Alexandre Gomes G. Silva, Pedro Lopes Ferreira and Fernanda Bento Daniel
The purpose of this paper is to investigate Portuguese hospital inpatient satisfaction.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate Portuguese hospital inpatient satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted at a major university hospital in Portugal. Using the IAQH-IA mailed questionnaire, data were collected over three months (March to June 2015) from patients and families. From 1,500 former inpatients, 434 participated (29 percent response rate). Using the structural equation modeling, the authors derived satisfaction models and analyzed the relationship between quality, satisfaction and patient attitudes. Inferential statistics (bivariate analysis) were used to deal with global satisfaction determinants.
Findings
The satisfaction model was confirmed using factor analysis. Results show that developing a system for delivering timely information to both patient and relatives is relevant. Communication is a fundamental aspect for patients, which to date, seems to have been neglected by hospital managers. Education and current perceived health are important global satisfaction determinants.
Practical implications
Hospital managers can use the authors’ findings to measure and improve operational performance.
Originality/value
Knowledge about patient perception and satisfaction leads to continuing improvement in healthcare quality.
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Pedro Ferreira, Sofia Gomes and João M. Lopes
The purpose of this study is to explore the ways in which work practices promote work-life balance when family time is available (as a spillover effect from work to personal life…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the ways in which work practices promote work-life balance when family time is available (as a spillover effect from work to personal life) and how differently they affect men and women.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative and longitudinal approach is taken based on data from a large database made up of 71,758 workers from 36 European countries, collected in 2021 by the European Working Conditions Survey. After preliminary analysis (including exploratory and confirmatory factorial analysis), the partial least square method was used to test the hypothesis of the conceptual model.
Findings
The results of this study reveal that some work practices (autonomy and confidence at work) positively affect work-life balance. The time available for family and domestic care positively affects work-life balance, and this effect is more relevant for women than for men.
Practical implications
These results are important for organizations that wish to promote not only family-friendly work practices but also above all gender-friendly work practices.
Originality/value
Based on a large sample of European workers, this study makes an important contribution by filling the gap on the understanding and importance of mechanisms outside the organizational context for promoting work-life balance through work practices, thus extending the notion of spillover effects while considering gender differences.
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Ana Sofia Lopes and Pedro Carreira
The COVID-19 pandemic caused job losses to rise dramatically. Herein, the purpose of the article is to identify which personal and job characteristics make individuals more…
Abstract
Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic caused job losses to rise dramatically. Herein, the purpose of the article is to identify which personal and job characteristics make individuals more vulnerable or more resilient to COVID-19 unemployment in Portugal and thus to help policymakers, organizations and individuals themselves, in creating mechanisms to avoid unemployment within this new context.
Design/methodology/approach
Using extensive personal and job-related data on the complete population of newly unemployed in Portugal over several months after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, a logit model is estimated to identify the characteristics that make workers more resilient or more vulnerable to COVID-19 unemployment, in comparison with the pre-crisis period.
Findings
The COVID-19 crisis is shown to be disruptive by changing the unemployment structure, increasing socioeconomic inequalities and weakening traditional mechanisms of employment protection. Additionally, the authors identify a higher vulnerability of low-skilled individuals and of those in occupations with low working-from-home feasibility and/or from non-essential sectors (particularly tourism).
Practical implications
Policy indications are given aiming to protect the most vulnerable individuals, sectors and regions in Portugal, in this new and unprecedented context.
Originality/value
A seven-month period following the emergence of the pandemic is considered, which allows investigating both the immediate and the medium-term effects of the COVID-19 crisis on job losses. Additionally, by matching data from three different sources, an extensive set of multilevel variables is considered, some of them new in the literature.
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Pedro Ferreira, Sofia Gomes and João M. Lopes
Responding to the lack of research on work engagement and burnout of professionals in the communication industries, this work’s main objective is to evaluate the effect of…
Abstract
Purpose
Responding to the lack of research on work engagement and burnout of professionals in the communication industries, this work’s main objective is to evaluate the effect of psychosocial working conditions (meaningful work, trust and recognition) on work engagement and burnout. Additionally, the mediating role of employee voice is tested.
