Why are companies still struggling to reach higher continuous improvement maturity levels? Empirical evidence from high performance companies

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Jurburg ◽  
Elisabeth Viles ◽  
Carmen Jaca ◽  
Martin Tanco
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Measurement System ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Basque Country ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Northern Spain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performing

Purpose – Continuous improvement (CI) is regarded as a powerful approach to achieve business excellence. However, the implementation is not simple as it involves managing a considerable amount of tangible and intangible factors throughout the whole organization. The purpose of this paper is to fill the gap by presenting first-hand information about how companies really implement and organize their CI processes. Design/methodology/approach – The study was based on semi-structured interviews in ten high performing companies in the Basque Country, a region in northern Spain well known for its business quality. The objective was to analyze the state of their CI processes, putting special focus on how the organizational structure integrates with the CI processes and what are the characteristics of the corresponding measurement system. Findings – The study shows a lack of company-wide focus on CI, little written evidence of previous improvement activities, unclear improvement process owner, and poor use of adequate measurement systems to monitor CI. Practical implications – Managers should understand that is not enough to guarantee their own commitment and provide the structure, since in order to become learning organization, a different holistic approach towards the CI process must be adopted. Originality/value – While most previous work on this field have focused primarily on how to implement different techniques in order to achieve better productive performance, this study presents empirical research from a more holistic approach, assessing the characteristics affecting CI by considering strategy, structure, and the measurement system.

Achieving leadership behavior change at scale

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 309-318
Author(s):  
Tom Rose
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Change ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Leadership Behavior ◽  
Leadership Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Examples ◽  
High Performing ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Not For Profit ◽  
New Research

Purpose The growing force of disruptive change is creating whitewater work environments across the profit and not-for-profit world. To help leaders overcome the challenge of achieving improvements in leadership performance, this study aims to outline research and case examples that illustrate a four-point roadmap for improving this performance at scale. Design/methodology/approach The study summarizes new research on leadership and organizational high performance and practices that drive high performance today. It relates these finding to trends evidenced in the work being done by HR organizations and the consulting firms that serve them. It then outlines an evidence-based roadmap for achieving improvements in leadership performance that HR organizations can adopt to achieve improvements in leadership performance. Findings Successful organizations intervene at four leverage points to meet the challenge achieving the shifts in leadership behavior needed for success in today’s permanent whitewater environments. These organizations are focusing on two types of leadership, leveraging two approaches to its development and are leveraging critical enablers that benefit from strong alignments within HR and between HR and their business leader colleagues. Originality/value The study highlights new research finding and research-based models of leadership performance that meet the demands of today’s workplace. It synthesizes a new four-point roadmap to success from trends discovered in recent research on leadership, technology-assisted behavior change and organizational effectiveness, as well as in the example of in high-performing organizations.

Consumer engagement in online brand communities: a social media perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurence Dessart ◽  
Cleopatra Veloutsou ◽  
Anna Morgan-Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Consumer Engagement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Online Brand Communities ◽  
Social Media Platforms ◽  
Online Brand Community ◽  
Conceptual Relationships

Purpose – This paper aims to delineate the meaning, conceptual boundaries and dimensions of consumer engagement within the context of online brand communities both in term of the engagement with the brand and the other members of the online brand communities. It also explores the relationships of consumer engagement with other concepts, suggesting antecedents of engagement. Design/methodology/approach – Data are collected through semi-structured interviews with 21 international online brand community members, covering a variety of brand categories and social media platforms. Findings – This paper suggests that individuals are engaging in online communities in social network platforms both with other individuals and with brands. The study also identifies three key engagement dimensions (cognition, affect and behaviours). Their meaning and sub-dimensions are investigated. The paper further suggests key drivers, one outcome and objects of consumer engagement in online brand communities. These findings are integrated in a conceptual framework. Research limitations/implications – Further research should aim at comparing consumer engagement on different social media and across brand categories, as this study takes a holistic approach and does not focus on any particular category of brands or social media. Consumers’ views should also be evaluated against and compared with marketing managers’ understanding of consumer engagement. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the fast-growing and fragmented consumer engagement literature by refining the understanding of its dimensions and situating it in a network of conceptual relationships. It focusses on online brand communities in rich social media contexts to tap into the core social and interactive characteristics of engagement.

