bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Electronic adverse incident reporting in hospitals
Authors: Walsh Kerry , Burns Calvin , Antony Jiju 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to assess attitudes toward and use of an electronic adverse incident reporting system in all four hospitals in one National Health Service Scotland Health Board area.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was used to assess medical consultants', managers', and nurses' attitudes and perceptions about electronic adverse incident reporting. Actual adverse incident reporting data were also analysed.FindingsThe main findings from this study are that consultants, managers, and nurses all had positive attitudes about responsibility for reporting adverse incidents. All respondents indicated that the design of and information collected by the electronic adverse incident reporting system (Datix) was adequate but consultants had more negative attitudes and perceptions than managers and nurses about Datix. All respondents expressed negative attitudes about the amount and type of feedback they receive from reporting, and consultants expressed more negative attitudes about how Datix is managed than managers and nurses. Analysis of adverse incident reporting data found that the proportion of consultants using Datix to report incidents was significantly lower than that of managers and nurses.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that there are no additional barriers to incident reporting associated with the use of a bespoke electronic adverse incident reporting system as compared to other types of systems. Although an electronic adverse incident reporting system may be able to increase incident reporting and facilitate organisational learning by making it easier to report incidents and analyse incident reporting data, strong leadership within hospitals/healthcare professions (or healthcare subcultures) is still required in order to promote and sustain incident reporting to improve patient safety.Originality/valueThis is the first study to investigate attitudes toward and reporting behaviour on a bespoke electronic adverse incident reporting system in hospitals.
Firm characteristics, financial composition and response to monetary policy
Authors: Ghosh Saibal 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the evidence for credit channel on the composition of corporate finance during tight and loose periods of monetary policy, using micro‐level data on Indian firms for 1995‐2007.Design/methodology/approachUnivariate tests as well as panel regression techniques were employed to examine the response of firms to monetary policy.FindingsThe findings provide evidence in favor of the relationship lending view, although the magnitude and extent of the response varies according to firm characteristics.Practical implicationsThe paper belongs to the strand of literature which examines the impact of monetary policy on corporate behavior, an under‐researched aspect of study in the Indian context.Originality/valueThis paper is believed to be one of the first to examine this issue in a comprehensive fashion in relation to India.
Performance pressure and peer reporting of infractions: a moderated mediation model
Authors: Nair Priya , Kamalanabhan T.J. 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to examine how the relationship between performance pressure and unwillingness to report ethical infractions of peers is mediated by moral disengagement, while considering organizational cynicism as a moderator in the mediating relationship.Design/methodology/approachData collected from 302 managers working in public, private and multinational companies were used to test a model employing a moderated mediation analysis. The strength of the indirect effects of performance pressure on peer reporting via moral disengagement was found to depend on organizational cynicism when tested using a generalized approach to simultaneously test combined, moderation and meditation effects as suggested by Edwards and Lambert.FindingsPath analytic tests of moderated mediation supported the hypothesis that moral disengagement mediates the relationship between performance pressure and unwillingness to report ethical infractions by peers and that the mediation effect is stronger in the presence of higher organizational cynicism. Implications are drawn for organizations.Originality/valueThis is believed to be one of the first studies on organizational cynicism and moral disengagement experienced by managers in India. Further, the application of moderated mediation analysis demonstrates the combination of moral disengagement and organizational cynicism in a theoretically interesting way. In the context of the continued unwillingness of employees to report ethical infractions of their peers, these results may shed additional light on appropriate courses of action for organizations.
