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Book part
Publication date: 30 December 2004

Teresa L. Scheid

Chronic illnesses require long term, ongoing medical care as well as the provision of a variety of social support services. These diverse systems of care need to be integrated…

Abstract

Chronic illnesses require long term, ongoing medical care as well as the provision of a variety of social support services. These diverse systems of care need to be integrated. However, under managed care, health care systems adhere to a disease model where emphasis is placed upon cure rather than care. While managed care can increase system coordination, the logic of cost containment favors acute services over the long term supportive services needed by chronic care clients. In this paper I describe efforts in one community which has received funding to integrate services for individuals with chronic mental illness as well as a planning grant to integrate multiple chronic care systems (HIV, mental health, and substance abuse) for minority clients. I describe various models of system integration and how diverse systems can be coordinated. In the conclusion I examine the barriers to system integration and argue that sociologists need to play a stronger role in understanding systems of care.

Details

Chronic Care, Health Care Systems and Services Integration
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-300-6

Article
Publication date: 16 February 2015

Jim Thomas

Integrating services does not necessarily lead to improved outcomes for people with care and support needs and fails to address the need for workforce integration. Workforce…

160

Abstract

Purpose

Integrating services does not necessarily lead to improved outcomes for people with care and support needs and fails to address the need for workforce integration. Workforce integration requires different professional groups to give up personal power, put the people they are supporting ahead of entrenched professional rivalries and be versatile not flexible in how they work. Integration is not important to people with care and support needs, unless it makes a difference to their ability to lead an independent life. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

A personal opinion piece based on learning from the development of principles for workforce integration with social care and health employers.

Findings

Integration takes time and there is no quick fix or magic solution, but it can happen. People's behaviour and motivations are complex, confusing and often inconsistent, and mandating service integration will not change the way workers behave. Perhaps it is now time to stop using service integration as a way of avoiding making tough decisions about the more challenging issue of workforce integration and what this means for those with power and control over people's lives.

Originality/value

The paper separates integration into service and workforce integration and argues that too much focus is given to the former rather the latter.

Details

Journal of Integrated Care, vol. 23 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1476-9018

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 November 2020

Isaac S. Obeng and Ikedinachi K. Ogamba

This study identifies and synthesizes existing literature on the integration of diabetic and dental services and explores a service integration model for optimising diabetic…

Abstract

Purpose

This study identifies and synthesizes existing literature on the integration of diabetic and dental services and explores a service integration model for optimising diabetic patient health outcomes and improving healthcare systems in low and middle-income countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Peer-reviewed literature that analysed the integration of health services regarding dental and medical services were reviewed. The articles were identified using the Academic Search Complete, Business Source Complete, CINAHL Complete, Google Scholar and MEDLINE databases and screened using the PRISMA guidelines.

Findings

A total of 40 full-text articles were examined for eligibility out of which 26 were selected for analysis. Diabetes was shown to contribute significantly to the global disease burden and this is also reflected in most low and middle-income countries. It is found that the integration of medical and dental services could help alleviate this burden. Hence, locally adapted Rainbow-Modified Integrated Care model is proposed to fill this integration gap.

Originality

The integration of dental and medical services has been proven to be useful in improving diabetic patient outcomes. Hence, the need to facilitate cross-professional collaboration between dentists and physicians cannot be overemphasised and this can be extended and locally adapted by different health systems across the world.

Practice Implications

The integration of dental and diabetic services using models such as the Rainbow Model of Integrated Care is recommended to optimise health outcomes of diabetic patients and enhancing service delivery, especially in resource-poor healthcare systems.

Details

Journal of Integrated Care, vol. 29 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1476-9018

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 April 2022

Angela Carida', Maria Colurcio, Bo Edvardsson and Alberto Pastore

There is a need to understand value co-creation in service ecosystems that engage multiple actors with different goals. This study aims to extend the understanding of value…

Abstract

Purpose

There is a need to understand value co-creation in service ecosystems that engage multiple actors with different goals. This study aims to extend the understanding of value co-creation by considering the orchestration of service ecosystems with reference to resource-integration processes.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory case study approach is used to analyze actors' roles in resource orchestration within a service ecosystem, gathering data from the macro, meso and micro levels of an Italian hospitality and tourism services ecosystem.

