Setting the Stage: Initial Socio-Emotional Communication and Performance in Cross-Functional Teams

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the effect of the introduction of cross-functional team (CFT)-based organization, rather than, on planning and performance of OR teams. Design/methodology/approach – In total, two surgical departments of the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center (RUNMC) in the Netherlands were selected to illustrate the effect on performance. Data were available for a total of seven consecutive years from 2005 until 2012 and consisted of 4,046 OR days for surgical Department A and 1,154 OR days for surgical Department B on which, respectively 8,419 and 5,295 surgical cases were performed. The performance indicator “raw utilization” of the two surgical Departments was presented as box-and-whisker plots per year (2005-2011). The relationship between raw utilization (y) and years (x) was analyzed with linear regression analysis, to observe if performance changed over time. Findings – Based on the linear regression analysis, raw utilization of surgical Department A showed a statistically significant increase since 2006. The variation in raw utilization reduced from IQR 33 percent in 2005 to IQR 8 percent in 2011. Surgical Department B showed that raw utilization increased since 2005. The variation in raw utilization reduced from IQR 21 percent in 2005 to IQR 8 percent in 2011. Social implications – Hospitals need to improve their productivity and efficiency in response to higher societal demands and rapidly escalating costs. The RUNMC increased their OR performance significantly by introduction of CFT-based organization in the operative process and abandoning the so called functional silos. Originality/value – The stepwise reduction of variation – a decrease of IQR during the years – indicates an organizational learning effect. This study demonstrates that introducing CFTs improve OR performance by working together as a team.

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Organization Elements and Supports for Outstanding Retention and Student Success Coaching

Coaching for Student Retention and Success at the Postsecondary Level - Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-5948-1.ch004 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 81-107

Keyword(s):

Student Success ◽

Organizational Performance ◽

Organizational Resources ◽

Performance Incentives ◽

Organizational Assessment ◽

Cultural Elements ◽

And Performance ◽

Using Data ◽

Functional Teams ◽

Document Review

Using data gathered from interviews, coaching center observations, a document review, and four focus groups of elite coaches, this chapter assess the organizational resources and supports necessary to support consistently outstanding retention and student success coaching. The organizational elements of the study are arranged and discussed using five themes that are discussed and interwoven throughout the chapter. Theme one is the socio-cultural elements of the organization. This theme looks at coach interactions, the mood and atmosphere of the workplace, mentoring and role modeling. Theme two looks at the elements of highly functional teams using the five-part Lencioni framework of trust, conflict resolution, results, accountability, and commitment. The third organizational assessment is built around the alignment of coaching services and organization supports. The fourth theme explores the coaches' expectations of management, as well as organizational resources and performance incentives. The final theme of the chapter looks at overall organizational performance and provides recommendations for optimizing coaching environments for consistency and success.

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The integrated boardwalk: a tool for large capital project integration

The APPEA Journal ◽

10.1071/aj13131 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 54 (2) ◽

pp. 558

Author(s):

Aaron Richer

Keyword(s):

Cultural Change ◽

Performance Metrics ◽

Senior Leaders ◽

Capital Projects ◽

Work Area ◽

Project Integration ◽

And Performance ◽

The Right ◽

Functional Teams ◽

Specific Barriers

Successful capital project execution of any size is a challenging endeavour. Performance gaps in on-time and on-budget delivery are often due to the inability to effectively integrate cross-functional work teams. Faced with delivering one of the largest capital projects in its portfolio, the leadership team of a large O&G asked: how do we best integrate 16 functional teams required to deliver this project? How do we get the right forums with the right audience as we are all busy? How do we build a culture of trust and performance transparency? In response, the team developed the integrated boardwalk approach as the way to run their business. The approach was for each of the 16 functional groups to build individual dashboards based on an agreed template of performance metrics. The dashboards are permanently visible performance boards in each work area. Senior leaders and leads would walk the performance boards spending no more than 15–20 mins at each. The intention is to provide an open and safe space for leads to talk about all aspect of their business as it relates to project readiness. Senior leaders drive the desired performance behaviours, where the functional leads highlight risks and specific barriers that leadership can act on and eliminate. The boardwalks have created a cultural change in the organisation, specifically: people have the right focused forums to talk about their business with the right audience using the right data; and, leaders have the transparency required to ask the right probing questions, recognise data-driven progress.

