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- Abrahamsson, Sten, et al.
(author)
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University Services for regional Development : Ideas on Stakeholder Based Quality Management in a Region
- 2011
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In: Proceedings : 14th QMOD Conference on Quality and Service Sciences. - Pamplona : Servicios de Publicaciones Universidad de Navarra. - 8480812117 ; , s. 36-54
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Regional Development is a permanent activity of change including long range visions and goals. This work includes both continuous and breakthrough change. Quality management practises are used for organisational improvement and could be seen as one way of supporting effective change management. Provided we can view a region as an organisation we could also view it as a process. Dealing with the region as a system of processes might make it possible to use quality management practices to support more effective regional development. Based on an analysis of the presentation of the current state and the visionary state it should be possible to analyse proposed change strategies from a process perspective. Purpose The general purpose of the study is to see how universities could contribute to regional development. Specific research questions in this study are: For a region how can the present state, the visionary state and the chosen change strategies, be described with Quality Management values and methodologies with focus on the process view How do the regional university mission, vision and goals align with defined regional objectives? Methodology A literature survey for how Quality Management has been used for regional development is carried out to create a structure for the data collection. The region of Gotland is chosen as an example for a region. The reason for this is that Gotland is a small region consisting of an island providing clear boundaries. There is only one university, which makes it easier to study the links between university and region. Available regional visions are studied as well as main presentation of regional performance with focus on the region of Gotland. The main organizational stakeholders are identified and studied. Data is gathered from web sites and from interviews. The categorisation of information is based on a process perspective using process based system models adapted to the initial literature survey. The current change process is also portrayed. In order to see how the local university performance and plans align with the regional plans the Gotland University web-site is studied for relevant documents. Main results Regional performance can seemingly be described using process based system models. The stakeholder approach can in a meaningful way be used to describe main regional requirements.
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- Bäckström, Ingela, et al.
(author)
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A health-related Quality Management approach to evaluating health promotion activities.
- 2011
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In: QMOD Conference on Quality and Service Sciences 2011. - San Sebastian : Servicios de Publicaciones Universidad de Navarra. - 8480812117 ; , s. 188-197
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abstract Purpose The purpose of this paper was to describe health promotion activities accomplished within a project and to measure the conditions for sustainable health within the case organizations. The purpose was also to test a previously developed measurement approach, which measures health-related Quality Management. Methodology/ApproachA health promotion project currently being carried out at eight Swedish elementary schools has been studied. In earlier research a measurement approach had been 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 result was analyzed and 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 In the results 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 is presented together with the mean score of all schools. The test of the measurement approach is presented and discussed. ValueA 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 starting point and also the effects of the health promotion activities.
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- Dadfar, Hossein, et al.
(author)
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Organizational Innovation Capability, Product Platform Development and Performance: The case of Iranian API companies, TAPIC subsidiaries
- 2011
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In: Proceedings QMOD Conference on Quality and Service Science 2011, 14th QMOD Conference 29st-31st August, 2011, San Sebastian, Spain. - Spain : Servicios de Publicaciones Universidad de Navarra. - 8480812117 ; , s. 481-503
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- This study attempts to explore (examine) the relationship between organizational innovation capability and product platform development as well as organizational performance in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) producer in Iran. Accordingly, a conceptual and analytical model for examining relationship of innovation capability of a firm with product platform development as well as performance of API producers is developed which consisting of components: strategy, processes, Linkage, organizational structure, learning, product platform development and performance. The model is operationalized and tested in a group of Iranian API producers.The data were collected from eight subsidiaries companies of TAIC which are the largest conglomerate in production, provision and distribution of API in Iran. Our database consists of 168 questionnaires and companies, internal documents. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were used as complementary to each other.1. The results show that most of Iranian API companies buy the required technology in order to establish a new product platform. This behavior was common among in both successful and unsuccessful firms. However, they were different in using the acquired technology for developing derivative products internally. The successful API producers (high performance) because of having better innovation capability are prone to use the opportunities to develop the new product derivatives, which can increase the sale and also the profit of company as well as its performance.2. There is a positive relationship between the organizational innovation capability and product platform development of the companies, and the firms which are better in innovation capability are prone to develop more products (derivatives) in the existing product platform when there is opportunity to develop new products and also there is a positive relationship between the performance of the companies and their innovation capabilities too, In which the firms which have the better innovation capabilities, have the better performance.3. Firms with good organizational innovation capability have a great possibility to develop their product platform as well as their organizational performance. Such firms had well communicated vision and mission, clear organizational purpose, long term commitment to the main projects, effective mechanisms to implement the innovation, systematic problem solving, proper organizational context, proper working structure, reward system, effective internal and external organizational systems, close relationship with customers, supplier and partners, commitment to training and development.
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- Isaksson, Raine, et al.
(author)
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Change Management from a Stakeholder Perspective
- 2011
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In: Proceedings : QMOD Conference on Quality and Service Sciences 2011. - Pamplona : Servicios de Publicaciones Universidad de Navarra. - 8480812117 ; , s. 886-901
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- With the ever increasing rate of change the pressure continues to rise on all types of organisations for quicker and more effective change. Companies of today face multiple requirements which have caused a shift from shareholder focus to a more balanced stakeholder focus. In the 80s and 90s the Japan originated quality movement with its focus on customers was by many seen as the solution for effective change. Change program focus has since shifted from Total Quality Management (TQM) and Business Excellence models to 6Sigma improvement and Lean Management in parallel with behaviourally oriented change approaches with their focus on leadership. There does not seem to be any clear typology that relates different improvement approaches within the larger context of Change Management. The main purpose of this paper is to review how change management is defined and presented and to propose a stakeholder based taxonomy for organisational change management and to also portray if and how quality management could be seen as part of this. This is done with the view of increasing the understanding of what constitutes effective change. The results here form only a first iteration of a more extensive work to come. The purpose is to identify critical elements for change. Change Management has been described as a process. Elements identified have then been placed into a process based system. The first results indicate that Quality Management could be seen as part of Change Management and that the chosen approach using the process view is promising, but also that the process of change is complex and that considerable further research is required.