Design/methodology/approach
The study takes a quantitative approach. A sample of 3,386 European workers in the communication industries was taken from the 2021 European Working Conditions Survey. The measurement of the main concepts is based on the variables available in the database above. The hypotheses were tested using the partial least squares method.
Findings
The results reveal that all psychosocial working conditions (meaningful work, trust and recognition) contribute to promoting work engagement and reducing burnout. Furthermore, employee voice is a mediator of the relationship between psychosocial working conditions, work engagement and burnout, although the presence of employee voice reduces the robustness of those relationships.
Practical implications
These results present relevant practical implications for managing workers in the communication industries, namely some clues to promote positive employee outcomes through the management of psychosocial working conditions.
Originality/value
This study examines the underexplored topic of work engagement and burnout in professionals in the communication industries as well as the relevance of psychological working conditions and employee voice to those outcomes. Furthermore, this study provides insightful information that is particularly useful to the European setting, where cultural aspects and working conditions may vary greatly from those in other parts of the world.
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Barbara de Lima Voss, David Bernard Carter and Bruno Meirelles Salotti
We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in…
Abstract
We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in the construction of hegemonies in SEA research in Brazil. In particular, we examine the role of hegemony in relation to the co-option of SEA literature and sustainability in the Brazilian context by the logic of development for economic growth in emerging economies. The methodological approach adopts a post-structural perspective that reflects Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory. The study employs a hermeneutical, rhetorical approach to understand and classify 352 Brazilian research articles on SEA. We employ Brown and Fraser’s (2006) categorizations of SEA literature to help in our analysis: the business case, the stakeholder–accountability approach, and the critical case. We argue that the business case is prominent in Brazilian studies. Second-stage analysis suggests that the major themes under discussion include measurement, consulting, and descriptive approach. We argue that these themes illustrate the degree of influence of the hegemonic politics relevant to emerging economics, as these themes predominantly concern economic growth and a capitalist context. This paper discusses trends and practices in the Brazilian literature on SEA and argues that the focus means that SEA avoids critical debates of the role of capitalist logics in an emerging economy concerning sustainability. We urge the Brazilian academy to understand the implications of its reifying agenda and engage, counter-hegemonically, in a social and political agenda beyond the hegemonic support of a particular set of capitalist interests.
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João Pedro Ferreira, Pedro Nogueira Ramos, Luís Cruz, Eduardo Barata and Michael Lahr
The purpose of this paper is to offer an insight into the fundamental changes taking place in Port wine production value chains. Specifically, the authors examine two distinct…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to offer an insight into the fundamental changes taking place in Port wine production value chains. Specifically, the authors examine two distinct production regimes: when Port is aged and sold in the Greater Oporto and, alternatively, when it is produced, aged and sold in Douro.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors apply a tri-regional input–output model (Douro, Greater Oporto and rest of the country) for Portugal’s economy. This framework comprises a significant level of detail, with 431 products and 136 industries, the corresponding supply and demand for the products, by industry (for intermediate consumption) and final demand.
Findings
This study shows that the two regimes generate noteworthy, but quite heterogeneous, regional impacts. In both cases, the distribution of value added generates international and interregional trade flows. Moreover, the study reveals a greater capacity to capture national value added by getting the supply chain more intensive in localised services and by using state-of-the-art production techniques.
Originality/value
Using detailed regional data, the authors use disaggregated information, both for industries as well for territories, overcoming a common limitation in similar works that are grounded in international databases. Additionally, the approach integrates the trade interactions among industries and regions, which proves essential to uncovering spillovers resulting from the (direct and indirect) use of inputs from other regions and other countries.
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Ana Isabel Gaspar Pacheco, João Ferreira, Jorge Simoes, Pedro Mota Veiga and Marina Dabic
The commercialization of research produced by universities constitutes a core facet of academic entrepreneurship (AE). Academic literature reveals the need to shed light on…
Abstract
Purpose
The commercialization of research produced by universities constitutes a core facet of academic entrepreneurship (AE). Academic literature reveals the need to shed light on entrepreneurial processes in higher education institutions (HEIs). This study intends to fill this gap by researching the mechanisms for facilitating AE and the variables that can moderate the relationship between such mechanisms and AE in Portuguese HEIs.