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When more is less

International Journal of Operations & Production Management ◽

10.1108/ijopm-04-2017-0251 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 39 (1) ◽

pp. 94-115 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Ana Pérez-Luño ◽

Ana Maria Bojica ◽

Shanthi Golapakrishnan

Keyword(s):

Firm Performance ◽

Product Innovation ◽

Functional Integration ◽

Organizational Knowledge ◽

Firm Level ◽

Content Type ◽

And Performance ◽

Functional Teams ◽

Functional Areas ◽

The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of a specific mechanism for cross-functional integration (CFI) in the relationship between product innovation and firm performance. It takes a contingency perspective, accounting for how these relationships vary depending on the degree of organizational knowledge complexity. Design/methodology/approach Hypotheses are tested via regression analysis with interaction effects in a sample of 105 wineries from Spain, using both objective and subjective firm performance data. Findings The results obtained confirm the existence of significant triple interaction effect of CFI, knowledge complexity and product innovation on firm performance. CFI has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between product innovation and performance and this effect varies according to the degree of organizational knowledge complexity. Research limitations/implications This paper looks at variables that have been hitherto studied at the project or product level, at the firm level, in an attempt to untangle the relationship between innovation, CFI, knowledge complexity and firm performance. Study’s main limitations lie in the use of a cross-functional design and its focus on a single industry. Practical implications Firms dealing with complex organizational knowledge could use this CFI mechanism in the development of new products when their size and resources do not allow the creation of more formal temporal structures, such as cross-functional teams. However, unless the winery has to deal with a high degree of knowledge complexity, involving the oenologist in several functional areas for the purpose of coordination, may detract resources from product innovation effort and lead to a poorer performance. Originality/value This study showcases a mechanism of CFI not explored in previous research, but used in practice at many firms, i.e. the cross-pollination of ideas across different functional areas through the participation of the responsible for the product development, and tests its role in the relationship between product innovation and different types of firm performance.

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Transmission Scanning Electron Microscopy and Energy Analysis with the Siemens ELMISKOP 101

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100095509 ◽

1972 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

pp. 450-451

Author(s):

H. M. Thieringer

Keyword(s):

Objective Lens ◽

Transmission Microscopy ◽

Image Recording ◽

Mode Of Operation ◽

Scanning Transmission ◽

Electron Microscopes ◽

And Performance ◽

Convergent Beam ◽

Ray Path ◽

Beam Diffraction

It has repeatedly been show that with conventional electron microscopes very fine electron probes can be produced, therefore allowing various micro-techniques such as micro recording, X-ray microanalysis and convergent beam diffraction. In this paper the function and performance of an SIEMENS ELMISKOP 101 used as a scanning transmission microscope (STEM) is described. This mode of operation has some advantages over the conventional transmission microscopy (CTEM) especially for the observation of thick specimen, in spite of somewhat longer image recording times.Fig.1 shows schematically the ray path and the additional electronics of an ELMISKOP 101 working as a STEM. With a point-cathode, and using condensor I and the objective lens as a demagnifying system, an electron probe with a half-width ob about 25 Å and a typical current of 5.10-11 amp at 100 kV can be obtained in the back focal plane of the objective lens.

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Angular Resolved Electron Spectroscopy with Parallel Recording

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100135459 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 370-371

Author(s):

Huang Min ◽

P.S. Flora ◽

C.J. Harland ◽

J.A. Venables

Keyword(s):

Electron Spectroscopy ◽

Low Voltage ◽

Solid Angle ◽

Detection System ◽

Voltage Electron ◽

Cylindrical Mirror ◽

Inner Radius ◽

Channel Plate ◽

And Performance ◽

Type Detector

A cylindrical mirror analyser (CMA) has been built with a parallel recording detection system. It is being used for angular resolved electron spectroscopy (ARES) within a SEM. The CMA has been optimised for imaging applications; the inner cylinder contains a magnetically focused and scanned, 30kV, SEM electron-optical column. The CMA has a large inner radius (50.8mm) and a large collection solid angle (Ω > 1sterad). An energy resolution (ΔE/E) of 1-2% has been achieved. The design and performance of the combination SEM/CMA instrument has been described previously and the CMA and detector system has been used for low voltage electron spectroscopy. Here we discuss the use of the CMA for ARES and present some preliminary results.The CMA has been designed for an axis-to-ring focus and uses an annular type detector. This detector consists of a channel-plate/YAG/mirror assembly which is optically coupled to either a photomultiplier for spectroscopy or a TV camera for parallel detection.

