Conflict management as an organizational capacity: survey of hospital managers in healthcare organizations

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Vesperi ◽  
Marzia Ventura ◽  
Concetta Lucia Cristofaro

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. The first objective is to outline the main theoretical framework on the conflict style phenomenon; the second purpose is to understand the conflict style in a sample of Medical Health Manager. Design/methodology/approach The authors based this research on qualitative-quantitative analysis. This study starts with a survey questionnaire as a method to collect quantitative data. Therefore, the authors conducted a survey on the style of conflict management of hospital managers with subordinates. A modified version of the Rahim Organizational Conflict Inventory II (ROCI II) (Rahim, 1983) – Module B is used. This instrument is composed of 28 entries. Findings The results of this study offer a double perspective. From a theoretical point of view, the results highlight the main theoretical references related to conflict management. In particular, the main currents of study and the results of empirical evidence have been identified within organizational theory. The empirical part of this study, instead, offers a survey, carried out through the administration of the ROCI II – module B questionnaire. Originality/value This paper offers interesting food for thought on conflict management. In particular, it offers theoretical references on the subject and on the validation of the ROCI II - Form B model, in health organizations.

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 1228-1250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lidia Sanchez-Ruiz ◽  
Beatriz Blanco ◽  
Emma Diaz

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to define a general and common construct in order to measure the level of difficulty companies experience when they implement continuous improvement (CI). Additionally, a rank of barriers is obtained together with a rank of companies. Design/methodology/approach In order to achieve the objective, first, a literature review is carried out to specify the domain of the construct; second, a sample of items is selected; third a survey is carried out in companies that have already implemented CI initiatives, the results being thus limited to this population; fourth, measures are purified by analysing the reliability and validity of the measurements, and finally results are obtained. The Rasch measurement theory will be used to provide a new perspective on a mature research topic. Findings It can be concluded that a new valid construct has been defined together with a rank of CI barriers, being lack of time the main barrier. A rank of companies is also obtained which is a first step in the development of future research studies. Practical implications Managers are provided with a better understanding of the barriers that can obstruct CI implementation. Thus, the rank of CI barriers guides managers through the most common and important obstacles so that they will be able to plan better CI strategies. In addition, the rank of companies allows each company to undertake a benchmarking exercise. Originality/value This work proposes a new way of analysing the difficulty in implementing CI as a continuum, rather than as independent barriers. From a theoretical point of view, it defines a new construct and offers a rank of CI barriers together with a rank of companies based on their level of difficulty when implementing CI initiatives. This is something new, as previous studies were mainly focussed on the items side. From a practical point of view, this study offers the surveyed companies the opportunity to see how they are positioned with respect to the other companies. Moreover, this rank of companies is the foundation on which to develop further studies with a practical orientation in the future.


Bastina ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 95-109
Author(s):  
Đurđina Isić

The paper presents the results of research that included comparative study of the place and role of female characters in selected and representative comedies by Serbian comedigrapher Branislav Nušić (eng. MP, Suspicious person, Mrs Minister, Bereaved family, Dr, Deceased; srb. Narodni poslanik, Sumnjivo lice, Ožalošćena porodica, Dr, Pokojnik, Vlast) and Bulgarian comedigrapher Stefan Kostov (eng. Gold mine, Golemanov, Grasshoppers, Nameless comedy; blg. Zlamnama mina, Golemanov, Skakalci, Komediâ bez ime) in order to find similarities and differences in the process of comedigraphic shaping of female characters in the work of these two authors. The subject of the research was viewed primarily from a literary-theoretical point of view, and the dominant methods of study were comparative and analytical-synthetic. During the research, there was a differentiation of female characters in accordance with their motivational structures, psychological assemblies and the nature of the place and the role they play in the social environment in which they are located. Therefore, we can distinguish female characters who live in the province and who are fully representative of the small-town spirit, female characters who live in the capital and are a symbol of the modern age and female characters who dwell in the capital, but in fact, deeply down still carry a small-town view of the world. The structure of this paper is in line with this distinction. Conclusions made at the end of the study show that the representation of female characters in analyzed comedies of both comedigaphers is highly similar in its nature.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 412-420 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandr Gudkov ◽  
Elena Dedkova ◽  
Kristina Dudina

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss recent developments in the Russian tourism industry and the main reasons for new initiatives in local destination development.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on qualitative research methodology. A summary of key literature is presented alongside the analysis of the survey results.FindingsThis paper sheds light on the challenges and changes that took place in the Russian tourism business between 2014 and 2017. The subject is poorly covered in academic literature. The basic data for analysis presented in official statistics are scarce. Therefore a more effective way of obtaining relevant information was to conduct a survey using a semi-structured questionnaire, with tourism business actors as respondents.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper provides mostly conceptual analysis based on limited empirical data; directions for further empirical research are proposed in the conclusion.Originality/valueThe paper reveals something of the impact of economic and geopolitical factors, both negative and positive ones, on the restructuring of the Russian tourism market and the emergence of promising opportunities for the development of new domestic destinations. As a result, tourism market actors are able to become more diverse.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisca Castilla-Polo ◽  
María Del Consuelo Ruiz-Rodríguez