Development of multidimensional scale for healthcare service quality (HCSQ) in Indian context
Authors: Chahal Hardeep , Kumari Neetu 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically validate a multidimensional scale for measuring healthcare service quality (HCSQ), based on modified Brady and Cronin's hierarchical service quality model. The study also investigated HCSQ and its ability to predict important service outcomes through two different models. In the first model, direct effects of service quality dimensions, namely physical environment quality (comprising ambient condition, social factor and tangibles), interaction quality (comprising attitude and behaviour, expertise and process quality) and outcome quality (comprising waiting time, patient satisfaction and loyalty) on image are measured. In the second model, direct effects of physical environment quality (comprising ambient condition, social factor and tangibles), interaction quality (comprising attitude and behaviour, expertise and process quality) on service quality through outcome quality (comprising waiting time, patient satisfaction and loyalty) are measured.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 400 indoor patients of five departments', namely general medicine, surgery, pediatrics, orthopedics and gynecology and ENT of a tertiary public hospital of North India using stratified sampling.FindingsThe study supports both the models for measuring HCSQ. Structural equational modelling is used to test the hypotheses relating to direct and indirect effects in the two models.Research limitations/implicationsThe major limitations of the study include selection of only inpatients and use of non‐financial performance measures.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the development of multiple dimensional holistical service quality models in the healthcare sector.
Brands – vulnerable entities in an uncertain world
Authors: Sen Tuhin 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to highlight the vulnerability of brands in the context of the uncertainties which afflict modern business. The paper cites two instances in which custodians of two sets of brands acted in markedly different ways. In doing so, one set of brand custodians managed to protect their brand, the other set jeopardised the very brands they were supposed to protect. The paper therefore charts out a prescriptive roadmap, which practitioners of the art and the science of branding could use to their advantage while dealing with the vagaries of today's business environment.Design/methodology/approachThe paper cites two specific instances of brand management. One could be termed exemplary in assessing the reputational risk, which could have had a severely adverse impact on the brand in question. The other instance could very well be termed as an example of what the brand custodians should never have done. The two contrasting cases highlight the fact that brand management has to be practiced within the atmospherics of modern day business. Today, brand management, by no means, could be dissociated from the context in which the brand operates.FindingsBrand custodians who take a holistic view of the universe in which a brand operates, would be in a better position to protect the brand from reputational hazards. Implicit here is the idea that the universe a brand operates in has to take into consideration the market‐government‐civil society triad. If brand custodians ignore the existence of his triad, they would fail to anticipate reputational risks that might emanate from any single constituent of that triad. If brand custodians fail to anticipate the risks, they would be ill‐equipped to deal with the same.Originality/valueThe paper shows that a brand's reputation can be protected by branding practices, which take into account potential threats emanating from various constituents of society. In the same vein, the paper also highlights the pitfalls of brand management practices, which ignore the seemingly innocuous rumblings of resentment that society harbours towards a brand.
Strategic clarity, business strategy and performance
Authors: Parnell John A. 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThis paper seeks to investigate the link between business strategy and performance, giving special attention to the composition of combination strategies.Design/methodology/approachA survey assessing business strategy and performance was completed by managers representing 277 retail businesses in the USA.FindingsThe combination strategy was associated with higher performance in some but not all instances. Strategic clarity – the extent to which a single strategy reflects the organization's strategic intent – was also associated with organizational performance. Businesses with high and low strategic clarity outperformed those with moderate strategic clarity.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper investigated US retailers and did not assess businesses in other industries or countries. Future research that seeks to replicate these findings is warranted.Practical implicationsBusinesses can pursue either a single generic strategy (i.e. low cost or differentiation, prospector or defender or analyzer, etc.) or attempt to combine two or more strategies. Porter and others have warned that a combination strategy is suboptimal because of trade‐offs inherent in “pure” strategies. While some businesses have pursued a combination strategy and performed poorly, others have done so with great success. Evidence presented in the paper attempts to resolve this conundrum, suggesting that high‐performing businesses either concentrate on a single strategy along the Miles and Snow typology or combine all three equally. Those attempting intermediate combinations are more likely to perform poorly.Originality/valueThe paper proposes the notion of strategic clarity and provides evidence that supports a U‐shaped link between strategic clarity and business performance.
