A smart tech lever to augment caregivers' touch and foster vulnerable patient engagement and well-being

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Mele ◽  
Marialuisa Marzullo ◽  
Irene Di Bernardo ◽  
Tiziana Russo-Spena ◽  
Roberta Massi ◽  
...  

PurposeSome population groups face precarious health, reflecting their vulnerability, in terms of lack of agency or control. Smart technologies promise to transform people's lives from the enhanced connectedness, greater computational processing and more complex decision-making they can achieve. This study aims to investigate how smart technology can mitigate vulnerability and improve well-being.Design/methodology/approachThe research group, of three scholars and three managers, pursued an action research methodology with an iterative process of planning, action and learning. The authors conducted three related action studies: (1) adopting smart technologies, (2) fostering patient engagement and (3) assessing well-being.FindingsThe adoption of sensors and wearable devices had positive impacts for both patients and caregivers. Technologies highlighted their meaning as resources to support actors' (caregivers' and vulnerable patients') activities. Smart devices as resources get integrated, stimulate change and enable new practices. For caregivers, such innovative solutions help improve their knowledge of patients and their ability to act efficiently; for vulnerable patients, they fostered engagement in daily activities to improve well-being.Originality/valueThe paper delineates an overall model (SEVP) that describes how the integration of high-tech and high touch enables patient engagement to mitigate vulnerability and improve well-being.

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-22
Author(s):  
Claudine Kearney ◽  
Padraic Dunne ◽  
William J. Wales

PurposeAmong healthcare professionals, burnout is one of the key challenges affecting organizational outcomes, employee productivity and quality of care. The knowledge of burnout and its root causes and primary contributors continues to grow yet remains limited. In many environments, an entrepreneurial orientation (EO) has been shown to dramatically improve organizational outcomes and performance. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate critical research areas at the intersection of organizational EO and employee burnout within the healthcare sector.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model which considers how EO has the potential to provide an operational context that may negate, lessen or delay the negative effects of burnout among healthcare professionals, is advanced as a useful focal point to foster research exploring connections between organizational orientation and employee well-being.FindingsInsights into how an opportunity-embracing EO characteristic of high-tech firms may shape how stress is experienced and address burnout when applied to healthcare organizations. A decrease in burnout stands to improve quality of care as well as the satisfaction of staff and patients alike, including a greater sense of autonomy, engagement, motivation and passion.Originality/valueThis research agenda proposes new insights and the need for additional research into how the manifestation of organizational EO may contribute to the field of medicine, influence burnout and enhance the well-being among healthcare professionals.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-274
Author(s):  
Liat Kulik

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine differences in work interferes with family (WIF) and family interferes with work (FIW) conflicts, their antecedents and their outcomes throughout the parenting life cycle. The following parenting stages were compared: parenthood to preschool-age children, parenthood to school-age children, parenthood to adolescents, parenthood to offspring at the launching stage and parenthood to offspring at the empty-nest stage. Design/methodology/approach The sample included 549 working parents in Israel (270 fathers and 279 mothers). The criterion for inclusion was fulfilling the dual roles of parent and paid worker. The research questionnaires were distributed in workplaces in diverse organizations: high-tech companies, government ministries, factories and business organizations. Findings Levels of WIF and FIW conflicts are highest during the early parenthood stages. Overload peaks during parenthood to adolescents and during the empty-nest stage. The later stages in the parenting life cycle (the launching and empty-nest stages) benefit parents: WIF and FIW conflicts are relatively low, mental well-being is relatively high and the number of roles that parents perform is higher than in earlier stages. Along the entire parenting life cycle, fathers experience higher levels of WIF conflict than mothers, but no gender differences were found in FIW conflict. Practical implications Public policy should encourage employers to develop a family-friendly approach and consider the needs of both parents, based on the understanding that in addition to being breadwinners, fathers and mothers today both participate in housework and in raising children. Originality/value From a theoretical perspective, the research conclusions may provide understandings for how to integrate the parental stage as a key variable in theorizing about the experience of stressors in the work–home interface.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Walsh ◽  
Paul Knott ◽  
Jamie Collins

Purpose Innovation is an essential process for growth and well-being of organisations and society in general but is difficult to manage successfully. Through a better understanding of the innovation mindsets as established strategists use them in practice, this paper aims to improve firms’ success rates of innovation. Design/methodology/approach To examine how innovation processes play out in dynamic environments, the authors undertook a longitudinal two-year multi-case study in the high-tech sector. Findings Strategists in this study showed distinct phases in their successful innovation journey with three dominant mindsets of curiosity, creativity and clarity. The curiosity phase includes actions focused on discovering and understanding the implications and significance of an opportunity. The creativity phase includes actions focused on creating and testing a wide range of options. The clarity phase consists of actions focused on resourcing and implementing change. Practical implications In adopting this framework for use in the field, the authors recommend strategists take time for discovering and getting to core understanding in the curiosity phase. They should then take action by creating and actively testing a broad range of solution ideas in the creativity phase. Finally, organisations need to take care with clear direction and communication when resourcing and implementing in the clarity phase. Originality/value This novel framework which emerged from the longitudinal field research describes the mindsets of innovation and how these are used at different phases in the innovation process.


