From knowledge to decision – a case study of sales and operations planning in health care

One of the most important challenges in health care management is balancing resources with fluctuating and uncertain demand. This study examines whether introducing a standardised process for sales and operations planning at a large university hospital improved specialty department managers’ knowledge of planning conditions and if so, whether decisions were made based on this knowledge. Using responses from a survey of 30 specialty department managers at Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Sweden, the analyses indicate that operational knowledge strengthens insights about the needs for strategic decisions, and vice versa. Moreover, knowledge is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for making decisions at the department level. An overall planning and decision structure is required and should be implemented first at the hospital level to effectively allocate resources.     

认真开展案例研究,促进管理科学及管理教育发展

管理案例研究是现代管理科学发展的重要源泉 ,是管理新理论和方法创新的基础 ,目前已在管理学界引起了重视 .本文在讨论管理案例研究重要性的基础上 ,阐述了其对现代管理科学发展和管理人才培养的重要作用 ,并结合我国实际情况 ,提出了如何进行管理案例研究的几种方法 .     

An optimal design for process quality improvement: modelling and application

Existing research works on process quality improvement focus largely on the linkages between quality improvement cost and production economics such as set-up cost and defect rate reduction. This paper deals with the optimal design problem for process improvement by balancing the sunk investment cost and revenue increments due to the process improvement. We develop an optimal model based on Taguchi cost functions. The model is validated through a real case study in automotive industry where the 6-sigma DMAIC methodology has been applied. According to this research, the management can adjust the investment on prevention and appraisal costs on quality improvement that enhances process capability, reduces product defect rate and, as a result, generates remarkable financial return.     

A Markov Chain Model for an EMS System with Repositioning

We propose and analyze a two‐dimensional Markov chain model of an Emergency Medical Services system that repositions ambulances using a compliance table policy, which is commonly used in practice. The model is solved via a fixed‐point iteration. We validate the model against a detailed simulation model for several scenarios. We demonstrate that the model provides accurate approximations to various system performance measures, such as the response time distribution and the distribution of the number of busy ambulances, and that it can be used to identify near‐optimal compliance tables. Our numerical results show that performance depends strongly on the compliance table that is used, indicating the importance of choosing a well‐designed compliance table.     

市场知识管理与营销动态能力构建——基于天津奥的斯的案例研究

在回顾市场知识管理理论及营销动态能力理论的基础上,运用规范的案例研究方法,以天津奥的斯公司为研究对象,通过单一案例研究方法系统构建了企业市场知识体系,以及市场知识管理的"GDR循环模式",并深入分析市场知识管理对企业营销动态能力构建的影响机制,归纳提炼出基于市场知识管理的营销动态能力构建模型。     

Procurement process: Decision by exclusion and pairwise comparisons

Two case studies illustrate multicriteria decision making techniques frequently used in procurement practice: least-cost sufficient performance and weighted utility optimization. Both techniques have defects and are rarely robust. Decision by exclusion and pairwise comparisons is proposed as a third approach which eliminates inferior alternatives by generalized forms of minimum performance requirements established under multicriteria framework. It is more robust and maintains high level of accountability.     

基于产业集成的科技创业企业成长路径——以路明科技集团为例

为探讨科技创业企业在不连续技术变化环境中进行自主创新的过程与机理,采用案例研究的方法分析了路明科技集团的成长路径。发现仅有技术上的原始创新不足以支撑创业企业的持续高速成长,通过合资合作、直接投资进行纵向产业集成以及技术并购、二次创新等手段进行横向产业集成是企业实现高效成长的有效路径。     

Defining the scope of service operations management: an investigation on the factors that affect the span of responsibility of the operations department in service companies

This article deals with the definition of the scope of operations management (OM) in service companies. Operations, in service companies, are often dispersed throughout the organisation and so it is difficult to understand where OM tools and practices can be applied and who should be in charge of their implementation. Starting from the assumption that the actual scope of service operations is influenced by the degree of variety of the offering and of variability of the delivery process, this article analyses three case studies in an attempt to understand whether and why operations, in these companies, include different activities. This article argues that three factors affect the perceived scope of OM, namely: the dominant culture; the existence of industry-specific regulations and the endowment of facilities.     

