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The purpose of this study is to systematize the analytic viewpoints, establish the diagnosis procedure and develop the needed tool. To conduct proper work process diagnosis based on failure cases, the necessary analytic viewpoints must be sufficiently systematized for hospital medical staff unfamiliar with the above analysis models to utilize them relatively quickly. Finally, the authors confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method by applying it in Hospital A.

First, the authors identify the necessary conditions of the ideal process model that can provide high-quality healthcare services by examining them from the viewpoint of process structure, contents and operational management style. After establishing the general diagnosis procedure based on the failure cases, the analytic viewpoint used in each step of the diagnosis is specified and shaped into one analytic template.

The authors proposed a method for diagnosing the healthcare provision process based on failure cases and applied it in several real cases in Hospital A. As a result, the authors can confirm that the proposed diagnosis method leads medical staffs to review their own healthcare provision process systematically, to find the key factors of the failure case effectively and to devise various types of countermeasures compared with the previous studies.

The perspectives for the process diagnosis in this study were systematized based on what kind of components the higher-performance work process should have. Therefore, the proposed method allows medical staff to find existing problems in the targeted process more appropriately. Secondly, this study proposed not only the perspectives for process diagnosis but also the analytic template that details the order in which each perspective should be utilized by a medical staff. This means that it is useful for a medical staff who is not familiar with process to select and utilize the proper perspectives when analyzing a failure case.

The purpose of this paper is to bridge the void in virtual teams’ (VTs) lived experiences on the high-performance work process theme by exploring process alignment best practices for the functioning of effective VTs in the software sector of the technology industry of South Africa.

A qualitative, interpretivist case study was used to gain insight into the lived experiences of VT members. A purposive sample was selected, and data were collected through an electronic questionnaire and analysed by means of content analysis.

International literature corpus informed the process theme. Empirical evidence suggests that a value-driven work orientation to combat cybercrime linked with the pre-existence to specific architecture effectively contribute to the practice of VT expertise by delivering innovative new paths instead of aligning to traditional processes.

The qualitative approach of this paper limits the replication possibilities beyond the information and communication technology (ICT) VTs who participated in the study. The themes, elements and the virtual nature of the study could be generalised across various technology-infused organisations in other VTs and within other knowledge working fields.

An exemplary questionnaire and method to obtain deep knowledge from the lived experiences of the virtually dispersed participants could be utilised for similar future studies.

ICT software organisations trading on the African, within VT environments and South Africa, people practitioners and risk managers would benefit from the process alignment practices suggested in this study.

This paper complements seminal VT theorists, and presents suggestions towards a practical implementable novel framework for the implementation of VT processes alignment.

The present research aims to examine the scholarly literature on high-performance work practices (HPWPs). Relevant comparisons were made between the hospitality industry, service industry and various other contextual environments in general business that might impact the choice and implementation of HPWPs, and a set of work practices was proposed for the hospitality industry.

A comprehensive review was conducted of scholarly literature related to HPWPs that was published in the past 25 years (1991-2015). A total of 89 scholarly articles were considered in this summary. Based on this review, HPWPs in the hospitality industry were compared and contrasted with other industry sectors.

There is little consensus among researchers concerning specific HPWPs that should be used by every company to improve their organizational- or individual-level performance. Thus, a specific set of 13 HPWPs that take into consideration the unique characteristics of the industry, based on a review of empirical research, was identified for the hospitality industry as a starting point for future research in the hospitality industry.

Following a comparison of HPWPs in the hospitality, services literature and manufacturing-based industry context, the authors extend the body of knowledge and propose a set of HPWPs for future research in the hospitality industry. HPWPs can have positive impacts on both organizational- and individual-level performance. Thirteen specific hospitality HPWPs were identified that are most beneficial, and the circumstances under which they might yield optimal results enhance the scholar’s understanding of HPWPs and provide guidance to human resource professionals to make evidence-based decisions. A better understanding of HPWPs can assist human resource professionals in making policy decisions that optimize the use of human capital in their organizations.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the status of US hospital Laboratory Information Systems. Laboratory Information Systems are critical to high quality healthcare service provision. Data show that the need for these systems is growing to meet accompanying technological and workload demands. Additionally, laboratory tests provide the majority of information for clinical decision‐making. Laboratory processes automation, including patient result verification, has greatly improved laboratory test throughput while decreasing turn‐around‐times, enabling critical results to reach physicians rapidly for improved clinical outcomes.

