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1 – 10 of 909Quality improvement has developed and spread, and today, all Swedish Regions emphasize that their strategies are based on systematic improvement. This paper aims to describe and…
Abstract
Purpose
Quality improvement has developed and spread, and today, all Swedish Regions emphasize that their strategies are based on systematic improvement. This paper aims to describe and illuminate the development of Quality Improvement (QI) in Swedish healthcare and welfare organizations by using publications in a Swedish context.
Design/methodology/approach
The overview synthesis is inspired by a scoping literature review approach of relevant literature. All publications relevant to Swedish healthcare and welfare settings between 1992 until 2020 were included.
Findings
In all, 213 papers, 29 books and chapters and 34 dissertations related to QI and research in Swedish healthcare and welfare context were identified. From 2011 to 2020, the publication rate increased rapidly. Six different focus areas emerged: systematic and value-creating improvement work; collaboration between organizations and healthcare providers; use of improvement methods and (theoretical) models; leadership and learning; measurements, quality registers and follow-up; and involvement and patient safety. Further QI development in Swedish healthcare and welfare points to an increased importance of collaboration between organizations and coproduction with beneficiaries for the healthcare and welfare services.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the first to describe and illuminate the QI development in the healthcare and welfare sector in a country. The trajectory also points to a need for coproduction to handle future challenges.
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Monica J. Barratt, Ross Coomber, Michala Kowalski, Judith Aldridge, Rasmus Munksgaard, Jason Ferris, Aili Malm, James Martin and David Décary-Hétu
Drug cryptomarkets increase information available to market actors, which should reduce information asymmetry and increase market efficiency. This study aims to determine whether…
Abstract
Purpose
Drug cryptomarkets increase information available to market actors, which should reduce information asymmetry and increase market efficiency. This study aims to determine whether cryptomarket listings accurately represent the advertised substance, weight or number and purity, and whether there are differences in products purchased from the same listing multiple times.
Design/methodology/approach
Law enforcement drug purchases – predominantly cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA and heroin – from Australian cryptomarket vendors (n = 38 in 2016/2017) were chemically analysed and matched with cryptomarket listings (n = 23). Descriptive and comparative analyses were conducted.
Findings
Almost all samples contained the advertised substance. In most of these cases, drugs were either supplied as-advertised-weight or number, or overweight or number. All listings that quantified purity overestimated the actual purity. There was no consistent relationship between advertised purity terms and actual purity. Across the six listings purchased from multiple times, repeat purchases from the same listing varied in purity, sometimes drastically, with wide variation detected on listings purchased from only one month apart.
Research limitations/implications
In this data set, cryptomarket listings were mostly accurate, but the system was far from perfect, with purity overestimated. A newer, larger, globally representative sample should be obtained to test the applicability of these findings to currently operating cryptomarkets.
Originality/value
This paper reports on the largest data set of forensic analysis of drug samples obtained from cryptomarkets, where data about advertised drug strength/dose were obtained.
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Chung Shing Chan and Wan Yan Tsun
This study aims to propose resident-based brand equity models on green, creative and smart development themes through a multi-sample telephone survey on Hong Kong residents (n …
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to propose resident-based brand equity models on green, creative and smart development themes through a multi-sample telephone survey on Hong Kong residents (n = 751).
Design/methodology/approach
This research adopted a quantitative approach with a round of questionnaire-based survey carried out anonymously on adult citizens who have stayed in Hong Kong for more than one year. Telephone survey was performed by a professional survey research centre with trained interviewers between May and July 2022.
Findings
The study identifies the magnitude of these city brand equity attributes and reconfigured their composition under separate samples of Hong Kong residents. The results reveal the relatively stronger brand equity for developing Hong Kong as a smart city brand compared with green and creative branding.
Research limitations/implications
The research findings might carry a major limitation of varied interpretations and stereotypes of each city theme (green, creative and smart) by local residents. To minimize the expected bias, two core questions were added to provide respondents with information on each theme before the main survey questions. The questions’ wording was also simplified to ensure the constraint and inconsistency of layman effect.
Practical implications
The common attributes across the themes, including distinctiveness, uniqueness, confidence, positive image, liveability, long-term residence, feature familiarity and top-of-mind, indicate the most prominent aspects of brand equity formation and enhancement. Since urban sustainability does not follow a single path of strategies and infrastructure development, city brand process should also follow a selective approach, which clearly identifies a multiplicity of local interests that could create the best outcomes and the strongest brand equity for the city.
Originality/value
The factor allocation and regression analysis elucidate different configurations of the determining factors with a three-factor model for green city brand equity and two-factor models for the other ones. The findings encore some previous studies supporting the differentiation between common attributes and distinctive attributes, and the overlapping approach to unleash the strongest integration of attributes of brand equity.
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Ana Botella-Andreu, Cristina Villar, José Pla-Barber and Ulf Andersson
This study aims to investigate the drivers of political embeddedness and the possible outcome in terms of autonomy and subsidiary unique competences.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the drivers of political embeddedness and the possible outcome in terms of autonomy and subsidiary unique competences.
Design/methodology/approach
This study draws on resource dependence theory and applies structural equation modeling on a sample of 193 subsidiaries.
Findings
Political embeddedness is confirmed as a source of potential autonomy and the development of competences and is usually boosted by previous existing networks at the internal and external levels.
Originality/value
The authors investigate and discuss how multinational corporations can leverage political resources in host-country political arenas, extending their understanding of the interplay between political activities and market strategies.
