Ethics and Lean Management – a paradox?

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 191-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mia Ljungblom
Keyword(s):  
Professional Ethics ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Lean Management ◽  
Ethical Values ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managing Change ◽  
Intrinsic Values ◽  
Swedish Health Care

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to research the practice of ethics in Swedish health care organizations using Lean Management. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study was conducted. Findings – Findings indicate that ethics is not a consideration when hospitals are implementing Lean Management. Social implications – Organizations generally have diverse value systems when building their codes of professional ethics for examining ethical principles, whereas Lean Management has established base principles with different codes of professional ethics differing from the intrinsic values humans create according to moral philosophy. It could be said that Lean Management relies on minimalistic ethic. While hospitals implement Lean Management, there are still many barriers to resolve to achieve useful implementation. Managing change while emphasizing ethical values could be a success factor for those organizations and their customers. Originality/value – Studying ethical values in Lean Management implementation.

Who will lead the physicians unwilling to lead? Institutional logics and double-bind situations in health care leadership

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Styhre ◽  
Adam Roth ◽  
Jonas Roth
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Organizations ◽  
Clinical Work ◽  
Institutional Logics ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Organizational Setting ◽  
Leadership Positions ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Swedish Health Care

Purpose – Health care organizations are increasingly demanded to balance the institutional logic of “medical professionalism” and “business-like health care,” that is, to both recognize physicians’ professional expertise while locating it in a wider social, economic, and political organizational setting. The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications from this shift in terms of leadership work in health care organizations. Design/methodology/approach – Case study methodology including interviews with 15 residents in Swedish health care organizations. Findings – A study of the willingness of residents to take on leadership positions show that leadership roles are treated as what is potentially hindering the acquisition of the know-how, skills, and expertise demanded to excel in the clinical work. Consequently, taking on leadership positions in the future was relatively unattractive for the residents. In order to overcome such perceived conflict between professional skill development and leadership roles, top management of health care organizations must help residents overcome such beliefs, or other professional groups may increasingly populate leadership positions, a scenario not fully endorsed by the community of physicians. Originality/value – The paper demonstrates how complementary or completing institutional logics are influencing debates and identities on the “shop floors” of organizations.

Clinical governance in Australia

2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan D Spigelman ◽  
Shane Rendalls
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Service Level ◽  
Clinical Governance ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Quality And Safety ◽  
Funding Policy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Service Providers ◽  
Governance Systems

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to overview, background and context to clinical governance in Australia, areas for further development and potential learnings for other jurisdictions. Design/methodology/approach – Commentary; non-systematic review of clinical governance literature; review of web sites for national, state and territory health departments, quality and safety organisations, and clinical colleges in Australia. Findings – Clinical governance in Australia shows variation across jurisdictions, reflective of a fragmented health system with responsibility for funding, policy and service provision being divided between levels of government and across service streams. The mechanisms in place to protect and engage with consumers thus varies according to where one lives. Information on quality and safety outcomes also varies; is difficult to find and often does not drill down to a service level useful for informing consumer treatment decisions. Organisational stability was identified as a key success factor in realising and maintaining the cultural shift to deliver ongoing quality. Research limitations/implications – Comparison of quality indicators with clinical governance systems and processes at a hospital level will provide a more detailed understanding of components most influencing quality outcomes. Practical implications – The information reported will assist health service providers to improve information and processes to engage with consumers and build further transparency and accountability. Originality/value – In this paper the authors have included an in depth profile of the background and context for the current state of clinical governance in Australia. The authors expect the detail provided will be of use to the international reader unfamiliar with the nuances of the Australian Healthcare System. Other studies (e.g. Russell and Dawda, 2013; Phillips et al., n.d.) have been based on deep professional understanding of clinical governance in appraising and reporting on initaitives and structures. This review has utilised resources available to an informed consumer seeking to understand the quality and safety of health services.

scholarly journals Postgraduate Studies on Lean Management—A Review of Initiatives

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 197
Author(s):  
Mariusz Bednarek ◽  
Aleksander Buczacki ◽  
Lukasz Bielakowski ◽  
Bartlomiej Gladysz ◽  
Mariusz Bryke
Keyword(s):  
Lean Manufacturing ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Postgraduate Education ◽  
General Level ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Lean Management ◽  
Successful Model ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Postgraduate Studies ◽  
Long Time

