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Article
Publication date: 1 August 2000

Terry Finlow‐Bates, Bert Visser and Christine Finlow‐Bates

Successful total quality management (TQM) is dependent on first class problem solving. Numerous techniques have been created to help the TQM practitioner along the problem solving…

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Abstract

Successful total quality management (TQM) is dependent on first class problem solving. Numerous techniques have been created to help the TQM practitioner along the problem solving journey. However, it can be very difficult to decide which of these techniques should or could be used at any point in the journey and in particular to see how the different approaches are related to each other. As a result, most people use only a small number of these techniques and tend to cling to their own limited toolbox. Three of the strongest groups of tools are “the seven simple tools of TQM”, “the four thinking models of Kepner‐Tregoe” and “root cause analysis”. This article argues that all three are complementary to each other and provides a flow chart to help navigate between them. This is particularly relevant for programmes aimed at implementing total productive manufacturing/maintenance (TPM).

Details

The TQM Magazine, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0954-478X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 February 2011

Natalie Govaerts, Eva Kyndt, Filip Dochy and Herman Baert

The aim of this study is to investigate some factors that have an influence on employee retention. Based on the literature and previous research, both employee and organisational…

20762

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to investigate some factors that have an influence on employee retention. Based on the literature and previous research, both employee and organisational factors are taken into account.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected by means of a questionnaire that was distributed on a voluntary basis in professional organisations and among employees, both electronically and in hard‐copy, during 2008‐2009. The study sample consisted of 972 employees, mainly clerks, from diverse profit and social‐profit organisations.

Findings

The results show that when organisations want to retain their employees it is important to pay attention to the learning of employees. Letting people do more and learn more of what they are good at will encourage them to stay with the organisation. Results concerning the selected employee variables show that only age has a significant relationship with retention. Regarding the intention to stay, there exists a positive relationship between age and retention.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation of this study is that both employee as organizational factors are measured through the perceptions of employees. The response set of subjects when responding to self‐report measures could therefore be the result of a temporary mood, or could be the result of what may be considered as socially appropriate by the participants. Another limitation is that the questionnaire was voluntarily completed by the respondents; the researcher had therefore no information about the non‐respondents.

Originality/value

The paper focuses on the factors influencing employee retention.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 23 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 2003

Peter Kerkhof, Annemieke B. Winder and Bert Klandermans

In Western Europe, works councils are a common form of indirect employee participation in management decision making. Trust is often assumed to play an important role in the…

1468

Abstract

In Western Europe, works councils are a common form of indirect employee participation in management decision making. Trust is often assumed to play an important role in the nature and outcomes of labour negotiations and in management‐works council consultations. So far, however, the antecedents of trust in management within works councils have not been studied. Using longitudinal data collected among the members of 75 Dutch works councils, the current study tests predictions regarding the relative influence of instrumental vs relational antecedents on the level of trust in management among works council members. An important role of instrumental predictors (e.g. perceived influence of the works council on management decision making) supports a view of trust as a calculative phenomenon. On the other hand, strong effects of relational predictors would lend support to trust as a relational phenomenon. The data show that trust in management among works council members is related to relational rather than instrumental antecedents.

Details

Personnel Review, vol. 32 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0048-3486

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 May 2011

Bert Meijboom, Saskia Schmidt‐Bakx and Gert Westert

The purpose of the present paper is to discuss organisational problems that occur in situations that are complex because the treatment of patients requires input from multiple…

7134

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the present paper is to discuss organisational problems that occur in situations that are complex because the treatment of patients requires input from multiple health care providers, and to argue conceptually how to resolve these problems by using SCM practices.

Design/methodology/approach

First SCM, being related to settings where several companies contribute to the production of one particular product, will be discussed in general. Since patient care is about service provision, the next to be examined will be service supply chains. Subsequently, major challenges in patient‐oriented care provision follow in settings where several health care providers are involved, based on which opportunities for applying SCM in patient care will be presented.

Findings

Based on literature addressing country comparisons of patient experiences, four major problem categories are distinguished: communication, patient safety, waiting times, and integration. Although problems also occur within organisational boundaries, the steps from one provider to the next generally represent the weakest spots in a system of health care providers. By applying insights from SCM, these problems can be tackled.

