| 1. |
- Abdi, Adel, et al.
(författare)
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Designing appropriate contracts for achieving efficient winter road and railway maintenance with high performance quality : A survey of the state of practice in Sweden
- 2014
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Ingår i: International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences. - 1756-669X .- 1756-6703. ; 6:4, s. 399-415
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose - For a long time, the winter maintenance of the Swedish road and railway network had been performed in-house by Swedish Transport Administration, Swedish local authorities i.e. municipalities and Stockholm public transport. During the last 15 years the winter operation and maintenance of these state infrastructures have been performed by public procurement and contracting from independent contractors, where in practice the lowest price is the dominating selection criteria. The aim of this paper is to investigate and identify how these contracts are designed and how satisfied the parties are with the contract and the quality of the performed work during the winter and point our directions for improvement. Design/methodology/approach - The study was conducted by a literature review and followed by semi-structured interviews and electronic questionnaire. Findings - The results of the study which are based on the interviews and the online questionnaire show that there is widespread dissatisfaction with the contracts among both clients and contractors. Practical implications - The article prepares a basis showing how a contract affects the quality of the performed winter road and railway maintenance services. Originality/value - The findings lead to a number of suggestions about how to improve the contracts, e.g. having a separate winter maintenance contract to increase the quality of performed winter maintenance measures, a more partnering-like structure where consultations and adjustment can be made during the contract period. A partnering structure also makes it less important to get all the details right in the contract.
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| 2. |
- Alänge, Sverker, 1951, et al.
(författare)
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The board's role in sustaining major organizational change: An empirical analysis of three change programs
- 2009
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Ingår i: International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences. - : Emerald. - 1756-669X .- 1756-6703. ; 1:3, s. 280-293
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The importance of top management commitment for the success of major change initiatives has been emphasized in the literature, while the role of boards of directors (the board) has been in less focus. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the boards affect the sustainability ofmajor organizational change.This paper is based on three case studies of the diffusion of total quality management (TQM), Toyota production system (TPS), and lean production (LP). Findings from these case studies are then compared to literature on management and organization and corporate governance.It was found that a TQM/TPS/LP transformation is a long-term process. In the case studies, top management commitment is crucial for the sustainability of the implemented change programs. However, a committed top management does not “last forever.” The issue of sustaining change therefore falls back on the governance structure. If the board does not understand the essence of anorganizational change, the risk is that top management is replaced with new leaders, who are given new directions by the board. Issues identified as important in order to create board commitment for sustainability of major organizational change are: board competence and experience, board meeting dynamics, board as a provider of critical resources, and the process of replacement of chief executiveofficers. The dominating agency theory within corporate governance also needs to be questioned and complemented by more recent theories such as the stewardship and the resource-dependence theories. This paper makes an orginal contribution by providing insights into the board’s role in sustaining major organizational change.
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| 3. |
- Boström, Jonas, et al.
(författare)
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Cultural dynamics and tensions when applying design thinking for improving health-care quality
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences. - 1756-669X .- 1756-6703. ; 13:1, s. 16-28
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute knowledge concerning the dynamics and potential cultural tensions that occur when applying user involvement and design thinking (DT) for improving quality in a health-care setting.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on a case study following a quality improvement (QI) project in a medium-sized Swedish county council in the field of somatic care. The project involved eight health-care professionals, one designer, four patients and two relatives. A multiple data collection method over a period of ten months was used. It included individual interviews, e-mail correspondence and observations of workshops that covered the QI project.FindingsThe result shows tensions between QI work and the daily clinical work of the participants. These tensions primarily concern the conflict between fast and slow processes, the problem of moving between different fields of knowledge, being a resource for the individual clinic and the system and the participants’ expectations and assumptions about roles and responsibilities in a QI project. Furthermore, these findings could be interpreted as signs of a development culture in the health-care context.Practical implicationsThere are several practical implications. Among others, the insights can inspire how to approach and contextualize the current concepts, roles and methods of DT and user involvement so that they can be more easily understood and integrated into the existing culture and way of working in the health-care sector.Originality/valueThis study provides a unique insight into a case, trying to uncover what actually is going on and perhaps, why certain things are not happening at all, when user involvement and design practices are applied for improving health-care quality.
