Towards Successful Software Process Improvement Initiatives: Experiences from the Battlefield

Over the past years Brazil has done significant investments in software process improvement. Among them, the long term MPS.BR program focuses on improving the software process quality of Brazilian companies. This paper describes the successful software process improvement (SPI) initiative that is being developed in Brazil, called the MPS.BR program, including its software process improvement reference model (MR-MPS-SW) and the most important results accomplished to date. Our results include the analysis of the iMPS family of surveys, and lessons learned that are valuable to the SPI community. The results and benefits presented can be useful to researchers, practitioners and decision makers in Government, University, and Industry interested in SPI and software industry competitiveness. Moreover, the benefits presented can motivate organizations to engage on MPS model SPI initiatives as a mean to improve the quality of their software

Effectiveness of the Travelers Summer Research Fellowship Program in Preparing Premedical Students for a Career in Medicine

This study measured the effectiveness of the Travelers Summer Research Fellowship (T-SRF) Program for Premedical Students. No in-depth study has been conducted on the impact of its activities. A program-oriented qualitative summative evaluation approach and a logic model design were used to analyze survey responses for participants from four program years randomly chosen from 2000 to 2015, medical school enrollment records for participants from 1969 to 2015, physician practice locations for participants from 1969 to 2009, and interviews with a purposeful random sample of 10 physicians who were program participants from 2004 to 2008. Narrative inquiry consisted of audio recording, transcription, and analysis of individual accounts and participant experiences. The study revealed that participants valued interactions with physicians from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine. Talks on careers in medicine increased participants’ knowledge, and research projects helped develop skills. Cardiovascular physiology lectures introduced participants to the medical school learning experience and increased their confidence to apply to medical school successfully. T-SRF enhanced participants’ medical school applications and sharpened interviewing skills; 83% matriculated into medical school, 90% graduated, and 45% practice in HPSAs, MUAs/Ps, and rural areas. Recommendations included improving program orientation, making the cardiovascular physiology lectures and examinations more valuable experiences, re-evaluating the study skills curriculum, providing more clinical experiences, increasing the weekly stipend, improving maintenance of the alumni database, formally partnering admissions with the T-SRF program, helping alumni return to Weill Cornell as residents or fellows, and considering other ways to measure social concern. Further studies of T-SRF should be undertaken

Improving Service Delivery Through Provider Training: A Process Evaluation of the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System “Commitment to SERVE” Workshop

As the customer-focused management strategies gradually advances into all of the VISNs [Veterans Integrated Service Networks], the Veterans Health Administration in Palo Alto, California implemented a customer service training program for employees to meet the diverse and complex needs of its customers. This research will analyze whether participants in this training, known as Commitment to SERVE, believe that it is achieving its goal. In other words, does the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS) staff perceive the Commitment to SERVE workshop as a beneficial customer service training program

The marketing of small professional service enterprises: physicians services in Puerto Rico

This research utilizes the Model for Marketing in Small Professional Service Firms, based on Carson's Model for the Development of Small Firm Marketing, to examine the marketing of Physician Services in Puerto Rico. To achieve its objectives, a combination of quantitative(survey) and qualitative (cases) research is used. From the literature a series of statements is generated to form hypotheses that are tested utilizing the results of a questionnaire survey of 105 physicians in Puerto Rico. The results suggest a possible change of attitude of service providers towards marketing and its use. They reveal that physicians in Puerto Rico are in agreement with the marketing concept but most do not adopt "traditional" techniques of marketing- preferring to focus on the physician/patient relationship. Analysis of eight cases demonstrates the importance of this relationship and suggests that though is seen as important in attracting and retaining patients, most physicians do not see this as marketing, which is perceived to be mostly "advertising" and "selling." Many are cautious not to "commercialise" their practice and any differences in their behaviour can be explained by the way they believe the physician/patient relationship is best enhanced. The research proposes a Model for Marketing Solo Professional Service Firms that depicts the_ relation between the changes, over time, in the personal life cycle of the service provider/owner manager and the stages in the life cycle of the business practice. The model suggests that throughout there is a need to focus on one aspect of marketing for the practice, which may change over time, and that the elements determining the marketing activities at a particular time, how they are undertaken and why they are utilised, are constantly evolving. Thus the marketing practices of small professional firms appear to be contingent on both the external and internal environment of the practice

Innovate Magazine / Annual Review 2011-2012

This year\u27s issue highlights some of the ways the SJSU School of Library and Information Science is being a catalyst for global innovation, explores the tools SJSU SLIS master\u27s students and faculty use to interact in our innovative online learning environment, and describes some of the exciting career pathways our alum are pursuing.https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/innovate/1000/thumbnail.jp

Effective Strategic Decision-Making Strategies for Plant Managers in Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Manufacturing in Modern Day Puerto Rico: A Qualitative Case Study

This qualitative, collective case study covers the experience of strategic decision making in a pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing environment in Puerto Rico during the current economic crisis. The medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing industry in Puerto Rico was selected because of the tax expirations targeting this specific industry and the predominance on the island this industry represents in the manufacturing environment. Despite Puerto Rico’s dominance in medical device and pharmaceutical manufacturing over the past 60 years, the current financial and government crisis poses a significant threat to executive level commitment toward maintaining operations on the island. Research questions focused on plant manager’s experiences and perspectives regarding the strategic decision-making process. Participant interviews included executives indirectly overseeing regulated facilities in Puerto Rico, four plant managers for medical device facility on the island and representatives of their direct staff, a former global operations leader for the pharmaceutical industry, and an economic representative in Puerto Rico. The interviews in conjunction with direct observation and document reviews of the four facilities provided the qualitative data used to develop a guideline of specific strategic decision making factors for future plant managers on the island and the results of the impact the external environment on the island is having on plant managers. The study concludes with recommendations for future research and application. The intent of the recommendations is to support continued manufacturing growth on the island