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Quality improvement (QI) processes in family medicine are becoming increasingly complex. Their influence on the organisation of the sector and on the daily work processes is profound and increasing. The literature indicates that many ethical issues are arising from QI work. Therefore this paper aims to identify the experiences of professionals involved in planning and performing QI programmes in European family medicine on the ethical implications involved in those processes.

Four focus groups were carried out with 29 general practitioners (GPs) and administrators of general practice quality work in Europe. Two focus groups comprised EQuiP members and two focus groups comprised attendees to an invitational conference on QI in family medicine held by EQuiP in Barcelona in November 2006.

Four overarching themes were identified, including implications of using patient data, prioritising QI projects, issues surrounding the ethical approval dilemma and the impact of QI. Each theme was accompanied by an identified solution.

Prioritising is necessary and in doing that GPs should ensure that a variety of work is conducted so that some patient groups are not neglected. Transparency and flexibility on various levels is necessary to avoid harmful consequences of QI in terms of bureaucratisation, increased workload and burnout on part of the GP and harmful effects on the doctor‐patient relationship. There is a need to address the system of approval for national QI programmes and QI projects utilising more sophisticated methodologies.

This study provides data from GPs who are experienced quality improvers across 17 countries. Many ethical issues were identified and it was possible to clearly map the themes and their relationships and to summarise the identified solutions from an international perspective.

This study aims to illuminate self‐perceived health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) among newly‐arrived Arabic‐speaking refugees in Malmö, Sweden participating in a specific group Health Promotion activity.

Data consist of questionnaires, observations and oral evaluations in groups. Questions about HRQoL was measured by EQ‐5D self‐assessment containing five dimensions and three response options of severity, including a visual analog health rating scale. Participants' sleep patterns were measured by a sleep and recovery questionnaire with questions about sleep quality and sleep quantity.

The results show that disturbed sleep relates to EQ‐5D variables and to health rating scores. Moreover, there are changes over time and participants' perceptions of their health and quality of life in most EQ‐5D variables have significantly increased after the end of activity. In the variables pain and depression an improvement remains even at second follow up and health rating scores are higher at both follow ups relative to what it was originally. Sleep and recovery problems were perceived as less difficult at the course completion and second follow up.

Because of practical and ethical reasons there is an absence of a control group in this study.

The paper includes implications for education in medicine, health care and social work, for the design of the refugee reception programs and for the inter‐professional collaborations.

The paper shows that health promotion interventions in group setting in the first stage of resettlement turn out to be useful according to HRQoL and knowledge of the health care system.

This paper aims to evaluate the maturity matrix (MM) (a facilitated formative self‐assessment tool for organisational development in primary care) on satisfaction, differences between GP and staff, the extent to which practice teams worked on goals set, and to identify suggestions for change to MM.

The approach taken was a cross‐sectional survey administered to all participants by mail in 57 family practices, 278 participants, (143 GPs; 135 staff) in Denmark, one year after participating in the MM project.

At practice level 44 returned at least one questionnaire. At participant level, 144 returned the questionnaire: 82 GPs; 62 staff. A total of 93 gave positive statements on satisfaction with MM, 16 stated initial expectations were not met, 79 would recommend MM to colleagues. Differences between GPs and staff were only statistically significant regarding “increased insight into organisation of work after participation in the MM project”. There was a tendency that GPs were more positive and likely to give an opinion. A total of 22 planned how to meet the goals set at the first MM meeting and 18 felt that they achieved them. In 24 out of 44 practices MM was stated to contribute new ways of working. A total of 12 of 144 stated that they needed more follow‐up support.

The results indicate that MM is a workable method to assess and gain insight into practice organisation with no major differences between GPs and staff.

The paper examines participants views' on MM one year after introduction.

Prior research has emphasised the importance of the early phases of construction projects, as well as the difficulties of procuring engineering services – especially due to the uncertainties. Despite that, studies on the public procurement of engineering services are scarce. Although scholars have shown that uncertainty may affect the choice of control modes, the level of uncertainty that characterises services is not addressed by the two task characteristics: knowledge of the transformation process and output measurability. The purpose is to investigate organisational control in public procurement of engineering services.