理性视角下管理创新研究述评

管理创新一直是学术界和实务界积极探讨的焦点问题,基于此,从理性视角采用归纳法和比较法对管理创新研究做了较为系统的梳理。针对管理创新内涵表达的不一致性,在解析4个关键问题的基础上进行了重新界定;针对管理创新影响因素研究呈现多而散的特点,在归纳4个分析层面的基础上构建了一个整合分析框架;针对管理创新研究方法的多元化,在比较各种方法的基础上提议应加大多案例研究法的使用;最后,就未来研究所关注的4个基本问题做了进一步讨论。     

探索性与验证性案例研究访谈问题设计:理论与案例

在区分完全探索性、局部探索性和验证性案例研究类别的基础上,探讨了理论回顾、访谈对象选择以及访谈问题设计在上述3种类型案例研究中的作用和实现方式,并通过3个实际案例研究予以详尽说明。最后,比较了3种类型案例研究访谈的异同,并就情境预研、时间与问题数量控制、访谈者注意事项、访谈问题的发展、数据收集程序安排以及理论饱和度检验6个方面的共性问题进行探讨,提出了以典型事件/实践为载体开发访谈提纲的建议。     

复杂情境下中国企业管理创新类型选择研究

旨在解析我国企业在多因素综合作用的复杂情境下就突变型与渐进型管理创新选择的问题。基于扎根理论、使用多案例比较研究方法,首先采用开放式译码、轴向译码、以及选择性译码析出了大连三洋冷链有限公司管理创新案例中蕴含的关键概念、范畴和故事脉络,并对初始案例研究草案和研究样本进行了发展和补充;其次,在对其他9个案例分别进行概念、范畴和故事脉络分析的基础上,对10个案例进行了比较研究,得出了我国企业在组织规模、行业环境、企业家精神和组织文化的不同组合维度下对突变型和渐进型管理创新的选择模式及其中的机理。     

Six-sigma for improving Top-Box Customer Satisfaction score for a banking call centre

Six Sigma process improvement methodology has been accepted globally across the service industry. In past one decade, the application and success of Six Sigma in Services is remarkable across Information Technology organisations, Hospitality firms, Government, Healthcare firms and Banking & Financial Sector. The aim of this paper is to explore the role of Six Sigma within call centres where the metric based environment complements the application of Six Sigma for process improvements. The article establishes the literature for the need for Six Sigma in call centre environment elaborating on customer facing metrics in addition to internal performance measures and highlighting the advantages of Six Sigma. A case study is presented in the second part of the article to study the DMAIC project management approach of Six Sigma for improving the Top Box Customer Satisfaction score of a Banking call centre. The literature identifies the possible opportunities for improving the performance of call centre metrics using Six Sigma. The project case study presented as part of the paper delivered a saving of USD 0.27 million to the bank, and is a classic example of how Six Sigma can bring bottom-line impact to an organisation. The article is limited to elaborate the advantages of Six Sigma in call centre environment, emphasising on its need and its compatibility to go along successfully with change acceleration and project management processes. Managerial implications and lessons learned are discussed alongside the concluding notes.     

The soft side of knowledge transfer partnerships between universities and small to medium enterprises: an exploratory study to understand process improvement

Abstract

The study explores the soft side of knowledge transfer partnerships between universities and small to medium enterprises (SMEs), a topic which is often neglected in the knowledge management literature. The aim of this paper is to uncover the issues which emerge during formation of a partnership between heterogeneous organizations and universities. In addition, the study unfolds the criticalities of typical process improvement capability that supports the knowledge transfer partnerships between universities and SMEs. Using multiple cases, this study unravels the dominant elements that influence knowledge transfer process development, governance, implications and responsibilities. The major contribution of this study is the development of a framework based on empirical evidence using three knowledge transfer partnerships (KTPs) which illustrates the way in which soft factors in knowledge transfer partnership phases may have an impact on success or failure of university–industry collaborations for innovation.     

Performance management of suppliers in outsourcing project: case analysis from the financial services industry

This study investigates the characteristics of an effective performance management framework for outsourcing projects in a UK-based financial services organisation and how this may contribute to the success of the outsourcing arrangement. The analysis draws on outsourcing and performance management theory, and uses both primary and secondary data. Valuable information was found on objective setting, performance measurement and performance improvement in the outsourcing project. An adapted version of the Balanced Scorecard, termed a Logic Scorecard, is suggested as a measurement tool; a service credit system and a continuous improvement schedule used to enhance supplier performance. The performance management framework, which is one of the pillars of the supply chain operations reference (SCOR) model, was developed, and provides practitioners with step-by-step guidance for the implementation of performance management in outsourcing projects. This combines both suggestions for performance management before and after the outsourcing decision, thus considering the entire outsourcing lifecycle. The proposed 10-step framework for outsourcing not only incorporates strategic propositions but also shows its implementation at an operational level.     

The use of qualitative case studies in top business and management journals: A quantitative analysis of recent patterns

The use of case studies as qualitative research strategy in social sciences seems to have increased recently, but there are no studies that empirically verify such claim. By explicitly focusing on the field of business and management studies, we aim to investigate the extent of publication and the main features of qualitative case studies published in the 20 highest impact factor business and management journals. The paper discusses the correlation between a journal's ranking and the extent of case studies it published, and between selected features of case studies (e.g. research purpose, design and data sources). Moreover, we shed light on how the identified features of a case study impact its probability of being published.Methodologically, we analyse by means of correlation and regression statistics, as well as clustering techniques a total of 19 features in the 352 qualitative case studies published between 2002 and 2011 in our sample of top business and management journals.