The refugee crisis as a preparation stage for future exclusion

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 637-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikolaos Xypolytas
Keyword(s):  
Country Of Origin ◽  
Migration Policy ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Intermediate Stage ◽  
Refugee Crisis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Host Countries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Preparation Stage ◽  
Of Greece

Purpose Using the holistic approach to migrant exclusion, the purpose of this paper is to examine the refugee crisis as a preparation stage for future exclusion in the host countries. In previous migration analyses, the preparation stage involved only the country of origin, where people were becoming acclimatized to casual and low-status work and an ethos of survival. In the refugee crisis, this important stage spans across three spaces: the country of origin, Turkey as an intermediate stage and the hotspots of Greece. Design/methodology/approach This is a qualitative research that was based on 22 semi-structured interviews with refugees from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan who live in the hotspot of Moria which is situated in Lesvos, Greece. Findings The research shows that in the first two countries of the preparation stage, refugees have become accustomed to casual and low-status jobs, which results in the loss of their labor identity and the development of instrumental work orientations. Similarly, the living conditions at the hotspots are so problematic that refugees are becoming desperate to escape this environment. These can have serious consequences for integration in the host countries, as refugees become pacified and at the same time strongly inclined to enter casual and low-status employment. Both developments can drastically undermine the refugees’ relation to the societies of the host countries. Originality/value The paper suggests that, given the preparation stage in these three settings, migration policy in the host countries should focus on recognizing long marginalization processes, immediately decongesting the hotspots and pay particular emphasis on the acknowledgment or creation of skills that can distance refugees from casual and low-status work.

Kaizen, a continuous improvement practice in organizations

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 255-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karla María Alvarado-Ramírez ◽  
Víctor Hipólito Pumisacho-Álvaro ◽  
José Ángel Miguel-Davila ◽  
Manuel F. Suárez Barraza
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Latin American ◽  
The State ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Managerial Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Companies ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Latin American Countries

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare the practices of continuous improvement that are applied in medium and large manufacturing and service companies in two Latin American countries. At the same time, benefits and barriers experienced by these companies with regard to sustainability of continuous improvement are explored.Design/methodology/approachIn order to generate a comparative study between two Latin American countries, interviews were conducted with managers linked to continuous improvement in medium and large companies in the State of Puebla and the Metropolitan District of Quito, which are important areas in Mexico and Ecuador, respectively. Data were collected by means of document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and direct observation.FindingsCompanies in both countries identify the use of various techniques and/or tools for continuous improvement. The results of the empirical evidence show how the impact of the application of the techniques has been beneficial in economic and human terms. Thus, the exploratory study has permitted the identification of the drivers and inhibitors in the maintenance of continuous improvement.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is based on only two areas of the Latin American countries: Mexico and Ecuador. Their results can therefore not be generalized. The approach is applied in a specific environment, namely, the State of Puebla and the Metropolitan District of Quito. This study incorporates the perception of managers, directors, and/or supervisors involved in continuous improvement processes.Practical implicationsThis paper seeks to provide analytical input. The study is of great interest to researchers, managers, consultants, and professionals linked to projects of continuous improvement who wish to incorporate continuous improvement practices which are sustainable over time. A new managerial behavior is the basis of continuous improvement, where the training and development of the human resource increases the commitment to achieve organizational changes.Originality/valueThis research makes an empirical contribution to the literature through the understanding of practices of continuous improvement in a Latin American context, highlighting the factors that improve or impede the process of continuous improvement. Particularly in Mexico and Ecuador, the empirical evidence on this subject is still scarce despite the existence of theoretical academic literature.

Increasing organisational attractiveness

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 124-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
André de Waal
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Performance Level ◽  
Quality Level ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performing ◽  
Customer Complaints ◽  
Positive Feeling ◽  
Study Results ◽  
High Performance Level

Purpose Happiness at work (HAW) is receiving much attention in the literature, as HAW seems to have a positive effect on organisational performance, such as in increase of productivity, lower turnover of employees and less customer complaints. There is however no research into the relation between HAW and the attractiveness of an organisation. It stands to reason that people who are happier at work are also happier about their organisation and express this to their family and friends. Having an attractive organisation is becoming increasingly important as the world is currently experiencing an economic boom creating shortages of qualified personnel. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach A possible way of creating an attractive organisation is by transforming the workplace into a high-performing organisation (HPO). The study described in this paper is looking in this respect at three hypotheses: H1. Higher HAW will increase the attractiveness of the organisation; H2. Becoming an HPO will increase HAW; and H3. Becoming an HPO will increase the attractiveness of the organisation. A large-scale survey of Dutch managers and employees was undertaken in which the respondents were asked their opinion of the high-performance level and attractiveness of their organisation, and their happiness with their job and organisation. Findings The study results show that the three hypotheses are basically confirmed. Increasing the happiness of work of employees, in general, raises the feeling of how attractive the organisation is to the employees themselves and to the external world. However, this positive feeling is mainly true for the work itself but not so much for how committed employees feel to the organisation. Practical implications Organisations now have knowledge at their disposal about ways to promote happiness in their employees, thus raising their attractiveness to current and future employees. Originality/value The study results indicate that senior management has to make more effort to raise the quality level of the organisation, preferably towards the high performance level, in order for employees to start feeling more committed to their organisation. This is because the study results show that transforming an organisation into a high-performance entity increases happiness of employees at work significantly, especially about their work and in a lesser degree with the commitment they feel towards the organisation itself. This result has not been found before, so this research provides managers for the first time with a validated way to help their staff to become happier and more productive.