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Thomas Andersson, Gary Linnéusson, Maria Holmén and Anna Kjellsdotter
Healthcare organisations are often described as less innovative than other organisations, since organisational culture works against innovations. In this paper, the authors ask…
Abstract
Purpose
Healthcare organisations are often described as less innovative than other organisations, since organisational culture works against innovations. In this paper, the authors ask whether it has to be that way or whether is possible to nurture an innovative culture in a healthcare organisation. The aim of this paper is to describe and analyse nurturing an innovative culture within a healthcare organisation and how culture can support innovations in such a healthcare organisation.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a qualitative case study of a healthcare unit that changed, within a few years, from having no innovations to repeatedly generating innovations, the authors describe important aspects of how innovative culture can be nurtured in healthcare. Data were analysed using inductive and deductive analysis steps.
Findings
The study shows that it is possible to nurture an innovative culture in a healthcare organisation. Relationships and competences beyond healthcare, empowering structures and signalling the importance of innovation work with resources all proved to be important. All are aspects that a manager can influence. In this case, the manager's role in nurturing innovative culture was very important.
Practical implications
This study highlights that an innovative culture can be nurtured in healthcare organisations and that managers can play a key role in such a process.
Originality/value
The paper describes and analyses an innovative culture in a healthcare unit and identifies important conditions and strategies for nurturing innovative culture in healthcare organisations.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore local residents' perceptions of sustainability of different festivals making festival portfolio in Zanzibar.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore local residents' perceptions of sustainability of different festivals making festival portfolio in Zanzibar.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used multiqualitative methods and comparative case analysis that made use of in-depth interviews, observation and focus group discussion as the data collection techniques. Thematic content analysis was used to describe festivals from residents' point of views.
Findings
The results indicate residents to perceive two broader types of festivals: Ours and Theirs that have different impacts on sustainability of the festivals.
Research limitations/implications
The ours and theirs dichotomy of festivals from residents' perspectives extends the conceptualization of festivals. In line with the event portfolio framework, the emerged types of festival aid event planners with understanding and managing the events with the aim of making the festival and the destinations sustainable.
Originality/value
The bifurcated perception of festival ownership provides a complimentary theoretical lens that can be applied to explain the festival workings and management that emphasize the need for places to have festival portfolio catering for different segments.
Monica Riviere, Ulf Andersson and A. Erin Bass
This paper aims to explore the relationship between strategic internationalization decisions and dynamic capabilities deployment for the internationally growing firm (IGF)…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the relationship between strategic internationalization decisions and dynamic capabilities deployment for the internationally growing firm (IGF). Dynamic capabilities refer to a firm’s ability to adapt proactively to a changing business environment, emphasizing the importance of “doing the right things” rather than just “doing things right.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature-based, this paper proposes a model that links internationalization decisions and dynamic capabilities deployment, offering valuable insights for both research and practical application.
Findings
The study highlights that the IGF – focused on expansion and growth abroad – faces unique complexities that demand “doing the right things” in terms of strategic internationalization decisions. Three critical organizational capabilities – knowledge transfer, knowledge recombination and learning capabilities – are mechanisms linking strategic internationalization decisions to dynamic capability deployment in the IGF. These organizational capabilities enable the IGF to act entrepreneurially and deploy dynamic capabilities across borders.
Research limitations/implications
The model provides a practical framework illustrating the interconnectedness of strategic internationalization decisions and their combined effects on the ability of IGF to deploy dynamic capabilities to adapt to a changing global environment.
Originality/value
This research addresses a gap in the literature, challenging the conventional assumption that dynamic capabilities precede firms’ decisions to internationalize and that these dynamic capabilities can only be enhanced abroad.
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Masoud Shayganmehr, Anil Kumar, Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes and Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas
In this study, a novel framework was proposed to assess the trust in e-government (e-Gov) services under an uncertain environment. The proposed framework was applied in Iranian…
Abstract
Purpose
In this study, a novel framework was proposed to assess the trust in e-government (e-Gov) services under an uncertain environment. The proposed framework was applied in Iranian municipality websites of e-Gov services to evaluate the readiness score of trust in e-Gov services.
Design/methodology/approach
A unique hybrid research methodology was proposed. In the first phase, a comprehensive set of indices were determined from an extensive literature review and finalized by employing the fuzzy Delphi method. In the second phase, interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy set (IVIFS) -was utilized to model the problem's uncertainty with analytic called IVIFS- hierarchy process (AHP) to determine the importance of indices and indicators by assigning the weights. In the third phase, the fuzzy evaluation method (FEM) is followed for assessing the readiness score of indices in case studies.
Findings
The findings indicated that “Trust in government” is the most significant index affecting citizen's trust in e-Gov services while “Maintenance and support” has the least impact on user's intention to use e–Gov services.
Research limitations/implications
The study contributes by introducing a unique research methodology that integrates three phases, including fuzzy Delphi, IVIFS AHP and fuzzy evaluation method. Moreover, the fuzzy sets theory helps to reach a more accurate result by modeling the inherent ambiguity of indicators and indices. Interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy models the ambiguity of experts' judgments in an interval.
Practical implications
The study helps policy makers to monitor wider aspects of trust in e-Gov services as well as understanding their importance. The study enables policy makers to apply the framework to any potential case studies to evaluate the readiness score of indices and recognizing strengths and weakness of trust dimensions as well as recommending advice for improving the situation.
Originality/value
The study is one of the few to indicate significant indices of trust in e-Gov services in developing countries. The study shows the importance of indicators and indices by assigning a weight. Additionally, the framework can assess the readiness score of various case studies.
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