Hui-chuan Chen, Tommy Cates, Monty Taylor and Christopher Cates
The purpose of this paper is to examine whether patient readmission rates are associated with patient satisfaction and Medicare reimbursement rates in the US hospitals.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine whether patient readmission rates are associated with patient satisfaction and Medicare reimbursement rates in the US hospitals.
Design/methodology/approach
The Hospital Compare database was obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the US. A total of 2,711 acute care hospitals were analyzed for this present study. The data included patient satisfaction surveys, hospital 30-days readmission ratios for heart failure and pneumonia patients and related payments. Exploratory factor analysis was applied in the first stage to operationalize constructs for scale development. Partial least squares (PLS) modeling analysis via Smart-PLS was utilized for testing the hypotheses.
Findings
Results indicated that data provided from the Hospital Compare database for the acute care hospitals accurately reflect quality outcomes. Nevertheless, the Medicare Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program (HRRP) did not penalize the hospitals when patients reported lower satisfaction via the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores.
Originality/value
The findings suggest that a high-readmission rate is not associated with lower payment. Such results appear to conflict with the goals of value-based purchasing programs, which seek to penalize hospitals financially for higher readmission rates.
Details
Keywords
Ziqiong Zhang, Qiang Ye and Rob Law
This study aims to examine whether and how hotel class, attributes of the room, quality, location, cleanliness, and service influence room rates in hotels.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine whether and how hotel class, attributes of the room, quality, location, cleanliness, and service influence room rates in hotels.
Design/methodology/approach
Regression models were developed for the hotel industry and for various grades of hotels.
Findings
Using data from New York, empirical findings suggest that room quality and location are important determinants of room price for the industry, but attributes that can influence room rates differ greatly among hotel segments.
Practical implications
Hotels can reap benefits from understanding customers' specific expectation of a market segment and seeking to provide amenities accordingly.
Originality/value
The quality of hotel attributes is evidenced through customer reviews on a travel advice website. The theory of the hierarchy of needs is supported in the hotel industry, namely, the ascending order of accommodation needs are the quality of a room, location, and service.
Details
Keywords
Monty Sutrisna and Jack Goulding
Following the increasing need for faster construction, improved quality and evidence value propositions, offsite construction is increasingly being proffered as a viable contender…
Abstract
Purpose
Following the increasing need for faster construction, improved quality and evidence value propositions, offsite construction is increasingly being proffered as a viable contender to “traditional” construction approaches. However, whilst evidence supports the move towards offsite, its uptake has been lower than expected. Whilst the precise reasons for this seem to be influenced by a number of issues, including contextual drivers and market maturity; some project stakeholders also view offsite as carrying greater risks. The purpose of this paper is to report on the quality of information flow, in particular, the impact and influence of this on design risks in offsite construction projects.
Design/methodology/approach
An existing design risk framework is used as the point of departure for this research. This is further expanded into a specific model for evaluating offsite construction projects design risks, the rubrics of which were informed by two case studies of offsite construction projects in Australia and the UK analysed with a process-tracing technique. Whilst these cases were geographically separated, the constructs were aligned to uncover fundamental design information requirements and concomitant risks associated with offsite.
Findings
The findings of the research reported in this paper include the crucial information feeding into the design process emanating from the lifecycle of offsite construction projects, namely, design, offsite (manufacturing), handling and transporting, site works and installation and also occupancy. These are contextualised within the four categories, namely, client requirements, project requirements, regulation aspects and social aspects and the final outcomes were summarised into a holistic diagram.
Originality/value
Given that the offsite construction has shifted the working paradigm into assigning a significant level of efforts and emphasis at the front end of the construction projects, the importance of its design process and hence design risks management has gone up significantly in construction projects delivered using this technique. This research and paper contributes significantly to the built environment domain by identifying the crucial aspects along the project lifecycle to be considered to minimise the potential occurrence of design risks and hence increasing the confidence of project stakeholders in adopting offsite construction techniques in their projects.
Details
Keywords
Jordan Mark Correia, Monty Sutrisna and Atiq U. Zaman
Off-site manufacturing (OSM) application in vertically higher and spatially larger projects within Western Australian (WA) commercial sector has demonstrated the potential of…
Abstract
Purpose
Off-site manufacturing (OSM) application in vertically higher and spatially larger projects within Western Australian (WA) commercial sector has demonstrated the potential of benefitting from such a construction technique, but introducing a new methodology to a traditional sector such as commercial sector is not always straightforward. The acceptance of the new methodology, level of awareness of the stakeholders involved and the readiness of the supply chain to deliver, for instance, may influence the success of its implementation. Given the infancy of such methodology in the WA construction industry, this research project aims to analyse factors influencing the implementation of OSM construction method in WA.
Design/methodology/approach
Following a thorough literature review, an existing research agenda in OSM was used to inform the direction of this research, i.e. focussing on external macro aspects of the decision making to implement OSM. Three projects in WA were studied, and the data collection was facilitated through archival study and semi-structured interviews with construction practitioners who were the stakeholders of the three projects. Data analysis was conducted through content analysis to draw the findings and conclusion of this research.
