Michael O’Rourke, Jacques Jeugmans, S. Sonin, G. Dashzeveg and R. Batsuury
The quality approach, utilizing continuous improvement processes, is widely recognized as a vehicle for better outcomes in health care. In Mongolia, quality health systems have…
Abstract
The quality approach, utilizing continuous improvement processes, is widely recognized as a vehicle for better outcomes in health care. In Mongolia, quality health systems have historically been poorly developed. Within the context of overall health reform, Mongolia has been emphasizing the development of quality systems to improve management, efficiency and clinical outcomes and processes. Mongolia has established a framework for quality assurance with the central Ministry of Health taking a lead role in developing and promulgating materials and organizing training. The focus has been on creating a governing system for quality in the health system with processes instituted at the hospital level and upwards in the health structure. In addition, the Mongolian framework has developed a range of indicators to guide the quality process. The commitment to quality is an integral part of comprehensive reform of the health sector in Mongolia and the principles of the quality approach – continuous improvement, customer focus, involvement of stakeholders, and among others – are currently being implemented across the health sector.
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Michael Baker, Diane Kubal and Tom O’Rourke
HR return on investment (ROI) is still important, as is the need to create business cases for HR programs. But, as companies move toward profitable growth, the focus is no longer…
Abstract
HR return on investment (ROI) is still important, as is the need to create business cases for HR programs. But, as companies move toward profitable growth, the focus is no longer on strategic cost reduction and HR transformation, but on talent acquisition, management and retention.
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Michael J. Lynch and Paul B. Stretesky
The purpose of this paper is to draw upon concepts in community‐oriented policing in order to explore the distribution of citizen water‐monitoring organizations and their role in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to draw upon concepts in community‐oriented policing in order to explore the distribution of citizen water‐monitoring organizations and their role in community environmental policing, in order to address the issue of environmental justice. The empirical portion of the analysis examines the distribution of these organizations across states, and the relationship of this distribution to social inequity.
Design/methodology/approach
This study design is cross‐sectional in nature and examines the distribution and density of 1,308 citizen water‐monitoring organizations across states. Ordinary least squares regression is used to examine the relationship between the density and social disadvantage while controlling for environmental enforcement patterns, rates of non‐compliance, water quality, region of the country, water area, and coastal states.
Findings
Race and ethnicity are negatively correlated with the density of water‐monitoring organizations across states. Median household income is positively correlated with water‐monitoring organizations across states.
Practical implications
This paper suggests that community environmental policing is a response to ecological disorganization. More specifically, in the case of citizen‐led water‐monitoring organizations it is critical that states with relatively large proportions of low income, black and Hispanic residents help provide resources to encourage the development of these community groups.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to draw upon the ideas found in the community‐oriented policing literature to examine water‐monitoring organizations. While the literature suggests that collaborative efforts between state law enforcement agencies and water‐monitoring organizations may help combat ecological disorganization, it is also the first study to suggest that environmental injustice could be an unintended drawback of community environmental policing.
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The nature of narrative is important, and with the development of awareness of knowledge processes, it becoming more important. In particular its notions can be enhanced by…
Abstract
Purpose
The nature of narrative is important, and with the development of awareness of knowledge processes, it becoming more important. In particular its notions can be enhanced by examining it in terms of antenarrative. Ultimately the paper aims to explore the relationship between narrative and antenarrative.
Design/methodology/approach
The objectives of the paper are achieved by seating the notions of narrative and antenarrative into the models of knowledge cybernetics (in particular social viable systems – SVS and social cybernetics) to enable an exploration of the consequences of their interaction. If narrative and antenarrative are seen as together forming an autonomous system, then their relationship may be explored in terms of SVS. This is effectively a social geometry that enables complex conceptual relationships to be explored graphically.
Findings
While normally one might think that narrative and antenarrative are incommensurable, the theory explains how through enantiomer dynamics, patterns of narrative can be related to un‐patterned arbitrary antenarratives. Under the right circumstances narrative and antenarrative can form a joint alliance that enables the two forms to merge into a story. This means that a story is told in a way that enables narrative structures to be intermingled with antenarrative thereby forming a thematic story event that has potential to engage more dynamically with the listener.
