Search results

The purpose of this study is to identify and develop an understanding of various success factors in implementing an efficient court management system by the court managers employed at the trial courts and high courts in India. Court management implies using a professional approach using managerial tools and techniques in managing courts.

This study is based on a case study with two Indian states demonstrating efficiency in judicial operation with the adoption of court management techniques. Semi-structured interviews with the court registry, court managers, document studies, court visits, along with observation are the main data sources.

It was observed that managerial practices of job autonomy, regular feedback, clear job expectations and support from the supervisor/reporting officer act as critical success factors for court management efficiency.

This paper adds empirical insight from the Indian viewpoint on existing literature concerning management of courts.

The Freeman Hospital in Newcastle upon Tyne is currently introducing case mix management under the auspices of the Department of Health's Resource Management Initiative. Like many other hospitals, particularly teaching institutions and large district general hospitals, Freeman is experiencing a trend towards complex cases arising either from tertiary referrals or technological advance. Successful management has increasingly meant understanding the relationship between the mix of cases treated in a specialty and the implications for resource allocation and expenditure. The biggest obstacle to this cohesive managerial approach has been the inadequacy of existing information systems which have tended to reinforce traditional managerial division between hospital departments and professional disciplines.

This paper aims to investigate how buying companies manage the quality for their externally sourced business services. It explores how quality management for business services influences the performance of the buying company and what the major determinants of quality management are. The paper presents case evidence on which a conceptual model with preliminary propositions is built upon.

The paper uses case study evidence from eight manufacturing and eight service companies. Drawing on the findings of these case studies, a conceptual model with propositions is presented.

The paper suggests that buying companies do not yet use quality management for externally sourced business services to its full potential. However, buying companies using quality management practices for business services report positive effects on service quality and satisfaction of internal or external customers. The major determinants affecting the intensity of quality management are the usage of the service by the buying company, the risk associated with quality failures, the degree of standardization, and volume of the purchased service.

The research is based on information from 16 companies located in Germany and the conducted study is exploratory in nature. The collection of statistical data will be subject to future research as suggested in this paper.

The insights obtained from this paper can assist purchasers in their decision on how to design quality management practices. By understanding, what determines the quality management practices of buying companies, service providers may better adjust their service offerings to customers' requirements.

Quality management for business services in professional procurement has not attracted much academic attention so far, as literature on quality management has mainly adopted the perspective of a goods or service provider. Literature on the purchasing of services concentrates on the differences between the purchasing of goods and services and literature on service quality focuses on consumer services. This paper fills this gap conceptually with a multiple case study and offers guidance for further research.

The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated theoretical framework of the interrelation of the key success factors in the process of standards implementation.

Extensive case study work was carried out in ten American plants that had adopted ISO 9001 and or ISO 14001. First, within-case analysis captures the uniqueness of the implementation processes at each plant and leads to construction of the causal maps. Next, cross-case comparison identifies the key factors and the relationship between them, resulting in the theoretical framework.

The key factors affecting implementation effectiveness include focus on internal improvement, top management support, design of the system around existing processes, use of information technology, positive employees’ attitude, and employees’ usage of the system. The resulting framework suggests three alternative pathways to effective implementation of standards: (i) incentives pathway, i.e., by providing the right incentives; (ii) integration pathway, i.e., by designing the system around existing processes; and (iii) information technology pathway, i.e., by using information technology.

The key contribution of this research is the integrated theoretical framework.

Practically, this framework provides managers a clear depiction of the key actions required at each stage of standard implementation.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first integrated framework of the factors affecting standard adoption. We believe this framework is applicable to other meta-standards.

This paper is a follow‐up to the authors' first introductive article on the emerging He‐Xie management theory (HXMT), aiming to help readers better understand the concept of He‐Xie as well as the value of HXMT through several selected cases. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the value of HXMT in helping achieve the objectives of an ambidextrous organization in harmony.

The potential value and explaining power of HXMT in helping achieve effective management in organizations is explored through three diversified cases in Chinese contexts. The research is implemented through analyzing the three core constructs of HXMT, i.e. HeXie theme (HT), He principle (HP) and Xie principle (XP) and HeXie coupling (HC), as well as the consistence and alignment of them in the three cases.

In all cases, the authors found the existence of HC throughout various organizational development stages. In various organizational contexts, HT could be observed in guiding managerial activities. Through identifying periodically emerging important HT and taking related activities by following the principles of XP (reflecting optimization‐oriented activities for efficiency in practice) and HP (reflecting uncertainty‐reducing activities for efficacy in practice) accordingly, organizations could reorient themselves to avoid rigidity and organizational sclerosis on the one hand and accommodate changing environmental conditions on the other. The value of HXMT is embodied in its ambidexterity capability on applying HP and XP interactively across various organizational contexts.

