scholarly journals Kaizen–Kata, a Problem-Solving Approach to Public Service Health Care in Mexico. A Multiple-Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 3297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel F. Suárez-Barraza ◽  
José A. Miguel-Davila
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Care Process ◽  
Customer Complaints ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Operational Problem ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose: Mexico’s public hospitals are experiencing major operational problems which seriously affect the care of Mexican citizens. Some hospitals have initiated efforts to apply the Kaizen philosophy to improve this situation. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to analyze the methodological impact of Kaizen–Kata implementation in Mexican public hospitals that have tried to solve operational problems using this improvement approach. Design/Methodology/Approach: The service organization implemented Kaizen–Kata methodology in order to improve one operational problem-process in health care. A case-study approach was used in this research in order to understand the effects of the Kaizen–Kata methodology in solving problems in their operational procedures. Findings: Six specific drivers were identified when applying the Kaizen–Kata methodology. Furthermore, the impact on the levels of implementation of the Kaizen–Kata methodology in each of the improvement teams studied was also identified. Research Limitations: The main limitation of the research is that only three case-studies are presented thus it is not possible to generalize its results. Practical Implications (Where Possible): Other public hospitals can use this specific example as a working guide to solve the operational problems of health systems. Originality/Value: A methodology of continuous improvement in manufacturing was imported from the industry sector for application in an operational health care process. The Kaizen–Kata methodology contributed significantly to improving issues involving delays, customer complaints, process reworks and extra-cost, among other effects of operational problems.

scholarly journals Corporate governance practices and the pandemic crisis: UK evidence

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheeja Sivaprasad ◽  
Sudha Mathew
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
External Information ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Governance Practices ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the corporate governance practices in the UK. The authors adopt a case study approach and use content analysis, using internal and external media releases as well as annual reports to analyse the impact of the pandemic on governance practices. Design/methodology/approach The research design is qualitative in nature and adopts a case study approach. HSBC, an international bank, is used as the case study and a content analysis of internal and external information released after the COVID-19 outbreak is used. Themes arising from the analysis are discussed and recommendations are made. Findings Results from the thematic analysis show that firms must be resilient in difficult times, follow sustainable practices and are attentive to the well-being of their employees. Firms must address the adequacy of IT Infrastructure and assess the IT related risks during these times. Practical implications The pandemic crisis triggered unprecedented changes in the manner the firms are governed and managed. The recommendations made by the study have practical implications for firms who can adopt them to be make the business resilient and sustainable. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore the impact of the pandemic and analyse firms’ responses to the crisis in the corporate governance context. This study contributes to the corporate governance literature by providing insights of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Procurement sustainability tensions: an integrative perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 586-609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sajad Fayezi ◽  
Maryam Zomorrodi ◽  
Lydia Bals
Keyword(s):  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
Multi Stakeholder ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to unpack tensions faced by procurement professionals as part of their triple bottom line (TBL) sustainability activities. The authors take an integrative perspective based on the procurement sustainability and organizational tensions literature, as well as stakeholder and institutional theory. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a multiple case study approach. Data are collected through multiple interviews and archival data from eight case companies in Australia. Findings The authors identify supply chain and company procurement sustainability tensions (PSTs) and explain their multi-level nature. The analysis also dissects the multi-stakeholder and multi-institutional environments where PSTs operate. The authors discuss such environments in terms of various temporal and spatial legitimacy contexts (LCs) that, through their assessment of institutional distance, can characterize the manifestation of PSTs. Practical implications The findings are instrumental for managers to make informed decisions when dealing with PSTs, and they pave the way for paradoxical leadership given the increasing importance of simultaneous development and balancing of TBL dimensions, as evidenced in this study. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to empirically investigate PSTs by drawing on an integrative approach to identify PSTs, and to discern various LCs that underpin stakeholder judgments of procurement’s TBL sustainability activities.

scholarly journals The Need-Adapted Approach in Psychosis: The Impact of Psychosis on the Treatment and the Professionals

2014 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pekka Borchers ◽  
Jaakko Seikkula ◽  
Tom Arnkil
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Treatment Processes ◽  
Stimulated Recall ◽  
Research Interviews ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Stimulated Recall Interviews ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Harmful Effects

