scholarly journals Information management in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanuel Kosack ◽  
Merlin Stone ◽  
Karen Sanders ◽  
Eleni Aravopoulou ◽  
Davide Biron ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Side Information ◽  
International Travel ◽  
Warning Signs ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
First World

Purpose This paper aims to review the information management aspects of the early months of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) coronavirus 19 outbreak. It shows that the transition from epidemic to the pandemic was caused partly by poor management of information that was publicly available in January 2020. Design/methodology/approach The approach combines public domain epidemic data with economic, demographic, health, social and political data and investigates how information was managed by governments. It includes case studies of early-stage information management, from countries with high and low coronavirus disease 2019 impacts (as measured by deaths per million). Findings The reasons why the information was not acted upon appropriately include “dark side” information behaviours (Stone et al., 2019). Many errors and misjudgements could have been avoided by using learnings from previous epidemics, particularly the 1918-1919 flu epidemic when international travel (mainly of troops in First World War) was a prime mode of spreading. It concludes that if similar outbreaks are not to turn into pandemics, much earlier action is needed, mainly closing borders and locking-down. Research limitations/implications The research is based on what was known at the time of writing, when the pandemic’s exact origin was uncertain, when some statistics about actions and results were unavailable and when final results were unknown. Practical implications Governments faced with early warning signs or pandemics must act much faster. Social implications If the next virus is as infectious as SARS-CoV-2 but much more fatal, the world faces disastrous consequences if most governments act as slowly as this time. Originality/value This is one of the first analyses of information management practices relating to the pandemic’s early stages.

The dark side of effectiveness – risk and crisis as the “destroyer of worlds”

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 338-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Fischbacher-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Symbiotic Relationship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organisational Effectiveness

Purpose – This paper considers the dark side of organisational effectiveness and the processes by which and organisation can move into a state of crisis. The paper sets out a series of arguments around the relationships between people and processes and the manner in which they contribute to the incubation of crises within organisations. The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to many of the issues that are raised in this issue of the journal and calls for more research that explores the relationships between effectiveness and failure. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws upon a range of literatures to set out the case for considering the negative aspects that surround organisational attempts at achieving effectiveness. In particular, it considers the role of both people and processes in a symbiotic relationship within the incubation of crisis. The paper highlights the importance of innovative practices in bypassing organisational controls. Findings – The paper outlines issues around management practices that serve to focus the attention of practitioners on the ways in which they can contribute inadvertently to the failure of the organisation. In particular, it highlights some of the potential vulnerabilities that can exist within the organisation and which, if unchecked, will result in failure. Originality/value – The paper highlights the need for further research within the field of organisational effectiveness around the ways in which crises can be incubated as part of the normal processes around effective working.

scholarly journals Understanding employee responses to COVID-19: a behavioral corporate social responsibility perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 421-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herman Aguinis ◽  
Isabel Villamor ◽  
Kelly P. Gabriel
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Relative Effectiveness ◽  
Dark Side ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Meaning In Work ◽  
Human Resource Management Practices ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Behavioral Perspective

Purpose The purpose of this study is to critically synthesize and integrate conceptual and empirical research on the behavioral perspective on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and explain why it is useful and necessary, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors explain why CSR can result in both positive and negative outcomes and provide future research directions and recommendations for practice and policymaking. Design/methodology/approach This study focuses on critical literature review and synthesis. Findings CSR policies in response to COVID-19 are created by organizations but are implemented by individual employees. The way employees perceive and react to CSR actions are key determinants of CSR’s implementation and success. CSR can be embedded within or peripheral to a firm’s core functioning. While embedded CSR is linked to several positive outcomes if correctly implemented together with employees, peripheral CSR is linked to “the dark side” of CSR and can result in negative employee outcomes. Practical implications Using the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors detail types of CSR actions that governments and organizations can implement and their relative effectiveness; why “one size fits all” top-down CSR does not work; how firms can use human resource management practices to re-engage employees through finding meaning in work; and the “dark side” of CSR. Social implications Using the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors detail types of CSR actions that governments and organizations can implement and their relative effectiveness; why “one size fits all” top-down CSR does not work; how firms can use human resource management practices to re-engage employees through finding meaning in work; and the “dark side” of CSR. Originality/value CSR research has focused mostly on why and when firms choose to engage in CSR. A behavioral perspective on CSR facilitates, through an employee-centric conceptual framework, a deeper understanding of when and why employee reactions lead to positive and unintended negative outcomes, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals An empirical study of long-term personal project information management