Findings

A framework is devised that highlights the intersection between orchestration and resource integration for value co-creation processes across the macro, meso and micro levels in service ecosystems. This extends the understanding of service ecosystem dynamics, especially how new value co-creation structures emerge, by emphasizing the circular causality between system levels. Findings show how orchestrating resource integration activities initiate and institutionalize non-linear value co-creation processes.

Practical implications

Resource integration orchestration within and between ecosystem levels is a possible response to societal challenges and for creating economic, cultural and social value across the community. The study offers policymakers insights into developing new competencies for developing actions according to a logic of socially and sustainable value.

Originality/value

This study advances the understanding of service orchestration by expanding the concept and the feasibility of service ecosystem orchestration. It offers insights into the importance of orchestrating resource integration to the emergence and vitality of service ecosystems themselves. The study responds to the need for empirical studies on value co-creation.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 32 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 June 2022

Sheng-Wei Lin, Eugenia Y. Huang and Kai-Teng Cheng

This study employed the commitment–trust theory in social psychology and relationship marketing to explore female customers' perception of channel integration quality in…

1257

Abstract

Purpose

This study employed the commitment–trust theory in social psychology and relationship marketing to explore female customers' perception of channel integration quality in omnichannel retailing and its influence on their relationship commitment to and trust in the relationship with retailers, and thus on their stickiness. Channel integration quality consists of two dimensions: channel service configuration (channel choice breadth and channel service transparency) and integrated interactions (content consistency, process consistency and perceived fluency).

Design/methodology/approach

The study was carried out via a questionnaire survey, to which 868 valid responses were collected. The partial least squares technique was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Channel service transparency and perceived fluency influence relationship commitment; content consistency, process consistency and perceived fluency all have significant effects on trust. Interestingly, although less influential than integrated interactions, channel service configuration is the foundation of channel integration quality, testifying to its significant role.

Originality/value

This study provides strong evidence on how channel integration quality affects customer stickiness. Moreover, this study replicates the finding of significant relationships among relationship commitment, trust and stickiness in omnichannel retailing.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 36 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 August 2014

Christian Wernz, Pooja Thakur Wernz and Kongkiti Phusavat

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and discuss the concepts of service convergence and service integration, illustrate them in the context of the medical tourism industry…

1691

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce and discuss the concepts of service convergence and service integration, illustrate them in the context of the medical tourism industry, and link them to factors that contributed to the success of a medical tourism firm.

Design/methodology/approach

The basis for the conceptual development of service convergence and service integration is an in-depth case study of Bumrungrad International Hospital (BIH) in Thailand. Based on semi-structured interviews and archival data, BIH's business model is analyzed and factors are identified that led to its success in the industry.

Findings

BIH's success can be attributed to nine key initiatives that enhanced customer focus, operational efficiency, and service quality. These initiatives supported BIH's twofold business model of product differentiation and globally competitive prices. The firm's activities led to the integration of medical and hospitality services resulting in a new, enhanced product. Competitors adopted BIH's service integration approach, which started the service convergence trend in the medical tourism industry.

Research limitations/implications

The conceptual foundations for service convergence and service integration are laid in this paper and can serve as the basis for future research.

Practical implications

Insights from BIH's business model can guide firms in medical tourism and related industries on how to innovate and how to successfully implement their service products.

Originality/value

This paper introduces the term service convergence and discusses its mechanisms. Furthermore, it identifies success factors of a leading firm in the medical tourism industry and links them to service integration.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 114 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 April 2014

Kim Aitken and Kathryn von Treuer

The purpose of this paper is to describe a two-part study that has explored the organisational and leadership competencies required for successful service integration within a…

3681

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a two-part study that has explored the organisational and leadership competencies required for successful service integration within a health consortia in Australia. Preliminary organisational and leadership competency frameworks were developed to serve as reference points as the consortia it expanded to cater for increased service demand in the midst of significant health reform.

Design/methodology/approach

The study design is outlined, which involved literature reviews and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders to ascertain the key determinants of successful service integration at both organisational and leadership levels.

Findings

The literature reviews revealed little existing research specifically focused on the organisational and leadership competencies that underpin successful service integration. The themes from the literature reviews and semi-structured interviews informed the preliminary organisational and leadership competency frameworks. Both frameworks are outlined in the paper. Key determinants of successful service integration – at both an organisational and individual leadership level – are also presented.

Research limitations/implications

This is a one-organisation case study and the competency frameworks presented are preliminary. However, the study findings provide a foundation for further research focusing on the longer-term success of service integration.

