Stakeholders in product-service systems: a preliminary analysis of the literature

Purpose – The main challenges for adopting product-service systems (PSS) include defining the needs, engagement, collaboration, and the satisfaction of different stakeholders involved in the PSS life cycle. In this context, the following questions were raised in the study: what are the roles of stakeholders? what barriers exist that prevent stakeholders from collaborating and how can they be overcome? The aim of this study is then to answer these questions through a literature review. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic literature review was carried out focusing on the role of the different stakeholders through the lifecycle of product-service systems, the barriers preventing them from collaborating, and the practices used to overcome them, based on methods which combine bibliometric analyses as well as a content analysis. Findings – The results show that this subject continues to be relatively unexplored in the product-service system literature which contributes to the formation of a fragmented view of the role of the stakeholders and how the success of the systems is linked to this. Originality/value – This work identifies the main stakeholders and their roles, the main barriers to collaboration, and suggests some practices to avoid or mitigate them. Keywords - Product-Service System; Stakeholders; Literature Review.

Facilitators of and barriers to collaboration between universities and the food industry in nutrition research: a qualitative study

Background: Unhealthy food is one of the main risk factors for non-communicable diseases. Improved knowledge about healthy and sustainable food products requires nutrition research in collaboration between universities and the food industry. Objective: To investigate the facilitators of and barriers to university–industry collaborations in nutrition research. Design: Semi-structured, individual interviews with five researchers in universities and five employees in the food industry were conducted in the Oslo region, Norway. Interviews were thematically analysed and guided by Braun and Clark. Results: This study showed positive experiences and attitudes towards a university–industry collaboration within nutrition research aiming for healthier food products. The main facilitators of good collaboration were common goals, the exchange of knowledge and the opportunity for research funding. Barriers to good collaboration were prejudices related to the food industry’s goals and previous experiences of time-consuming projects. Interestingly, collaboration agreements were identified as both facilitators of and barriers to good collaboration. Conclusion: Stimulating university–food industry collaboration requires increased juridical assistance, provided that the lawyers involved understand the parties’ interests and the need to balance those interests and safeguard mutual trust. In addition, the food industry must take a clearer role in their engagement in public health to improve their trustworthiness in relation to research results.

Looking Back to Move Forward: Canadian Occupational Therapy In Public Health, 1914–2019

Background. Decades of literature demonstrate that occupational therapy is well-suited to collaborate with public health due to overlapping views of health. However, there has been little collaboration between these professions with few examinations of why they remain distinct. Purpose. This study examines historical events that have led to the present-day separation of occupational therapy and public health. Method. This narrative review and thematic analysis of the scholarly, archival, and grey literature was conducted to examine the development of both fields. Findings. Fifty texts were analyzed revealing four themes: the influence of structural and social forces; professional, societal, and institutional hindrances; potential for a shared vision; and next steps for integration. These themes highlight historical barriers to collaboration and provide evidence that occupational therapy could benefit public health. Implications. Collaboration between occupational therapy and public health has many potential benefits, however new approaches to bridge the divide are needed to advance collaboration.

Path Dependence and the Roots of Interorganizational Relationship Challenges

Governance today often requires concerted action by multiple organizations operating within and across sectors. Although scholars fruitfully have assayed many factors that facilitate or constrain interorganizational collaboration, the extant literature largely ignores the ways in which historical patterns of policy and organizational development may figure in present-day obstacles to collaboration. This is unfortunate, for such obstacles may result from path dependence and, thus, be particularly ingrained and resistant to change. In this article, we detail recent advances in the path dependency theory, then illustrate our argument with a case study of path-dependent barriers to collaboration between two public programs pressed to work together after decades of deliberately separate operation. The case confirms the utility of new theoretical developments, yet also suggests necessary clarifications and refinements. Though aspects of path dependence theory should be reexamined, we argue that it is ripe for use by scholars of public management concerned with barriers to collaboration and other contemporary governance challenges.

“They hold on tight to the healthy eating, we hold on tight to our food safety, and how do we bridge that?”: determinants of successful collaboration between food safety and food security practitioners in British Columbia, Canada

Food safety and food security are two important public health sectors within Canada, which aim to address foodborne disease and food insecurity, respectively. While these sectors are often siloed within public health organizations, the actions of the two sectors often interact and conflict at the program level despite their common goal of improving population health. The objective of the present study was to identify determinants that influenced the success of collaboration between practitioners of the two sectors in British Columbia, to inform Canadian food policy. We inductively analyzed 14 interviews with practitioners working in the two sectors who had experience with successful collaboration. Data were interpreted in consultation with an inter-professional collaboration framework. Participants identified determinants at the systemic level, including the cultural, professional, educational, legislative, and political systems, which were often considered barriers to collaboration. Participants also identified determinants at the organizational level that influenced the success of collaboration between the sectors, including: the organization’s structure and philosophy, leadership, resources, and communication mechanisms. Finally, participants identified interactional determinants as ways to overcome existing barriers, including: willingness to collaborate, trust, communication, mutual respect, and taking a solutions-oriented approach. Practitioners working in food safety and food security can apply the interactional determinants identified in this study to mitigate existing barriers to collaboration and support more synergistic food policies.

Towards greater collective impact: Building collaborative capacity in Cork city’s LCDC

Collaboration is an important means of tackling local socio-economic challenges. This paper looks at how the collaborative capacity of Ireland’s community development leaders can be improved. The most recent efforts to establish a more coordinated and coherent approach to community development saw the introduction of a new local committee structure, known as local community development committees (LCDCs). LCDCs were expected to enhance collaboration between public, private and third sector socio-economic partners. However, effective intersectoral collaboration is often difficult to attain. A programme of capacity building can play a key part in supporting collaborative working between local leaders. Based on the findings from a place-based leadership development workshop, this paper discusses the barriers to collaboration facing community development leaders and how these might be overcome. Surfacing and working through tensions to enable clarity, through enhanced mutual understanding and strong relationships across community development committees, is vitally important. To this end, a practical and evidence-based approach to improving collaboration between local leaders is argued for.