Changing professional service archetypes in a law firm using Process Orientated Holonic (PrOH) Modelling

This paper gives an in depth action research case study on how organisational change has been implemented in a medium-sized law firm in the UK (Higgs & Sons). The Canonical Action Research process was followed and a specific novel type of Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) known as Process Oriented Holonic (PrOH) Modelling was used to define systemic problems, support knowledge-based decision-making and implement change. This study found that as a result of increased competition, Higgs & Sons successfully transformed some of its services from a “professional partnership (P2)” delivery style towards having greater “managed professional business” (MPB) characteristics, but found that not all of its services were suited to this change, and that different types of service styles were necessary on a service by service basis. Practical changes and implications are discussed in the context of Pinnington and Morris’ (2003) “professional partnership” (P2) and “managed professional business” (MPB) archetype template

Analysis of a Train-operating Company’s Customer Service System during Disruptions:Conceptual Requirements for Gamifying Frontline Staff Development

This paper provides an account of an action research study into the systemic success factors which help frontline staff react to and recover from a rail service disruption. This study focuses on the effective use of information during a disruption to improve customer service, as this is a priority area for train-operating companies (TOCs) in Great Britain. A novel type of systems thinking, known as Process-Oriented Holonic Modelling (PrOH), has been used to investigate and model the ‘Passenger Information During Disruption’ (PIDD) system. This paper presents conceptual requirements for a gamified learning environment; it describes ‘what’; ‘how’ and ‘when’ these systemic success factors could be gamified using a popular disruption management reference framework known as the Mitigate, Prepare, React and Recover (MPRR) framework. This paper will interest managers of and researchers into customer service system disruptions, as well as those wishing to develop new gamified learning environments to improve customer service systems

HIERARCHICAL-GRANULARITY HOLONIC MODELLING

This thesis aims to introduce an agent-based system engineering approach, named Hierarchical-Granularity Holonic Modelling, to support intelligent information processing at multiple granularity levels. The focus is especially on complex hierarchical systems. Nowadays, due to ever growing complexity of information systems and processes, there is an increasing need of a simple self-modular computational model able to manage data and perform information granulation at different resolutions (i.e., both spatial and temporal). The current literature lacks to provide such a methodology. To cite a relevant example, the object-oriented paradigm is suitable for describing a system at a given representation level; notwithstanding, further design effort is needed if a more synthetical of more analytical view of the same system is required. In the literature, the agent paradigm represents a viable solution in complex systems modelling; in particular, Multi-Agent Systems have been applied with success in a countless variety of distributed intelligence settings. Current agent-oriented implementations however suffer from an apparent dichotomy between agents as intelligent entities and agents\u2019 structures as superimposed hierarchies of roles within a given organization. The agents\u2019 architectures are often rigid and require intense re-engineering when the underpinning ontology is updated to cast new design criteria. The latest stage in the evolution of modelling frameworks is represented by Holonic Systems, based on the notion of \u2018holon\u2019 and \u2018holarchy\u2019 (i.e., hierarchy of holons). A holon, just like an agent, is an intelligent entity able to interact with the environment and to take decisions to solve a specific problem. Contrarily to agent, holon has the noteworthy property of playing the role of a whole and a part at the same time. This reflects at the organizational level: holarchy functions first as autonomous wholes in supra-ordination to their parts, secondly as dependent parts in sub-ordination to controls on higher levels, and thirdly in coordination with their local environment. These ideas were originally devised by Arthur Koestler in 1967. Since then, Holonic Systems have gained more and more credit in various fields such as Biology, Ecology, Theory of Emergence and Intelligent Manufacturing. Notwithstanding, with respect to these disciplines, fewer works on Holonic Systems can be found in the general framework of Artificial and Computational Intelligence. Moreover, the distance between theoretic models and actual implementation is still wide open. In this thesis, starting from the Koestler\u2019s original idea, we devise a novel agent-inspired model that merges intelligence with the holonic structure at multiple hierarchical-granularity levels. This is made possible thanks to a rule-based knowledge recursive representation, which allows the holonic agent to carry out both operating and learning tasks in a hierarchy of granularity levels. The proposed model can be directly used in terms of hardware/software applications. This endows systems and software engineers with a modular and scalable approach when dealing with complex hierarchical systems. In order to support our claims, exemplar experiments of our proposal are shown and prospective implications are commented

Improving professional service operations:action research in a law firm

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how action research-based interventions can effect change in a complex and challenging professional service environment (Lewis and Brown, 2012). This paper presents a successful way to do this. First, by eliciting factors for change driven by deregulation in the United Kingdom’s (UK) legal service sector (Falconer, 2005). Second, by designing and implementing context-sensitive change in a selected legal service firm. Design/methodology/approach: This research adopts a participatory action research methodology involving the use of systems thinking (namely the PrOH modelling methodology) to design suitable interventions and catalyse change. Findings: This study has generated new knowledge on three fronts–to the legal service operations, to methodology and to the intellectual framework used for abductive reasoning (Checkland and Poulter, 2006). Lessons are transferable to wider professional service operations research. Findings indicate, despite traditional challenges of delivering typical professional services, there is potential for rationalising processes and service delivery commodification, mainly in the low volume, high variety legal service typology (Silvestro et al., 1992). Research limitations/implications: This research uses data from an in-depth study of a single organisation. Practical implications: This research helped legal service professionals to improve overall efficiency and effectiveness and create new management tools. Social implications: This research could help improve legal service operations and make them more accessible. Originality/value: This research applies a novel, systems thinking based methodology for the first time in a complex professional service operations environment leading to three-fold contributions in the areas of practice, theory and methodology. The paper uses a change management framework (the Change Kaleidoscope), a soft systems methodology (PrOH modelling) and applies these to legal services

