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The purpose of this paper is to propose a multivariate-based method to classify products in replenishment categories based on principal component analysis (PCA) along with two classification algorithms, k-nearest neighbor (KNN) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA).

In the propositions, PCA is applied to data describing products’ features and demand behavior, and a variable importance index (VII) is derived based on PCA parameters. Next, products are allocated to inventory replenishment models applying the KNNs to all original variables; the classification accuracy is then assessed. The variable with the smallest VII is removed and a new classification is carried out; this iterative procedure is performed until a single variable is left. The subset yielding the maximum classification accuracy is recommended for future classification. The aforementioned procedure is repeated replacing the KNN by the LDA.

When applied to real data from a consulting company, the KNN classification technique led to higher performance levels than LDA, yielding 89.4 percent average accuracy and retaining about 80 percent of the original variables. On the other hand, LDA reached 87.1 percent average accuracy and retained 95 percent of the variables. Based on such results, the authors’ findings suggest that 14 out of the 24 variables are crucial in determining an inventory replenishment model for a product in a specific location replacement. Several of the retained variables were typically used in reorder point estimation or associated to market profile in specific locals.

The idea of this paper is to remove irrelevant and noisy market metrics that jeopardize the correct allocation of products to the most appropriate replenishment model.

Resilience in lean production systems (LPSs) relies on both formal and informal practices. Considering that these latter are relatively less explored, this paper describes the nature and role of informal resilience practices in the performance of LPSs.

A survey was devised to assess the use of 12 informal practices related to resilience. The survey was answered by 206 respondents from high and low lean adopters in Brazil, focusing on their internal operations. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess the impact of those practices on operational performance. Six respondents were approached on follow-up interviews, offering examples of informal resilience in LPSs.

Both high and low lean adopters used informal resilience practices to a similar extent, and they were not detrimental to high lean adopters. These practices had no moderating effect on the relationship between the level of leanness and the operational performance of high lean adopters.

This study did not capture how the contribution of informal resilience practices changed over time within the same company.

As the informal resilience practices are not necessarily consonant with lean principles, their use and rationale should be made explicit to workers and managers in LPSs. Moreover, lean assessments might be more credible if paying heed to the informal ways of implementing lean practices.

This is the first study that investigates the role of informal resilience practices in LPSs.

This study aims to explore the relationship between digital transformation and resilience development in the Australian food supply chain (FSC), and identify the contribution of digital technologies to it using the dynamic capabilities theory as theoretical lens.

For that, a mixed-method approach was used. It combines both quantitative and qualitative data to identify trends and details of the phenomenon, yielding more robust findings. We firstly collected and analyzing quantitative data obtained from food industry practitioners and, then, qualitative data gathered through semi-structured interviews with experts.

The study findings suggest that the relationship between digital transformation and resilience varies among tiers of the FSC and that digital technologies adoption affects resilience development differently across tiers. This highlights the potential cost savings of developing strategies that jointly address digital transformation and resilience development, improving performance outcomes and determining the extent to which digital technologies enhance or inhibit certain aspects of resilience in the FSC.

The study frames the relationship between digital technologies and resilience within the dynamic capabilities theory and suggests that digitalization can enhance resilience by enabling organizations to sense, seize, and transform strategies. We also provide insights for managers to develop strategies that simultaneously enhance digitalization and resilience, resulting in improved performance during disruptive events.

The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the relationship between the behavioral orientation of leaders from different hierarchical levels and the implementation phase of the lean manufacturing (LM) roadmap. In addition, it also aims at analyzing the influence of inherent contextual variables related to leadership.

The proposed method relies on both qualitative and quantitative approaches, since it combines and numerically assesses the results of semi-structured interviews with lean experts, in addition to evaluating a cross-sectional survey with 225 leaders from different Brazilian companies that are undergoing LM implementation.

The findings support the existence of a transient leadership style along the LM implementation, which is evidenced in terms of task and relation orientation and may vary according to the hierarchical level. Furthermore, the context does matter with regard to leadership style orientation along the LM roadmap phases, although not all variables matter to the same extent.

LM implementation is about changing both technical and socio-cultural aspects, which can be seen as the essence of leadership. The relevant question that arises is whether leaders’ behaviors from different hierarchical levels should be adapted according to the maturity of LM implementation and the contextual variables that surround leadership.

The purpose of this paper is to argue that we need to take seriously what affective atmosphere means in public reform. Particular emphasis is put on understanding the mechanisms of hope (Brunsson, 2006) through affective atmosphere (Anderson, 2009) in regards to a management model training course.

Ethnographically, the paper is placed in a Lean coach training course, led by two consultants, in the public care services in a municipality in Sweden. The participants were set to learn the language and techniques of the Lean management model during the course of three training days.

Using affective atmosphere as a theoretical window for how to understand how participants become enthusiastic about public reform, the author puts forward that the enthusiastic, affective atmosphere created in the training room demanded the ingredients of consultants and the mechanism of hope at play. The consultants’ fashioning of the course contributed to the affective atmosphere. But what also triggered the affective atmosphere in the room was the participants’ way of responding, which was much more accidental and founded in the Lean model itself, promising smooth flows and rational organization, and the participants’ ability to keep mechanisms of hope active.

Fotaki et al. (2017) point out that affect has only recently started to be integrated and explored in critical organization studies. Michels and Steyaert (2017) emphasise that affective atmosphere has rarely been used by organization theorists. This is an attempt to contribute to this literature by arguing for the fruitfulness of understanding the mechanisms of hope through affective atmosphere in regards to public management reform. The author also calls attention to the need for ethnographic fieldwork when examining affective atmospheres.