Practical implications

Problems with communication and integration might well benefit from the nomination of care coordinators. Information gathering and processing, i.e. both the availability of medical records of individual patients and information on provider performance, has to be improved. Breaking down functional barriers between care “silos”, within health care providers as well as inter‐organisationally, is a necessary condition for enhanced patient‐centred integration. Policy should also stimulate the provision of more coordinated services, for example, through integral cost prices for separate diseases (“case‐mixed accounting”).

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the emerging literature on using industrial processes or applying business concepts in health care. More specifically, insights from SCM are presented that contribute to patient‐oriented integration in situations where patients' needs cannot be fulfilled by one single (type of) institute. A supply chain perspective on patient care, combined with cross‐functional and cross‐organisational teams, continuous integration practices, lead time control, and appropriate information technology, shows to be promising.

Details

Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-8546

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1989

E.E. Berns

Menger′s Grundsätze is explored; the Aristotelianbackground of the discourse is probed, as is the problematic image ofMenger sketched in the secondary literature as soon as it is…

Abstract

Menger′s Grundsätze is explored; the Aristotelian background of the discourse is probed, as is the problematic image of Menger sketched in the secondary literature as soon as it is confronted with this Aristotelanism and with the subjective value theory and the motif of time, error and uncertainty. The conflicting elements of this picture are pieced together.

Details

Journal of Economic Studies, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3585

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 October 2023

Gülin Öylü, Chiara Natalie Focacci, Luis Serratos-Sotelo, Andreas Motel-Klingebiel and Susanne Kelfve

In this paper, the authors attempt to understand how labour market attachment during the ages of 30–59 influences individuals' transition out of the labour market.

Abstract

Purpose

In this paper, the authors attempt to understand how labour market attachment during the ages of 30–59 influences individuals' transition out of the labour market.

Design/methodology/approach

Using high-quality Swedish register data, the authors follow individuals born in 1950 and observe their labour market attachment during mid-life and their exit from the labour market.

Findings

The authors find evidence that labour market attachment in different stages of the career is differently related to exit from the labour market. At the age of 30, as well as between the ages 50–59, low attachment is related with earlier exit from the labour market. On the contrary, low labour market attachment during the ages 40–49 is related with later exit from the labour market. However, regardless of age, lower labour market attachment increases the risk of work-related benefit receipt in the exit year. The authors also find evidence that gender, migration status and childhood socioeconomic disadvantages may represent obstacles to longer working lives, while high education is a consistent factor in avoiding early exit from the labour market.

Originality/value

This study provides insights on the link between labour market attachment in different stages of the career and the exit from the labour market as well as work-related benefits dependency in the year of exit.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 43 no. 13/14
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 November 2017

Lois Crabtree, Anthea Tinker and Karen Glaser

The purpose of this paper is to explore older men’s perceptions of the health and wellbeing benefits of participating in men’s sheds.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore older men’s perceptions of the health and wellbeing benefits of participating in men’s sheds.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative semi-structured interviews with eight men aged 65 and over from men’s sheds in London. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed by hand, and analysis was conducted through coding of the transcripts.

Findings

The results of this study suggested that men’s sheds improved older men’s perceived level of social interaction, men’s outlook, led to self-reported improvements in depression, and all perceived themselves to be fitter since joining. Despite the research being conducted in an urban area, it highlighted the lack of prior community engagement.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size used in the research was small and may not be representative of other men’s sheds in different areas, therefore further research with a larger sample should be conducted.

Practical implications

A health policy dedicated to males which includes the promotion and funding of men’s sheds, such as in Ireland, should be considered by the government. In addition, clinical commissioning groups should recognise men’s sheds as a non-clinical alternative for their patients through social prescribing in general practice. Finally, in order to achieve the World Health Organisation initiative of creating “age friendly cities” community groups such as men’s sheds need to be promoted and further utilised.

Originality/value

There has been little research in the UK.

Details

Working with Older People, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-3666

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2020

Jacquie McGraw, Rebekah Russell-Bennett and Katherine M. White

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of masculine identity in generating value destruction and diminished well-being in a preventative health service.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of masculine identity in generating value destruction and diminished well-being in a preventative health service.

Design/methodology/approach

This research used five focus groups with 39 Australian men aged between 50 and 74 years. Men’s participation in the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program informed the sample frame. In total, 12 Jungian male archetypes were used to identify different masculine identities.

