Maria Qvarfordt, Stefan Lagrosen and Lina Nilsson
The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore how medical secretaries experience digital transformation in a Swedish healthcare organisation, with a focus on workplace…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore how medical secretaries experience digital transformation in a Swedish healthcare organisation, with a focus on workplace climate and health.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design based on grounded theory, with qualitative data collection (a Quality Café and individual interviews) followed by quantitative data collection (a questionnaire).
Findings
Four categories with seven underlying factors were identified, emphasising the crucial need for effective organisation of digital transformation. This is vital due to the increased knowledge and skills in utilising technology. The evolving roles and responsibilities of medical secretaries in dynamic healthcare settings should be clearly defined and acknowledged, highlighting the importance of professionality. Ensuring proper training for medical secretaries and other occupations in emerging techniques is crucial, emphasising equal value and knowledge across each role. Associations were found between some factors and the health of medical secretaries.
Research limitations/implications
This study adds to the knowledge on digital transformation in healthcare by examining an important occupation. Most data were collected online, which may be a limitation of this study.
Practical implications
Several aspects of the medical secretaries’ experiences were identified. Knowledge of these is valuable for healthcare managers to make digital transformation more effective while avoiding excessive strain on medical secretaries.
Originality/value
Medical secretaries are expected to contribute to the digitalisation of healthcare. However, minimal research has been conducted on the role of medical secretaries in workplace digitalisation, focusing on workplace roles and its dynamics.
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Johan Hylander, Britt-Inger Saveman, Ulf Björnstig, Lina Gyllencreutz and Anton Westman
Major incidents in road tunnels remain a collaborative challenge for the emergency services (fire and rescue service, police and ambulance), emergency dispatch centres (EDCs) and…
Abstract
Purpose
Major incidents in road tunnels remain a collaborative challenge for the emergency services (fire and rescue service, police and ambulance), emergency dispatch centres (EDCs) and infrastructure owners. The aim of this paper is to investigate how collaborative partners to the ambulance services perceive the rescue effort and to identify factors that may influence its efficiency.
Design/methodology/approach
Focus group and individual interviews were conducted with 19 participants who were infrastructure owners or had operational or tactical responsibilities with the emergency services or EDCs in two regions in Sweden with multiple road tunnels. The collected data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
Findings
Three main categories described efficiency factors during and after an incident: (1) coordinating the initial information (using a shared terminology), (2) achieving situational awareness (identifying those persons in need) and (3) lessons (not) learnt (lack of joint tactical plans and exercises). The emerging theme was access, assess and evaluate.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that establishing national policies and collaborative forums might yield more efficiently managed rescue efforts in road tunnel incidents in Sweden and other countries with similar organisational structures.
Originality/value
This study offers new insights on interoperability during responses to complex underground incidents.
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Zhongpeng Cao, Qian Xiao, Weiling Zhuang and Lina Wang
As self-service technologies (SSTs) become more prevalent, service providers are actively encouraging customers’ involvement with these technologies, sometimes even forcing their…
Abstract
Purpose
As self-service technologies (SSTs) become more prevalent, service providers are actively encouraging customers’ involvement with these technologies, sometimes even forcing their customers to use SSTs. This paper aims to examine the influence of the SST-only (vs full-service) mode on customers’ negative attitude toward SST providers through the mediating mechanism of powerlessness and explores how SST familiarity and SST anthropomorphism moderate the impacts of the SST-only mode on powerlessness.
Design/methodology/approach
Three experiments were performed, study 1 tested the main and mediating effect and studies 2 and 3 verified the moderating effects.
Findings
The results suggest that customer perceived powerlessness mediates the relationship between SST-only (vs full-service) mode and negative attitude toward SST providers. When the levels of SST familiarity and SST anthropomorphism are high, the impacts of SST-only on powerlessness are attenuated. Alternative mediating mechanism of powerlessness is examined and ruled out.
Research limitations/implications
Future research should investigate other moderators that may reduce the impacts of SST on customer powerlessness. These moderators could be service-operating procedures, SST interface design, types of service situations and customer characteristics. In addition, other consequences of powerlessness, other than the negative attitude toward SST providers and intention to switch investigated here, should be investigated as well.
Practical implications
This research provides guidelines helping service providers to improve their customers’ SST usage experience by showing both SST familiarity and SST anthropomorphism may alleviate the negative effects of SST-only mode on customer perceived powerlessness more effectively.
Originality/value
This research examines the role of customers’ psychological reactions toward the SST-only mode, particularly from the perspective of power and control.