The article elaborates upon a successful model of postgraduate studies on lean manufacturing. The subject of the research was nine editions of the Kaizen Academy postgraduate studies organized by the Warsaw University of Technology and the Kaizen Institute in the years 2009–2018, that still enjoys interest in the market. A detailed qualitative analysis of this case, followed by a comparative analysis with other post-graduate programs of this type on the national, European, and global level should make it possible to find what is necessary to launch and actively operate for a long time in the (considerably competitive) market of qualification raising programs related to Lean Management (critical success factors). The study has also identified the differences between a successful program, analyzed in detail, and other available programs described in the literature and on the Internet. This has been achieved through a structured analysis of thirty-nine postgraduate programs identified by querying scientific databases and the Google Internet search engine. Best practices and models of postgraduate education on Lean Management have been discussed, and the thirty-nine programs comprising the identified sample have been compared. Considering the very general level of the data available in terms of the organization of postgraduate programs, it has also been assessed if they follow constructivism and experiential learning paradigms. This has been achieved by including the industrial days/visit indicator in the comparison. Given its high value, it has been identified as a success factor of the postgraduate curriculum on Lean Management.

Has Lean improved organizational decision making?

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 536-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Simons ◽  
Jos Benders ◽  
Jochen Bergs ◽  
Wim Marneffe ◽  
Dominique Vandijck
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Lean Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Organizational Decision Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Contexts ◽  
Sustainable Improvement ◽  
Care Processes ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Sustainable improvement is likely to be hampered by ambiguous objectives and uncertain cause-effect relations in care processes (the organization’s decision-making context). Lean management can improve implementation results because it decreases ambiguity and uncertainties. But does it succeed? Many quality improvement (QI) initiatives are appropriate improvement strategies in organizational contexts characterized by low ambiguity and uncertainty. However, most care settings do not fit this context. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether a Lean-inspired change program changed the organization’s decision-making context, making it more amenable for QI initiatives. Design/methodology/approach – In 2014, 12 professionals from a Dutch radiotherapy institute were interviewed regarding their perceptions of a Lean program in their organization and the perceived ambiguous objectives and uncertain cause-effect relations in their clinical processes. A survey (25 questions), addressing the same concepts, was conducted among the interviewees in 2011 and 2014. The structured interviews were analyzed using a deductive approach. Quantitative data were analyzed using appropriate statistics. Findings – Interviewees experienced improved shared visions and the number of uncertain cause-effect relations decreased. Overall, more positive (99) than negative Lean effects (18) were expressed. The surveys revealed enhanced process predictability and standardization, and improved shared visions. Practical implications – Lean implementation has shown to lead to greater transparency and increased shared visions. Originality/value – Lean management decreased ambiguous objectives and reduced uncertainties in clinical process cause-effect relations. Therefore, decision making benefitted from Lean increasing QI’s sustainability.

Impact of values on the learning approaches of Chinese construction students in Hong Kong

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 481-504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-yung Leung ◽  
Chen Dongyu ◽  
Anita M.M. Liu
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Personal Values ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Personal Integrity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Behaviours ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of personal values on students’ learning behaviours. Hong Kong construction students are often criticized, by both practitioners and educators, as rote learners. To improve students’ learning processes, extensive research on a variety of aspects of construction education has been conducted. However, limited attention has been paid to the influence of personal values on students’ learning behaviours. The impact of personal value factors on the learning approaches of Chinese construction students in Hong Kong is investigated. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey was conducted to ethically Chinese construction students in four universities in Hong Kong. A total of 820 questionnaires were distributed and 431 valid returns were collected. Findings – The survey identified six influential values (namely, personal integrity, conservatism, determination, discipline, interpersonal relationships, and achievement), and shows that students who emphasize the virtues of personal integrity, determination, and a positive attitude toward achievement are better able to handle their interpersonal relationships, which will eventually lead them to engage in deep learning. Originality/value – Work to develop appropriate value systems is thus recommended in freshmen courses, as is the use of cooperative learning approaches. Such value systems will have a long-term influence on the learning approaches of construction students.

