Thomas G. McLeod, Brian A. Costello, Robert C. Colligan, Ross A. Dierkhising, Timothy J. Beebe, Kenneth P. Offord and G. Richard Locke
Patient satisfaction surveys are increasingly used to assess the quality of health care delivery. Unfortunately, survey non‐response may compromise generalizability (and…
Abstract
Purpose
Patient satisfaction surveys are increasingly used to assess the quality of health care delivery. Unfortunately, survey non‐response may compromise generalizability (and inferential value). Although prior studies demonstrate an association between patient socio‐demographic variables and response rate, relatively little information is available linking personality factors to non‐response. This paper's purpose is to define outpatient satisfaction survey non‐responder personality characteristics.
Design/methodology/approach
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory profiles of patients who completed an outpatient satisfaction survey were compared with non‐responder profiles. Multivariate analysis was used to adjust for demographic and personality covariates. The study sample included 1,862 medical outpatients who were sent a satisfaction survey and Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory results on record at this institution. Of these, 1,255 were survey responders and 607 were non‐responders.
Findings
Scores on three Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory scales were significantly correlated with non‐response: higher scores on scales 4 – Psychopathic deviate (Pd) and 8 – Schizophrenia (Sc) predicted an increased likelihood of non‐response (odds ratio [OR], 1.02; p≤0.05 for both), and higher scores on 7 – Psychasthenia (Pt) were associated with a decreased likelihood of non‐response (OR, 0.98; p≤0.01).
Originality/value
Prior investigations demonstrate an association between patient socio‐demographic factors and survey non‐response. This paper uniquely highlights patient personality characteristics' contribution to non‐response. This information is an important consideration for patient satisfaction survey design, administration and interpretation.
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Brian A. Costello, Thomas G. McLeod, G. Richard Locke, Ross A. Dierkhising, Kenneth P. Offord and Robert C. Colligan
The purpose of this research is to determine whether a pessimistic or hostile personality style adversely affects satisfaction with out‐patient medical visits. Many patient and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to determine whether a pessimistic or hostile personality style adversely affects satisfaction with out‐patient medical visits. Many patient and health care provider demographic characteristics have been related to patient satisfaction with a health care encounter, but little has been written about the association between patients' personality characteristics and their satisfaction ratings.
Design/methodology/approach
An eight‐item patient satisfaction survey was completed by 11,636 randomly selected medical out‐patients two to three months after their episode of care. Of these, 1,259 had previously completed a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). The association of pessimism and hostility scores with patient satisfaction ratings was assessed.
Findings
Among patients who scored high on the pessimism scale, 59 percent rated overall care by their physicians as excellent, while 72 percent with scores in the optimistic range rated it as excellent (p=0.003). Among the hostile patients, 57 percent rated their overall care by physicians as excellent, while 66 percent of the least hostile patients rated it as excellent (p=0.002).
Originality/value
Pessimistic or hostile patients were significantly less likely to rate their overall care as excellent than optimistic or non‐hostile patients.
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Dragana Kesic and Stuart Thomas
The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence of attempted suspect-provoked shootings (SPS) in Victoria, Australia, and explore nonlethal tactics police officers use to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence of attempted suspect-provoked shootings (SPS) in Victoria, Australia, and explore nonlethal tactics police officers use to resolve such incidents.
Design/methodology/approach
A random sample of 20 percent of police-attended incidents was sourced from a police contact-based database. The narrative of each incident was coded using established criteria for “suicide-by-cop.” Incidents that met the criteria were further analyzed to elucidate historical and situational characteristics. To supplement these data, operational police officers were invited to participate in a survey about particulars of an attempted SPS incident that they had attended and resolved non-fatally.
Findings
Police are encountering these incidents up to three times a week in Victoria, Australia. While they engage in a range of tactics, police report that communication and negotiation skills are the most effective means of successful resolution.
Research limitations/implications
Although the survey attempted to correct for the potential limitations of using administrative data for research purposes, its weakness is in the modest sample size that utilizes self-report data that may lead to recall biases. Further research would benefit from using complementary methodologies that seek to examine police tactics and elucidate decision-making processes using video-based or written vignettes.
Practical implications
Officers’ awareness of both the commonalty of this phenomenon and of the important situational characteristics may lead to greater skill and confidence in managing these.
Originality/value
This is one of the very few published studies investigating prevalence and characteristics of attempted SPS incidents.
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Current issues of Publishers' Weekly are reporting serious shortages of paper, binders board, cloth, and other essential book manufacturing materials. Let us assure you these…
Abstract
Current issues of Publishers' Weekly are reporting serious shortages of paper, binders board, cloth, and other essential book manufacturing materials. Let us assure you these shortages are very real and quite severe.