PurposeThe purpose of this research objective was to analyse social reporting within MERCO Business companies both from the point of view of the quantity of information disclosed and the references about their quality. This approach constitutes a novelty with respect to previous literature on the subject.Design/methodology/approachThis paper assesses how social reporting is being carried out by the companies included in the MERCO Corporate Reputation Business Monitor, MERCO Business, during the period 2014–2016. The methodological design include the construction of a weighted index based on two unweighted indexes related to the quantity revealed and the quality detected. In addition, this study integrates intellectual capital and social responsibility approaches in order to deep into these voluntary disclosures.FindingsWhile social reporting is considerable from a quantitative point of view within MERCO Business companies, they do not reach very high levels of quality, which is good to counteract the final value of the quantity–quality index that the authors' propose.Research limitations/implicationsIn MERCO Business companies, quantity is not a proxy for quality within social reporting. In this sense, only considering both dimensions it will be possible to assess these disclosures in a more complete way.Practical implicationsThis study allows a more accurate and comparable view of social reporting than those studies that only focus on how much information is disclosed. Besides, it involves an important advance in the identification of the relative quality of social reporting, opening a new line of research that will be key to comparing this type of disclosures in a more homogeneous way. Likewise, the results can be applied in future studies in the intellectual capital field given the complementarity between both types of disclosures.Social implicationsLikewise, these results will be of interest for future actions aimed at regulating the improvement of the quality of social reporting in the hands of managers, investors and regulators.Originality/valueThe authors have tested the value of quality in social reporting using a weighted index amongst the most reputable companies in the Spanish scenario. These disclosures have been compared with and without the use of it in order to deduce its value to obtain valid conclusions about social reporting.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-322
Author(s):  
Abel Duarte Alonso ◽  
Seng Kok ◽  
Seamus O'Brien

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of winery owners/managers concerning the impacts of Brexit on the Spanish wine sector and propose a theoretical framework based on the extant organisational resilience literature to facilitate an understanding of this concept. The framework facilitates understanding of this concept through the perspective of winery operators. Design/methodology/approach Attendance at a large Spanish wine fair in 2017 allowed for brief face-to-face interviews with owners and export managers of 156 predominantly micro and small Spanish wineries. The data were analysed through qualitative content analysis. Findings Despite the general sense of uncertainty and negative perceptions regarding the outcomes of Brexit, the interviews revealed various forms of resilient responses, including ongoing efforts seeking to broaden the scope for exports into new, niche markets alongside more traditional ones. These findings have important implications for businesses engaged in international business, particularly in the wine industry, where the potential challenges resulting from a major political decision can exacerbate existing issues of competition. Originality/value From a practical perspective, this study examines an emerging issue with potential consequences for international business. From a theoretical point of view, the proposed framework provides a baseline to illuminate the understanding of the links and stages following turbulence within organisations. Notably, the activation of responses emphasises the importance of developing a resilient organisational culture, as well as developing internal and enabling factors and bundles of resources that help create firm capabilities.


2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rossouw von Solms ◽  
Melanie Willett

Purpose This paper aims to provide guidance on cloud computing assurance from an IT governance point of view. The board and executive management are tasked with ensuring proper governance of organizations, which should in the end contribute to a sense of assurance. Assurance is understood to be a part of corporate governance which provides stakeholders with confidence in a subject matter by evaluating evidence about that subject matter. Evidence will include proof that proper controls and structures are in place, that risks are managed and that compliance with internal and external requirements is demonstrated with regard to the subject matter. Decisions regarding the use of cloud computing in organizations bring these responsibilities to the fore. Design/methodology/approach The design of this paper is based on an extensive review of literature, predominantly best practices and standards, from the fields covering IT governance, cloud computing and assurance. Findings The results from this paper can be used to formulate cloud computing assurance evidence statements, as part of IT governance mandates. Originality/value This paper aims to add value by highlighting the responsibility of managers to ensure assurance when exploiting opportunities presented through IT advances, such as cloud computing; serving to inform management about the advances that have and are being made in the field of cloud computing guidelines; and motivating that these guidelines be used for assurance on behalf of organizations adopting and using cloud computing.


