy initiatives. Understanding cases in this way can be challenging in a context where research funders hold different views of what constitutes a case.
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Anna Coleman, Julia Segar, Kath Checkland, Imelda McDermott, Stephen Harrison and Stephen Peckham
The purpose of this paper is to explore the early experiences of those involved with the development of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), examining how the aspiration towards…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the early experiences of those involved with the development of Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), examining how the aspiration towards a “clinically-led” system is being realised. The authors investigate emerging leadership approaches within CCGs in light of the criterion for authorisation that calls for “great leaders”.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative research was carried out in eight case studies (CCGs) across England over a nine-month period (September 2011 to May 2012) when CCGs were in their early development. The authors conducted a mix of interviews (with GPs and managers), observations (at CCG meetings) and examined associated documentation. Data were thematically analysed.
Findings
The authors found evidence of two identified approaches to leadership – positive deviancy and responsible guardianship – being undertaken by GPs and managers in the developing CCGs. Historical experiences and past ways of working appeared to be influencing current developments and a commonly emerging theme was a desire for the CCG to “do things differently” to the previous commissioning bodies. The authors discuss how the current reorganisation threatens the guardianship approach to leadership and question if the new systems being implemented to monitor CCGs’ performance may make it difficult for CCGs to retain creativity and innovation, and thus the ability to foster the positive deviant approach to leadership.
Originality/value
This is a large scale piece of qualitative research carried out as CCGs were beginning to develop. It provides insight into how leadership is developing in CCGs highlighting the complexity involved in these roles.
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Donna Bramwell, Caroline Sanders and Anne Rogers
Given that current policy in the UK is focused on encouraging individuals with long-term health conditions (LTCs) to work wherever possible, the purpose of this paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
Given that current policy in the UK is focused on encouraging individuals with long-term health conditions (LTCs) to work wherever possible, the purpose of this paper is to explore employer’s and manager’s perspectives of supporting those with LTCs as any successful workplace engagement will largely be influenced by their readiness to be supportive.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 40 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with employers’ and managers’ from a range of organisations in the north-west of England during the period March 2011 to January 2012. Comparative analysis of the data was guided and informed by grounded theory principles.
Findings
All bar one participant typified their role as one of a difficult “balancing” act of additional and often incompatible demands, pressures and feelings. It was evident that coping with this ambivalent situation incurred an emotional consequence for participants.
Practical implications
Employers’ and managers’ response to ambivalent feelings may serve to undermine their capacity to translate supportive intentions into tangible action and are thus reflected in employee’s perceptions of unsupportive relations. Developing an intervention to raise awareness of the potential for this situation and subsequent impact on the return to work process would be beneficial for all stakeholders – the government, employees and employers alike.
Originality/value
This in-depth study gives voice to employers and managers whose experiences and perceptions of supporting people with LTCs is largely unknown and empirically under-researched. Findings add to the wealth of research from the employee perspective to provide a more nuanced picture of the workplace for those working with and/or supporting those with LTCs.
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Karl Aschenbrücker and Tobias Kretschmer
The authors examine how firms can achieve organizational ambidexterity, that is, how they can successfully engage in concurrent exploitation of existing competencies and…
Abstract
The authors examine how firms can achieve organizational ambidexterity, that is, how they can successfully engage in concurrent exploitation of existing competencies and exploration of new competencies in their search for new products. Existing research has identified three enablers to manage these fundamentally different activities: temporal separation, structural separation, and the creation of context. Studying the strategic orientation, organization design, and performance of a unique sample of mid-sized German manufacturing firms, the authors find that the controlled interplay of decentralized decision making and formalized processes and goals is another effective means to manage the challenges of pursuing an innovation strategy balancing both exploitative and exploratory activities. The findings of this study suggest that this balanced control constitutes a fourth enabler of ambidexterity.
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The aim of this article is to provide insights into how knowledge sharing between project teams takes place (if formal channels are not provided) and which cultural antecedents…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this article is to provide insights into how knowledge sharing between project teams takes place (if formal channels are not provided) and which cultural antecedents influence this process.
Design/methodology/approach
The author adopts a qualitative research design using a triangulation of methods (interviews, observations, company data and group discussions) to receive detailed results for one case study.