2016 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klen Copic Pucihar ◽  
Matjaž Kljun ◽  
John Mariani ◽  
Alan John Dix
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Tacit Knowledge ◽  
Information Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Knowledge Workers ◽  
Information Space ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Project

Purpose – Personal projects are any kind of projects whose management is left to an individual untrained in project management and is greatly influenced by this individual’s personal touch. This includes the majority of knowledge workers who daily manage information relating to several personal projects. The authors have conducted an in-depth qualitative investigation on information management of such projects and the tacit knowledge behind its processes that cannot be found in the organisational structures of current personal information management (PIM) tools (file managers, e-mail clients, web browsers). The purpose of this paper is to reveal and understand project information management practices in details and provide guidelines for personal project management tools. Design/methodology/approach – Semi-structured interviews similar to that in several other PIM exploratory studies were carried out focusing on project fragmentation, information overlap and project context recreation. In addition, the authors enhanced interviews with sketching approach not yet used to study PIM. Sketches were used for articulating things that were not easily expressed through words, they represented a time stamp of a project context in the projects’ lifetime, uncovered additional tacit knowledge behind project information management not mentioned during the interviews, and were also used to find what they have in common which might be used in prototype designing. Findings – The paper presents first personal project definition based on the conceptualisations derived from the study. The study revealed that the extensive information fragmentation in the file hierarchy (due to different organisational needs and ease of information access) poses a significant challenge to context recreation besides cross-tool fragmentation so far described in the literature. The study also reveals the division of project information into core and support and emphasises the importance of support information in relation to project goals. Other findings uncover the division of input/output information, project overlaps through information reuse, storytelling and visualising information relations, which could help with user modelling and enhancing project context recreation. Research limitations/implications – On of the limitations is the group of participants that cannot represent the ideally generalised knowledge worker as there are many different kinds of knowledge workers and they all have different information needs besides different management practices. However, participants of variety of different backgrounds were observed and the authors converged observations into points of project information management similarities across the spectrum of different professions. Nevertheless, its observations and conceptualisations should be repeatable. For one, some of the issues that emerged during this work have been to different extents discussed in other studies. Practical implications – The empirical findings are used to create guidelines for designing personal project information management tools: support the selective focus on information with the division into core and supportive information; visualise changes in project information space to support narratives for context recreation; overcome fragmentation in the file system with selective unification; visualising project’s information relationship to better understand the complexity of project information space; and support navigating in project information space on two axes: time and between projects (overlaps through information). Originality/value – The study presents a longitudinal insight into personal project information management. As such it provides a first formal definition of personal project from the information point of view. The method used in the study presented uses a new approach – sketching in which participants externalised and visualised personal information and projects they discussed. The insights derived from the study form design implications for personal project management tools for knowledge workers.

scholarly journals Beyond self-tracking: Exploring and unpacking four emerging labels of patient data work

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 598-607 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Maria Piras
Keyword(s):  
Information Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Data Gathering ◽  
Personal Health Information ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
Quantified Self ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Status ◽  
Personal Health Information Management

Despite the growing attention of researchers, healthcare managers and policy makers, data gathering and information management practices are largely untheorized areas. In this work are presented and discussed some early-stage conceptualizations: patient-generated health data, observations of daily living, quantified self and personal health information management. As I shall try to demonstrate, these labels are not neutral; rather, they underpin quite different perspectives with respect to health, patient–doctor relationship and the status of data.

Understanding “process vs product” in the shelter and settlements sector: a reflection

