Visualizing the Invisible: Invisible Waste in Diagnostic Imaging

There is extensive waste in diagnostic imaging, at the same time as there are long waiting lists. While the problem of waste in diagnostics has been known for a long time, the problem persists. Accordingly, the objective of this study is to investigate various types of waste in imaging and why they are so pervasive and persistent in today’s health services. After a short overview of different conceptions and types of waste in diagnostic imaging (in radiology), we identify two reasons why these types of waste are so difficult to address: (1) they are invisible in the healthcare system and (2) wasteful imaging is driven by strong external forces and internal drivers. Lastly, we present specific measures to address wasteful imaging. Visualizing and identifying the waste in diagnostic imaging and its ingrained drivers is one important way to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare services.

Developing Statistical Modellings to Investigate the Internal Drivers for the Trend of Output Values in the Manufacturing Industry: Evidence from Chinese Enterprises

The manufacturing industry is an important pillar of the national economy. It is of vital importance to develop statistical modellings in order to quantify the relationship between potential internal drivers and the trend of output values in the manufacturing industry. However, only a few statistical modellings have been established to investigate such associations. This study developed the correlation coefficient model and generalized linear model (GLM) to measure the single and interactive effects of the internal drivers on the changes of the output values. For the GLM, different predictive variables were developed to fit into the dataset, and the performance of the models were compared using fitness parameters. Furthermore, an industry survey dataset for 1,180 manufacturing enterprises in 2020 was used to validate the models. The use of the GLM combining land area, number of employees, scientific research input, and labor productivity may have a great potential to bolster capacity in monitoring and predicting the trend of output values in the manufacture industry.

Drivers to implement the circular economy in born-sustainable business models: a case study in the fashion industry

PurposeThis study aims to identify the drivers for adopting the circular economy (CE) in a born-sustainable business of the fashion sector.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory case study was carried out with a unique and relevant case: the only Brazilian company implementing circularity practices defined through a sectoral commitment, the 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment.FindingsFrom an analysis of the literature, a theoretical scheme composed of internal and external drivers is proposed. In the case studied, there is a prevalence of internal drivers that led the company to implement the CE. Most of the internal drivers described by the literature were identified in this research, except for two: profitability and available technology. Regarding the external drivers, of the 12 listed, only laws and regulations were identified. Thus, the results suggest that internal drivers are more numerous and may be more prominent than external ones for CE adoption in the born-sustainable business.Research limitations/implicationsDue to its exploratory design and unique case study, the research does not allow generalizations, suggesting replication with a larger number of companies and carrying out quantitative research with born-sustainable companies and incumbent companies, for comparison. Considering that there is a difference between companies that decide for sustainable practices and companies that were already born sustainable, it can be questioned if the drivers for implementing CE for both companies are also different.Originality/valueThis study proposes a theoretical scheme that indicates the main internal and external drivers for companies' CE implementation. Developed from a literature review and applied in an empirical case, this scheme is comprehensive and can be adopted to analyze companies of different sizes and industries. Hence, this paper generates new perspectives for CE literature.

Thailand’s Strategy of Control

This chapter presents a case study of how the Thai state deploys digital repression techniques to advance its political agenda. Thailand’s situation offers insights into how an autocratic state with a tradition of censorship and political suppression has adapted to a new digital environment. The Thai government has adeptly paired new information controls with old repressive methods, giving the state potent capabilities to control dissent. Thailand also demonstrates how digital repression is born from and develops out of internal drivers; external actors exercise limited influence in shaping the state’s digital strategies.

Bridging entrepreneurial competencies and business model innovation: insights on business renewal in the small horticulture businesses in Finland

Entrepreneurial competencies are connected to venture performance, but the link between these competencies and the business model (BM) innovation is scarcely studied. This article is among the first to study entrepreneurial competencies as a driving force for BM innovation. This paper presents a qualitative empirical study of six innovative horticulture entrepreneurs in Finland. We contribute to two separate literature streams, competence and BM literature, by combining competence categories (Mitchelmore and Rowley 2010) and BM Innovation model (Foss and Saebi 2017) in the analysis of innovative entrepreneurs. This paper provides evidence on entrepreneurial competencies being internal drivers for BM innovation, and also identifies the core entrepreneurial competences related to BM innovation.

Councils’ environment management system: an isomorphism inquiry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand how external and internal drivers influence the implementation of the environment management system by selected local councils in Malaysia from the institutional theory and national culture perspectives. Design/methodology/approach This research used a multiple case study approach focusing on three selected Malaysian local councils. The data collection method included semi-structured interviews with officers directly involved in the environment management system implementation. Findings Organizations are more influenced by external rather than internal drivers in implementing the environment management system, and dominated by the normative pressure. This study offers insights into the effectiveness of the identified drivers in the environment management system implementation process, by relating to the type of conformance, either by “compliance” or “convergence.” Research limitations/implications This study demonstrates the effect of national culture on the isomorphic influences of the internal and external motivations by local councils to implement the environment management system, namely, large power distance, collectivism, short-term normative orientation, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance. Practical implications The outcomes can be useful to managers of local councils with responsibilities for environmental decision making. Originality/value Institutional theory and national culture values are used successfully to explain the implementation of the environment management system in the three selected Malaysian councils in this study, in line with the public sector reform agenda undertaken by the Malaysian Government.