The existing control model was adjusted in this study by conceptually adding uncertainty as a third aspect to the two task characteristics. A single case study of the Swedish Transport Administration was used. The empirical data, comprising 14 interviews with managers from the client and engineering consulting companies, were analysed using flexible pattern matching and visual mapping approaches and then illustrated using the model.

The public client did not base its choice of control modes on uncertainty, but rather on the other two task characteristics. Consequently, the service providers argued that the chosen control modes reduced their creativity, increased their financial risks and caused unclear responsibilities. This study therefore shows that uncertainty is an important factor to consider in the choice of control modes, both from a theoretical perspective and from the service providers' point of view. The developed model may therefore be useful for researchers as well as practitioners.

This study is the first attempt to add uncertainty as a task characteristic when choosing control modes. The results contribute to the scarce control literature regarding the procurement of engineering services for construction projects and the procurement of other services with high uncertainty.

Innovation is constantly present in the construction industry, however, mainly on a single project level. Initiating and implementing inter-organizational innovation in a multi-project context such as in urban development entails large complexity, for example, because of the many interdependent projects and users of innovation. The users’ influence on inter-organizational innovation in a multi-project context has not been fully explored. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to discuss how users influence inter-organizational innovation in multi-project contexts by mapping the receptiveness for change.

A single case study approach was used, where empirical material including semi-structured interviews in combination with meeting observations, document studies and participative workshops were gathered. The rich empirical material, studying inter-organizational innovation in an urban development context, was mapped based on the receptive context for change framework.

A receptive context for change was not present in the studied multi-project context. Communication to develop and implement inter-organizational innovation was not sufficient and the clients’ procurement strategies were to a large extent not developed to facilitate inter-organizational innovation. Findings show differences in users’ possibility and aim to implement inter-organizational innovation.

The mapping of the receptive context to influence inter-organizational innovation widens the knowledge base and provides valuable insights on how inter-organizational innovation may be implemented in the loosely coupled construction industry. Furthermore, the findings broaden the discussion on clients as innovation supporters, and contribute to the debate on clients as innovation supporters, by highlighting the importance of distinguishing between different types of clients.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the interdependencies between temporary and permanent aspects of project organizing and how they affect the management of public infrastructure operation and maintenance (O&M) activities.

The paper applies a case study approach and uses Lundin and Söderholm's (1995) framework of the temporary organization (with the themes of time, task, team and transition) to distinguish between temporary and permanent aspects of organizing two infrastructure O&M projects.

This paper adds to the literature on temporary organizations by recognizing a mixture of temporary and permanent aspects of project organizing in an empirical project-level example. In line with previous research, the themes of time, task, team and transition were shown to be interdependent. Furthermore, the paper broadens the theory of temporary organizations by presenting a project organization with significant permanent aspects.

Project managers of public sector projects need to be aware of the possible mixture of temporary and permanent aspects of project organizing. Management of projects that are found to have a mixture of temporary and permanent aspects should combine the perspectives and management practices of both temporary and permanent organizing. Not acknowledging permanent aspects could lead to management that is not adapted to the prerequisites of project organizing in this context.

The findings further develop the literature on temporary organizations by recognizing that there is not only a mixture of temporary and permanent aspects between the temporary organization and its permanent environment but there is also a mixture of temporary and permanent aspects of organizing within project organizations.

The purpose of this research is to examine the experiences of female CEOs in New Zealand sport using a career account approach overlaid with the Kaleidoscope Career Model (KCM). This research focuses on their successful careers, rather than constraints and barriers, which is a feature of much previous research in the area.

Semi-structured interviews and analysis were informed by the principles of the KCM of career authenticity, balance and challenge. Seven chief executive officers in New Zealand sport organizations were interviewed. Data analysis was undertaken through a three-step coding process.

Respondents highlighted the importance of authenticity, balance and challenge in different ways. The KCM model is extended by identifying sub-themes within each principle. These were, under authenticity, passion and relationship-building; under balance, self-awareness and influencing the organization; and under challenge, taking opportunities and working in sport’s gendered environment. Findings indicate that a more nuanced development of KCM is required and that decision-makers in sport organizations need to be aware of the varied drivers of women’s positive experiences.