2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 619-633
Author(s):  
Kenneth Murray

Purpose This paper aims to consider the ways organised crime exerts influence in legitimate commercial markets through its ability to act through corporate vehicles. Discussion of weaknesses in company registration procedures and the criminal justice system that enable this to happen. Development of strategic rather than tactical responses is proposed to counter it. Design/methodology/approach The paper presents case studies based on practitioner experience and discusses points that arise. Findings This paper considers the extent to which the problem represents a threat to the well-being and competitiveness of domestic commercial markets and how these threats can be most effectively addressed. Research limitations/implications This is a point of view paper authored by a practitioner with professional expertise in the field. Practical implications There is a need to develop strategic cross-agency responses to this problem. This will develop better levels of precautionary awareness of how these influences can establish footholds in commercial markets and provide a sounder basis for taking effective measures to contain and counter their influence. Social implications The social implications relate to the distorting influence of money derived from crime being deployed in legitimate spheres. Originality/value The originality/value of this paper is to raise awareness and re-invigorate discussion on the influence of organised crime in legitimate commercial markets.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 585-601
Author(s):  
Abimbola Oluwakemi Windapo ◽  
Alireza Moghayedi

PurposeThis paper examines the use of intelligent technologies in buildings and whether the use of smart technologies impacts the circular economy performance of buildings in terms of energy and water consumption, their marginal cost and the management decision time and quality, for building management companies.Design/methodology/approachThe study is initiated through the detailed build-up of the proposition that employs a systematic literature review and adopts the case study research design to make a cross-case analysis of the information extracted from data. The data are derived from the operating costs of two buildings in which most advanced smart technologies are used in Cape Town and interviews with their facility managers. These data provide two research case studies. The results of the investigation are then analysed and linked back to the literature.FindingsThe results of the research suggest that the implementation of smart technologies to create intelligent infrastructure is beneficial to the circular economy performance of buildings and the time taken for management decisions. The results of the study have proven that the impact of smart technologies on the circular economy performance of buildings is positive, as it lowers the cost of utilities and decreases the time required for management decisions.Research limitations/implicationsThe research reported in this paper is exploratory, and due to its limited sample size, its findings may not be statistically generalizable to the population of high-occupancy buildings in Cape Town, which incorporate smart infrastructure technologies within their building management systems (BMSs). Also, the empirical data collected were limited to the views and opinions of the interviewees, and the secondary data were obtained from the selected buildings.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that investment in smart technologies within buildings is of significant value and will improve the circular economy performance of buildings in terms of low energy and water use, and effective management decisions.Social implicationsThe results imply that there would be more effective maintenance decisions taken by facilities managers, which will enable the maintenance of equipment to be properly monitored, problems with the building services and equipment to be identified in good time and in improved well-being and user satisfaction.Originality/valueThe study provides evidence to support the concept that advanced smart technologies boost performance, the time required for management decisions and that they enable circularity in buildings. It supports the proposition that investment in the more advanced smart technologies in buildings has more positive rewards.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina Toni ◽  
Maria Francesca Renzi ◽  
Maria Giovina Pasca ◽  
Roberta Guglielmetti Mugion ◽  
Laura di Pietro ◽  
...  

Purpose This paper aims to study the automotive 4.0 context to understand the consumers’ propensity towards high-tech automated cars. The paper analyses the antecedents that lead to the use of innovative vehicles. Theory of planned behaviour (TPB) is adopted and extended by including further constructs, such as environmental aspects and inhibitors. Design/methodology/approach The advent of smart technologies and the internet of things has given rise to several contributions that look at consumers’ intention towards innovation adoption in the automotive industry. Furthermore, this study rises from the growing interest that sustainable mobility achieved. Based on the previous technology acceptance models and particularly TPB, this paper develops a structured questionnaire. After a pilot survey, the final questionnaire was administered online through email and social media in the Italian context. Structural equation modelling technique has been used for analysing data and testing the conceptual model. Findings The number of questionnaires filled out was 310, with a sample composed of young adults, characterised by different addiction levels towards technology. The results explain the drivers that lead to accept and adopt high-tech automated vehicles. This topic is still under investigation and offers potential research opportunities, considering the evolution of the market and the consumers’ habits and needs. Future research studies in this area should focus on generalising the present findings in other countries. Moreover, once this technology starts to be adopted, other constructs could be discovered, investigated and included in the model. Originality/value Mobility has raised a growing interest with the fast increasing demand for sustainability and growth of innovative solutions embedded in mobility. This research explores the TPB model’s application and the relation between its constructs, environmental aspects, inhibitors and intention to adopt automated vehicles. On this strength, it is possible to identify each construct’s relevance for obtaining social consensus on the market.


