Boundary negotiations: a paradox theoretical approach for efficient and flexible modular systems

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Emerald via the DOI in this recordPurpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the interplay between firm boundary decisions and the management of both-and efficiency and flexibility and the implications this has for modular design in the provision of advanced services. Design/Methodology/Approach: A single case study in the defence industry employs semistructured interviews supplemented by secondary data. Data is analysed using thematic analysis. Findings: The findings provide a process model of boundary negotiations for the design of efficient and flexible modular systems consisting of three phases; boundary ambiguity, boundary defences and boundary alignment. Practical implications: The study provides a process framework for boundary negotiations to help organisations navigate the management of both-and efficiency and flexibility in the provision of advanced services. Originality/Value: Drawing upon modularity, paradox and systems theory, this article provides novel theoretical insight into the relationship between firm boundary decisions and the management of bothand efficiency vs. flexibility in the provision of product upgrade services.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC

Digital Transformation in Service Management

The digital transformation of single companies and of entire service businesses is an omnipresent topic – not only in the academic discourse but also in the current public debate. The topic is often approached phenomenologically. We invited a group of well-renown scholars from different academic fields to share with us personal observations and interpretations of the digital transformation in service management in the form of individual commentaries that go beyond. The commentaries we received are based on different theoretical perspectives. They include motivations of why digital transformation makes service management research (smr) more relevant, they depict implications for service companies, and they outline research needs. This article conflates the submitted commentaries, and it is the first SMR special research paper – a paper type that will be continued in future issues to explore topics in a similar fashion that are likely to have a significant influence on the development of smr.</p

The interstitium in cardiac repair: role of the immune-stromal cell interplay

Cardiac regeneration, that is, restoration of the original structure and function in a damaged heart, differs from tissue repair, in which collagen deposition and scar formation often lead to functional impairment. In both scenarios, the early-onset inflammatory response is essential to clear damaged cardiac cells and initiate organ repair, but the quality and extent of the immune response vary. Immune cells embedded in the damaged heart tissue sense and modulate inflammation through a dynamic interplay with stromal cells in the cardiac interstitium, which either leads to recapitulation of cardiac morphology by rebuilding functional scaffolds to support muscle regrowth in regenerative organisms or fails to resolve the inflammatory response and produces fibrotic scar tissue in adult mammals. Current investigation into the mechanistic basis of homeostasis and restoration of cardiac function has increasingly shifted focus away from stem cell-mediated cardiac repair towards a dynamic interplay of cells composing the less-studied interstitial compartment of the heart, offering unexpected insights into the immunoregulatory functions of cardiac interstitial components and the complex network of cell interactions that must be considered for clinical intervention in heart diseases

Investigation of health services and social needs of persons with larngectomies in Hong Kong: A study of self-help involvement

The aim of the study was two-fold: (1) identifying the importance of the health services needs and the social needs of persons with laryngectomies in Hong Kong; and (2) investigating the relationship between the degree of self-help involvement and the perception of the importance of those needs. Forty-six members of the New Voice Club (a self-help group) with at least one year of membership were selected to respond to a questionnaire in a face-to-face situation. Results indicated that both professional speech training available in hospitals/clinics and mutual-learning classes organized by the Club were perceived to be of equal importance. Regular Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) and radiotherapy services were considered to be essential according to one's need, while convalescence care and hospice care were not important. Pre- and post-operative visits and services offered by both professionals and peers were preferred. No relationship was found between the degree of self-help involvement and the respondents degree of needs perceived.link_to_subscribed_fulltex