This research contributes to an understanding of successful women’s careers, rather than focusing on barriers to success. It also extends the KCM. Future research is necessary to examine the viability of our suggested extensions to the KCM.

While not generalizable, this study’s findings suggest that sport organization decision-makers would be well advised to understand the unique ways in which authenticity, balance and challenge are understood by their female employees. This may encourage organizations to look more closely at their cultures to ensure that they are more welcoming and supportive to women in a male-dominated industry.

This research contributes to an understanding of successful women’s careers, rather than focusing on barriers to success. It also extends the KCM. Future research is necessary to examine the viability of our suggested extensions to the KCM.

Previous research on clients’ procurement typically focuses on their procurement strategies. Research on local sustainability governance has, however, revealed that municipalities also govern construction projects through land allocations. This paper aims to explore how housing developers are governed by municipal land allocations and the implications. The purpose is to problematize the governance of sustainability during the early phases of construction projects.

A case study on an urban development project in Sweden was conducted. Empirical material consists of interviews with housing developers’ project managers, observations from seminars and meetings between the developers and municipality officials and the municipality’s policy for land allocations and sustainability program. This was analyzed using Bulkeley and Kern’s (2006) typology of modes of governing change at the local level as a framework.

The results provide examples where the municipality governs the housing developers by authority, enabling and provision. The implications for the housing developers during the early phases of their construction projects are explored.

Findings have implications for research on clients’ procurement strategies because it illustrates how they can be governed during the early phases of certain construction projects, which might limit their flexibility during procurement. However, the study is only based on housing projects in one urban development project governed by one municipality.

Findings provide support for clients when designing their procurement strategies.

This paper contributes to the understanding of how sustainability is governed in construction projects and the implications for housing developers’ flexibility.

The purpose of the study is to map previous and current construction procurement research to further develop the research in the Nordic counties.

Mapping of previous and current research based on search in national database. The analysis is based on research perspectives, empirical contexts and research methods.

That the blind spots are partly overlapping, but that there is potential for knowledge transfer in some areas. There is also the potential for a Nordic research program on one or several of the blind spots.

The study is limited to PhD and licentiate-thesis reports in Norway and Sweden. Further research should include the other Nordic countries and a more extensive literature review including journal articles to broaden the scope. Findings have implications on collaborative Nordic research initiatives, knowledge transfer and in a longer perspective on the level of procurement knowledge in industry and society.

Findings provide a base for future research collaborations, initiatives and applications.

Findings provide a comprehensive understanding of construction procurement research in the Nordic countries, starting with Norway and Sweden. This understanding is needed for developing research collaborations and applications.

The purpose of this paper is to propose that customer readiness and web-channel readiness for internet banking (IB) adoption are the twin universal determinants of retail customers’ attitudes and intention towards IB-adoption. The paper delineates IB-readiness as the state of preparedness, ability, and willingness to engage in IB, and the authors argue that both the potential banking customer and the financial institution's web-channel must be equally ready before IB-adoption can occur. This paper presents the results of the initial test of the IB-readiness model with a sample of retail banking customers in Scotland.

Nine customer-related and ten channel-related predictor-variables isolated from existing literature were tested for their effects on attitude and intention towards IB-adoption. Seven demographic mediators were also tested for their impacts on the effects of the predictor-variables on attitude and intention. A sample of 1,000 customers was surveyed. Multiple regression and logistic regression analyses were used to test the influence of the predictors and mediators.

Of the seven mediators, only three were significant. Also, only eight of the original 19 predictor-variables were significant, with the impact of mediation, in determining customer attitude and intention towards IB-adoption.

The results present some consumer behaviour and marketing communications implications for bank marketing. To convince potential customers to adopt and continue using IB, bank marketers must ensure that the eight predictors validated in this study are facilitated and sustained.

A valuable contribution of the paper to the global IB-adoption theory is an equal evaluation model of potential universal antecedents of IB-adoption – the “EQUAEVAL” – which can be further-tested in future cross-national research.