scholarly journals Avant Healthcare: Building Competitive Advantages From Customer Service

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Carrick

This case examines the importance of customer service in the modern economy. In order to do so, it presents the findings from a case study on Avant Healthcare. In-depth interviews were conducted with two executives from the firm and then the interviews were systemically analyzed. The results give a clear example of how firms can build competitive advantages from customer service.

Author(s):  
Debby Christyna Marina ◽  
Ahmad Mulyana

This study aims to analyze how the use of digital facilities as a form of transition to technological innovation for Indonesia's local millennial. Technology Innovation Transition is an action to change the old work system to a new work system, starting from the conventional one to more sophisticated technology. In this context, the transition of technological innovation has become part of the customer service industry, one of the biggest users of digital facilities is local millennial, in this study the researchers narrowed the scope of millennial discussion, researchers focused more on Indonesian local millennial. The theory used to analyze is the theory of innovation and other supporting theories. This study uses a qualitative method with a case study approach and data collection techniques by means of in-depth interviews with informants and field observations to answer the results of the research. The results of the study show that certain levels of local Indonesian millennial capabilities have not really been able to fully adapt to sophisticated technological innovations as a form of transition.


2021 ◽  
Vol 33 ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Rosa Icela Ojeda Martínez ◽  
Luis Cejudo Espinoza

Through a case study, the article analyzes how the practice of sexual assault is a way to pressure indigenous people to leave their territories. It is discussed how some aspects of the O’dami worldview are related to embodied cognition. The study methodology is qualitative and ethnographic, consisting mainly of in-depth interviews. The analysis departs from an interdisciplinary approach between anthropology and cognitive sciences. The results show that O’dami culture establishes a link between body, soul, and nature. It is concluded that to analyze violence against indigenous women and girls, it is necessary to do so in an integral manner, including cultural dimensions. The main limitation was the insecurity that prevails in the studied region, which prevented visits to the community. Therefore, interviews were conducted in the city of Chihuahua.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 190-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neeta Baporikar ◽  
Geoffrey Nambira ◽  
Geroldine Gomxos

Purpose This study aims to explore factors hindering small and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) growth in Khomas region in Nambia. Methodology/design/approach Methodology adopted is qualitative approach with a case study research design including in-depth interviews and deep observations. Findings Findings indicate that these SMEs experience stealing, security problems and fights from the customers, which hinder business growth. In addition, though they understand the importance of technology in boosting business growth, they are not able to keep the pace with changing technology, which impacts their business development. It was further found that access to finance, appropriate marketing strategies, lack of skilled manpower and poor customer service also hinder their business growth. Research limitations/implications The special aspect of case study design is that it defines the delimitation of the research study and may find it necessary to adjust the boundaries that in any case have initially been determined arbitrarily. Being a case approach, it may be difficult to generalize for all kinds of SMEs. Practical implications The problem faced by business owners as explored in this study brings a further dimension to the current literature on factors that hinder growth of SMEs. According to literature studies on factors hindering business growth, especially for SMEs selling alcoholic beverages, factors such as fighting, stealing and insulting as found in this study provide a new dimension on popular businesses especially in high-density areas or locations as they are popularly known in Namibia. Originality/value The originality of this study is the line of business - SMEs selling alcoholic beverages. This line of business is very popular and many venture into this because of the demand and profitability but because there are no studies, this paper will contribute and provide a framework to ensure success and business growth for future entrepreneurs in this line of business.


Author(s):  
Naomi HERTZ

Intensive manual labor enterprises in the developed world face challenges competing with products imported from countries where manufacturing costs are low. This reduces the volume of domestic production and leads to rapid loss of knowledge and experience in production processes. This study focuses on the Israeli footwear industry as a case study. Qualitative methodologies were applied, including in-depth interviews and field observations. A literature review on previous research, and contemporary trends was conducted. The field research examines challenges along the value chain in small factories. It finds that mass production paradigms impose a decentralized process between designers and manufacturers and therefore do not leverage local potential into a sustainable competitive advantage for small factories. The proposed solution is a digital and technological platform for small manufacturing plants. The platform mediates and designs the connections between production, technology, and design and enables the creation of a joint R&D system.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Franciscus Adi Prasetyo ◽  
Jajang Gunawijaya

Self-stigma experienced by people who experience schizophrenia has influence on reduced self-esteem, on powerlessness, the weakening of hope, and a motivation towards recovery. The aim of this study is to explain the efforts of people suffering schizophrenia to manage their self-stigma through self-control, using a case study approach. Based on the purposive sampling technique, five people with schizophrenia were selected as the cases to be studied. Data collection techniques utilized in-depth interviews, observation, and documentary studies. The analysis of the study data employed the stages of data reduction, data display, and data verification. Improvement in study quality employed the triangulation of data sources by checking the data to determine its consistency. The results of this study indicate that people with schizophrenia who have the ability to self-control can overcome self-stigma through changes in the manner of viewing themselves, self-training through activities, having endurance, having an honest approach, being able to explain schizophrenia from a positive viewpoint, having initiative, and having a positive attitude and the courage to face challenges.