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| 4. |
- Bröchner, Jan, 1948
(författare)
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The service sector in the classical world: focus on entertainment and well-being
- 2023
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Ingår i: International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences. - 1756-669X .- 1756-6703. ; 15:5, s. 1-14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose: Predicting effects of artificial intelligence on service occupations can be supported by a long historical perspective. Historical databases and archaeology help reconstructing the service sector in ancient societies. Here, the purpose of this paper is to analyse occupational specialization within services in cities of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, as well as how the service sector is reflected in architectural remains, to identify differences and similarities with today’s Europe. Design/methodology/approach: Occupational titles are traced in epigraphical and literary sources, sorted according to ISCO-08. Secondary sources are used for the architectural evidence of service activities, as well as for the role of contests and entertainment in antiquity. Findings: Compared to current European service employment, professionals were fewer in classical Athens and imperial Rome, which had a greater proportion of specialized salespersons. There were few office buildings and no civic hospitals, but heavy investment in facilities for entertainment and well-being. Quality assessments for goods were little developed; contests for cultural and sports activities assessed entertainment service quality. Research limitations/implications: This study covers two periods in classical antiquity and is restricted to Mediterranean cultures, although findings may help understanding the service sector in poor countries with informal employment. Originality/value: While particular services provided in ancient cities have been studied, there has been no broad comparative overview of their service occupations. Services in earlier societies with primitive information and communication technologies can provide clues for current developments.
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| 5. |
- Bäckström, Ingela, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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A health‐related quality management approach to evaluating health promotion activities
- 2012
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Ingår i: International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences. - : Emerald. - 1756-669X .- 1756-6703. ; 4:1, s. 76-85
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe health promotion activities accomplished within a project and to measure the conditions for sustainable health within the case organizations. Also, the purpose is to test a previously developed measurement approach, which measures health-related quality management.Design/methodology/approach – A health promotion project currently being carried out at eight Swedish elementary schools has been studied. In earlier research a measurement approach was developed to measure health-related quality management. The approach was handed out to the co-workers at the eight different schools in the initial stage of the project. The leaders at the schools were informed of the results of their own school and the mean value of all the eight schools. The consistency and reliability of the statements within the approach was tested.Findings – A description of health promotion activities accomplished and planned within the project can be found. The results from the measurement of the health-related quality management in the eight schools are presented, together with the mean score of all schools. The test of the measurement approach is presented and discussed.Originality/value – A description of health promotion activities can help managers and project leaders to plan and carry out valuable health promotion activities in their striving for both sustainable health among the co-workers and efficient organizations. This measurement approach can help managers and project leaders to measure the effects of the health promotion activities
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| 6. |
- Bäckström, Ingela, 1963-, et al.
(författare)
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Capturing value-based leadership in practice : Insights from developing and applying an AI-interview guide
- 2018
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Ingår i: International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences. - 1756-669X .- 1756-6703. ; 10:4, s. 422-430
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the results from the appreciative inquiry (AI)-inspired interviews to explore the underlying values held by top managers and to identify soft aspects ofleadership.Design/methodology/approach – Top managers were interviewed as a part of a research project withthe aim to support the development of value-based leadership that integrates company values, organizationalculture, customer needs and sustainable development. A structured interview guide, inspired by AI, wasdeveloped and used to pinpoint their motivation and vision of a good organization to understand the valuesthat the managers had and to identify soft aspects of leadership. The interviews were analyzed in workshopswith the whole research teamand structured and visualized through affinity diagrams.Findings – The results showed the underlying values held by top managers and identified soft aspects ofleadership.Practical implications – The presented interview guide can be used to identify the top managers’underlying values, and the presented results from the interviews can be used to inspire other managers andleaders to develop their leadership in their striving of good leadership and effective organizations.Originality/value – The paper explains how to apply an AI-inspired interview guide in finding out valuebasedleadership and soft aspects of leadership for enhancing organizational culture.
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| 7. |
- Bäckström, Ingela, 1963-
(författare)
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Health-related quality management values : comparing manager and co-worker perceptions
- 2019
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Ingår i: International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences. - 1756-669X .- 1756-6703. ; 11:4, s. 588-603
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to modify an existing survey that measures co-worker perceptions of health-related quality management (QM) values and perceived health and to measure both co-worker and manager perceptions of those values. The purpose was also to test the modified survey and then compare theresults from managers and co-workers from two organizations in which the survey has been used to measure baseline data in a lean research project and to help managers understand the areas where improvement isneeded. Design/methodology/approach – An earlier survey measuring co-worker perception of the dimensions of the health-related QM values “leadership commitment” and “participation of everybody” has been developed with corresponding statements for managers. The results of the survey were analyzed using SPSS(Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was calculated for each of thedimensions, and the correlations between the dimensions and the health index were investigated using the Pearson correlation. The mean and standard deviation were also calculated. Findings – The modified survey is presented in the paper, and the results demonstrate that the managers’ perception of the presence of health-related QM values is higher than that of the co-workers. Seeing the leadership from the co-workers’ standpoint compared with the managers’ perspective provides novel insight for both the researcher and the managers. Originality/value – Leaders in organizations must develop greater efficiency to improve operational performance and develop healthy work environments. Practicing QM can benefit performance and is central for inspiring quality and efficiency within organizations, as well as for enhancing co-worker well-being. Earlier research found relationships between co-workers’ perception of their health and the health-related QMvalues “leadership commitment” and “participation of everybody.” With the survey presented in this paper, it is possible to measure these health-related QM values and provide a comparison between manager and coworker perceptions.