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- Isaksson, Raine, et al.
(author)
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Sustainable Development in Universities : the power and role of visions and goals
- 2011
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In: Proceedings : QMOD Conference on Qualityand Service Sciences 2011. - Pamplona : Servicios de Publicaciones Universidad de Navarra. - 8480812117 ; , s. 902-914
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background Universities in Sweden are since 2006 based on a government decree instructed to work with sustainable development. Recent studies on progress for Sustainable Development indicate that change is relatively slow and that most of the activities could be labelled: Business as usual. One apparent challenge is to understand what Sustainable Development means and consequently what needs to be changed compared to current performance. Visions and long range goals are important in any change work and should consequently also be important in the work for sustainable universities. Interesting questions are how visions and long range goals are defined in universities and to what extent they support work for Sustainable Development. Purpose The general purpose of the study is to see how universities could work for Sustainable Development and to find out areas of further improvement. The specific research questions in this study are: How could university work with sustainable development be characterized in education and research? How are visions and goals for Sustainable Development described by universities? How could visions and goals be improved in order to better support change towards Sustainable Development? Methodology Swedish universities are chosen for the study. The reason for this is that Swedish law since 2006 explicitly requires universities to work with Sustainable Development. This means that we can choose a random sample from the total Swedish university population and look at the interpretation of work for Sustainable Development. We use common definitions for Sustainable Development and compare them with university missions and directives from the Swedish state to answer the question how university work for Sustainable Development could be characterised. We identify typical definitions for what is required for a vision and for goals. These definitions are compared with the university interpretations as per web-sites and from individual views. Main results A review of how Sustainable Development is presented in the Swedish University world.
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- Ljungblom, Mia, et al.
(author)
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University Services for Regional Development : The case of Knowledge Management of Change Competence in Gotland
- 2011
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In: Proceedings: QMOD Conference on Qualityand Service Sciences 2011. - Pamplona : Servicios de Publicaciones Universidad de Navarra. - 8480812117 ; , s. 1102-1115
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- One key element in organizational success should be the organization’s capacity to change and to develop new knowledge – to be a learning organization. A good knowledge management system assures that all relevant knowledge is being acquired and used in all activities. The practical aspects of change management should form an important part of the knowledge that needs to be managed in any organization and Universities could be seen as centres for knowledge management within different areas of competence. Universities might also be able to support regional change with competence within change management. The general purpose of the study is to see how universities could contribute to regional development. The specific research questions in this study are: How could knowledge management be described on the regional level? How could a university contribute to regional knowledge management? How could knowledge management of regional change management be described? Knowledge management theory is reviewed with focus on knowledge management of change management. The process view can generally be used to describe organizations and it should therefore also be possible to view regions as process based systems. To do this, generic process models are used. A process model integrating knowledge management is presented and discussed. Based on the regional vision, change challenges are identified and these are translated into competence needs. These needs are compared with university competences Results show that the process view can be used to describe regional knowledge management. Based on descriptions from ongoing processes it is possible to show how and to what extent universities contribute to regional needs. There are considerable improvement opportunities in improving the support of knowledge management of regional change management. The results indicate that universities should be able to contribute with important knowledge management components for regional development.
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- Poksinska, Bozena, et al.
(author)
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Listening to the voice of the patient: new insights in health care service development
- 2011
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In: Proceedings QMOD Conference on Quality and Service Sciences 2011. - 8480812117
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Conference paper (other academic/artistic)abstract
- Background and Purpose – The patient is usually the only one with a full understanding and experience of an entire health care episode, yet this experience and knowledge is seldom used in health care service development. It is not an understatement to say that lip service is often paid to the patient’s view. This paper aims to draw attention to the possibilities of user-driven innovation in the health care sector. The research question that guides the present study is: How can patients participate in health care development, depending on the degree of co-production in care processes? Design/methodology/approach – The empirical data was collected through the use of patient diaries. Participants belonged to either one of two categories of care – chronic disease (rehabilitation, gastro) and episodic disease (orthopaedic surgery). The participants were asked to write about everyday situations which were related to their own health care problem and contacts with health care providers, and write down ideas for improvements. In total, 53 diaries have been collected and analysed. The analysis was made through a process where patient ideas were identified and classified by the researchers. Descriptive statistics on the characteristics of the ideas and their relation to service development were then made. Findings – Our results show that patients can make varying contributions to the development of health care services, depending on the degree of co-production and the context of idea generation. Based on these two variables we describe four different roles for the contribution of patients to the development of health care services: patient as provider of information (patient with episodic disease at caregiver); patient as an expert (patient with chronic disease at caregiver); patient as co-developer (patient with chronic disease at home); and patient as sole developer (patient with episodic disease at home). Research implications –The patient diary opens new, interesting opportunities in the field of patient co-creation. Much more work is needed in this direction. Practical implications – We stress that the patient is an under-used resource and listening to the voice of the patient can generate great benefits for health care service development.
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