The acceptance of the emerging HXMT in a wider scope must be grounded on an appropriate understanding of its value. This paper analyses retrospectively the management practices of some very different kinds of organizations towards the objective of harmony in organization. The authors' analysis could inspire managers to consider applying HXMT in their management practice towards an ambidextrous organization in harmony.

This paper aims to explore how fund managers (FMs) deal with major problems of ignorance and uncertainty in stock selection and in asset allocation decisions.

Interviews were conducted with 40 fund managers in the period October 1997 to January 2000. A seven stage approach was adopted to sift through and process the large volumes of case data. The interview case data formed the basis for identifying common patterns and themes across the cases.

The case data revealed the nature of this private information agenda concerning intellectual capital or intangibles and the dynamic connections between these variables in the value creation process. The case data provided insight into how the book value and market value gap arose and the special role of information on intangibles and intellectual capital in valuing the company.

The fund management behaviour has important implications for regulatory policy issues on insider information, on corporate disclosure, the corporate governance role of financial institutions, and for the governance of financial institutions.

The paper focuses on issues of importance in an increasingly concentrated and global FM industry.

This study provides a comprehensive framework of adaptation in triadic business relationship settings in the service sector. The framework is based on the industrial network approach (see, e.g., Axelsson & Easton, 1992; Håkansson & Snehota, 1995a). The study describes how adaptations initiate, how they progress, and what the outcomes of these adaptations are. Furthermore, the framework takes into account how adaptations spread in triadic relationship settings. The empirical context is corporate travel management, which is a chain of activities where an industrial enterprise, and its preferred travel agency and service supplier partners combine their resources. The scientific philosophy, on which the knowledge creation is based, is realist ontology. Epistemologically, the study relies on constructionist processes and interpretation. Case studies with in-depth interviews are the main source of data.

Rolling out lean operations practices in MNCs’ plants is a complex knowledge transfer process whose design and implementation, though critical to operations performance, to date has not been investigated by operations management, international business, strategy, and organizational design research. Applying conceptual tools drawn from various theoretical approaches to knowledge management, transfer and diffusion, this exploratory study: (a) classifies and interprets lean roll-out processes in MNCs, framing them in terms of (i) knowledge replication strategies (template vs. principles-based), (ii) decentralization of decision making (degree of plant autonomy), and (iii) type of organizational ambidexterity (structural vs. contextual) underlying the process; (b) develops, through seven case studies of lean roll-outs in MNCs’ plants, three testable propositions about what might enhance the lean roll-out process performance, arguing about the individual and combined effect of the three above mentioned dimensions on lean roll-out effectiveness and efficiency. We posit that an approach characterized by principles-based knowledge replication, larger decentralization, and prevalence of contextual ambidexterity positively impacts on roll-out process performance.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the cases of “delayed and denied” justice that resulted from a lack of or poor record-keeping in the South African courts and police service with a view to encouraging proper records management. Proper records management plays a significant role in supporting the justice system. Records provide the critical evidence that a particular action or transaction took place and can be used as evidence in a court of law. Without reliable and authentic records, government cannot administer justice and, as a result, offenders can be set free while the victims are denied justice.

Utilising content analysis, this study extracted print media articles (2000-2012) relating to the “records and justice system” from the South African Media database, which is one of the databases hosted by the South African Bibliographic and Information Network. The study selected cases reported in the media to conduct follow-up interviews with a policeman, lawyer and judge to discover the implications of the unavailability of required records in court cases. Furthermore, access was given to three selected cases that were given high profile in the media and these cases were analysed to find out what the final verdict in each case was.

Results of the study suggest that some criminal cases were withdrawn due to missing dockets or cases not properly registered. In some instances, records were reconstructed, resulting in the travesty of justice. The study concludes by arguing that if records are not accounted for, lawyers, prosecutors and magistrates could dispute the authenticity of records. As a result, justice for victims would be delayed and ultimately denied while the perpetrators are freed.

The findings and recommendations of this study may go a long way in helping courts in South Africa to manage records properly to support the justice system. Furthermore, the study is a useful compilation of the importance of missing records for social purposes.

In an attempt to show the role of records management in the administration of justice in South Africa, this study used a triangulation of data collection tools. This is a new attempt, especially in the South African context. Previous studies in southern Africa only looked at the management of records in supporting justice system.

Reports on an inter‐agency initiative in Wakefield that used a needs‐led case management approach for the resettlement of 32 former users of long‐term hospital mental health services. Reviews the programme using headings provided by the values which underpinned local mental health services, namely, that services should endeavour to be appropriate, acceptable, accessible, effective/efficient and equitable for service users. The main objective of the programme was achieved – 32 former users of hospital mental health services were resettled. Issues were, however, raised concerning the extent to which the programme could be described as needs‐led. Concludes that there is still much to learn about the application of case management within the British health context.