Research limitations/implications
The paper is fundamentally theoretical, and a useful development would be to apply this to real case scenarios, thereby exploring quantitively the interconnection between narrative and antenarrative, and some of its implications.
Practical implications
It must be realised that there is a tacit knowledge dimension that connects the narrative/antenarrative situation with a story acquirer. The ability of the acquirer to recognise whether a situation has narrative or antenarrative is a function of that acquirer's own pattern of knowledge, and this embodies subjectivity. This is bound up within the notion of third cybernetics. The interconnectedness of narrative and antenarrative is relevant to actual processes of social communication, and demonstrates a parallel coexistence of modernist and postmodernist paradigms.
Originality/value
The paper applies a new theory, that of knowledge cybernetics, to a difficult conceptual area of study. While this results in the need to understand the conceptual basis of knowledge cybernetics, it does provide a frame of reference that enables relatively simple approaches in knowledge and knowledge processes to be graphically represented, thereby providing the potential for new insights. The value of the paper is that these graphical techniques are illustrated, and they would likely be useful to those who work in the knowledge or knowledge management field.
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Maurice Yolles and Gerhard Fink
Some personality schemas are seen to compete with others, but are they really complementary? The purpose of this paper is to show that two trait approaches, Myers‐Briggs Type…
Abstract
Purpose
Some personality schemas are seen to compete with others, but are they really complementary? The purpose of this paper is to show that two trait approaches, Myers‐Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Mindscape theory, which are normally considered to be competitive, shall be migrated into a more complex modeling space using knowledge cybernetics, when they are shown to have a complementary potential.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses the meta‐framework of knowledge cybernetics (KC) part of the relevantial universe identified by Maruyama, to migrate different theoretical approaches and relate them. A consequence is the possible development of a more sophisticated trait theory that is capable of providing more complex information about personality.
Findings
The findings indicate that current type theories are not necessarily stand‐alone, but may be seen as complementary within a broader conceptual framework.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is limited to the investigation of MBTI. However, it offers a generic approach that can be applied to other solitary theories like MBTI.
Practical implications
The paper leads to the possibility of improved explanatory power for a type theory than is currently possible.
Originality/value
Very little comparative work has been done relating representations of MBTI and Mindscape theory. This also appears to be the first serious extensive direct comparison between any form of MBTI and Mindscapes. KC uses Habermas's three world theory and shows that it is possible to consider MBTI and Mindscape theory as conceptually distinct and complementary, and together contributing to a new way of exploring the field of personality theory.
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Flora I. Matheson, Arthur McLuhan, Ruth Croxford, Tara Hahmann, Max Ferguson and Cilia Mejia-Lancheros
Continuity of care and access to primary care have been identified as important contributors to improved health outcomes and reduced reincarceration among people who are…
Abstract
Purpose
Continuity of care and access to primary care have been identified as important contributors to improved health outcomes and reduced reincarceration among people who are justice-involved. While the disproportionate burden of health concerns among incarcerated populations is well documented, less is known about their health service utilization, limiting the potential for effective improvements to current policy and practice. This study aims to examine health status and health care utilization among men recently released from a superjail in a large metropolitan area to better understand patterns of use, risk factors and facilitators.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants included adult men (n = 106) matched to a general population group (n = 530) in Ontario, Canada, linked to medical records (88.5% linkage) to examine baseline health status and health utilization three-months post-release. The authors compared differences between the groups in baseline health conditions and estimated the risk of emergency department, primary care, inpatient hospitalization and specialist ambulatory care visits.
Findings
Superjail participants had a significantly higher prevalence of respiratory conditions, mental illness, substance use and injuries. Substance use was a significant risk factor for all types of visits and emergency department visits were over three times higher among superjail participants.
Originality/value
This empirical case is illustrative of an emerging phenomenon in some regions of the world where emergency departments serve as de facto “walk-in clinics” for those with criminal justice involvement. Strategic approaches to health services are required to meet the complex social and health needs and disparities in access to care experienced by men released from custody.