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Lina Gyllencreutz, Monica Rådestad and Britt-Inger Saveman
The purpose of this study was from a Swedish perspective to map experts' opinions on theoretical statements of essential collaboration activities for management of mining injury…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was from a Swedish perspective to map experts' opinions on theoretical statements of essential collaboration activities for management of mining injury incidents.
Design/methodology/approach
A Delphi technique was performed, asking opinions from experts in iterative rounds to generate understanding and form consensus on group opinion around multi-agency management. The experts were personnel from emergency medical service, rescue service and mine industry, all with operative command positions.
Findings
Three iterative rounds were performed. The first round was conducted as a workshop to collect opinions about the most important multi-agency collaboration activities to optimize victim's outcome from an injury incident in an underground mine. This resulted in 63 statements and additional three were added during the second round. The statements were divided into one trajectory and seventh time phases and comprised, e.g. early alarm routines, support of early life-saving interventions, relevant resources and equipment for the assignment and command and control center and functions with predefined action plans for response. It also comprised shared and communicated decisions about each agency's responsibility and safety. All statements reached consensus among the experts in Round 3.
Research limitations/implications
The experts included in this study seem to be adequate but there could be other experts and different statements that other researchers might consider.
Practical implications
These statements could be used to evaluate collaboration in major incidents exercises. The statements can also be quality indicators for reporting results from multi-agency management.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the research field of collaboration and joint practices between and among personnel involved in rescue operations.
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Annika Eklund, Sofia Karlsson and Lina Gyllencreutz
Major incidents in tunnel environment will pose several challenges for the emergency service organisations in terms of heat, visibility and lack of experiences from working in…
Abstract
Purpose
Major incidents in tunnel environment will pose several challenges for the emergency service organisations in terms of heat, visibility and lack of experiences from working in confined environments. These aspects, in turn, could pose challenges to establish collaboration. This study aims to contribute to the field of collaborative tunnel responses by exploring how “common knowledge” (Edwards, 2011) is built by the emergency services organisations, that is, what the organisations consider important while working on a potentially common problem, and their motives for the interpretations and actions if a major tunnel incident occurs.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants from the road traffic control centre, emergency dispatch centre, emergency medical service, rescue service and police were included in the study. Data from four focus group sessions was analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings
The study revealed that the tunnel environment presents specific aspects of how common knowledge was produced related to lifesaving and safety. The themes structuring mechanisms to reduce uncertainty, managing information for initial priorities, aligning responsibilities without hampering each other's work and adjusting actions to manage distance, illustrated how common knowledge was produced as crucial aspects to a collaborative response. Organising management sites, grasping and communicating risks, accessing the injury victims, was challenged by the confined environment, physical distances and imbalance in access to information and preparedness activities in tunnel environments.
Originality/value
This study offers new insights of common knowledge, by illustrating a motive perspective on collaborative responses in tunnel incidents. Creating interoperability calls not just for readiness for action and tunnel safety, but also training activities acknowledging different interpretations and motives to further develop tunnel responses.
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Sofia Karlsson, Britt-Inger Saveman and Lina Gyllencreutz
The purpose of this paper is to examine emergency medical service (EMS) personnel’s perceptions and experiences of managing underground mining injury incidents.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine emergency medical service (EMS) personnel’s perceptions and experiences of managing underground mining injury incidents.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 13 EMS personnel were interviewed according to a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
Findings
An underground mining environment was described as unfamiliar and unsafe and, with no guidelines for operational actions in an extreme environment, such as underground mines, the EMS personnel were uncertain of their role. They therefore became passive and relied on the rescue service and mining company during a major incident. However, the medical care was not considered to be different from any other prehospital care, although a mining environment would make the situation more difficult and it would take longer for the mine workers to be placed under definitive care.
Originality/value
This study complements earlier studies by examining the EMS personnel’s perceptions and experiences of major incidents.
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Imen Derouiche, Syrine Sassi and Narjess Toumi
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of the control-ownership wedge of controlling shareholders (excess control) on the survival of French initial public…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of the control-ownership wedge of controlling shareholders (excess control) on the survival of French initial public offerings (IPOs).
Design/methodology/approach
This paper studies a large sample of 434 French IPOs. The empirical analysis uses the Cox proportional hazard and accelerated-failure-time models. Data are manually gathered from IPO prospectuses.
Findings
The findings support a positive relation between the control-ownership wedge and IPO survival time, indicating that survival is more likely in firms with high excess control levels. This result is consistent with the view that controlling shareholders with a large control-ownership wedge have incentives to preserve their private benefits of control by increasing firm survival chances. The findings also show that older IPOs are more likely to survive, while riskier and underpriced IPOs are more likely to delist.