A qualitative exploration of young people and prison officers’ experiences of empathy within a young offenders’ institution

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Anne Tarrant ◽  
Alison Torn
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Institutional Investment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Relationship Factors ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to explore the ways in which young people and prison staff (Prison Officers) within a youth custodial establishment experience empathy. Previous research tends to view empathy as a stable trait and one which people can develop through individual-centred therapy. There has been little consideration of the impact of relationship factors and context in relation to empathy experience and expression. The current study aims to address this by exploring the role of the custodial context in shaping empathy, including the potential impact of relationships, environmental factors and culture. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was used to enable breadth and depth in the exploration of this area. Individual, semi-structured interviews were carried out with a purposive sample of three young people and three Prison Officers. Data was analysed using inductive thematic analysis informed by the guidelines of Braun and Clarke (2006) and King and Horrocks (2010). Findings Constructed themes included “constructions of empathy”, “recipe for empathy”, “institutional investment”, “the value of empathy” and “doing empathy”. Together, they provide detailed insight into the interplay of personal and wider contextual factors influencing the experience of empathy in a custodial setting. The findings suggest that the way in which young people and staff experience empathy in the custodial environment is unique. The findings suggest that empathy takes place within the context of relationships and is influenced by the nature of those relationships, along with the wider social context within which it occurs. Practical implications The findings of the current study support a move away from understanding empathy as an individual personality trait and instead viewing it as a dynamic experience that is changeable based upon the relationship and the context within which it occurs. The findings suggest that interventions aiming to develop empathy should look beyond the level of the individual and the relationship and focus upon developing environments that are supportive of empathy. Originality/value This study provides unique insights into the subjective experience of empathy in a custodial setting, presenting as one of the first to take a more holistic approach to understand this phenomenon.

scholarly journals Enactments of a “holistic approach” in two Danish welfare institutions accommodating young adults with offending behavior and drug use experiences

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 208-219
Author(s):  
Maria Dich Herold ◽  
Cecilia Rand ◽  
Vibeke Asmussen Frank
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Institutional Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Complex Problems ◽  
Welfare Institutions ◽  
Offending Behavior ◽  
Offending Behaviour

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss how a “holistic approach” is enacted in two interventions accommodating the same target group, young adults with offending behaviour and drug use experiences, but offered in very different contexts, the Prison Service and the community. The aim is to show how enactments of a “holistic approach”, although similar on paper, differ in welfare institutional practices due especially to organisational and structural conditions. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on qualitative semi-structured interviews and written material from and about the two interventions. Findings Different enactments of a “holistic approach”, due to organisational and structural conditions of the interventions, construct different possibilities for institutional identities. These insights could be useful to take into consideration when discussing prevention initiatives (in a broad sense) for young people with complex problems, including co-occurring offending behaviour and drug use experience. Originality/value Research with a focus on citizens with complex problems who do not comply with OR conform to standard welfare institutions are limited. The authors contribute to this literature by focussing on young adults with offending behaviour and drug experiences.

scholarly journals Systems thinking and CMM for continuous improvement in the construction industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 271-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Temitope Seun Omotayo ◽  
Prince Boateng ◽  
Oluyomi Osobajo ◽  
Adekunle Oke ◽  
Loveline Ifeoma Obi
Keyword(s):  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Financial Risk ◽  
System Thinking ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Maturity Model ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Culture ◽  
Construction Companies ◽  
Capability Maturity

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a capability maturity model (CMM) developed to implement continuous improvement in small and medium scale construction companies (SMSCC) in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach A multi-strategy approach involving qualitative studies of SMSCC in Nigeria was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposively selected construction experts in Nigeria to identify variables essential for continuous improvement in SMSCC. Data collected were thematically analysed using NVIVO. Subsequently, a system thinking approach is employed to design and develop the CMM for implementing continuous improvement SMSCC, by exploring possible relationships between the variables established. Findings CMM provided a five-level approach for the inclusion of investigated variables such as team performance; culture; structure; post-project reviews, financial risk management, waste management policy and cost control. These variables are factors leading to continuous improvement in SMSCC, implementable within a six to seven and a half years’ timeline. Practical implications The system thinking model revealed cogent archetypes in the form of reinforcing loops that can be applied in developing the performance of SMSCC. Continuous improvement is feasible. However, it takes time to implement. Further longitudinal studies on the cost of implementing continuous improvement through CMM a knowledge transfer project can be initiated. Originality/value A methodical strategy for enhancing the effectiveness and operations of SMSCC in developing countries can be extracted from the causal loop diagram and the CMM.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Cefotaxime-Resistant Escherichia coli Isolates from Healthy Cattle and Sheep in Northern Spain: Phenotypic and Genome-Based Characterization of Antimicrobial Susceptibility

