Developing a dominant logic of strategic innovation

Purpose: This paper aims to lay the foundations to develop a dominant logic and a common thematic framework of strategic innovation (SI) and to encourage consensus over the field’s core foundation of main themes. Design/methodology/approach: The paper explores the intersection between the constituent fields of strategic management and innovation management through a concept mapping process. The paper categorizes the main themes and search for common ground in order to develop the core thematic framework of SI. The paper looks at the sub-themes of SI in published research and develops a more detailed framework. The conceptual categories derived from the process are then placed in a logical sequence according to how they occur in practice or in the order of how the concepts develop from one other. Findings: The results yield seven main themes that form the main taxonomy of SI: types of SI, environmental analysis of SI, SI planning, enabling SI, collaborative networks, managing knowledge, and strategic outcomes. Research limitations/implications: The new thematic framework the paper is proposing for SI remains preliminary in nature and would need to be tried and tested by researchers and practitioners in order to gain acceptability. Academic rigor and methodological structure are not sufficient to determine whether our conceptual framework will become widely diffused in academia and industry. It would have to pass through an emergent, evolutionary process of selection, adoption and an inevitable degree of change and adaptation, just like any other innovation. Practical implications: The practical implications concern the production of instructive material and the application of strategic management initiatives in industry. The proposed themes and sub-themes can serve as a logical framework to develop and update publications, which have been instrumental in their own right to shape the field. The paper also provides a checklist of potential research projects in SI, which will improve and strengthen the field. The new framework provides a comprehensive checklist of strategic management initiatives that will help industry to initiate, plan and execute effective innovation strategies. Originality/value: The concept mapping of the themes of SI yields a new dominant logic, which will influence the evolution of the field and its relevance to both academia and industry

A comprehensive approach to quality management of intensive care services

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive framework for improving intensive care unit performance. Design/methodology/approach – The study introduces a quality management framework by combining cause and effect diagram and logical framework. An intensive care unit was identified for the study on the basis of its performance. The reasons for not achieving the desired performance were identified using a cause and effect diagram with the stakeholder involvement. A logical framework was developed using information from the cause and effect diagram and a detailed project plan was developed. The improvement projects were implemented and evaluated. Findings – Stakeholders identified various intensive care unit issues. Managerial performance, organizational processes and insufficient staff were considered major issues. A logical framework was developed to plan an improvement project to resolve issues raised by clinicians and patients. Improved infrastructure, state-of-the-art equipment, well maintained facilities, IT-based communication, motivated doctors, nurses and support staff, improved patient care and improved drug availability were considered the main project outputs for improving performance. The proposed framework is currently being used as a continuous quality improvement tool, providing a planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating framework for the quality improvement measures on a sustainable basis. Practical implications – The combined cause and effect diagram and logical framework analysis is a novel and effective approach to improving intensive care performance. Similar approaches could be adopted in any intensive care unit. Originality/value – The paper focuses on a uniform model that can be applied to most intensive care units

New algorithm for distribution system reconstruction planning based on fuzzy inference and multicriteria decision making

This paper presents a new algorithm for distribution system reconstruction planning based on Mamdani type fuzzy inference and BellmanZadeh multi criteria decision making method. The proposed algorithm takes system attributes as inputs (number of customers served by renewed infrastructure, energy losses, power demand and cost of investment) and returns crisp output values which are used as planning criteria. The aim of this paper is to provide a logical decision making framework which can be used to model, evaluate, and rank projects according to required criteria. The proposed model is flexible and can be extended to include additional planning criteria. The proposed method is tested on a realistic distribution system to demonstrate its relevance. It is expected that this paper will make a contribution toward more effective management of power distribution network planning process and that it will be used by planning engineers in practical problems

Understanding Performance Measurement and Control in Third Party Logistics

Each individual planning process starts with clear objectives. These objectives specify the goals for the planning process, which is assigning tasks to resources at a certain point in time. Planning systems, whether manual or computerized, should utilize those objectives in their planning. In order to gain insight in the specific planning objectives for the Logistical Service Providers (LSPs) domain, we study the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to this field. Typically, KPIs are used in a postante context: to evaluate the past performance of a company. We reason that KPIs could be utilized differently as well: if one knows what counts afterwards, it would be logical to anticipate this in the planning phase. This paper thus focuses on the performance parameters and objectives that play a role in the logistical planning process. In order to gain insight in the factors that should play a role when designing a new software system for planning and control of LSP operations. In this paper we present an extensive literature survey we performed, and introduce a framework that is capable of capturing the dynamics of competing KPIs, while positioning them in the practical context of an LSP. We conclude with a first validation of the framework and a roadmap for our future work, with the design of a software agentbased planning system for (road-) logistics as an intended final result