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Ward George
Keyword(s):  
Disaster Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
Small Series ◽  
Learning Pathways ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose“Process” vs “product”: this concept was originally introduced by Ian Davis in 1978 in Shelter After Disaster. However, 40 years later, in the halls of universities, it would appear a long way from having settled in the minds of upcoming engineers and architects looking to contribute to the field of disaster management. This key understanding is a major steppingstone to those pursuing careers in the shelter and settlements sector. However, the clarity of the argument and its importance still fails to reach some humanitarians in the early stages of their career. This perspective reflects on the key arguments for and against process over product and reflects on the reasons for the lack of recognition of this concept in early stage academics in the shelter and settlements sector. It also discusses the academic practitioner divide and pathways for learning within the sector.Design/methodology/approachThis perspective reflects on discussions over four years of a progression into the humanitarian shelter and settlements sector from a construction and engineering background. It discusses the author’s personal progression in understanding process over product and observations of other early stage researchers taking similar pathways. It also examines literature in the sector and the key texts which affect this progression. Furthermore, this perspective provides comments from experts in the shelter and settlements sector through a small series of informal interviews. This provides insight into their experience with upcoming architects and engineers, and key messages for early stage researchers.FindingsThis reflection found that upcoming architects and engineering students still undergo a journey of understanding over “process vs product” despite changes in the industry. These students can benefit from the understanding of shelter as a process.Originality/valueThe concept of process vs product is not a new one. It is arguably one of the most central arguments to the shelter and settlements sector. However, there is very little written on the learning of this concept or the effects it has on understanding the broader aspects of the sector. This reflection can provide significant value to early stage researchers who have yet to engage with this concept, and further highlight its importance of learning pathways to the sector.

Information management practices in public tertiary health-care facilities: an empirical investigation from the state of Kuwait

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dari Alhuwail
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Information Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Care Organization ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Standard ◽  
Care Facilities

Purpose This paper aims to gain insights about information management practices in public health-care organizations in Kuwait and offer recommendations to improve these practices. Design/methodology/approach This study involves secondary analysis of quantitative and qualitative accreditation-related data pertaining to the compliance with the Information Management standard at seven public tertiary health-care facilities over two accreditation cycles. Findings Overall, organizations improved their compliance with the Information Management standard. However, issues exist with effectively and efficiently transmitting data, aggregating clinical and administrative data and using the information for both strategic planning and quality improvement initiatives. Research limitations/implications The analysed data set does not provide information about the improvements done between the accreditation cycles. Caution should be applied before assuming generalizability of the results, considering the context and social constructs around the health-care system is essential. Practical implications Compliance with predetermined criteria through accreditation can improve information management practices. Without proper management of information at health-care facilities, achieving safe and effective patient care is futile. The role of health information technology (IT) should not be sidelined; robust health IT solutions can help support good information management practices thereby improving care quality and aiding health-care reform. Originality/value Concerning information management, health-care organizations providing focused services have clear advantages over organizations providing general care services. Considering the type of care organization (general vs specialized) can provide insights into how information management practices can affect the operations of the organization.

Humour: coping with travel bans during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sari Lenggogeni ◽  
Ann Suwaree Ashton ◽  
Noel Scott
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Warning Signs ◽  
Stressful Event ◽  
Prodromal Stage ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Travel Restrictions ◽  
Media Reports ◽  
Use Of Social Media

Purpose This study aims to extend the use of psychology in the field of tourism crisis and disaster management using coping theory. It examines how resident emotions change in the extended prodromal stage of the COVID-19 pandemic and how residents used humour to cope with stress from not being able to travel. Design/methodology/approach Early COVID-19 (March–April 2020) was characterised by negative media reports, lockdowns and travel restrictions but for Indonesia, no direct effects in terms of loss of life. This unusual context has led to phenomena not previously studied – humour as a coping strategy. This research consists of two studies: Study 1 used thematic analysis of interviews before and during the early lockdown period with a panel of 245 quarantined residents who had travelled in the prior two years. Study 2 followed up using a #hasthtag analysis of travel-related videos content posted on Instagram and TikTok. Findings The COVID-19 global pandemic is an unusual crisis which has resulted in high levels of stress and uncertainty. This study identified the unusual characteristics of the COVID-19 crises and changes of quarantined resident’s emotions during the pre-event and prodromal stages. In addition, this study found the use of humour as a coping mechanism during the lockdown period and the use of social media as the vehicle for humour. Research limitations/implications These findings may be generalisable only to a crises and disasters with an extended prodromal stage. Interestingly, climate change has some similar characteristics where warning signs are available, but the personal implications have not yet become apparent. Practical implications The emotions associated with crisis are dynamic and crisis managers may tailor communication to help deal with stress. Social implications This research provides an insight into how humorous content can be used to reduce negative emotions in the early stage of a stressful event associated with travel restrictions. This study may be suitable for use in integrated marketing communication in post-recovery messaging for the tourism industry and destination management organisation in the digital platform. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate “dark humour” during the early stages of COVID-19 and also the use of coping strategies to explain how humour can reduce stress.

