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The growing time‐based competition (TBC) literature coincides with an increased emphasis on time in manufacturing organizations. In a 1993 survey, 93 per cent of US and European managers identified reliable delivery times as having above average importance, while overall delivery speed was cited by 88 per cent and 89 per cent, respectively. At the same time, 82 per cent of Japanese managers rated rapid new product introduction as having above average importance. Highlights potentially different sources of time‐based advantages. The factors described above are linked by a common emphasis on time, but the driving strategies and tactics used to achieve them can differ or possibly conflict. Presents a framework of time‐based competition for manufacturers. Demonstrates how differences between engineer‐to‐order, make‐to‐order, assembly‐to‐order and make‐to‐stock manufacturers result in the need to use different approaches to implement TBC.

Sikkens UK Ltd. have appointed Michael J. H. Manning (41) as field sales manager decorative products to plan and control the activities of the field sales force.

This paper explores the implications of using Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs as a “paradigm case” of transformational leadership by comparing the practical metadiscourse of remembrances published at the time of his passing to the theoretical metadiscourse of transformational leadership. The authors report the frequency of transformational leadership characteristics that appeared in characterizations of Jobs in the months after his passing in October 2011. Results show that people do remember Jobs as a leader, and as one who possessed three key personal characteristics of a transformational leader: creative, passionate, and visionary. People also remembered Jobs as an innovator, which is not typically associated with transformational leadership but which does reflect the discourse of the consumer electronics industries upon which he had an impact. However, the results also show that two important interpersonal characteristics of a transformational leader were absent in the remembrance discourse: empowering and interactive. The authors discuss the implications of the two missing terms for pedagogy and theorizing, including how problematizing Jobs as a paradigm case might lead to fruitful discussions about the importance of a transformational leader’s engagement with followers.

The purpose of this paper is to present the question and answer (Q/A) to provide an opportunity for two seasoned academic business librarians to share their experiences with courses in entrepreneurship in their universities.

Question and answer.

The evolving business school curricular landscape, and especially an increase in courses in entrepreneurship, presents unique opportunities for engagement, visibility and centrality for academic business librarians.

Entrepreneurship is increasingly valued in today’s world. To be successful, entrepreneurs must successfully deal with and navigate a highly complex information landscape. Academic business librarians are positioned to help student, faculty and future entrepreneurs alike learn the skills to successfully traverse this landscape.

Describes the results of a postal questionnaire survey of all 1,383 hospital consultants in the North Western Region of the UK in 1994; updating a similar survey conducted in 1987. In both surveys, consultants were asked to describe their current management role, management training received and any perceived future training needs. A series of open questions in the 1994 survey explored barriers and incentives to the take‐up of management training. The results show that in 1994 more doctors were taking on greater management responsibility and from an earlier age. Consequently, the proportion of consultants expressing a need for management training had risen from 62 per cent in 1987 to 73 per cent in 1994. The most useful courses were local budgeting and business planning. However, many consultants described problems in accessing training. Concludes by highlighting policy implications arising from the surveys which will need to be addressed if consultants are to fulfil their management potential.

Healthcare providers need the information contained in patient records to provide high‐quality services. To be effective, patient record assembly must be completed in a timely manner. This study aims to analyse the medical records assembly process for a hospital in Southeastern United States having difficulty meeting standard completion times established by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organization.

Several quality improvement tools were used to evaluate and improve the assembly process.

As a result of the study, a new procedure was implemented. Consequently, the hospital reduced the time required to assemble medical records, thereby improving efficiency and effectiveness. There are hopes to further improve the process.

The study provides guidance on how statistical process control techniques can be applied to improve hospital services. The techniques employed can be used to analyze and improve any process. However, results are limited to improving medical record assembly processes at one particular hospital.

Past studies considered the application of various statistical process control techniques for improving healthcare quality. The study extends research by employing process improvement efforts to understand and develop medical record assembly in a regional hospital via process flow diagramming and control charts.

The purpose of this research is to present evaluation findings from the National Public Health Leadership Institute (PHLI) regarding how the curriculum's learning methods work singly and together to produce outcomes for learners and their organizations.

Six months after graduation from PHLI, four recent cohorts of PHLI graduates were asked to report overall reactions to PHLI by using an online survey. The survey consisted of quantitative questions about key leadership behaviors taught in the program and the usefulness of PHLI's five learning methods as well as qualitative questions about changes in understanding, skill, practices, and outcomes.

The evaluation survey yielded a 66 percent response rate (n=133). PHLI's learning methods are interrelated and lead to such outcomes as changed leadership understanding, knowledge and skill development, increased confidence, increased self‐awareness, leadership practice changes, and organizational results. The learning project was strongly associated with development of collaborations, whereas assessment tools and coaching were most often associated with increased self‐awareness.

These preliminary findings support the idea that particular learning methods are related to specific outcomes. However, graduates often integrate information and skills from multiple methods to achieve outcomes. Future research should investigate whether the associations identified in this evaluation are present in other leadership development programs.

This is the first published evaluation that has attempted to link specific learning methods with outcomes for participants of a public health leadership development program.