Originality/value

Service integration in health is a new and emerging area, and there is little extant research exploring the organisational and leadership competencies underpinning its success. The competency frameworks presented in the paper may be of interest to other consortia and organisations engaged in service integration and other forms of merger and collaboration.

Details

Leadership in Health Services, vol. 27 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1751-1879

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 January 2023

Torben Juul Andersen and Søren Bering

The aim of this study is to gain important insights on integration oriented servitization identifying essential dimensions of effective structures, coordination approaches and…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to gain important insights on integration oriented servitization identifying essential dimensions of effective structures, coordination approaches and management controls adopted by manufacturing firms that integrate forward towards distribution, sales and services.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a theory-guided qualitative abductive methodology to conduct a comparative case-study of two manufacturing firms in the same industry integrating forward to enhance servitization but with significantly different performance outcomes. The findings are uncovered from a broad spectrum of primary and secondary data spanning two decades.

Findings

The consistently high-performing firm puts equal emphasis on production and downstream distribution, sales and services and motivate individuals to engage in entrepreneurial efforts to develop combined product-services offerings that are valued by customers. The underperforming firm prioritizes operating efficiency driven by engineering prowess and managed through planning, standardization, authority and central controls.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on two representative firms operating in a specific industry context, which has ramifications for the generalizability of results and calls for replication studies to substantiate and extend findings.

Practical implications

Forward integration from manufacturing into distribution, sales and services represents a specific servitization strategy that needs structure and particular coordination approaches to be effective in complex dynamic product-markets. The characteristics of the outperforming case company provide useful insights on effective integrated servitization efforts.

Social implications

Forward integration is a commonly adopted strategy among manufacturing firms that constitute the backbone of modern economies and effective governance of these integration oriented servitization efforts has important implications for societal value creation.

Originality/value

This study builds on rationales from management science including economic theory, corporate strategy and different micro-foundational lenses and thereby hone recent calls for broader theoretical foundations to enlighten studies of the servitization puzzle.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 43 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 January 2023

Hicham Barrar and Rocio Ruiz-Benitez

Manufacturing firms (MFs) nowadays are struggling to design and maintain an integrated product-service offer. This paper aims to explore the role of the supply chain (SC) in the…

Abstract

Purpose

Manufacturing firms (MFs) nowadays are struggling to design and maintain an integrated product-service offer. This paper aims to explore the role of the supply chain (SC) in the design of the Product-Service System (PSS). In particular, the study focuses on the Design for Supply Chain (DfSC) approach in order to understand its role and contribution to the Design for Product Service Supportability (DfPSSu) approach in supporting PSS design.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the multiple-case study approach, this paper used in-depth-interviews method to collect primary data from four multinational car manufacturers and two academic researchers.

Findings

The study reveals how a better design of the SC is required for the development of a service supportability approach that, in turn, facilitates the design of the PSS. Additionally, Internet of Things (IoT) technologies support MFs to analyse the ongoing development of the PSS business model. Finally, a better design of PSS is essential for strengthening the integration of Product and Service Offerings.

Practical implications

This study suggests that MFs can build dynamic SC capabilities to deal with fundamental changes that occurred when adopting servitization.

Originality/value

This paper is among the first attempts to study the design process of the PSS business model in a real business context taking into account different design strategies.

Article
Publication date: 15 August 2016

Kotaiba Aal, Laura Di Pietro, Bo Edvardsson, Maria Francesca Renzi and Roberta Guglielmetti Mugion

The purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding of innovation in service ecosystems by focussing on the role of values resonance in relation to the integration of brands…

3218

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding of innovation in service ecosystems by focussing on the role of values resonance in relation to the integration of brands, service systems and experience rooms.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical, explorative case study of an innovative service system is carried out using a narrative approach and presented in the form of a saga.

Findings

Insights gleaned from the empirical study are used for conceptual developments. Analysis of the empirical case study is presented as four lessons linked to values, brands, service systems and experience rooms.

Originality/value

The paper extends a conceptual framework of innovative resource integration in service ecosystems. The paper also contributes four propositions to inform theory: values resonance is a basis for service innovation, the innovative integration of brands based on values resonance can foster innovation, the integration of resources across service system boundaries grounded in values resonance can enable innovation and the integration of experience rooms into a coherent servicescape based on values resonance can support novel forms of resource integration and value co-creation efforts in service ecosystems.

Details

Journal of Service Management, vol. 27 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-5818

Keywords

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