Knowledge management practices and organizational adaptation
Authors: Niu Kuei‐Hsien 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe primary purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between knowledge management processes and a firm's ability to adapt to the external environment.Design/methodology/approachThe field survey research method was used and data were collected from 170 high technology companies in China. Multiple regression analysis as well as mediation tests were conducted to analyze the data.FindingsThe study found that knowledge acquisition, knowledge refining and knowledge applying are important when a firm is trying to enhance its competence. On the other hand, knowledge creation, knowledge refining, knowledge sharing and knowledge applying are influential when a firm is trying to introduce the next round of innovation.Research limitations/implicationsUsing self‐reported data could be a potential limitation of the study. It would be preferable to have other forms of data for a study.Practical implicationsThe findings provide business executives as well as policy makers with a new way of thinking with respect to how to develop holistic knowledge management practices in order to appropriately adapt to the fast‐changing environment.Originality/valueThe major contribution of the study is an initial attempt to provide a holistic approach in analyzing a firm's knowledge management processes. Further, the study attempts to empirically examine knowledge management processes in relation to organizational adaptation.
The black and white and grey of strategy
Authors: Campbell Andrew , Renshaw Phil , Engstrom Staffan 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the process of strategy execution when strategy is changing.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents studies of two companies – Unilever and Carillion – which appear to have found a solution to the generic problem – to understand the process of strategy execution when strategy is changing. The broader research involved examining the strategic planning processes of more than 20 large companies.FindingsThe paper gives two example solutions to a common strategy problem. The gap that often emerges between the desired strategy and the enacted strategy. The general message is that planners need to design a process that enables top managers to give strategic guidance about “grey areas” at a level of detail that matches the complexity of the products and markets in which the company competes. For many companies, this is a much lower level of detail than they are used to handling in their strategic planning processes.Research limitations/implicationsA drawback is the limited number of case studies. However, the main conclusions are tautological.Practical implicationsTop managers need to be much more involved in executing new strategies. By predicting where lower level managers are likely to lose focus, top managers can intervene to ensure that the strategy is followed through.Social implicationsThere are implications for decentralisation and empowerment. Leaders need to recognise that they should intervene in some decisions some of the time in order to correct natural biases that may derail their strategic ambitions.Originality/valueThis lies in a focus on strategy execution and the role of top executives in execution.
Towards a theory of endogenous market structure in strategy
Authors: Manral Lalit 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe thought and rationale of sustainable competitive advantage in strategy are significantly influenced by the Schumpeterian models of dynamic competition in IO and evolutionary economics. Yet, most analytical accounts of sustainable competitive advantage fail to explain how firms' investment choices influence, and are simultaneously influenced by, the co‐evolution of “external” industry competition and “internal” firm competences. This paper aims to contribute to the development of a theory of endogenous market structure in strategy.Design/methodology/approachTwo alternative assumptions are developed – concerning temporally heterogeneous firm investment strategy – that lie central to a proposed behavioral theory of endogenous market structure. Additionally, a theoretical description is provided of the endogeneity of the demand‐side determinants of firm investment strategy and industrial market structure. Finally, guidelines are provided for empirical application of [incorporating] the alternative assumptions and theoretical arguments.Practical implicationsIt is expected that the theoretical arguments in the paper will influence strategy scholars to develop dynamic models of firm performance that render themselves amenable to sound empirical analyses.Originality/valueThe paper contributes towards developing a theory of endogenous market structure in strategy.
The relationship between modes of governance and relational tie in new product development relationships
Authors: Teimoury Ebrahim , Fesharaki Mehdi , Bazyar Afshar 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the impact of trust, norm of information sharing, and vertical control on relational ties in new product development (NPD) relationships.Design/methodology/approachSurvey research was conducted to collect data from 112 NPD relationships and structural equation modeling was conducted to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results suggest that trust and norms of information sharing are positively related to relational ties, while vertical control and relational ties are negatively related. Three independent variables (i.e. trust, norm of information sharing, and vertical control) could significantly predict relational ties. It was also found that there are threshold effects for independent variables as they influence relational ties.Originality/valueThe study enhances the understanding of NPD relationships by examining the key modes of governance through which relational ties are influenced.