Design/methodology/approach
Our research model aims to assess the mechanisms of academic entrepreneurship (AE) within a sample of 125 Portuguese public higher education institutions (HEIs). To test our research hypotheses, we employed a structural equation model (SEM) using the partial least squares (PLS) method. Additionally, our evaluation examines the potential moderating effects of incubator programs, support initiatives, and proof-of-concept programs (PoCs). Our research model seeks to evaluate the mechanisms for facilitating AE and explore the effects of including incubator programs, support initiatives, and PoCs as moderators. The seven variables (Research mobilization, Unconventionality, Industry collaboration, University policies, Incubator programs and support initiatives, Proof-of-concept programs, and academic entrepreneurship) were measured using a 7-point Likert scale.
Findings
The results revealed that different drivers of AE influence the creation and development of entrepreneurial activities. Our findings also show the moderating effects of incubator programs, support initiatives, and proof-of-concept programs on AE. We find that incubator programs, other support initiatives, and PoCs maintain a moderating effect on AE and benefit their respective HEIs.
Research limitations/implications
The study examines only the Portuguese HEI context. Therefore, generalizing these results necessitates reservations. However, the responses came from various actors in HEIs, from different academic backgrounds and research interests. This makes the results more generalizable. Limitations are evident in external validity, given that we gathered the data over a relatively short period.
Practical implications
Observed factors are explored to gain a deeper understanding of their influence on the mechanisms of AE. The implications arise from the new perspective presented and the methodology used to identify mechanisms capable of fostering AE. We hope this research will encourage other researchers to study this topic further.
Social implications
the engagement of universities at the global level should be emphasised in future policy. While universities in innovation systems often have a local focus, their engagement in innovation ecosystems transcends the boundaries of geographic locations.
Originality/value
PoCs had a significant positive moderating effect on the impact of research mobilization and university policies on AE. Thus, we find interactions between universities and industry boost AE. This study demonstrates how AE benefits HEIs by extending orientation towards mobilizing research, unconventional approaches, cooperation with industry, and university policy implementation. We thus advocate a new approach, demonstrating the influence that the mobility of research, unconventionality, industry collaboration, and university policies hold over AE.
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Rui M. Lima, Erik Teixeira Lopes, Derek Chaves Lopes, Bruno S. Gonçalves and Pedro G. Cunha
This work aims to integrate the concepts generated by a systematic literature review on patient flows in emergency departments (ED) to serve as a basis for developing a generic…
Abstract
Purpose
This work aims to integrate the concepts generated by a systematic literature review on patient flows in emergency departments (ED) to serve as a basis for developing a generic process model for ED.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review was conducted using PRISMA guidelines, considering Lean Healthcare interventions describing ED patients’ flows. The initial search found 141 articles and 18 were included in the systematic analysis. The literature analysis served as the basis for developing a generic process model for ED.
Findings
ED processes have been represented using different notations, such as value stream mapping and workflows. The main alternatives for starting events are arrival by ambulance or walk-in. The Manchester Triage Scale (MTS) was the most common protocol referred to in the literature. The most common end events are admission to a hospital, transfer to other facilities or admission to an ambulatory care system. The literature analysis allowed the development of a generic process model for emergency departments. Nevertheless, considering that several factors influence the process of an emergency department, such as pathologies, infrastructure, available teams and local regulations, modelling alternatives and challenges in each step of the process should be analysed according to the local context.
Originality/value
A generic business process model was developed using BPMN that can be used by practitioners and researchers to reduce the effort in the initial stages of design or improvement projects. Moreover, it’s a first step toward the development of generalizable and replicable solutions for emergency departments.
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Carla Mascarenhas, Carla S.E. Marques, Anderson R. Galvão, Daniela Carlucci, Pedro F. Falcão and Fernando A.F. Ferreira
The purpose of this paper is to examine how important technology transfer offices (TTOs) – which in Portuguese are called “industrial property support offices” or GAPIs – are in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how important technology transfer offices (TTOs) – which in Portuguese are called “industrial property support offices” or GAPIs – are in terms of fostering patent applications and technology transfer in countries characterized by low performance records in these activities.
Design/methodology/approach
Among the existing 23 Portuguese GAPIs, only eight agreed to provide answers to a semi-structured questionnaire survey. Content analysis was performed on the data collected using NVivo software.