2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 584-601
Author(s):  
Bijan Bidabad

PurposeEstablishing peace, security and discipline for individuals, nations and states in contemporary international order is of the highest importance at the present time. Regularization should be done through approaching natural rights of individuals and also through observing humanistic characteristics and ethics. The aim of this paper is to introduce a legal base to promote international relations. Design/methodology/approachA draft for International Relation Declaration based on Islamic Sufi teachings has been compiled, and actually it is an abstract of an extended survey on the subject and opinions in relation to the current international problems. FindingsThis draft has been codified in three main topics of public international law, foreign policy and diplomacy. Research limitations/implicationsTo conclude the draft, it should be scrutinized by many scholars in different disciplines, in the next step. Practical implicationsAs the mystical characteristics of Sufism and Gnosticism of all religions (Tariqa) are all united and based upon love towards the Creator and consequently towards the creatures of God, these provisions could be agreed upon and put into practice. Social implicationsDelicateness, truthfulness and righteousness of Islamic Sufism, which is the gist of all those elites’ divine messages for thousands of years, one after another, can be of a great help to regulate international relations. Originality/valueInternational Law scholars have not looked at this subject matter from the Sufism viewpoint. This paper will shed a light on this point of view from other angles related to the international law such as politics, law and institutions.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 280-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg von Schnurbein ◽  
Peter Seele ◽  
Irina Lock

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to add to a better understanding of relationship of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate philanthropy. The authors argue that corporate philanthropy is exclusive to CSR because of their different characteristics. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a profound literature review and discusses the relationship of CSR and corporate philanthropy from a theoretical point of view. By conceptually combining the CSR pyramid and the triple bottom line approach, the authors show that corporate philanthropy has a special role outside of the classical CSR concept. Findings Four fundaments of corporate philanthropy – economic, motivational, creative and moral – are described that illustrate the importance and outstanding role of corporate philanthropy for today’s businesses. Based on these, the authors formulate three new forms of corporate giving, volunteering and foundations, which the authors subsume under the novel notion of “exclusive corporate philanthropy”. Research limitations/implications The main contribution of this paper for future research is to regard corporate philanthropy as exclusive to CSR. Future studies might, therefore, consider the different characteristics of corporate philanthropy and engage in an empirical investigation of this new type. Practical implications The model of exclusive corporate philanthropy presented in this paper provides practitioners with a better understanding of how corporate philanthropy can be rolled out today. Originality/value This paper offers a new perspective on the relationship of CSR and corporate philanthropy. Based on the economic, motivational, creative and moral characteristics of corporate philanthropy, the authors establish a clear distinction between the two concepts.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 308-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonino Galati ◽  
Maria Crescimanno ◽  
Salvatore Tinervia ◽  
Dario Siggia

Purpose The purpose of this paper is dual. The first is to assess the quality of websites of Italian wineries, using the Web Assessment Index (WAI), and compare e-commerce and e-marketing websites. The second is to verify the existence of a relationship between the website quality and business revenue, on one hand, and the characteristics of managers, on the other. Design/methodology/approach A two-step survey was carried out to respond to the aims of the study. First, a sample of wineries was contacted to capture information on both the wineries and managerial characteristics. On the basis of the observed data, a second step of the analysis was performed taking into consideration 84 wineries having a website. The website quality has been evaluated by WAI, and afterwards, it has been related to the internal business factors previously identified. Findings Findings show that the website quality is higher in e-commerce websites than in e-marketing websites, and that business revenue and the education level of managers have a positive influence on the websites’ quality. Research limitations/implications The results of the study need to be interpreted within the context for which this research was designed and cannot be applied generally to all businesses. Practical implications Findings have some theoretical and practical implications. From a theoretical point of view, this study validates the WAI model in the wine sector. From a managerial perspective, results are useful both for wineries creating an online presence for the first time, and for those already existing which, and for system designers of websites. Originality/value Very few empirical studies have been conducted on the relationship between website quality, business performance and managerial characteristics.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matias Escuder ◽  
Martin Tanco ◽  
Andres Muñoz-Villamizar ◽  
Javier Santos

PurposeUrban logistics presents a series of challenges, as the interests of the different stakeholders are not always aligned. The aim of this research is to explore the potential of applying Lean principles to reduce waste in urban logistics.Design/methodology/approachAs a structure for “going to gemba,” the authors implemented the shadowing technique to better understand the perspective of companies distributing products in the city of Montevideo, Uruguay. Then, meetings were conducted to validate the observations by the people shadowed.FindingsThe results show that most of shipper's time is dedicated to waiting (59%), which is followed by driving (22%), and only a small section of time was dedicated to unloading and verification activities (19%). Although collaborative solutions are needed along with the different stakeholders, this research highlights how deploying Lean thinking can improve significantly urban logistics achieving up to 25% improvement in the number of stores served per shift.Practical implicationsFrom an academic point of view, this study emphasizes the importance of continue applying and evaluating the Lean practices into transportation contexts. From a company's perspective, the authors have presented a list of propositions that can be implemented for carriers in order to reduce waste and/or improve the efficiency of the urban transportation process.Originality/valueBased on the literature review carried out, the subject study of Lean and its application to urban logistics remains mostly unexplored in the scientific literature.


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