Revista Foco ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 110
Author(s):  
Rafaella Cristina Campos ◽  
Natália Fernandes Fonseca ◽  
Odemir Vieira Baeta

O objetivo é averiguar a correlação dos fatores motivacionais e produtivos no contexto institucional da Polícia Civil. O estudo de caso foi conduzido por entrevistas em profundidade com um Delegado de Polícia, um Investigador de Polícia, e um Escrivão de Polícia. A análise de conteúdo foi utilizada. Conclui-se que há evidente correlação entre o desenvolvimento de artefatos motivacionais, sejam eles de ordem ambiental ou individual, com a produtividade na instituição da Polícia Civil. Destaca-se também, que apesar do controle e avaliação dos índices de produtividade serem predominantemente burocráticos, institucionalizados e legitimados, a ligação que se estabelece com a manifestação dos artefatos motivacionais é subjetiva, relacional e intangível nas normas institucionais. Destaca-se este evento neste artigo, porque como foi visto anteriormente, tanto a natureza do trabalho, quanto o ambiente da Polícia Civil, estão em total desencontro ao desenvolvimento de produtividade e motivação no sentido clássico destas vertentes. The aims is to determine the correlation of the motivational and productive factors in the institutional context of the Civil Police. The case study was conducted by in-depth interviews with a Chief of Police, Police Investigator, and Actuary Police. The content analysis was used for fixed grid. It is concluded that there is clear correlation between the development of motivational artifacts, whether environmental or individual order, with productivity in the civil police institution. Also noteworthy is that despite the control and evaluation of productivity indexes were predominantly bureaucratic, institutionalized and legitimized, the connection that is established with the manifestation of motivational artifacts is subjective, relational and intangible assets in the institutional rules. It highlights this event in this article, because as discussed above, both the nature of the work, as the environment of the Civil Police, are in complete disagreement with the development of productivity and motivation in the classical sense of the aforementioned areas.


NASPA Journal ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary G. Locke ◽  
Lucy M. Guglielmino

Today’s colleges and universities operate in a complex environment characterized by rapid and unrelenting change, and nowhere do the challenges inherent in change more directly impact students than in the delivery of student services. The need to integrate new models of service delivery, data-driven approaches to enrollment management, greater accountability for student success, stronger emphasis on customer service, and provision of “anytime, anyplace” services through technology are readily evident. Yet, many institutions are finding that their internal cultures are unreceptive, even hostile, toward adopting needed changes. This qualitative case study focusing on a 4- year purposeful change initiative at a community college was conducted to provide higher educational leaders with a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the influence of cultural change on student services staff. The results of this study indicated that student services staff constituted a distinct subculture that perceived, experienced, responded to, and influenced planned change differently from other subcultural groups. Specifically, student services staff more demonstrably supported the purpose of the change initiative; identified empowerment, inclusion and involvement in college decision-making, and improved lines of communication as the most important impacts of the change process; and expressed strong confidence regarding the sustainability of the changes that had occurred. Student services staff also indicated that they found greater meaning and developed stronger commitment to their work as a result of the change process. As a result of these findings, implications and strategies that may be helpful in designing and implementing a successful planned change initiative involving student services personnel are presented.


2021 ◽  
pp. 193672442110147
Author(s):  
Katherine Tindell ◽  
Irene Padavic

Workplace incivility, also called bullying, mobbing, and harassment, is pervasive and takes a high toll on employees. This study draws on 18 in-depth interviews with women in the precarious, low-wage, service sector in jobs such as customer service representative, retail sales, food service, pharmacy technician, and bank teller. Women service workers are a particularly vulnerable group, and yet most research on workplace problems of this type focus on professional women’s experience. We find that in this sample, most incivilities came from supervisors, followed by customers and then coworkers. Among supervisors, women were the most common perpetrators, while customer and coworker perpetrators were largely men. The type of incivility varied depending on role: Disparagement was common on the part of supervisors and customers, while coworkers were far more likely to engage in sexual harassment, which was virtually nonexistent among supervisors. Consequences for targets of these incivilities included anxiety, which most had experienced, and income loss. We offer suggestions for future research and policy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 279
Author(s):  
Fang Zhao ◽  
Ning Zhu ◽  
Juha Hämäläinen

This study investigated the resilience of the Chinese child protection system in responding to the special needs of children in difficulty under the specific circumstances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study applied qualitative document analysis of child protection administrative documents, in-depth interviews with 13 child protection professionals, and an in-depth case study of 14 children living in difficulty, complemented by relevant information available in the media. The results indicate that there are good policies in China’s child protection services but the organizational and functional fragmentation complicates implementation, suggesting a need for the development of bottom-up practices. The essential conclusion supported by these results is that the child protection system should be regarded and developed as a systematic project combining the legal, policymaking, and professional systems of child welfare services as well as governmental and non-governmental forces. As the COVID-19 pandemic has raised awareness of the need to develop the field of child protection holistically as an integrated system in terms of social sustainability in China, an international literature-based comparison indicates that the pandemic has also raised similar political awareness in other countries.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 4023
Author(s):  
Silvia Marcu

Using the case study of Romanians in Spain, this article highlights how the COVID-19 crisis presents both challenges and opportunities when it comes to human mobility and sustainability. Drawing on in-depth interviews with mobile people during the period of lockdown and circulation restrictions, and in accordance with the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the paper advances and contributes to the relevance of sustainability and its impact on people’s mobility in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. I argue that even in the midst of the crisis, sustainable ways may be found to promote and protect human mobility. The paper raises the way sustainability acts as a driver, gains relevance and influence, and contributes to the creation of new models of resilient mobility in times of crisis. The conclusions defend the respect for the SDGs regarding human mobility and emphasise the role of people on the move as sustainable actors learning to overcome distance and the barriers to their mobility during the pandemic.


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