Practical implications
The results provide a better understanding of the role of excess control in IPO survival. They also enrich the debate on the efficiency of the one-share-one-vote rule.
Originality/value
The research provides new insights into the role of agency conflicts in IPO survivability. In particular, it explores the effect of dominant shareholders with a control-ownership wedge on survival time.
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Mark Middling, Daniel Plumley and Rob Wilson
This paper aims to investigate the views of English football supporter representatives on the implicit club–supporter relationship, pertaining to a normative social contract which…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the views of English football supporter representatives on the implicit club–supporter relationship, pertaining to a normative social contract which can be used to help improve football club governance.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted within an exploratory enquiry, intentionally investigating the fan perspective to understand supporters’ views without the influence of owner self-interest which often leads to commercialisation and/or mis-management.
Findings
Findings show evidence of a normative social contract that reflects many supporters’ dissatisfaction with current practice and provides guidance for the expectations of both parties.
Research limitations/implications
This research aims to stimulate further academic discussion on the underlying principles behind good club and industry governance. It provides a new lens with which to view the club–supporters relationship, adding to previous studies in the area of club governance.
Practical implications
There are implications for both clubs and the forthcoming Independent Football Regulator following a parliamentary Bill that recognises the community importance of clubs and supporters’ unique stakeholder position.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first academic paper linking social contract theory to football. By implementing the research findings, clubs can improve their governance, social capital, accountability and engagement practices in ways considered equitable by both parties.
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Karin Högberg and Sara Willermark
This study aims to develop the understanding of learning processes related to the new ways of interacting in the enforced digital workplace over time.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to develop the understanding of learning processes related to the new ways of interacting in the enforced digital workplace over time.
Design/methodology/approach
A multiple, longitudinal case study of knowledge-based workers in three firms located in Sweden has been conducted from March 2020 to March 2023. In total, 89 interviews with 32 employees in three knowledge-based firms have been collected.
Findings
The study shows how the intricate interaction between rules and norms for interaction and work must be renegotiated as well as un- and relearned when the physical work environment no longer frames the work context. Furthermore, technology can be viewed as both an enable and a barrier, that is, technology has enhanced collaboration between organizational members yet also created social difficulties, for example, related to communication and interaction. The study emphasizes that individuals learned through trial and error. That is, they tried behaviors such as translating social interactions" to a digital arena, appraised the outcomes and modified the practices if the outcomes were poor.
Research limitations/implications
The present study does have several limitations. First, it is based on interviews with respondents within three organizations in Sweden. To broaden and deepen the understanding of both organizational and learning, future studies can contribute by studying other contexts as well as using a mixed method approach in other countries.
Practical implications
Results from the study can provide a practical understanding of how the rapid change from working at the office to working from home using digital technologies can be understood and managed.
Originality/value
Contributions include combining interaction order and un- and relearning among organizational employees. This insight is important given that the rapid digital transformation of our society has changed how work is performed and how the future workplace will be both structured and organized.
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Gulcin Ozbay, Mehmet Sariisik, Veli Ceylan and Muzaffer Çakmak
The main purpose of this study is to make a comparative evaluation of the impacts of previous outbreaks and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the tourism industry. COVID-19…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this study is to make a comparative evaluation of the impacts of previous outbreaks and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the tourism industry. COVID-19 appears to have disrupted all memorizations about epidemics ever seen. Nobody has anticipated that the outbreak in late December will spread rapidly across the world, be fatal and turn the world economy upside down. Severe acute respiratory syndrome, Ebola, Middle East respiratory syndrome and others caused limited losses in a limited geography, thus similar behaviors were expected at first in COVID-19. But it was not so. Today, people continue to lose their lives and experience economic difficulties. One of the most important distressed industries is undoubtedly tourism.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is a literature review. In this review, a comparative evaluation between the impact of previous outbreaks and COVID-19 on the tourism industry has been made based on statistics and previous research studies.
Findings
The information and figures obtained show that COVID-19 and previous outbreaks have such significant differences that cannot be compared. COVID-19 has been one of the worst to live in terms of spreading speed, the geography where it spreads, loss of lives and negative effects in the whole area.
Originality/value
It is noteworthy that COVID-19 is very severe in terms of death cases and also its impacts on the economy compared to other pandemics. It remains to be argued that COVID-19 can also be a reference in terms of possible new outbreaks in the future, and is an effective actor in determining future strategies.