Psychosis is a challenging phenomenon for professionals. In the need-adapted approach (NAA), therapy meetings constitute a deliberate effort to meet the challenges by bringing all the main parties together within a common discussion. The aims of this study are to analyze and evaluate psychiatrists’ experiences of the treatment processes in psychosis. A qualitative multiple case study approach has been used. Between August 2007 and January 2009, co-research interviews (CR-Is) and stimulated-recall interviews (STR-Is) with 10 psychiatrists from 3 different parts of Finland were videoed and transcribed verbatim. The material was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The difficult emotions of the professionals and the critical views expressed had a prominent role. It was almost impossible to proceed with the treatment until the memories of coercive acts had been addressed. There were fewer harmful effects in outpatient than in inpatient care. If the client-centered principles of NAA were not followed, the CR-Is functioned primarily as critical evaluations of the treatment processes. The STR-Is helped the psychiatrists to find words for difficult experiences. For the sake of both practice and research, the experiences of staff in the treatment of psychosis should be taken into account. For better prediction of failure, routine measures to obtain feedback could be included in NAA.

scholarly journals Development spots in communication during the management of the intrapartum period: An interpretive multiple case study in a developing context

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Doreen K.M. M'Rithaa ◽  
Susan R. Fawcus ◽  
Margaretha De la Harpe ◽  
Mikko Korpela
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Information Communication ◽  
Levels Of Care ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Communication Breakdown ◽  
Communication Processes ◽  
Multiple Case

Background: Health care activities are influenced by information communication between women during pregnancy, birth and motherhood and skilled birth attendants (SBAs) and further, between the health care workers during the continuum of care. Therefore, effective information communication processes (ICP) within and between health care facilities are a requirement for appropriate management of patients or clients. The management of the intrapartum period requires swift responses while managing critical information required for further referral and management processes. The involvement of multiple actors at different times with the same client carries the risk of communication breakdown at different points and at different levels of care. The information communicated during the intrapartum period is critical and should be accurate, timely and more importantly appropriate to enable better maternal and neonatal outcomes.Purpose: The purpose of this article is to discuss the complexities around ICP identified within a developing context that influence the management of the intrapartum period.Methods: Multi-method, multiple case study approach was used to analyse two case studies. Only the challenges from one case study (A) are discussed in this article. In-depth interviews were conducted with the SBAs. The role of observer-as-participant was utilised during the observation; field notes and document review methods were used to gather the data. Thematic analysis and activity analysis were applied to analyse the data.Results: The findings identified challenges with information and communication that influenced the management of the intrapartum period.Conclusion: This study exhibited the challenges identified as development points that can influence the management of the intrapartum period. These challenges were also identified as desirable changes from the present state depending on the perspective of the actor.

scholarly journals A holistic approach of quality: a case of UK chocolate manufacturing

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 711-731
Author(s):  
Nhlanhla Sibanda ◽  
Usha Ramanathan
Keyword(s):  
Stable Process ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Chocolate Factory ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This research is elucidating quality control theories to reduce variation in chocolate manufacturing process in the UK food company that will help maintain the processes stable and predictable. The purpose of this paper is to reduce defects of the output; to identify the root causes of variation; to establish and implement solutions to this variation problem; and to establish a control system to monitor and report any variation in the process. Design/methodology/approach The authors use experimental case study of a chocolate company to achieve the objective. In this paper, the authors predominantly use established theory define–measure–analyse–improve–control, customised to the case of the chocolate factory to reduce variations in production processes. Findings The results confirm that customised-traditional theoretical quality models will support manufacturing companies to maintain customer satisfaction while enhancing quality and reliability. Practical implications Implementation of customised approach reduced the rate of defect from 8 to 3.7 per cent. The implications of reduced variation are improved product quality; reprocessing elimination; and a more stable process that support sustainability and reliability in producing chocolates to meet customer needs. Social implications The authors used an experimental-based case study approach to test with one company. Testing in multiple case companies may help to generalise results. Originality/value The research study experimentally tested quality approach with a real case company and hence the findings of this study can be applied to other cases working in similar settings.

scholarly journals Perspectives on Inclusion: Students with LD, their Parents, and their Teachers

2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda Chmiliar
Keyword(s):  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Classroom Teacher ◽  
Students With Learning Disabilities ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Students With Ld ◽  
Inclusive Approach ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Practical Implications

One of the most significant changes in education over the last few decades is the movement toward inclusive education. Many schools have adopted an inclusive approach of educating students with learning disabilities (LD) in the regular classroom. The present study utilized a multiple case study approach to examine the perspectives of stakeholders in inclusive education. Each case consisted of a student with LD, a parent of the student, and the inclusive education classroom teacher. A number of similarities and differences in perspectives among the stu-dent, parent, and teacher in each case were identified. Similarities and differences in perspectives were also found among each of the case studies. Several practical implications arose from the research.

scholarly journals Data-Driven Personalization of a Physiotherapy Care Pathway: Case Study of Posture Scanning