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| 8. |
- Bäckström, Ingela, et al.
(författare)
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How Communicative Leadership influences co-workers’ health : A Quality Management perspective
- 2016
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Ingår i: International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences. - 1756-669X .- 1756-6703. ; 8:2, s. 143-158
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe leaders’ views on how Communicative Leadership influences co-worker health by comparing their opinions with the health-related values within Quality Management.Design/methodology/approach - A multinational manufacturing organization that has been working with Communicative Leadership for several years was investigated. 21 managers trained in Communicative Leadership were interviewed and asked about their views on how their communication influences both the well-being of their co-workers and the working environment. Various communication behaviors and communication methodologies emerged from the interviews and were then analyzed versus the health-related Quality Management dimensions.Findings - The result shows concrete communication behavior and methodologies that influence co-worker well-being and the working environment positively and negatively. Another result is a description of the prerequisites for managers to be able to communicate in a way that influences co-worker well-being and the working environment. The analysis of the communication behaviors and communication methodologies versus the health-related Quality Management values shows that several of the health-related Quality Management dimensions were present.Research limitations/implications – A limitation of this research is that it is just managers’ view that has been investigated and analyzed.Practical implications – Managers acting and behaving in accordance with the communicative behaviors and methodologies described in the results can influence co-worker health and the working environment in a positive way. The level of awareness of the prerequisites could help managers to influence co-worker well-being and create a good working environment.Originality/value – The connection between Communicative Leadership and health-related Quality Management values is rarely made. This research can contribute to greater understanding in both areas. Keywords Health-related Quality Management, co-worker health, Communicative Leadership, well-being, working environment.Paper type Research paper.
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| 9. |
- Camén, Carolina, 1975-, et al.
(författare)
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Contracts as a Cornerstone in the Relationship Building
- 2012
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Ingår i: International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences. - : Emerald. - 1756-669X .- 1756-6703. ; 4:3, s. 208-223
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The purpose of this paper is to investigate the significance of contracts in long‐term relationship building comparing public and private contexts. In order to investigate this, the paper addresses literature about relationship building, negotiation process and the role of contracts.Design/methodology/approachThis paper takes a qualitative approach and is based on comparative studies between the private and public sectors with the main focus on four companies within the public transport and paper industry. The unit of analysis is the enterprise's use of contracts in relationships. The analysis is based on the empirical material received from interviews and contextual analysis of the actual contracts. Internal and external documents have also been used in the analysis. The paper has categorized the material into different areas in relation to the relationship building.FindingsIn this paper the authors highlight the importance of contracts in the interaction between companies in different business situations. The findings in this study show that contracts function as cornerstones in relationship building. The conclusions also indicate that the type of contract used is depending of the uncertainty in the business relationship due to the relationship lifecycle. A main contribution from the study is that contracts affect the relationship building. In the private sector the relationship forms the contract while in the public sector the contract forms the relationships.Originality/valuePrevious research has mainly focused on how to manage long‐term relationships where the relationship is the result of a gradual development process between the parties and where there are few or next to no regulations regarding the interactions between the parties, for example who are involved or how the counterparty should be selected. Consequently, the results of this study adds to the literature the importance of contracts in long‐term relationship building comparing private and public contexts. Further, previous research has acknowledged that there is a need for more empirical research concerning the nature and form of contractual arrangements.
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| 10. |
- Carrillo, F. J., et al.
(författare)
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Alignment of resources, actors and contexts for value creation : Bringing knowledge management into service-dominant logic
- 2019
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Ingår i: International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences. - Bingley : Emerald Group Publishing Limited. - 1756-669X .- 1756-6703. ; 11:3, s. 424-438
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper aims to deepen the understanding of resource integration for value co-creation within service-dominant logic (SDL), by drawing on key knowledge management (KM) concepts. Design/methodology/approach: This conceptual study introduces three key KM concepts, namely, object, agent and context to SDL; thus, deepening the understanding of how resources are becoming when actors are engaged in co-creating value-in-context. Findings: This paper extends understanding of actors’ uses of knowledge in their efforts to co-create value. Paradoxically, SDL takes a phenomenological approach to understanding value co-creation, whereas KM embraces a realist-phenomenological view. Emphasizing knowing rather than knowledge reveals that there is no object without an agent, no agency without context and no knowledge without value-alignment. Thus, the paper contributes to theorizing about resource integration through SDL by identifying the need for effective alignment between relevant objects, capable agents and meaningful contexts for value to emerge. The paper also contributes with four facilitators of object-agent-context alignment: tacit knowledge contextualization, collective sensemaking, shared values among engaged actors and feedback on alignment effectiveness. Originality/value: It advances current conceptualizations of resource integration and value co-creation in SDL by paying explicit attention to a KM perspective. © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited.
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