Findings
The findings show that knowledge sharing between project teams takes place even though top‐management did not include these processes in the formal work organization. Project team leaders as well as members share knowledge with other project teams by transferring boundary objects, interchanging team members and directly interacting. Furthermore, this study confirms some elements of a knowledge culture, but also discovers new cultural elements that are favorable and unfavorable to knowledge sharing between teams, such as personal responsibility, intrinsic motivation, top‐management's trust in employees, and output orientation.
Research limitations/implications
Despite the fact that only one case study could be researched with this level of detail, the results provide insights into a research area neglected thus far and show that not all knowledge processes depend on the same cultural antecedents.
Practical implications
Managers and team leaders learn that knowledge sharing between project teams enhances the efficiency of project work and organizational learning.
Originality/value
This study addresses a specific knowledge process, namely knowledge sharing between project teams, and discovers that specific cultural antecedents support and hinder this type of cross‐boundary knowledge sharing process.
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Albanë Gashi, Genc Zhushi and Besnik Krasniqi
This paper aims at identifying crucial factors that affect student satisfaction with synchronous e-learning. For this purpose, a research model comprised of perceived usefulness…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims at identifying crucial factors that affect student satisfaction with synchronous e-learning. For this purpose, a research model comprised of perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEU), computer anxiety (CA), self-efficacy (SE), system accessibility (SA), perceived interaction (PI) and perceived flexibility (PF) was developed.
Design/methodology/approach
For the purpose of this research, an online questionnaire was used. All of the measures are adapted from previously validated instruments and adjusted to fit the research aim. Accordingly, the questionnaire resulted in 49 items, which yielded eight constructs. To test the hypothesized model, structural equation modeling was employed on a valid sample of 263 higher education students.
Findings
According to the results, PU, PI, CA and flexibility were all found to be significant. PU demonstrated the most contribution following by PF and PI.
Research limitations/implications
Even though this study has included some critical factors theorized to influence e-learning settings, it does not incorporate all elements. In terms of sample size, a bigger sample would be more favorable. Lastly, the study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, where free movement and social activities were restricted, which may have influenced students' perception of synchronous e-learning.
Practical implications
This research contributes to a greater understanding of the student experience with synchronous e-learning, and its findings can provide relevant stakeholders, particularly e-learning practitioners, with insights into effectively adopting and improving such settings.
Originality/value
This study uses an integrated model of several constructs to investigate student satisfaction in terms of just synchronous e-learning rather than e-learning in general. Several validated instruments were used and tested in a new context and sample. Additionally, the study provides evidence during COVID-19.
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Syed Asim Ali Bukhari, Fathyah Hashim and Azlan Amran
The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the determinants and outcomes of Green Banking adoption and the moderating influence of top management commitment under the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the determinants and outcomes of Green Banking adoption and the moderating influence of top management commitment under the corporate environmental ethics ideology. External stakeholder pressures are analyzed as determinants of Green Banking adoption. Brand image and operational efficiency are examined as outcomes of this business ideology. Green Banking adoption is adapted as a second-order construct with four first-order reflective constructs to ensure in-depth conceptualization of the construct.
Design/methodology/approach
Green Banking adoption is studied at the bank branch level in a developing country, i.e. Pakistan. The data is collected from the branch managers of 212 bank branches from five major cities of Pakistan through mails. Self-administered survey was used for the data collection. The data was analyzed through the application of partial least square-structured equation modeling in SMART PLS 3.2.9. The measurement model and the structural model of the research framework were analyzed through the two-stage approach of the second-order analysis.
Findings
The results indicate a positive relationship between customer and competitor pressure and Green Banking adoption among bank branches in Pakistan depicting an influence of various environmental ethical pressures on bank’s adoption practices. Community pressure was shown to have no significant influence on Green Banking adoption at the branch level. The moderator of top management commitment caused a positive influence on the relationship between all the studied stakeholder pressures and Green Banking adoption. Branch managers reported branch image and operational efficiency to be enhanced due to Green Banking adoption.
Originality/value
This study attempts to fill in the significant gap in Green Banking adoption literature through an empirical analysis of Green Banking’s second-order construct. Currently, limited literature exists on the various aspects of Green Banking adoption, and an empirical study has not been conducted at the bank branch level. The study contributes significant practical, theoretical and methodological contributions to the area of Green Banking.