Data were drawn from the 2007 Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Analytics Database, which includes over 5,000 US healthcare organizations and provides extensive data on the hardware, software, and information technology infrastructure within healthcare organizations.

US hospitals are actively involved in laboratory systems planning to improve health service quality. Specifically, data show 76 new laboratory information systems are currently being installed in 2007 with another 399 under contract for future installation. As a result, increasing investment in laboratory information systems is providing state‐of‐the‐art clinical laboratory support, which enhances clinical care processes and improves quality. These state‐of‐the‐art Laboratory Information Systems, when linked with other clinical information systems such as Computerized Physician Order Entry and Electronic Medical Record, will support further healthcare quality improvement.

This article includes the most current information available on the US hospital laboratory information system applications.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) internationalisation from an emerging market perspective. It explores and applies human resource management (HRM) processes to small businesses’ internationalisation efforts in order to ascertain the extent to which human- and technology-oriented barriers to internationalisation can be better understood and their processes better managed by SMEs.

The data collection and analysis involved a mixed method technique so as to identify the two dominant barriers faced by SMEs at the employer and employee levels. By using primary survey data obtained from 212 Bangladeshi SMEs, a partial least square based structural equation model was successfully validated and its development enhanced the comparison of processes involved in managing people and technology-type barriers.

The research results highlight the importance of HRM processes in the proper management of both human and technology-type barriers, which are equally as significant to SMEs’ internationalisation.

The results highlight the urgent need for governments in emerging economies to prioritise SMEs’ internationalisation and to dedicate resources and processes in order to effectively optimise economic and social dividends. The practical, theoretical and methodological implications of the paper raise opportunities for further research in SMEs’ internationalisation and people management processes and practices as well as new policy guidelines.

The examination of the link between humans and technology is a much under-represented area in developing countries and the actual contribution of effective HRM processes in the context of SMEs’ internationalisation is missing. Applying HRM processes to these aspects serves to deepen the knowledge of small businesses’ internationalisation efforts and the contributed model enhances professional practice and theory development in these disciplines and in emerging economies.

The aim of the current study is to examine the impact of high involvement work practices (HIWPs) upon trust and commitment in a non‐Western cultural context, namely the UAE.

Quantitative, empirical data for the study were collected using self‐administered questionnaires with 600 participants from different service organizations in the UAE. Respondents were asked to provide their perceptions of a range of practices and their impact on trust and commitment.

The analyses support a model in which a collection of HIWPs positively influenced trust and commitment. In addition, work status and citizenship were used as control variables and played a partially significant role in explaining the effect of those practices on the outcomes.

The findings imply that managers should realize that implementing high involvement policies, and benefiting from them, is not as simple as instituting a single practice. What is required is an organizational culture that cultivates HIWPs.

Since little is known about the process by which UAE organizations promote the HIWPs, this article is the first to examine these issues in a non‐Western setting. Consequently, it contributes to the literature by examining whether the empirical results found in Western environments can be extended to non‐Western contexts.

This paper examines job satisfaction and participation in decision making in three home health aide facilities with different organizational structures (worker-owned for-profit, for-profit with no participation or ownership by workers, and nonprofit).

More than 600 surveys were completed by home health aides across the three facilities. The author also engaged in participant observation during training sessions and other meetings and conducted a small number of interviews with caregivers and agency management.

Home health aides at the worker-owned, participative decision making organization were significantly more satisfied with their jobs than those at the other agencies. Results for the other agencies were not significantly distinguishable from one another.