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Novel epoxy/anhydride alternatives for biological electron microscopy: Physical and performance characteristis of embed 812 and LX 112 in combination with NSA/NMA/DMAE

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100156985 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 47 ◽

pp. 1000-1001

Author(s):

Joe A. Mascorro ◽

Gerald S. Kirby

Keyword(s):

Electron Microscopy ◽

Flow Rate ◽

Succinic Anhydride ◽

Volume Flow Rate ◽

Mass Density ◽

Uranyl Acetate ◽

Volume Flow ◽

Base Resin ◽

And Performance ◽

Acid Anhydrides

Embedding media based upon an epoxy resin of choice and the acid anhydrides dodecenyl succinic anhydride (DDSA), nadic methyl anhydride (NMA), and catalyzed by the tertiary amine 2,4,6-Tri(dimethylaminomethyl) phenol (DMP-30) are widely used in biological electron microscopy. These media possess a viscosity character that can impair tissue infiltration, particularly if original Epon 812 is utilized as the base resin. Other resins that are considerably less viscous than Epon 812 now are available as replacements. Likewise, nonenyl succinic anhydride (NSA) and dimethylaminoethanol (DMAE) are more fluid than their counterparts DDSA and DMP- 30 commonly used in earlier formulations. This work utilizes novel epoxy and anhydride combinations in order to produce embedding media with desirable flow rate and viscosity parameters that, in turn, would allow the medium to optimally infiltrate tissues. Specifically, embeding media based on EmBed 812 or LX 112 with NSA (in place of DDSA) and DMAE (replacing DMP-30), with NMA remaining constant, are formulated and offered as alternatives for routine biological work.Individual epoxy resins (Table I) or complete embedding media (Tables II-III) were tested for flow rate and viscosity. The novel media were further examined for their ability to infilftrate tissues, polymerize, sectioning and staining character, as well as strength and stability to the electron beam and column vacuum. For physical comparisons, a volume (9 ml) of either resin or media was aspirated into a capillary viscocimeter oriented vertically. The material was then allowed to flow out freely under the influence of gravity and the flow time necessary for the volume to exit was recored (Col B,C; Tables). In addition, the volume flow rate (ml flowing/second; Col D, Tables) was measured. Viscosity (n) could then be determined by using the Hagen-Poiseville relation for laminar flow, n = c.p/Q, where c = a geometric constant from an instrument calibration with water, p = mass density, and Q = volume flow rate. Mass weight and density of the materials were determined as well (Col F,G; Tables). Infiltration schedules utilized were short (1/2 hr 1:1, 3 hrs full resin), intermediate (1/2 hr 1:1, 6 hrs full resin) , or long (1/2 hr 1:1, 6 hrs full resin) in total time. Polymerization schedules ranging from 15 hrs (overnight) through 24, 36, or 48 hrs were tested. Sections demonstrating gold interference colors were collected on unsupported 200- 300 mesh grids and stained sequentially with uranyl acetate and lead citrate.

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Trace nanoanalysis

Proceedings, annual meeting, Electron Microscopy Society of America ◽

10.1017/s0424820100172437 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 52 ◽

pp. 940-941

Author(s):

D. E. Newbury ◽

R. D. Leapman

Keyword(s):

High Performance ◽

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry ◽

Detection Efficiency ◽

Volume Element ◽

And Performance ◽

Trace Constituents ◽

Secondary Ion ◽

Concentration Levels ◽

Structure Properties

Trace constituents, which can be very loosely defined as those present at concentration levels below 1 percent, often exert influence on structure, properties, and performance far greater than what might be estimated from their proportion alone. Defining the role of trace constituents in the microstructure, or indeed even determining their location, makes great demands on the available array of microanalytical tools. These demands become increasingly more challenging as the dimensions of the volume element to be probed become smaller. For example, a cubic volume element of silicon with an edge dimension of 1 micrometer contains approximately 5×1010 atoms. High performance secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) can be used to measure trace constituents to levels of hundreds of parts per billion from such a volume element (e. g., detection of at least 100 atoms to give 10% reproducibility with an overall detection efficiency of 1%, considering ionization, transmission, and counting).

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