Findings

Thematic analysis of the data revealed three themes of masculinity that explain why men destroy value by avoiding the use of a preventative health services including: rejection of the service reduces consumer disempowerment and emasculation, active rejection of resources creates positive agency and suppressing negative self-conscious emotions protects the self.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations include the single context of bowel cancer screening. Future research could investigate value destruction in other preventative health contexts such as testicular cancer screening, sexual health screening and drug abuse.

Practical implications

Practical implications include fostering consumer empowerment when accessing services, developing consumer resources to create positive agency and boosting positive self-conscious emotions by promoting positive social norms.

Originality/value

This research is the first known study to explore how value is destroyed in men’s preventative health using the perspective of gender identity. This research also is the first to explore value destruction as an emotion regulation strategy.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 30 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 March 2017

Mortaza S. Bargh, Sunil Choenni and Ronald Meijer

Information dissemination has become a means of transparency for governments to enable the visions of e-government and smart government, and eventually gain, among others, the…

Abstract

Purpose

Information dissemination has become a means of transparency for governments to enable the visions of e-government and smart government, and eventually gain, among others, the trust of various stakeholders such as citizens and enterprises. Information dissemination, on the other hand, may increase the chance of privacy breaches, which can undermine those stakeholders’ trust and thus the objectives of transparency. Moreover, fear of potential privacy breaches compels information disseminators to share minimum or no information. The purpose of this study is to address these contending issues of information disseminations, i.e. privacy versus transparency, when disseminating judicial information to gain (public) trust. Specifically, the main research questions are: What is the nature of the aforementioned “privacy–transparency” problem and how can we approach and address this class of problems?

Design/methodology/approach

To address these questions, the authors have carried out an explorative case study by reconsidering and analyzing a number of information dissemination cases within their research center for the past 10 years, reflecting upon the whole design research process, consulting peers through publishing a preliminary version of this contribution and embedding the work in an in-depth literature study on research methodologies, wicked problems and e-government topics.

Findings

The authors show that preserving privacy while disseminating information for transparency purposes is a typical wicked problem, propose an innovative designerly model called transitional action design research (TADR) to address the class of such wicked problems and describe three artifacts which are designed, intervened and evaluated according to the TADR model in a judicial research organization.

Originality/value

Classifying the privacy transparency problem in the judicial settings as wicked is new, the proposed designerly model is innovative and the realized artifacts are deployed and still operational in a real setting.

Details

Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6166

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 July 2021

Nadia Zainuddin, Julia Robinson, Jennifer Algie and Melanie Randle

This paper aims to examine driving retirement and its impact on the well-being of older citizens. The concepts of value creation and destruction are used to understand older…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine driving retirement and its impact on the well-being of older citizens. The concepts of value creation and destruction are used to understand older consumers’ experiences with the self-service consumption activity of driving. This paper formally introduces the concept of value re-creation, as a means of restoring the overall value lost from the destruction of certain components of previous value structures. In doing so, this paper explores the different ways that resources across the micro, meso and macro levels of the ecosystem can be re-aligned, in order for older citizens to maintain their well-being after driving retirement.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative, individual-depth interview approach was undertaken with 26 participants living in New South Wales, Australia. The participants comprised of both drivers approaching driving retirement age, as well as driving retirees. Thematic analysis was undertaken to analyse the data.

Findings

The findings identified that emotional value in the forms of freedom, independence/autonomy and enjoyment, functional value in the forms of convenience and mobility and community value are created from driving. Driving retirement destroys certain components of this value (e.g. enjoyment and convenience) irrevocably, however freedom, independence/autonomy, mobility and social connectedness can still be maintained through re-aligning resources across the micro, meso and macro levels of the ecosystem. New components of value are also created from driving retirement. These include peace of mind, which contributes to the re-creation of the emotional value dimension, and cost savings, which creates the new value dimension of economic value. These changes to the value structure effectively re-create the overall value obtained by individuals when they retire from driving.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this work is the formal introduction of the concept of value re-creation at the overall and value dimension level, and development of a conceptual model that explains how this value re-creation can occur. The model shows the resource contributions required across all levels of the ecosystem, expanding on existing conceptualisations that have predominantly focussed on resource contributions at the individual and service levels.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 35 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

1 – 10 of 15