Anh Dang, Ashok Bhattarai and Jose Saavedra Torres
This study aims to investigate how two different types of brand-to-brand dialogues – “roasting” versus “toasting” – impact consumers’ brand perceptions, particularly perceived…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate how two different types of brand-to-brand dialogues – “roasting” versus “toasting” – impact consumers’ brand perceptions, particularly perceived entertainment, and influence brand attitudes.
Design/methodology/approach
The research design comprises four studies. The preliminary study involves Web scraping to gauge consumer perception about the two communication approaches followed by two well-known brands. Study 1 involves an online experiment to compare these communication types within each brand tested in the pilot study and examines the mediation effect of perceived entertainment. Study 2, also an online experiment, investigates the role of message neutralization, demonstrating that “roasting” can be acceptable when the humor is neutralized. Study 3 further tests the effects of neutralized “roasting” at different levels of brand familiarity and personality.
Findings
Roasting can lead to more favorable consumer perceptions than toasting. The effect can be explained by roasting’s higher level of perceived entertainment. However, this positive outcome is contingent on the successful neutralization of the aggressive humor in the “roasting” messages. When it comes to brand familiarity and personality, familiar brands benefit more from neutralized “roasting,” whereas brand personality does not have a strong influence.
Research limitations/implications
The findings suggest that “roasting” can be effective when messages are neutralized, and “toasting” works best when spontaneous and genuine. It highlights how brand familiarity and personality influence consumer reactions, thus, offering strategic insights for both established and lesser-known brands. The study also prompts further research to examine other brand traits, cultural factors and behavioral dimensions in brand-to-brand dialogue, signifying the complexity and richness of this growing research area.
Practical implications
This study advises lesser-known brands to adopt “toasting” strategies to build a positive image, while established brands can try “roasting,” ensuring message neutrality to avoid negativity. The research emphasizes the role of brand familiarity and personality in shaping brand dialogues. Marketers must consider these to make humor strategies effective and bolster positive brand image.
Originality/value
This research uniquely examines message neutralization through contextual cues as a strategy brands can use to aid their sensitive dialogues with others on social media. The findings provide new insights into how brands can use different types of messages in digital communications to attract consumers and ensure positive reception, offering valuable guidance for academics and practitioners in brand-to-brand dialogue.
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The purpose of this paper is to reveal those attributes of owners and managers that influence knowledge flows between owners and managers in a tourism destination network. The…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reveal those attributes of owners and managers that influence knowledge flows between owners and managers in a tourism destination network. The research question relates to whether homogeneity and/or heterogeneity attributes of the owners and managers are associated with the flow of information within a knowledge network.
Design/methodology/approach
Owners and managers of tourism and hospitality businesses in the Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch conurbation were surveyed regarding their receipt of information from each other. Social network analysis (SNA) was applied to understand how job position, type of business, gender and education attributes influence the information flows within a knowledge network.
Findings
It was revealed that the ties or flows of information were influenced through the heterogeneity of the type of education attribute of a business owner or manager. Other attributes such as type of business, job position or gender were not associated with the receipt of information.
Research limitations/implications
The contribution of the paper relates to increasing the understanding of an underlying attribute that influences information flows between owners and managers of tourism and hospitality businesses within a tourism destination.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the understanding of a heterogeneous attribute that influences the flow of information within a tourism destination network.
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Susan P. McGrath, Emily Wells, Krystal M. McGovern, Irina Perreard, Kathleen Stewart, Dennis McGrath and George Blike
Although it is widely acknowledged that health care delivery systems are complex adaptive systems, there are gaps in understanding the application of systems engineering…
Abstract
Although it is widely acknowledged that health care delivery systems are complex adaptive systems, there are gaps in understanding the application of systems engineering approaches to systems analysis and redesign in the health care domain. Commonly employed methods, such as statistical analysis of risk factors and outcomes, are simply not adequate to robustly characterize all system requirements and facilitate reliable design of complex care delivery systems. This is especially apparent in institutional-level systems, such as patient safety programs that must mitigate the risk of infections and other complications that can occur in virtually any setting providing direct and indirect patient care. The case example presented here illustrates the application of various system engineering methods to identify requirements and intervention candidates for a critical patient safety problem known as failure to rescue. Detailed descriptions of the analysis methods and their application are presented along with specific analysis artifacts related to the failure to rescue case study. Given the prevalence of complex systems in health care, this practical and effective approach provides an important example of how systems engineering methods can effectively address the shortcomings in current health care analysis and design, where complex systems are increasingly prevalent.