INTEGRATED DESIGN OF ALTERNATIVE ENERGY OPTIONS - A MULTICRITERIA APPROACH

Energy planning has come a long way during the 20th century from an intuitive approach to a full-scale discipline, incorporating technological and economic dimensions. The latter include both the micro- and the macro- level, whereas the technological framework covers energy, technology, thermodynamics and thermo-economic approaches. It is only during the last two decades that the environmental aspects of energy conversion has started to assume the gravity that it should have been assigned perhaps from the start, with the deterioration of the environment, e.g. acid rain, urban pollution, global warming, etc. and the depletion of resources becoming issues of outmost importance. The emergence of the renewable energy technologies as a reliable substitute of conventional fossil fuels gave promises that were only partially fulfilled as they never assumed the role that society had entrusted on them in the beginning. The alternative energy options, both on the technological and the resource level, revealed the complex nature of energy planning, where energy production and conversion should be addressed in tandem with energy demand and consumption and the particular preferences of the individuals. In both cases the spatial elements should be carefully analyzed and taken into consideration. Today’s energy planning asks for a complex approach which must includes the technological, economic, environmental and social design, accounting for the multitude of facets that interweave in the analysis and successful implementation of energy policies and projects. The aforementioned four dimensions must in turn be decomposed in a number of attributes in order for a quantitative and qualitative estimation to be realized. For the identification of an appropriate solution, a multi-criteria analysis seems to be the logical framework since it allows for a multitude of elements to be incorporated, and at the same time it can include a variety of stakeholders, with conflicting perhaps interests. In this paper we present the new approach for energy planning with the technological, economic, environmental and social design dimensions integrated in a new platform together with the necessary decomposition analysis. The whole new framework is presented via theoretical and practical examples and will hopefully pave the way towards a new under transition, energy future.

Managing healthcare performance in analytical framework

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to develop an integrated framework for performance management of healthcare services. Design/methodology/approach – This study develops a performance management framework for healthcare services using a combined analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and logical framework (LOGFRAME). The framework is then applied to the intensive care units of three different hospitals in developing nations. Numerous focus group discussions were undertaken, involving experts from the specific area under investigation. Findings – The study reveals that a combination of outcome, structure and process-based critical success factors and a combined AHP and LOGFRAME-based performance management framework helps manage performance of healthcare services. Practical implications – The proposed framework could be practiced in hospital-based healthcare services. Originality/value – The conventional approaches to healthcare performance management are either outcome-based or process-based, which cannot reveal improvement measures appropriately in order to assure superior performance. Additionally, they lack planning, implementing and evaluating improvement projects that are identified from performance measurement. This study presents an integrated approach to performance measurement and implementing framework of improvement projects

Principles for pre-trial investigation planning under simplified procedure

The purpose of the article is to study the organizational and legal framework for the functioning of the institution of pre-trial investigation planning under simplified procedure. The subject of the study is the planning of a pre-trial investigation under simplified procedure. Methodology. General scientific and special scientific methods were used in the course of the research: formal and logical; description; historical and legal; comparative and legal; dogmatic. Results of the research. The concept, essence, as well as the basic scientific doctrines concerning functioning of institution of planning are investigated; the content of the legal support for pre-trial investigation under simplified procedure is clarified. Practical meaning. The content and essence of the relevant process in the context of pre-trial investigation under simplified procedure are outlined; the main elements of legal support for the functioning of this institution are allocated; the author’s view on the positive and negative features of pre-trial investigation planning as the management tool is provided. Value / originality. The further steps to optimize the functioning of the institution of planning for pre-trial investigation of criminal offenses are proposed

Rational physical agent reasoning beyond logic

The paper addresses the problem of defining a theoretical physical agent framework that satisfies practical requirements of programmability by non-programmer engineers and at the same time permitting fast realtime operation of agents on digital computer networks. The objective of the new framework is to enable the satisfaction of performance requirements on autonomous vehicles and robots in space exploration, deep underwater exploration, defense reconnaissance, automated manufacturing and household automation

Public Health Rep

This reviews the efforts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to integrate effective health communication into its programs that are designed to change behaviors. Although the 10-step framework for developing and implementing the Centers' health communication programs is both practical and comprehensive, it is suggested that a reversal of steps 2 and 3 is a more logical sequence, is more consistent with the literature and, more importantly, could avoid misapplications of the framework by less experienced practitioners. Comment is also made on the dynamic nature of health communication planning and development, a point not made explicit in the Centers' framework.19957631001PMCnull601