2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (15) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maitane Tello ◽  
Medelin Ocejo ◽  
Beatriz Oporto ◽  
Ana Hurtado
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Resistance ◽  
Resistance Genes ◽  
Antimicrobial Susceptibility ◽  
Basque Country ◽  
Northern Spain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Coli ◽  
Extended Spectrum ◽  
Cattle Herds ◽  
Cattle And Sheep

ABSTRACT In order to estimate herd-level prevalence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase/AmpC β-lactamase (ESBL/AmpC)- and carbapenemase-producing commensal Escherichia coli in ruminants in the Basque Country (northern Spain), a cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2014 to 2016 in 300 herds using selective isolation. ESBL-/AmpC-producing E. coli was isolated in 32.9% of dairy cattle herds, 9.6% of beef cattle herds, and 7.0% of sheep flocks. No carbapenemase-producing E. coli was isolated. Phenotypic antimicrobial susceptibility determined by broth microdilution using EUCAST epidemiological cutoff values identified widespread coresistance to extended-spectrum cephalosporins and other antimicrobials (110/135 isolates), particularly tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and ciprofloxacin. All isolates were susceptible to tigecycline, imipenem, meropenem, and colistin. The genomes of 66 isolates were sequenced using an Illumina NovaSeq 6000 and screened for antimicrobial resistance determinants against ResFinder and PointFinder. The plasmid/chromosomal locations of resistance genes were predicted with PlasFlow, and plasmid replicons were identified using PlasmidFinder. Fifty-two acquired resistance genes and point mutations in another four genes that coded for resistance to 11 antimicrobial classes were identified. Fifty-five genomes carried ESBL-encoding genes, blaCTX-M-14 being the most common, and 11 carried determinants of the AmpC phenotype, mostly the blaCMY-2 gene. Additionally, genes coding for β-lactamases of the CTX-M group 9 were detected as well as the sporadic presence of blaSHV-12, blaCMY-4, and a point mutation in the ampC promoter. Only a bovine isolate coharbored more than one ESBL/AmpC genetic determinant (blaCTX-M-14 and a mutation in the ampC promoter), confirming its ESBL- and AmpC β-lactamase-producing phenotype. Most ESBL/AmpC genes were located in IncI1 plasmids, which also carried a great variety of other antimicrobial resistance genes. IMPORTANCE Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)- and AmpC β-lactamase (AmpC)-producing E. coli isolates have emerged in recent years as some of the fastest spreading antimicrobial resistance determinants in humans and food-producing animals, becoming a concern for animal and public health. This study provided insight into the prevalence of cefotaxime-resistant E. coli in cattle and sheep in the Basque Country and the associated genetic determinants of antimicrobial resistance. These constituted an important contribution to the limited repository of such data for cattle in the region and for sheep worldwide. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing by phenotypic and molecular methods is key in surveillance programs to enhance early detection of resistance development, monitor resistance trends, and provide guidance to clinicians in selecting the adequate therapy.

Women bus drivers and organizational change

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel Sanchez de Miguel ◽  
Izarne Lizaso ◽  
Maider Larranaga ◽  
Juan Jose Arrospide
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Change ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Northern Spain ◽  
Bus Drivers ◽  
Traditional Role ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Bus Driver ◽  
Urban Bus

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the gender practices of a female urban bus driver who retired after 40 years (1967-2007) in an urban bus company in northern Spain. The main objective of this study was to explore and understand the move from irreflexive to reflexive practices from a gender perspective, and to uncover new key aspects relating to the influence of women in organizational changes. Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative exploratory study (interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA)) contains semi-structured interviews which explore, using a process of analytic induction, the personal- and work-related experiences of a woman who was a pioneer in the traditionally male-dominated field of urban bus services. In order to obtain a broader overview of the organization, and using the same method, four other female bus drivers from the same company were also interviewed, along with the personnel manager. Findings – Three different situations are presented. The first summarizes the woman’s personal motivations and hesitations during the 1960s regarding her decision to become a bus driver, occurring during her adolescence and pre-professional phase; the second illustrates the organizational and social reactions triggered by the (visible) presence of a lone woman in a traditionally male professional environment (resistance); and finally, the third situation shows the empowerment and organizational change which occurred, focussing on the possible deconstruction of the masculine hegemony at the heart of the organization. Originality/value – The IPA points to a new level of visibility of this transgressed traditional role, which combined both individual and collective actions. Her experiences recount how she overcame individual, organizational and social barriers. The authors suggest a new interpretation of this visibility, enabling us to imagine gender practice as an intersection of people, organizational change and society.

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