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Marek P. Pfeil, Alison B. Setterberg and James S. O’Rourke
This paper examines the process of corporate downsizing and its implications for communicating employee lay‐offs. In an effort to please one set of stakeholders (investors…
Abstract
This paper examines the process of corporate downsizing and its implications for communicating employee lay‐offs. In an effort to please one set of stakeholders (investors, creditors, shareholders, analysts and others), management may be faced with difficult and unpleasant communication choices as they confront another set of stakeholders (employees, customers, community members and elected officials). The objective in each case is to restructure the organisation, control costs and return to profitability without alienating or traumatising the very people who helped create wealth and productivity for the organisation. This paper reviews current practice, an extended case example, and provides ten specific suggestions for planning and communicating employee lay‐offs.
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Sarah Enciso, Carlson Milikin and James Scofield O’Rourke
Business organizations should strive to create ethical cultures to win consumer loyalty and thus safeguard long-term performance success. Management bears ultimate responsibility…
Abstract
Purpose
Business organizations should strive to create ethical cultures to win consumer loyalty and thus safeguard long-term performance success. Management bears ultimate responsibility for promoting ethical behavior. By rewarding ethical behaviors and punishing transgressions, management will reinforce morally upright behavior and create a positive company culture. Successful promotion of corporate ethics, in turn, will boost employee morale, increase performance beyond bare minimums and retain employees in the long run. With a well-structured ethics code and strong reward system, management has all the tools necessary to create an ethical company culture.
Design/methodology/approach
This viewpoint paper, while advocating for a systematic approach to ethical behavior in a business organization, carefully reviews both well-established literature in this area as well as current best practices. The aim is to provide senior managers with a sense of how the best corporate ethics programs are organized and structured.
Findings
A successful corporate ethics program must involve all employees from executives to hourly wage workers, with each taking personal responsibility for his or her own performance and results. While no guarantees of success are offered, one reasonably certain path to failure is for an organization to post an ethics code and then ignore it. Ethics must be discussed, modified from time to time and actively integrated into the life of every organization that hopes to avoid ethical missteps.
Originality/value
This paper offers a fresh viewpoint on both the value and the organization of a potentially successful corporate ethics program. While time-honored ideas serve as the foundation for our discussion, a thorough review of current issues and best practices form the directional heading for the paper’s conclusions.
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Danny Murguia, Robby Soetanto, Michael Szczygiel, Chris Ian Goodier and Anil Kavuri
The emergence of Construction 4.0 technologies provides an impetus for radical change and rejuvenates the interest of stakeholders in addressing long-standing performance issues…
Abstract
Purpose
The emergence of Construction 4.0 technologies provides an impetus for radical change and rejuvenates the interest of stakeholders in addressing long-standing performance issues in the construction sector. However, construction firms struggle to implement Construction 4.0 technologies for performance measurement and improvement. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to develop a conceptual model of innovation management for implementing Construction 4.0 that guides and facilitates the strategic transformation of construction firms.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual model of innovation management is presented, and the findings are synthesised based on a literature review, 20 semi-structured interviews, two focus group discussions, three workshops, expert consultation and observations on three digitally-enabled projects. Data were inductively analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings
The analysis of empirical data revealed: (i) Four scenarios that could lead the industry to different futures, based on the extent of research and development, and the extent of integration/collaboration; (ii) Construction 4.0 capability stages for a sustained implementation route; (iii) Possible business model configurations derived from servitisation strategies; and (iv) Skills management challenges for organisations.
Research limitations/implications
First, the empirical data was only collected in the UK with its unique industry context, which may limit the applicability of the results. Second, most of the research data comes from the private sector, without the views of public sector organisations. Third, the model needs to be further validated with specific data-driven use cases to address productivity and sustainability issues.
Practical implications
Successful Construction 4.0 transformation requires a concerted effort of stakeholders, including those in the supply chain, technology companies, innovation networks and government. Although a stakeholder’s action would depend on others’ actions, each stakeholder should undertake action that can influence the factors within their control (such as the extent of collaboration and investment) and the outcomes.
Originality/value
The conceptual model brings together and establishes the relationships between the scenarios, Construction 4.0 capability stages, business models and skills management. It provides the first step that guides the fuzzy front-end of Construction 4.0 implementation, underpins the transformation to the desired future and builds long-term innovation capabilities.