Looking for info? Understanding ethical consumer information management using a diary approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 645-662
Author(s):  
Eleni Papaoikonomou ◽  
Carmen Valor ◽  
Matias Ginieis
Keyword(s):  
Information Management ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Ethical Consumption ◽  
Consumer Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethical Consumers ◽  
Ethical Consumer ◽  
Information Searches

Purpose Although the role of information has been previously studied in the ethical consumer literature, practices related to information searches and interpretation have not been fully examined in relation to ethical consumption. The purpose of this paper is to explore the search and use of information by ethically oriented consumers in order to understand the problems involved in this process, and how ethical consumers address them by adopting a number of practices. Design/methodology/approach Using a qualitative approach and diaries, the paper explores how consumers carry out their informational search and interpretation over an 11-week period. Findings First, insights are provided about the specifics of information search and the contexts, timing and use of information. Second, the information management practices used by participants to navigate the problems they encounter are identified. These practices are discussed in relation to the maximizing vs optimizing approach adopted by the participants. Practical implications New technologies, such as mobile applications and geo-localization, could overcome some of the problems inherent to information searches identified in this study. The use of social networks may also prove particularly interesting for companies and NGOs that target ethically oriented consumers. Originality/value Information search and the use and interpretation of information are part of the efforts undertaken by ethical consumers, but they have not been the focus of past research. This study provides empirical evidence on consumer practices employed to circumvent the problems found in a context of information asymmetries, and the gradual development of consumer skills in relation to ethical information searches and management. It shows how information search and management shapes the practice of ethical consumption.

Best innovators develop a point of view on the future and a roadmap on how to get there

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-22
Author(s):  
Kai Engel ◽  
Voletka Dirlea ◽  
Stephen Dyer ◽  
Jochen Graff
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Business Case ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Continuous Innovation ◽  
Innovation Strategies ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The authors have collected key insights from the Best Innovator competition, launched in 2003. Six early-stage practices are critical. Design/methodology/approach – The Best Innovator competition, annual benchmarking against the best in innovation management, focuses on the how-to of innovation and examines what leading companies are doing to achieve better yield with their innovation strategies. Findings – By studying the competition winners, the researchers found a strong correlation between specific innovation management practices and sustainable, profitable growth. Practical implications – Best Innovators establish explicit expectations for making the business case for innovation. They name a specific set of deliverables to which they are committed. Originality/value – The article offers specific guidelines for setting the stage for continuous innovation that results in profitable offerings and services.

Theory development in China-based supply chain management research

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 972-1001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaohong Liu ◽  
Alan C. McKinnon
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Supply Chain Management ◽  
Operations Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Theory Development ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Chinese Economy ◽  
Chain Management ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Although well established in North America and Europe, the study of supply chain management (SCM) is still at a relatively early stage in its development in China. The transformation and rapid growth of the Chinese economy has, nevertheless, created major supply chain challenges for the country making SCM a very fertile area of business research. In Western countries, research on SCM is now mature and underpinned by a solid body of theory. The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which research on SCM in China has also developed a theoretical basis. Design/methodology/approach The research involved a systematic review of 150 papers published in 18 journals in the fields of SCM, logistics, operations management and marketing during the period 2004-2014. A three-step process was adopted to select appropriate journals, identify relevant articles and classify them in terms of their theoretical content. Findings The study has confirmed that, because of its unique economic, political and cultural setting, supply chain development in China has presented new research challenges. Many examples were found of researchers conducting quasi-experiments to test the applicability of established theories to Chinese supply chains while others have tried to develop new ones that are more closely aligned with the Chinese economy and management practices. Researchers have exhibited a heavy reliance on existing theories, with relatively few attempting to customise them to the Chinese context or to construct new ones. Research limitations/implications Given the broad scope of SCM, it is possible that the journal and paper selection processes have accidentally screened out relevant papers. The total sample of papers is, nevertheless, large for an explorative study of this type and should, therefore, give an overall impression of the level of theory development in Chinese SCM research. Practical implications This study provides a general framework within which to assess the application and development of theories in the Chinese SCM context. It is principally concerned with three components: the SCM phenomena studied, the Chinese business environment and the theoretical contribution of the research. The paper is targeted more at an academic audience than practitioners, though provides an overview of the research so far undertaken on SCM in China that should be of wider interest. Originality/value This study is the first of its kind to review China-based SCM research systematically from the perspective of theory development. It should support the evolution of SCM theory not only in China but also more generally.

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