Search results

Purpose – The paper explains how internal reporting systems, as embedded practices informing organizational actions and “know-how”, contributed to the inertia in implementing a corporate form of governance in a transitional public organization in a developing country – Egypt.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper synthesizes an institutional theory framework in order to capture the case study mixed results. Drawing on DiMaggio and Powell's (1983) notions of isomorphic mechanisms, Ocasio (1999) and Burns and Scapens’ (2000) notions of organizations’ memory, history, cumulative actions and routines, Brunsson's (1994) notion of organizational institutional confusion as well as Carruthers's (1995) notion of “symbolic window-dressing” adoption of new practices, the paper explores the dynamic of a public hospital corporatization processes. Data collection methods include semi-structured interviews, documentary evidence and direct observation.

Findings – The case study evidence shows that the interplay between the new form of “corporate” governance and the intra-organizational power, routines and “know-how” created internal organizational confusion and changed organizational members’ narrative of risk and uncertainties.

Research limitations/implications – The paper does not reveal the role of reformers involved in the public sector “governance” reform in developing countries. Exploring such a role goes beyond the scope of this paper and represents an area of future research.

Originality/value – The paper provides a comprehensive account of public sector “governance” reform in a developing nation, while exploring the role of management accounting and costing systems in facilitating or otherwise that reform processes.

This commentary seeks to enable service researchers in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) regions and those in other regions to pursue service research that addresses the many difficult service system problems in the MEA.

This commentary is based on more than 40 years of service research experience and unique insights from a service research pioneer. The commentary addresses what service systems are and why they are important to human progress.

Three service wisdoms are offered to enable service researchers. Serving Human Needs focuses on the essential role of service because all human economies exist to serve human needs. It also provides the aspirational goal of improving human well-being by transforming service systems. The topic of Designing New Service Rules urges service researchers to design new service systems based on the win-win logic of mutualism. Collaborating With Each Other is the third service wisdom. With more than 7 billion humans living today, mutually beneficial collaborations are one of the best strategies for improving human well-being and the well-being of our crowded planet.

Practical ideas are offered for improving the human condition through collaboratively serving each other’s needs.

Because service systems are both nonmonetary and monetary solutions to human needs, their social implications are profound. Human life itself depends on service systems.

This commentary offers service researchers guidance in understanding services, in designing better services, and in pursuing collaborative solutions to service system problems.

Index by subjects, compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals: Facilities Volumes 8‐17; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐17; Property Management Volumes 8‐17; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐17.

States that there is continuing difficulty in achieving success with information systems, particularly in the sense of meeting users’ expectations and offers a fresh examination of those attributes of information systems by which users perceive success and failure, and through which they establish their expectations. Reviews existing research literature and suggests that, in addition to the process and product viewpoint, an important factor in achieving success is the service management perspective. Applies repertory grid techniques to uncover a total of 43 constructs which relate to users’ perceptions of success with information systems in business. Reduces these to 21 attributes which provide the basis of a new assessment and measurement framework, incorporating and augmenting the attributes found in previous work in this area. Illustrates the practical use of these attributes using two case studies: an information service provider and a hospital equipment supplier.

Compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals published by MCB University Press: Facilities Volumes 8‐18; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐18; Property Management Volumes 8‐18; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐18.

Not much information is broadly shared about how current system and resource library funding formulas operate. Do the formulas encourage or discourage certain programs or services? How are systems and resource libraries funded across the country? These questions are vital to systems looking for fiscal models that work. Having examined the costs of basic services provided by the seven Colorado regional library service systems and the Colorado Resource Center (CRC) previously in the Bottom Line (Fall 1990, pp. 18–24), this second article reviews the current funding formulas for the systems and the CRC.

Compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals published by MCB University Press: Facilities Volumes 8‐17; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐17; Property Management Volumes 8‐17; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐17.

The pandemic has reinforced the need for revamping the healthcare service delivery systems around the world to meet the increased challenges of modern-day illnesses. The use of medical cyber–physical system (MCPS) in the healthcare is one of the means of transforming the landscape of the traditional healthcare service delivery system. The purpose of this study is to critically examine the impact of MCPS on the quality of healthcare service delivery.

This paper uses an evidence-based approach, the authors have conducted a systematic literature review to study the impact of MCPS on healthcare service delivery. Fifty-four articles were thematically examined to study the impact of MCPS on eight characteristics of the healthcare service delivery proposed by the world health organisation.

The study proposes support that MCPS will positively impact (1) comprehensiveness, (2) accessibility, (3) coverage, (4) continuity, (5) quality, (6) person-centredness, (7) coordination, (8) accountability and (9) efficiency dimension of the healthcare service delivery. The study further draws nine propositions to support the impact of MCPS on the healthcare service delivery.

This study can be used by stakeholders as a guide point while using MCPS in healthcare service delivery systems. Besides, healthcare managers can use this study to understand the performance of their healthcare system. This study can further be used for designing effective strategies for deploying MCPS to be effective and efficient in each of the dimensions of healthcare service delivery.

The previous studies have focussed on technology aspects of MCPS and none of them critically analysed the impact on healthcare service delivery. This is the first literature review carried out to understand the impact of MCPS on the nine dimensions of healthcare service delivery proposed by WHO. This study provides improved thematic awareness of the resulting body of knowledge, allowing the field of MCPS and healthcare service delivery to progress in a more informed and multidisciplinary manner.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the strategic management of a technology-enabled shift from a product-centric to a service-centric logic and to identify the sociotechnical dynamics underlying this transition. The study focuses on how manufacturers manage to create value in industrial markets through digital servitization.

An abductive research approach is used to investigate two manufacturing firms, and an interpretive framework is used as an analytical template. A cross-case analysis is conducted.

The case companies strategically managed sociotechnical processes of digitization to co-create value. Their service orientation delineates dissimilarity in terms of digital servitization. It reflects a viable ecosystem that moves toward datatization through adaptation in one case and a viable ecosystem that moves toward digitization through reconfiguration in the other case.

A theoretically grounded, empirically informed framework is proposed to detect transformational mechanisms to manage value co-creation in digitally servitized contexts, thus contributing to ecosystem viability.

This is the first study to adopt a system perspective such as the viable system approach combined with service-dominant logic to reconceptualize the overall sociotechnical processes and the underlying mechanisms leading to digitized value creation. In line with a systems view and a systematic process based on a transformative attitude toward digital servitization, the empirically informed framework identifies specific co-creation activities and recursive feedback loops.

Index by subjects, compiled by K.G.B. Bakewell covering the following journals: Facilities Volumes 8‐18; Journal of Property Investment & Finance Volumes 8‐18; Property Management Volumes 8‐18; Structural Survey Volumes 8‐18.