Risking the ire of investors in pursuit of long‐term value
Authors: O'Regan Nicholas , Ghobadian Abby 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how key strategic decisions are made in practice at successful FTSE 100 companies.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a semi‐structured interview with Ms Cynthia Carroll, Chief Executive of Anglo American plc.FindingsThe interview outlines a number of important factors on: the evolution of strategy within Anglo American, strategy execution, leadership at board and executive levels, and capturing synergies within the company.Originality/valueThe paper bridges the gap between theory and practice. It provides a practical view and demonstrates how corporate leaders think about key strategic issues.
Service productivity, quality and innovation
Authors: Parasuraman A. 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the intertwining of productivity, quality and innovation in the service domain and, based on that discussion, propose and examine the implications of a service productivity framework that incorporates not only the company's perspective (as is done traditionally) but also the customer's perspective and a typology for classifying service innovations on the basis of their potential impact on productivity from the company's and the customer's perspectives.Design/methodology/approachThe service productivity framework and service innovation typology are developed by synthesizing – and extending – concepts and insights from the relevant literature pertaining to productivity, quality and innovation.FindingsAnalysis and discussion of the proposed frameworks lead to the overarching conclusion that strategies to improve service productivity, enhance service quality or implement service innovations, are likely to be suboptimal if pursued in isolation. As such, it is important for companies to consider the inter‐linkages among service productivity, quality and innovation when formulating and implementing strategies pertaining to any of them.Originality/valueThe integration of conventional productivity concepts with key insights from the rich literature on service quality is novel. The resulting expanded service productivity framework and service innovation typology have important managerial implications and also offer several potentially fruitful avenues for further research.
User participation: quality assurance for user‐fit design
Authors: Wai Michael Siu Kin 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss how the participatory approach should be considered and applied in research for the disabled. It aims to arouse the awareness of policymakers, professionals, researchers and the general public that disabled people must not only be considered, but also invited to participate in research actively in order to bring real benefit to disabled people.Design/methodology/approachAn in‐depth case study related to policy, implementation and management quality of tactile guide paths (TGP) was carried out in Hong Kong. Participatory approach was adopted to explore how to help visually impaired people (VIP) access places independently. The methods included group discussions, direct individual interviews, field studies and intensive observations.FindingsThe quality of TGP is still unsatisfactory in policy, implementation and management aspects in that VIP still face a lot of difficulties in accessing places, in particular the places they have never gone before. Two of the major causes of poor quality of TGP are misunderstanding and neglect. VIP, as well as other disabled people, still face many difficulties arising from different sources; from the grant society policies to small objects in their daily lives.Practical implicationsVIP should not be considered as a group of people with ills, trouble and problems in the society. Policymakers, professionals in design and implementation and management people must recognise that they should not impose their value judgments and preferences on VIP. Instead, user participation is a good and applicable approach to assure a high quality of design.Originality/valueThe paper offers insights into quality assurance for user‐fit designs.
Service quality on three management levels
Authors: Camén Carolina 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to deepen the understanding of how service quality factors are stipulated in advance within contracts, in order to ensure the providing of a high‐quality service to the user, when the service is contracted out to an external partner. It aims to identify, describe, and analyse the service quality descriptions included in contracts.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on case studies and focuses on a comparison of service quality factors in contracts. The empirical base is the public transport sector – a context in which the contracts are widely used, and where the service is standardised, continuous, capital intensive, and provided by external operators, but where contract solutions differ. The contracts analysed are those entered into between 21 public transport companies and their contracted external operators in Sweden.FindingsThe study highlights that service quality factors in formal procurement contracts can be related to three interdependent management levels: the rhetorical level, the strategic level, and the operational level, in each of which the factors are described differently.Originality/valueThe findings provide insight into how service quality is described and used in contracts at three different levels, when the service is provided in a complex business setting, where contractors aim to control the service by contractual means, since they are ultimately responsible for providing the service to the end‐users. The research also contrasts with previous research claiming that contractors fail to incorporate service quality from a user perspective, which is not the case in the studied contracts. The paper also makes an important contribution by empirically investigating physical contracts used in a public tendering context, which focus on service quality descriptions, as it has been acknowledged that there is a lack of empirical investigation of the nature and form of contractual arrangements.