Assessment of knowledge process capabilities toward project management maturity: an empirical study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adnan Alghail ◽  
Liu Yao ◽  
Mohammed Abbas ◽  
Yahia Baashar
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Project Management ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Maturity Level ◽  
Knowledge Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The reasons behind the project management failure of higher education institutions (HEIs) have been researched for the past few years. One of the reasons is the lack of tools to integrate their knowledge process capabilities (KPC) with their project management (PM) to measure maturity by assessing these capabilities. Various project management maturity (PMM) models exist. Yet, there is a limited number of empirical studies that support the four integrations of KPC and PMM. Therefore, this study aims to propose a new heretical model, namely, KPC-knowledge management (KM) and evaluates a research model that includes the four KPC as an antecedent to PMM. Design/methodology/approach The suggested research model is assessed by using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Furthermore, the study's hypotheses were examined based on a sample of 352 respondents from the project management departments in 10 public universities in Yemen. Findings Analysis revealed that the derived PMM status could be benchmarked with the project management maturity model. Also, the study found that integrating the KPC into PM enables the institutions to perform critical tasks and value chain activities and enhance the PM maturity level as well. In contrast, if one of the capabilities does not positively impact PMM, it affects the maturity level of the entire project. Research limitations/implications The findings are obtained concerning data collected from public universities and represent the Yemeni context, limiting the generalization on a different geographical area. Also, this proposed model can be evaluated in a practical way like conducting a focus group, a set of interviews with specialists, a case study or action research. The qualitative research will help academics to validate our proposal for future research purposes. Practical implications The proposed approach may be adapted to the characteristics of organizations involved in projects as external performers (project-based organizations) and not just the HEIs projects. This study provides managers and policymakers with insights into assessing PMM and improving their organizational effectiveness when deciding which KPCs to focus on in the future. Social implications This study contributes to the current PM awareness in Yemen and facilitates its success using the knowledge processes capabilities in Yemen's HEIs. It encourages organizations to take this opportunity to revive the projects and achieve a maximum level of maturity. Originality/value This study provides new insights into two domains through the link between knowledge management and PM. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is among the first to empirically study the impact of the four KPC toward PMM. It enriches the theoretical perspective of PM. Also, it contributes to the literature on the success factor of KPC, which can be considered to improve organizational performance.

Control of project data and team satisfaction as results of PMO effort in new product development projects

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanderson César Macêdo Barbalho ◽  
Gladston Luiz Silva
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Product Development ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
Portfolio Management ◽  
New Product ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Satisfaction ◽  
Project Data ◽  
And Control

PurposeThis paper aims to explore how new product development (NPD)-based project management offices (PMOs) work, their drivers to deliver performance and their project success impact.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a survey of 35 Brazilian and multi-national companies that identified the effort to perform a list of PMO functions, some PMO drivers in the company and five project performance perception indicators. The authors apply a specific set of statistics to uncover the relations between these dimensions of interest.FindingsThe factorial analysis allows us to find the main functions influencing each other. The project teams’ perception of project management (PM) performance is suggested as a success factor that drives PMOs when working on portfolio management issues, managing project files and promoting PM over the company.Practical implicationsThis paper contributes to a contingency approach for designing a project machine involving PMOs to support NPD projects. Managers can set the most suitable PMO functions avoiding mimicry when structuring their NPD efforts.Originality/valuePMOs have impacted team satisfaction and control of project data but not indicators related to triple constraints.

Human resources competencies: a key scale to assess HRCs, including items in knowledge business, functional expertise and managing change

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managing Change ◽  
Industrial Town ◽  
Appropriate Scale ◽  
Hr Competencies

Purpose The purpose was to produce a standardized tool in the form of a questionnaire to measure HR competencies Design/methodology/approach The authors collected data from 234 managers and experts in human resources of selected firms existing in the Yazd Industrial Town. A questionnaire was developed to assess HRCs. Findings The paper produced a key scale for assessing HRCs in three dimensions: knowledge business, functional expertise and managing change. Two items of the original 33 were dropped as they were found to be unreliable Originality/value The authors believed the developed questionnaire can be used as an appropriate scale for measuring HRCs in future research and also in organizations in Iran.

A framework to guide the implementation of lean management in emergency department

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Tiso ◽  
Maria Crema ◽  
Chiara Verbano
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Lean Management ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Practices ◽  
Prisma Statement ◽  
Meta Analyses ◽  
Tools And Techniques

PurposeThe paper aims at enriching the knowledge of the application of lean management (LM) in emergency department (ED), structuring the methodology for implementing LM projects and summarizing the relevant dimensions of LM adoption in ED.Design/methodology/approachIn accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, a systematic literature review has been performed, extracting a database of 34 papers. To answer the research purpose, a descriptive and content analyses have been carried out.FindingsThe descriptive analysis demonstrates that the dealt topic is worldwide emerging and multidisciplinary as it arouses interest by medical and engineering communities. Despite the heterogeneity in the adopted methodology, a framework can be grasped from the literature review. It points out the phases and activities, the tools and techniques and the enablers to be considered for guiding the developing of LM project in ED.Originality/valueThis paper provides a comprehensive overview on how to adopt LM in ED, contributing to fill in the gap emerged in the literature. From a practical perspective, this paper provides healthcare managers with a synthesis of the best managerial practices and guidelines in developing a LM project in ED.

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