The various quality improvement (QI) frameworks and maturity models described in the health services literature consider some aspects of QI while excluding others. This paper aims to present a concerted attempt to create a quality improvement maturity model (QIMM) derived from holistic principles underlying the successful implementation of system-wide QI programmes.

A hybrid methodology involving a systematic review (Phase 1) of over 270 empirical research articles and books developed the basis for the proposed QIMM. It was followed by expert interviews to refine the core constructs and ground the proposed QIMM in contemporary QI practice (Phase 2). The experts included academics in two academic conferences and 59 QI managers from the New Zealand health-care system. In-depth interviews were conducted with QI managers to ascertain their views on the QIMM and its applicability in their respective health organisations (HOs).

The QIMM consists of four dimensions of organisational maturity, namely, strategic, process, supply chain and philosophical maturity. These dimensions progress through six stages, namely, identification, ad-hoc, formal, process-driven, optimised enterprise and finally a way of life. The application of the QIMM by the QI managers revealed that the scope of QI and the breadth of the principles adopted by the QI managers and their HOs in New Zealand is limited.

The importance of QI in health systems cannot be overstated. The proposed QIMM can help HOs diagnose their current state and provide a guide to action achieving a desirable state of quality improvement maturity. This QIMM avoids reliance on any single QI methodology. HOs – using the QIMM – should retain full control over the process of selecting any QI methodology or may even cherry-pick principles to suit their needs as long as they understand and appreciate the true nature and scope of quality overstated. The proposed QIMM can help HOs diagnose their current state and provide a guide to action achieving a desirable state of quality improvement maturity. This QIMM avoids reliance on any single QI methodology. HOs – using the QIMM – should retain full control over the process of selecting any QI methodology or may even cherry-pick principles to suit their needs as long as they understand and appreciate the true nature and scope of quality.

This paper contributes new knowledge by presenting a maturity model with an integrated set of quality principles for HOs and their extended supply networks.

This study aims to develop a hierarchical model that uncovers the relationships between challenges confronting Africa's organ transplant supply chain systems.

Eleven challenges (variables) were identified after a comprehensive review of the existing literature. The contextual interactions among these variables were analysed from the perspectives of health-care stakeholders in two sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries (Nigeria and Uganda), using Delphi-interpretive structural modelling-cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification (MICMAC) techniques.

The findings reveal that weak regulatory frameworks, insufficient information systems and a lack of necessary skills make it challenging for critical actors to perform the tasks effectively. The interaction effects of these challenges weaken organ supply chains and make it less efficient, giving rise to negative externalities such as black markets for donated organs and organ tourism/trafficking.

This paper establishes a solid foundation for a critical topic that could significantly impact human health and life once the government or non-profit ecosystem matures. The MICMAC analysis in this paper provides a methodological approach for future studies wishing to further develop the organ supply chain structural models.

The study provides valuable insights for experts and policymakers on where to prioritise efforts in designing interventions to strengthen organ transplantation supply chains in developing countries.

This study is one of the first to empirically examine the challenges of organ transplant supply chains from an SSA perspective, including theoretically grounded explanations from data collected in two developing countries.

The purpose of this paper is to identify how the introduction and dissemination of the 5S-KAIZEN-TQM approach positively influence the Egyptian health sector and its sustainability. It also seeks to encourage effective and efficient introduction of the 5S-KAIZEN-TQM approach into the health sectors of low- and middle-income countries.

The pilot program introducing the 5S-KAIZEN-TQM approach into five Egyptian public hospitals spanned over 13 months from January 2016 to February 2017. During the pilot program, a series of interventions occurred to introduce the approach, such as seminars on the 5S and KAIZEN approach, consultation visits and progress report meetings. Data and information were collected through conducting interviews, observing directly and evaluating the implementation progress of 5S-KAIZEN-TQM activities.

The study identified the following factors in effective and efficient dissemination of 5S-KAIZEN-TQM activities in the Egyptian health sector: restructuring the quality management structure to establish Quality Improvement Teams and Work Improvement Teams in hospitals, generating strong leadership and commitment among leaders, conducting effective in-house trainings on the 5S-KAIZEN-TQM approach, monitoring and following up on 5S-KAIZEN-TQM activities and introducing the 5S-KAIZEN-TQM approach using non-clinical sections, which could also influence the sustainability of the activities.

This study holds value in its clarification of meaningful ways to disseminate and encourage the sustainability of the 5S-KAIZEN-TQM approach in Egyptian public health facilities. Moreover, officials from the Ministry of Health and Population and hospital managers in Egypt can use the findings to plan and disseminate this approach nationwide.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the links between lean, service quality expectation (SQE) and service quality performance (SQP) in outpatient departments (OPD).

The measurement instruments were developed from a comprehensive literature review, then verified by experts and confirmatory factor analysis. Multiple responses were applied to improve the reliability of data obtained from 220 Thai hospitals. The hypotheses were tested with linear regression and path analysis of structural equation modeling.

It was found that lean has significant positive impacts on all SQP dimensions (i.e. tangibility, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy) and on overall SQP. SQE has significant positive direct effects on lean and SQP, and has a significant positive indirect effect on SQP through lean.

This is one of the first examples of research to present insights into the relationships between lean, SQE and SQP in OPD.