scholarly journals Investigating the Medical Tourism Supply Chain in Shiraz, Iran: A Hybrid Grounded Theory and Rough DEMATEL Method

Author(s):  
Arash Haqbin ◽  
Payam Shojaei ◽  
Mohammad Hossein Ronaghi ◽  
Omid Fazelzadeh

Abstract Background: This study sought to provide a comprehensive analysis of the medical tourism supply chain (MTSC) in Shiraz, Iran, to improve the city’s potential tourism market share in the post-COVID-19 future. In doing so, the study relied on a mixed research methodology. Primarily, interviews were conducted with 12 stakeholders involved in Shiraz’s MTSC, including general policymakers, managers of private/public healthcare providers, travel agency managers, and managers of medical tourism companies. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews and were then analyzed according to the systematic approach of grounded theory (GT).Results: The results helped to configure a model that analyzed Shiraz’s MTSC, which included 6 main dimensions, 17 sub-dimensions, and 48 criteria. To detect any interrelationships among the criteria, the model was further analyzed quantitatively through the rough Decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method.Conclusion: Proposing a novel methodology in medical tourism research, the study could practically contribute to different stakeholders in the medical tourism industry in Shiraz.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8228
Author(s):  
Lu Zhang ◽  
Deqing Ma ◽  
Jinsong Hu

This paper integrates a low-carbon tourism supply chain consisting of a low-carbon tourist attraction (LTA) providing a low-carbon service and an online travel agency (OTA) responsible for big data marketing. Consumers may also encounter sudden crisis events that occur in the tourist attraction during their visit, and the occurrence of crisis events can damage the low-carbon goodwill of the tourist attraction to the detriment of the sustainable development of the supply chain. Therefore, this paper aims to investigate how tourism firms can develop dynamic strategies in the pre-crisis environment if they envision the occurrence of a crisis event and how crisis events affect interfirm cooperation. This paper uses stochastic jump processes to portray the dynamic evolution of low-carbon goodwill in the context of crisis events and introduces the methods of the differential game and Bellman’s continuous dynamic programming theory to study the sustainable operations of low-carbon tourism supply chains. Our findings provide important managerial insights for enterprises in the tourism supply chain and suggest that they need to not only become aware of the tourist attraction crisis events, but also, more importantly, they need to adjust their appropriate input strategies based on the degree of anticipation of the crisis.


2021 ◽  
pp. 109634802199679
Author(s):  
Xiaofeng Zhao ◽  
Jianrong Hou

Tourism supply chain management has become an important research topic as individual firms no longer compete as isolated entities but rather as supply chains in the tourism industry. Despite the evidence that benefits can be gained to improve profitability, competitiveness, and customer satisfaction, the research on how to manage the tourism supply chain is very limited. This research contributes to the literature by applying the theory of constraints (TOC) with systems thinking to tourism supply chain management. It proposes that the key issue in tourism supply chain management is the coordination of business activities and the TOC with systems thinking can effectively support tourism supply chain coordination of the various links and processes. The article examines the TOC performance measures and the drum–buffer–rope model in the context of tourism management and applies the focusing process of the TOC as a continuous improvement approach for tourism supply chain management. The research findings suggest that, given modifications to the TOC terminology and the principles, the TOC principles can work as an excellent approach to facilitate the tourism supply chain management.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J Hewko ◽  
Amirah Oyesegun ◽  
Samantha Clow ◽  
Charlene VanLeeuwen

Abstract Background: Relationships between dietitians and other healthcare providers can impact the degree to which patient care is collaborative; inefficient communication can lead to suboptimal care. It takes time for multidisciplinary team members to build collaborative, trusting relationships. For this reason, frequent dietitian turnover is of concern. Consequences include fewer referrals to clinical dietetic services and limited provider continuity. The characteristics of clinical dietetic jobs associated with high turnover have not been identified. We predicted that managers would identify disease prestige as having an impact. In this study, we aimed to explore: 1) characteristics of clinical dietetic jobs associated with the highest turnover, and 2) consequences of high turnover on patients and managers of clinical dietitians. Methods: Research assistants conducted semi-structured interviews with ten managers of clinical dietitians in the Canadian public healthcare system. We employed a constant comparative approach to thematic analysis. We classified themes related to turnover as either avoidable or unavoidable. Results: Sub-themes under avoidable turnover included lack of manager support, growth opportunities, burnout/workload, tension/conflict and hours of work. Sub-themes under unavoidable turnover included life-stage/life-events and geography. We also identified themes related to consequences of turnover, including: burnout/workload, client/patient impact, tension/conflict, cost and gap-specific. As predicted, prestige was perceived as playing a role in triggering dietitian turnover. Managers observed high turnover resulting in low provider continuity and limiting patient access to dietitians. Conclusions: Managers of publicly-employed dietitians identified many factors as contributing to high turnover. Future prospective research, incorporating the objective measure of turnover and multi-method analysis of work characteristics and work setting, would be of value in the identification of characteristics of clinical dietetic jobs associated with high turnover and the consequences of high turnover on patients and managers of these staff.


