A practical framework for achieving value creation and capture in healthcare through process improvement

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the concept of value in healthcare through a practical appraisal of the applicability of a conceptual framework, which is aimed at supporting the measurement and realisation of financial benefits from process improvement (PI) activities in a hospital setting.Design/methodology/approachA single case study of a hospital system in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, was used to assess the applicability of the framework. The study sought to verify the framework's intention, that PI methods could be used to address known wastes that contribute to the cost of providing healthcare. The case study examines the current approach taken by the hospital to measure and realise financial benefits from PI activities and compares these to the components of the Strategy to Balance Cost and Quality in Health Care framework to assess its applicability in practice.FindingsThe case study revealed that the steps described in the framework were fundamentally in place albeit with some variation. Importantly, the case study identified an additional step that could be added into the framework to support hospitals to better define their portfolio of initiatives to deliver value. The case study also clarified three types of contributory elements that should be in place for the application of the framework to be successful.Practical implicationsThe Framework to Achieve Value in Healthcare is offered to hospitals as a model by which they can look to reduce expenditure through the removal of non-value adding activities. The modification to the conceptual framework has arisen from a single case study and would benefit from further testing by other hospitals in other policy settings (i.e. other countries).Originality/valueThis is the first paper to examine and enhance an existing framework to assist hospitals balance cost and quality through PI.

Pathways to Developing Digital Capabilities within Entrepreneurial Initiatives in Pre-Digital Organizations

To enable new digital business models, pre-digital organizations launch entrepreneurial initiatives. However, in developing the required digital capabilities, pre-digital organizations often face challenges as they are marked by the ways they have historically established their organizational identity. Research on how pre-digital organizations can develop digital capabilities remains scarce. This study draws on a single case study to illustrate potential pathways for the development of digital capabilities. Two key characteristics are identified: the source of digital capability development and the set-up of the actors involved. The authors synthesize four possible pathway manifestations, discuss the dynamic nature of pathway combinations, and suggest that managing a portfolio of pathways may be crucial for pre-digital organizations. Therefore, the study contributes to a better understanding of digital transformation in pre-digital organizations. Furthermore, it provides guidance for practitioners to reflect on when deciding which pathways to follow.

Young Social Entrepreneurs and Social Challenges

The chapter is focused on social entrepreneurship and, after providing a comprehensive literature review on the topics, aims at providing evidence of the decision-making process of social entrepreneurs and of the strategies they implement by focusing on a single case study, namely “Parallelo.” Parallelo was founded in 2017 by four young Italian social entrepreneurs with the aim of promoting social inclusion of fragile categories and foreign people. Their “formula” is the “social lab” involving creative craftsmen that collaborate in the design and creation of sustainable products based on recyclable/discarded materials. By implementing a narrative approach, the case study is developed following step by step the social enterprise establishment and development. In doing so, the study aims at contributing to the social entrepreneurship field of research and at providing insights for practitioners about how decisions are made and strategies implemented within social entrepreneurial teams.

Social media and new services: how a consulting firm leveraged LinkedIn

Purpose This paper aims to explore how social media can be used strategically for delivering new services in a small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) context. Design/methodology/approach Single case study: CONSULT+ (pseudonym), a consulting firm specialized in change management. Consultants use a social media network to develop their new services. Findings To take on the challenges of heightened competition, CONSULT+ has created thematic business units to encourage new service development. This research explored strategies, practices and benefits associated of using social media network by intrapreneurs at all levels of new service idea trajectory (idea generation, elaboration, championing and implementation). Research limitations/implications The research is based on a single case study. Further research should be conducted to establish the generalization of the results. Practical implications This paper highlights the key success factors in making such an approach successful: raising awareness of the benefits of using social media; analysing of complementarities of tools; accompanying the development of advanced practices; capturing the valuable potential for the organization and avoiding negative effects of individual practices. Originality/value The research provides a unique approach that can be practically implemented within knowledge-intensive SMEs to leverage social media network to deliver new services (best practices and insights for managerial support schemes).

Masyarakat Konsumsi dan Simulasi Pengunjung Coffee Shop Janji Jiwa di Kota Padang

Janji Jiwa merupakan coffee shop paling popular, dan Sumatera Barat sebagai salah satu Provinsi dengan jumlah peminum serta kunjungan coffee shop tertinggi secara nasional. Sesuai dengan tujuan penelitian maka tulisan ini akan membahas mengenai motif-motif konsumsi serta konstruksi gaya hidup konsumerisme di kalangan pengunjung coffee shop Janji Jiwa di Kota Padang. Untuk menganalisis data yang terkumpul peneliti menggunakan perspektif Jean P Baudrillard terkait masyarakat konsumsi. Metode yang digunakan pendekatan kualitatif, dengan tipe penelitian studi kasus (single case study). Pemilihan informan dilakukan secara purposive sampling dengan jumlah informan 9 orang yang terdiri dari informan pelaku dan informan pengamat. Untuk analisis data, peneliti menggunakan analisis interaktif Miles dan Huberman, untuk menjamin validitas dan reliabilitas data maka peneliti melakukan uji triangulasi data. Hasil dari penelitian menunjukan adanya pergeseran motif konsumsi dimana konsumsi yang terjadi bukan didasari pada motif-motif pemenuhan kebutuhan biologis, melainkan sebagai bentuk aktualisasi diri dalam rangka signifikansi dan klasifikasi sosial. Terbentuknya pandangan imajiner dan konstruksi gaya hidup konsumerisme tidak terlepas dari hukum kausalitas yang kompleks dan beragam, ditinjau dari aspek nilai tanda, logika sosial konsumsi, ruang sosial, dan media tontonan. Keseluruhan aspek tersebut sarat akan simulasi dan simulasi tersebut diproduksi ulang baik dalam bentuk abstrak maupun konkrit. Fakta ini merupakan bukti irasionalitas masyarakat kontemporer kedalam bentuk perilaku konsumtif.

CELTA Course from the Perspective of EFL Instructors: A Case Study

The aim of this study is to explore the CELTA course from the perspective of EFL instructors. A single case study of qualitative research methods is employed in the study. The sample consists of 6 EFL instructors working for a private university in Turkey. The quantitative data of the research was obtained through course evaluation survey. Qualitative data was gathered by open-ended questions and interview forms developed by the researcher and also with the documents. Descriptive analysis was performed to show evaluation of the course in the quantitative phase of the research. On the other hand, the content analysis method was applied in the analysis of qualitative data. As a result of the study, the CELTA course is useful for EFL instructors’ careers; nevertheless the course components and content should be redesigned considering andragogic principles. Moreover, EFL instructors were pleased to take the course at the end of the course although the course’s weaknesses.