Applying Systems Thinking to Improve Professional Service Operations

This thesis presents an in-depth case study of a legal service provider focusing on the operational aspects of service delivery. It explores the challenges in managing operations by directly engaging with professionals through Action Research. Application of a novel soft systems-based methodology called PrOH modelling embedded within the broad Action research framework led to the elicitation of operational issues, followed by implementation of practical changes, consequently generating a better understanding of legal service operations management. Previous research focused mainly on the institutional perspective of change in professional services. This research presents a practice-based micro-level perspective on how change takes place at the organisational level through a rigorous intervention-based approach to change management grounded in a practical setting, a medium-sized law firm. This thesis demonstrates how operations management based interventions can effect change in a complex professional service environment, which is often perceived as a challenging ground for operations management researchers (Lewis & Brown, 2012; Harvey et al., 2016). This paper presents a successful way to do this; firstly, by eliciting the factors driving change within the UK’s legal services industry accentuated by the recent deregulation (Falconer, 2005); and secondly, by designing and implementing a context-sensitive change management strategy that delivers operational improvements and wider organisational changes within a selected legal servicefirm. Embodying the philosophy of Praxis, this action research project generated knowledge on three fronts– the practice of legal service operations management, the methodological approaches used in the research such as Process Oriented Holonic (PrOH) Modelling (Clegg, 2007) and the theoretical frameworks used to validate and make sense of professional service operations such as the professional service archetypes (Cooper et al., 1996, Pinnington & Morris, 2003) and the Change Kaleidoscope framework (Balogun & Hope Hailey, 2008). This learning is transferable to wider professional services industry and also benefits future research aimed at exploring and redesigning operations practice within professional service firms

Proceedings of the Spring Servitization Conference (SSC 2013):servitization in the multi-organisation enterprise

The increased data complexity and task interdependency associated with servitization represent significant barriers to its adoption. The outline of a business game is presented which demonstrates the increasing complexity of the management problem when moving through Base, Intermediate and Advanced levels of servitization. Linked data is proposed as an agile set of technologies, based on well established standards, for data exchange both in the game and more generally in supply chains

A methodological framework for geographic information systems development

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide map based spatial analyses of geo-coded data. In this paper we examine a methodological framework for geographic information systems development that was developed and refined over a six year period based upon a fire prevention support geographic information system for a UK fire and rescue service. The methodological framework involves the use of a multi-methodology approach that incorporates social and organisational analysis, spatial modelling, and functional design

Towards More Nuanced Patient Management: Decomposing Readmission Risk with Survival Models

Unplanned hospital readmissions are costly and associated with poorer patient outcomes. Overall readmission rates have also come to be used as performance metrics in reimbursement in healthcare policy, further motivating hospitals to identify and manage high-risk patients. Many models predicting readmission risk have been developed to facilitate the equitable measurement of readmission rates and to support hospital decision-makers in prioritising patients for interventions. However, these models consider the overall risk of readmission and are often restricted to a single time point. This work aims to develop the use of survival models to better support hospital decision-makers in managing readmission risk. First, semi-parametric statistical and nonparametric machine learning models are applied to adult patients admitted via the emergency department at Gold Coast University Hospital (n = 46,659) and Robina Hospital (n = 23,976) in Queensland, Australia. Overall model performance is assessed based on discrimination and calibration, as measured by time-dependent concordance and D-calibration. Second, a framework based on iterative hypothesis development and model fitting is proposed for decomposing readmission risk into persistent, patient-specific baselines and transient, care-related components using a sum of exponential hazards structure. Third, criteria for patient prioritisation based on the duration and magnitude of care-related risk components are developed. The extensibility of the framework and subsequent prioritisation criteria are considered for alternative populations, such as outpatient admissions and specific diagnosis groups, and different modelling techniques. Time-to-event models have rarely been applied for readmission modelling but can provide a rich description of the evolution of readmission risk post-discharge and support more nuanced patient management decisions than simple classification models

WORKAROUNDS IN INFORMATION SYSTEMS RESEARCH: A FIVE-YEAR UPDATE

This paper complements an earlier (2019) literature review on workarounds in information systems research by including research that has influenced or been published in core IS outlets during the last five years (2018–2022). Our study captures research that strengthened, widened, and challenged theoretical insights from the previous review. It also provides additional insights and develops seven themes of theoretical insight. The 31 new papers and our updated analysis are most evident in the three themes: Workarounds and power, Temporality of workarounds, and Managing workarounds. We also found additional studies using the term ‘workaround’ differently to the extent that they have not applied the term to the same empirical phenomena, which questions the validity of some theoretical claims. We also found significantly more studies that used quantitative data-collection methods than the previous review