2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (03) ◽  
pp. 133-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luo Biao ◽  
Wan Liang ◽  
Liang Liang

The high level of complexity of tourism supply chain and the inherent risks that exist in the demand and supply of resources are viewed as major limiting factors in achieving high level performance. Though emerging literature on risk management in tourism industry or its equivalent exists, progress in this area is uneven, as most research focuses on this problem from the traditional single business risk management perspective, without considering the entire range of different suppliers involved in the provision and consumption of tourism products. This study applies risk management theory to a new research perspective, which is tourism supply chain management (SCM). This paper develops a framework for the design of a multi-agent-based decision support system (DSS) based on multi-agent theory and technique, in order to manage disruptions and mitigate risks in tourism supply chain.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 244-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly J. Semrad ◽  
Jorge Bartels Villanueva

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to explore potential reasons that might explain why locally owned tourism firms cheat the use of backward economic linkages that (when used) might otherwise maximize the economic benefits of the tourism industry for locals. Design/methodology/approach – For this exploratory qualitative case study research design, 25 face-to-face interviews were conducted with various tourism business owners and managers in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Findings – The findings indicate that while the participants felt that tourism business' economies of scale could be improved if all locally owned businesses purchased within the tourism supply chain they themselves were purchasing outside of the supply chain. This behavior was characterized as a result of a non-cooperative market. Research limitations/implications – The major implication from the study is a trend that emerged from the data that seems to detect a tragedy of the commons scenario that is rooted in game theory. This scenario provides insight into a problem where tourism business owners and managers indicate an understanding of the value of using local network linkages, but instead cheat the system. A limitation of the study is that case studies may only be generalized to theoretical propositions and not to similar contextual situations. Originality/value – Mainstream tourism literature has provided quantitative assessments that determine the direct, indirect, induced, and multiplier effects of local links between industries, sectors, and different producers that are used in the tourism supply chain. Findings from these studies indicate that local areas economically benefit when these links are actively used. However, not extensively addressed is identification of why (when most individuals know they may all benefit from the use of said linkages) cheat the system.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (15) ◽  
pp. 43-55
Author(s):  
Norzayana Yusof ◽  
Herwina Rosnan

Despite the concern that local patients are being put the second, this article attempts to prove the otherwise. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with a government division, medical doctors, and private hospitals serving medical tourists. Through Atlas.ti version 8, it is found that locals are still the primary focus as medical tourists only take about 10%, on average, of the total patients in these hospitals. Further, hospitals only went aggressive in medical tourism after their capacity expansion. This research suggests for the policy-makers to take the necessary actions in developing medical tourism industry while simultaneously catering for the locals’ needs.Keywords: Medical Tourism; Local Patients; Public Healthcare; Patients’ needseISSN 2514-751X © 2020 The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA cE-Bs by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Peer-review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.DOI: https://doi.org/10.21834/aje-bs.v5i15.360    


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah J Hewko ◽  
Amirah Oyesegun ◽  
Samantha Clow ◽  
Charlene VanLeeuwen

Abstract Background: Relationships between dietitians and other healthcare providers can impact the degree to which patient care is collaborative; inefficient communication can lead to suboptimal care. It takes time for multidisciplinary team members to build collaborative, trusting relationships. For this reason, frequent dietitian turnover is of concern. Consequences include fewer referrals to clinical dietetic services and limited provider continuity. The characteristics of clinical dietetic jobs associated with high turnover have not been identified. We predicted that managers would identify disease prestige as having an impact. In this study, we aimed to explore: 1) characteristics of clinical dietetic jobs associated with the highest turnover, and 2) consequences of high turnover on patients and managers of clinical dietitians. Methods: Research assistants conducted semi-structured interviews with ten managers of clinical dietitians in the Canadian public healthcare system. We employed a constant comparative approach to thematic analysis. We classified themes related to turnover as either avoidable or unavoidable. Results: Sub-themes under avoidable turnover included lack of manager support, growth opportunities, burnout/workload, tension/conflict and hours of work. Sub-themes under unavoidable turnover included life-stage/life-events and geography. We also identified themes related to consequences of turnover, including: burnout/workload, client/patient impact, tension/conflict, cost and gap-specific. As predicted, prestige was perceived as playing a role in triggering dietitian turnover. Managers observed high turnover resulting in low provider continuity and limiting patient access to dietitians. Conclusions: Managers of publicly-employed dietitians identified many factors as contributing to high turnover. Future prospective research, incorporating the objective measure of turnover and multi-method analysis of work characteristics and work setting, would be of value in the identification of characteristics of clinical dietetic jobs associated with high turnover and the consequences of high turnover on patients and managers of these staff.


2017 ◽  
pp. 295-311
Author(s):  
I-Chun Liu ◽  
Chii-Ching Chen

“Medical Tourism” is a growing industry, attracting more and more attention. Taiwan's government, hopeful that this new industry could generate considerable revenue, has declared its ambition to become the premier choice for cross-country medical care for international visitors. The policy network approach emphasizes the interaction between policy actors. This chapter examines Taiwan's medical tourism development from the model of public policy implementation. We present findings from twelve semi-structured interviews with stakeholders across medical service providers, as well as government officers, and civil society sectors. We found that medical tourism in Taiwan is a growing service, with both public and private sector involvement. However, it is still lagging behind regional competitors such as Singapore, Thailand, and India. Thus, active efforts should be made to encourage the coordination between the medical care sector, tourism industry, and relevant authorities.


Author(s):  
Jonnatan F. Avilés-González ◽  
Sonia Valeria Avilés-Sacoto ◽  
Leopoldo Eduardo Cárdenas-Barrón

Around the world tourism industry represents economic benefits to the countries in where the tourist attractions are located. The purpose of this chapter is to search and review recent researches related to the area of tourism under supply chain management and optimization models perspectives. The main aim of this chapter is to identify and discuss how the tourism supply chain is studied when it is subject to different economic, market, and optimization strategies. Considering the period of 2005 to 2016, a systematic review was performed using research studies in the area of tourism supply chain management. The results show that game theory is used as a theoretical base in the majority of the cases, but several novel approaches are also incorporated to the analysis. This review can be used as a complement of the previous works and a valuable information source for the decision makers involved in the tourism area.


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