Findings
The analysis of the studied cases revealed relevant economic/financial, technological and regulatory factors, as well as social factors influencing the implementation of OSM, particularly in WA commercial projects. These findings were then used to develop an overall understanding of the external macro factors influencing decision making in implementing OSM that forms a formal research agenda aimed at enabling successful implementation of OSM in WA construction industry, particularly in its commercial sector.
Originality/value
The research findings presented in this paper identified factors that significantly influence the implementation of such alternative technology in a traditional sector. These factors were then structured to form the subsequent research agenda to continuously pursue the implementation of OSM in the sector. While the research agenda takes into account the unique characteristics of the WA construction industry, it contributes to the global and the Australian national research agenda, and the research methodology reported in this paper can be used to develop similar research agenda elsewhere.
Details
Keywords
Joanna Macfarlane, Christine Stephens and Joanne Taylor
Role loss or substitution are common experiences of older adults, and a role typically held by older people – great grandparent or grandparent – is now under threat. Set within…
Abstract
Purpose
Role loss or substitution are common experiences of older adults, and a role typically held by older people – great grandparent or grandparent – is now under threat. Set within the context of a retirement village where an Intergenerational Programme (IGP) was taking place, the purpose of this paper is to understand older people’s perspectives on preschool-aged children, and the roles they adopt with them.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted semi-structured interviews and analysed the data using narrative analysis (n=19).
Findings
Four narratives were identified, revealing that older adults adopt the roles of teacher and compromiser when interacting with children, believe they are “plugging a gap” in society through their involvement with younger generations and are reminded of life when with them.
Research limitations/implications
The study does not feature the voice of younger children within intergenerational contact; information which would have provided a different perspective on the roles identified.
Social implications
The bulk of global IGP practice is targeted at bringing together older and younger people who are not as young as preschool age, but this may be an opportunity missed. Retirement village operators may also want to consider intergenerational activity with preschool-aged children as a way for them to provide opportunities for role substitution within this environment.
Originality/value
The findings identify a positive perception older people have about young children in today’s society, expanding on very limited literature. How older adults perceive their role with young children is also identified within this research, highlighting how interacting with non-related preschoolers can provide some older people with a substitute role in later years.
Details
Keywords
Erdoğan Koç, Çağatan Taşkın and Hakan Boz
Consumers are faced with many new products. In almost every product category it is seen that there are more alternatives than provided in previous years. This situation may cause…
Abstract
Consumers are faced with many new products. In almost every product category it is seen that there are more alternatives than provided in previous years. This situation may cause consumers to feel uncomfortable/uncertain, especially about new products. Therefore, since they perceive this uncertainty, customers want to be in control. Control is one of the ways to help customers to decide on perceived risky situations.
The main purpose of the study is to explain the effects of the risk and control drive on consumer behavior and determine how businesses reduce the risk that consumers feel.
It is critical for enterprises to increase their brand awareness in order to reduce consumers’ risk perceptions and increase their controls (cognitive, behavioral, and decision) during purchasing decisions. Also, it will be useful for them to focus on activities increasing brand loyalty. They can especially carry out marketing activities allowing consumers to try new products or providing money back guarantees. Moreover, in order to reduce the risk perception and increase control by the customers, making the promotional contents of the product understandable and simple without hidden factors will contribute in a positive way.
Details
Keywords
Cinzia Vallone, Alessandro Capocchi, Paola Orlandini and Andrea Amaduzzi
IN a recent Money programme on BBC TV Sir Monty Finniston was seen advocating the need for greater investment in industry as opposed to money being sent abroad to be invested…
Abstract
IN a recent Money programme on BBC TV Sir Monty Finniston was seen advocating the need for greater investment in industry as opposed to money being sent abroad to be invested either in Japanese industry or American real estate.
Catherine T. Kwantes and Greg A. Chung-Yan
The construct of global mindset is one that has gained greater attention recently. This chapter focuses on contextual factors that impact the development of a global mindset…
Abstract
The construct of global mindset is one that has gained greater attention recently. This chapter focuses on contextual factors that impact the development of a global mindset. Specifically, the focus is on the cultural context of Canada and the factors in the Canadian context that bridge the gap between the theoretical and the practical, and provide both opportunities and challenges related to developing a global mindset in this context. Developing a global mindset on the part of leaders takes place in particular contexts. In this chapter, the distinguishing aspects of the Canadian cultural context are reviewed. Specifically, the Canadian values of (1) individualism/collectivism balance; (2) egalitarianism; (3) caution, diffidence, dependence and non-violence; (4) consensus building; (5) regionalism; (6) multiculturalism; (7) particularism and tolerance; and (8) deference to authority are shown to be important in this cultural context to the development of a global mindset on the part of leaders. While these factors provide many benefits to supporting such development, they also represent unique cultural challenges for leaders.