Findings
The results show that GAPIs play an important role in the innovation life-cycle, speeding up the transfer of knowledge and technology to society. The regulation of intellectual property (IP) ownership and royalty sharing with inventors was identified as a major result, strengthening entrepreneurial universities’ role. In addition, after the GAPIs were created, networks were formed that facilitate the sharing of knowledge and experience and promote the development of further collaborative partnerships.
Practical implications
This study’s results offer new insights into how GAPIs contribute to socio-economic growth by fostering more entrepreneurial universities and increasing the transfer of technology to society. In addition, these offices promote the creation of networks between GAPIs, enabling them to leverage universities’ potential for participation in socio-economic development.
Originality/value
No previous research has focused on GAPIs/TTOs’ point of view regarding policies that enhance IP and technology/knowledge transfer.
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Marcus Vinicius de Miranda Castro, Mariana Lopes de Araújo, Andréia Miguens Ribeiro, Gisela Demo and Pedro Paulo Murce Meneses
The strategic human resource management (SHRM) emerged in the middle of the 1980s and is currently seen as a relevant research and practical field in the area of business…
Abstract
Purpose
The strategic human resource management (SHRM) emerged in the middle of the 1980s and is currently seen as a relevant research and practical field in the area of business administration (Kaufman, 2015). Its academic relevance has been receiving international attention due to the importance of the strategic performance of human resource management (HRM) (Jackson, Schuler, & Jiang, 2014). It is possible to define SHRM as a vertical connection between HRM practices and international strategy and horizontally as the congruence among the several human resource practices (Wright & McMahan, 1992).
Design/methodology/approach
Taking into consideration the emerging research gaps in the area, the necessity to bring to attention the implementation of policies and strategic practices of human resource management became prominent. Our study characterizes the national scenario regarding this specific research theme. For such, we developed a bibliometric review of national journals in the area of business administration with level Qualis B2 [1] or above, described the institutionalization of the research in Brazil and established a sociogram with research relationship networks in the country.
Findings
Between 1997 and 2017, only 19 articles on the implementation of SHRM were published in the 32 journals researched. The characterization of the studies indicates a predominance of qualitative articles, which adopt as methodological approach the case study, and most of them use interviews and content analysis as techniques of data collection and analysis, respectively. The use of such investigation tools is in line with the nature of the phenomenon studied. The scenario indicates that the implementation of SHRM is still a developing theme in Brazil.
Research limitations/implications
There is a lack of studies that combine the use of qualitative and quantitative approaches and focus on public organizations. Besides, the results indicate the need to diversify the methodological approaches used. Regarding the institutionalization of research in Brazil, it is possible to notice the growth of research groups investigating SHRM, even though their only focus does not rely on implementation. The academic production regarding the theme is regionally located in the state of São Paulo, even though academic production is also to be found in a decentralized way in the country, with rare networks.
Practical implications
This way, the main contribution of this article is the accomplishment of the first bibliometric review regarding the implementation of SHRM in Brazil, showing the scientific community that the theme still presents a gap to be explored in national studies and showing human resource professionals and the society that the transformational switch of human management to organizational outcomes – despite prolific in the academia – still has not been realized in practice.
Social implications
In the articles analyzed, the most common finding was that the effective implementation of SHRM and strategic practices of HR, such as the competency management, still deserves attention of the academia through the accomplishment of deeper qualitative studies that exhibit not only interfering factors but also the initiatives that must be adopted by the organization to favor the implementation process.
Originality/value
The interventions occurred in an organization can or cannot stem from an articulated HR strategy. Some policies can be implemented without a previous explicit planning, and other planned strategies may never even be effectively implemented (Truss & Gratton, 1994). As reported by Kaufman (2015), some critical success factors to a large-scale organizational change – which is necessary for the effective adoption of strategic HR models – are the commitment of leaderships and a carefully planned and managed implementation. For such, it is necessary to manage programmed organizational changes properly and to act promptly on the cultural pressure perceived by all levels of the organization (Guest, 1987). Such premises are associated with the SHRM perspective proposed by Wright and Snell (1998), in which the authors claim that the main role of HR is to implement organizational strategies. Lengnick-Hall et al. (2009) present a research agenda that highlights the need to give more emphasis on issues related to the implementation of strategic human resource management, specifically regarding the vertical and horizontal alignment of HR systems.