This study involved respondents from one of each type of business. A study across several of each type of organization would allow more focus on the effects of the structural characteristics of the organizations.

In the United States, the work that home health aides perform provides a valuable service to society. On behalf of caregivers and those for whom they provide care, conditions of the work need improvement. If participative democratic workplaces provide better outcomes, they should receive more attention from lawmakers, the business community, and researchers.

This research highlights the working conditions of the people (primarily women) who perform this work. The poor compensation received is a reminder of inequality in opportunity for some workers and of the value placed on this type of caring labor.

This research is unique in its focus on work environment and outcomes in home health care across nonprofit, for-profit, and worker-owned for-profit organizations. The findings of different job satisfaction outcomes from the others in the worker-owned organization and similar outcomes in the nonprofit and conventional for-profit organizations are also unique.

Contemporary organizations have realized the importance of creating work environments that energize and sustain collaborative capacity. Nowhere is the need for collaborative capacity more apparent than when business interactions and collaborative work efforts cross country boundaries. Collaborative capacity is the foundation to an organization's key resource, the collaborative capital. Creating a work environment or climate that supports, enhances, and maintains collaborative capacity is essential for achieving high levels of collaborative capital. In this chapter, we review an exploratory, cross-cultural investigation of the work environments that guide organizations (public and private universities) in the United States and in several Asian countries. One hundred and ninety-four staff from a university in the United States and a combined total of 976 individuals from eight universities throughout Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan) were asked to assess their organizations’ work environments using the Performance Environmental Perception Scale (PEPS; David Ripley (1998) The development of the performance environment perception scale and its underlying theoretical model. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, University of Tennessee, Knoxville). We describe what work environment factors were viewed the same across Eastern and Western cultures, and what factors were viewed differently. Additionally, we present a model of work environment factors that can be used to enhance and sustain collaborative capacity across Eastern and Western cultures.

Ongoing advancements in technology provide the opportunity to build and to improve successful virtual teams. Organizational leaders are facing a dynamic and competitive environment that requires levels of flexibility and fast responses to the global marketplace. The virtual team structure is built on communication that is impacted by the ability of the team members to engage with integrated collaborative technology. Advances in technology enable team members of virtual teams to communicate crucial information and to be perceived as inclusive. Communication technologies have characteristics and capabilities that allow for different levels of communication richness, which refers to the quantity and quality of the shared information provided by the technology. There are two broad categories of collaboration technology: communication-focused technology and coordination-focused technology. Communication-focused technologies are considered key contributors to building trust in virtual teams. Coordination-focused technology refers to a complementary set of tools that can be leveraged to enhance trust and coordination among team members. Advances in technology that are discussed: real-time communications protocols enhances video calls through any type of device including wearable technology; Internet of Things making it easier and more natural for people to interact with the objects to stay connected; higher video resolution continues to improve in terms of price, quality, and performance, which will increase the number and type of devices for communication.

The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of research on lean focusing on barriers in its implementation through a systematic literature survey.

A literature survey of peer-reviewed journal articles, survey reports, master theses, doctoral theses and paradigmatic books with managerial impact is used as the research methodology.

The findings derived from the evaluation of the publications analyzed have led to the identification of 24 lean barriers. The success of lean implementation will not be entirely based on application of appropriate tools and techniques alone but also on the top managements' involvement and leadership, workers' attitude, resources and the organizational culture.

This literature survey is primarily focused on lean implementation in the manufacturing sector.

This paper explores barriers for successful lean implementation and provides a concise description of the barriers that will be helpful for further studies in the domain of lean manufacturing.

Government of many countries around the world is encouraging and helping small- and medium-scale industries to understand and implement lean systems by preparing accessible database of lean consultants, providing financial assistance for training by professionals and establishing professional associations. However, many industries experienced failure in lean implementation. This research work provides a launching pad to develop a strategy to tackle barriers for successful lean implementation.

This paper puts forward the key barriers that should be tackled for successful lean implementation. It might represent new opportunities for rigorous and relevant research that would contribute to more translucent knowledge of lean being gained.