2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 468-491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chou-Kang Chiu ◽  
Chieh-Peng Lin ◽  
Yuan-Hui Tsai ◽  
Siew-Fong Teh

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the development of knowledge sharing from the perspectives of broaden-and-build theory and expectancy theory. Its research purpose is to understand how knowledge sharing is driven by such predictors as optimism, pessimism, and positive affect through their complex interactions with collectivism or power distance. In the proposed model of this study, knowledge sharing relates to optimism and pessimism via the partial mediation of positive affect. At the same time, the influence of optimism, pessimism, and positive affect on knowledge sharing are moderated by the national culture of collectivism and power distance, respectively. Design/methodology/approach This study’s hypotheses were empirically tested using data from high-tech firms across Taiwan and Malaysia. Of the 550 questionnaires provided to the research participants, 397 usable questionnaires were collected (total response rate of 72.18 percent), with 237 usable questionnaires from Taiwanese employees and 160 usable questionnaires from Malaysian employees. The data from Taiwan and Malaysia were pooled and analyzed using: confirmatory factor analysis for verifying data validity, independent sample t-tests for verifying the consistency with previous literature regarding cultural differences, and hierarchical regression analysis for testing relational and moderating effects. Findings This study demonstrates the integrated application of the broaden-and-build theory and expectancy theory for understanding optimism, pessimism, and positive affect in the development of knowledge sharing. The test results confirm that positive affect partially mediates the relationship between optimism and knowledge sharing and fully mediates the relationship between pessimism and knowledge sharing. Moreover, collectivism and power distance have significant moderating effects on most of the model paths between knowledge sharing and its predictors except for the relationship between pessimism and knowledge sharing. Originality/value This study extends the expectancy theory to justify how optimistic and pessimistic expectations are stable traits that dominate the way employees share their knowledge sharing. This study shows how collectivism and power distance of Hofstede’s cultural framework can be blended with the broaden-and-build theory and expectancy theory to jointly explain knowledge sharing. Besides, this study provides additional support to the adaptation theory of well-being that suggests psychosocial interventions, which manage to enhance well-being by leveraging positive affect, hold the promise of reducing stressful symptoms and boosting psychological resources among employees.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Huang ◽  
Liguo He

PurposeThe purpose of this case study is to test a moderated mediation model linking employees' perceived HRM practices to organizational citizenship behaviours (OCB) with perceived insider status as the mediator and emotional exhaustion as the moderator in a Chinese high-tech organization.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 417 Chinese employees were recruited from a large Chinese high-tech company to participate in a paper-and-pencil survey, and mediation and moderation were analysed using PROCESS macro for SPSS.FindingsPerceived insider status partially mediates the relationship between perceived HRM practices and OCB, and emotional exhaustion moderates the relationship between perceived insider status and OCB such that the strength of the relationship is stronger in employees with low emotional exhaustion levels than in employees with high emotional exhaustion levels.Practical implicationsThere is a need for organizations to promote the physical and psychological well-being of its employees in order to maximize the effectiveness of HRM practices.Originality/valueThis case study provides novel insights into how employees' perceived HRM practices elicit OCB and its boundary conditions in collectivistic cultures.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiufeng Li ◽  
Congcong Lin

PurposeWe draw on the conservation of resources theory to explore when and how a high-commitment work system (HCWS) improves employees' work well-being.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 64 branches in a high-tech company, involving 64 supervisors and 434 employees to examine the influence of branch-level HCWS on employees' work well-being at individual level.FindingsConsistent with our predictions, the results indicate that a well-designed human resource management (HRM) system (i.e. HCWS) helps to enhance employees' work well-being. Psychological empowerment is seen as an important mechanism linking HCWS with work well-being. The effects of HCWS on psychological empowerment and work well-being are significantly positive only when leader trust in employees is high.Originality/valueThis study indicates a novel resource theoretical perspective regarding the HRM system-employee well-being relationship. It provides insights into how contextual resources (HCWS) enhance employees' work well-being by potentiating the effect of personal resources (psychological empowerment). Just as the old saying goes, “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime,” the leader trust serves as a critical valve.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrícia Almeida ◽  
Luísa Agante

Purpose – The aim of this study is to assess and compare consumer skills of institutionalized children with those of family children. This paper also seeks to understand which skills might be more easily improved amongst institutionalized children with a single intervention of classroom instruction. Design/methodology/approach – This paper conducted a pilot study with a sample composed of two subgroups (38 institutionalized children and 36 non-institutionalized children). To assess children’s knowledge, a questionnaire and an interview were used. The class intervention lasted 30 minutes. Findings – Results suggest that institutionalized children have lower levels of knowledge regarding consumption-related practices and lower levels of accuracy at estimating prices than non-institutionalized children. Results also showed that, in other skills, there are no differences between institutionalized or family children, as in attitude toward advertising or in making decisions based on price/quantity evaluations or based on the use of the same strategy in different situations. Regarding the class intervention, it was concluded that it could improve the attitude toward advertising of only the institutionalized children. Originality/value – There is much research today focused on children’s ability to act as educated consumers. This research is focused mainly on children who live with their parents, but it is also important to take into consideration children who do not live in a typical family environment, the institutionalized children, because they will also become consumers. Research on institutionalized children is focused on evaluating their development and well-being and does not assess consumer competencies and skills.


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