10.2196/18508 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. e18508
Author(s):  
Olli Korhonen ◽  
Karin Väyrynen ◽  
Tino Krautwald ◽  
Glenn Bilby ◽  
Hedwig Anna Theresia Broers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Information System ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Digital Tools ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Care Process ◽  
The Impact

Background Advanced sensor, measurement, and analytics technologies are enabling entirely new ways to deliver health care. The increased availability of digital data can be used for data-driven personalization of care. Data-driven personalization can complement expert-driven personalization by providing support for decision making or even by automating some parts of decision making in relation to the care process. Objective The aim of this study was to analyze how digital data acquired from posture scanning can enhance physiotherapy services and enable more personalized delivery of physiotherapy. Methods A case study was conducted with a company that designed a posture scan recording system (PSRS), which is an information system that can digitally record, measure, and report human movement for use in physiotherapy. Data were collected through interviews with different stakeholders, such as health care professionals, health care users, and the information system provider, and were analyzed thematically. Results Based on the results of our thematic analysis, we propose three different types of support that posture scanning data can provide to enhance and enable more personalized delivery of physiotherapy: 1) modeling the condition, in which the posture scanning data are used to detect and understand the health care user’s condition and the root cause of the possible pain; 2) visualization for shared understanding, in which the posture scanning data are used to provide information to the health care user and involve them in more collaborative decision-making regarding their care; and 3) evaluating the impact of the intervention, in which the posture scanning data are used to evaluate the care progress and impact of the intervention. Conclusions The adoption of digital tools in physiotherapy has remained low. Physiotherapy has also lacked digital tools and means to inform and involve the health care user in their care in a person-centered manner. In this study, we gathered insights from different stakeholders to provide understanding of how the availability of digital posture scanning data can enhance and enable personalized physiotherapy services.

scholarly journals Frontline meetings as support for cross-boundary coordination in hospitals

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 884-901 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thim Prætorius ◽  
Peter Hasle
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Collaborative Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hand Off ◽  
Local Engagement ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Formal Meeting

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate frontline meetings in hospitals and how they are used for coordination of daily operations across organizational and occupational boundaries. Design/methodology/approach An in-depth multiple-case study of four purposefully selected departments from four different hospitals is conducted. The selected cases had actively developed and embedded scheduled meetings as structural means to achieve coordination of daily operations. Findings Health care professionals and managers, next to their traditional mono-professional meetings (e.g. doctors or nurses), develop additional operational, daily meetings such as work-shift meetings, huddles and hand-off meetings to solve concrete care tasks. These new types of meetings are typically short, task focussed, led by a chair and often inter-disciplinary. The meetings secure a personal proximity which the increased dependency on hospital-wide IT solutions cannot. During meetings, objects and representations (e.g. monitors, whiteboards or paper cards) create a needed gathering point to span across boundaries. As regards embedding meetings, local engagement helps contextualizing meetings and solving concrete care tasks, thereby making health care professionals more likely to value these daily meeting spaces. Practical implications Health care professionals and managers can use formal meeting spaces aided by objects and representations to support solving daily and interdependent health care tasks in ways that IT solutions in hospitals do not offer today. Implementation requires local engagement and contextualization. Originality/value This research paper shows the importance of daily, operational hospital meetings for frontline coordination. Organizational meetings are a prevalent collaborative activity, yet scarcely researched organizational phenomenon.

scholarly journals Returnee entrepreneurs and the institutional environment: case study insights from China

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 207-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Henrik Gruenhagen
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
New Ventures ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Human And Social Capital ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the phenomenon of returnee entrepreneurs, their venturing efforts and the impact of the institutional environment they operate in, and thereby to propose a conceptual model depicting how returnee entrepreneurs create and operate new ventures and interact with the institutional environment. Design/methodology/approach This study followed a multiple case study approach based on data collected from in-depth inquiries into 11 returnee entrepreneurs and their ventures in China which was analysed inductively. Findings Analysis of case study data resulted in a conceptual model of returnee entrepreneurs illustrating micro-level characteristics of the phenomenon and the interplay with the institutional environment of an emerging economy. Insights from the case study are discussed in terms of implications for entrepreneurial motivations, human and social capital, estrangement from the home country, internationalisation behaviour and objectives of returnee-owned ventures. Originality/value Previous research on the phenomenon of returnee entrepreneurs is highly fragmented and has largely focussed on specific and isolated outcomes. This study offers a holistic inquiry contributing to a better understanding of the phenomenon as a whole and presenting key properties of the phenomenon.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document