EXPLORING THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND COORDINATION OF MULTI-NATIONAL IT OUTSOURCING VENDORS

This paper explores the organizational structure and coordination mechanisms used by large ITO-vendor organizations. Five global ITO-vendor organizations were studied. The results show that all five use a “front-back hybrid” structure. All five vendors divide their front-end labor pool according to the types of customers that they serve. On the back-end, their labor pools are organized around the functions offered by the company. Such a front-back structure enables them to focus simultaneously on developing distinctive capabilities, capturing scale and nurturing long-lasting relationships with their customers. To deliver each customer’s requirements, resources from the various front and back-end units are coordinated using a hybrid-matrix approach. This structure enables quick response to a client’s shifting requirements. The primary contribution of this paper is its finding that, consistent with the theory proposed by Galbraith et al. (2002) for organizations of this type, all five global ITO vendors had adopted both front-back hybrid and cross-business-team approaches

Magnetic susceptibilities, specific heat, and crystal structure of four S = 3/2, three-dimensional antiferromagnets

The zero-field, ac magnetic susceptibilities of single crystals of four S=3/2 trigonal salts containing the tris(1,2-diaminoethane)chromium(III) cation, [Cr(en)3]3+, and heat-capacity measurements on one of them, [Na(OH2)6][Cr(en)3]2Cl7, are reported. The crystal structures of two of them, [Na(OH2)6][Cr(en3]2Cl7 and [Na(OH)2)6][Cr(en)3]2Br6Cl, have been determined. They both belong to the trigonal P3¯cl space group, with a=11.513(2), c=15.566(6) Å; Z=2; and a=11.740(5), c=16.008(9) Å; Z=2, respectively, and contain discrete octahedral hexaquasodium (i) cations. The salt [K(OH2)6][Cr(en)3]2Cl7 appears to be isomorphous with its sodium analog, and [Cr(en)3]Cl3·3H2O belongs to the same space group. The magnetic measurements on the four salts extend over the temperature interval 60 mK to 4.2 K, and antiferromagnetic ordering is found in all of them. The zero-field-splitting energy is of the same order of magnitude as the magnetic exchange energy. The susceptibility data have been fitted with the parameters 2D/kB=-0.091(8) K, g?=1.994, g¿=1.988, and zJ/kB=-0.061(2) K for [Cr(en)3]Cl3·3H2O; 2D/kB=-0.058(8) K, g?=2.01, g¿=2.00, and zJ/kB=-0.068(4) K for [Na(OH2)6][Cr(en)3]2Cl7; 2D/kB =-0.060(8) K, g?=1.993, g¿=1.951, and zJ/kB=-0.046(4) K for [K(OH2)6][Cr(en)3]2Cl7; and 2D/kB=+0.064(8) K, g?=2.001, g¿=1.991, and zJ/kB=-0.066(4) K for [Na(OH2)6][Cr(en)3]2Br6Cl, where longitudinal (¿) and transverse (¿) refer to the unique threefold crystallographic axis. The ordering temperatures are 0.124(5), 0.116(5), 0.093(5), and 0.112(5) K, respectively. The easy axis for the chloride compounds lies parallel to the longitudinal axis, whereas the easy axis for the bromide lies in the transverse plane. Heat-capacity measurements on [Na(OH2)6][Cr(en)3]2Cl7 confirm that magnetic ordering takes place at 0.112(5) K. The heat-capacity curve and magnetic entropy calculations agree with the three-dimensional character of the ordering of an S=3/2, effective bcc magnetic lattice

Towards optimal use of antithrombotic therapy of people with cancer at the end of life: a research protocol for the development and implementation of the SERENITY shared decision support tool Thrombosis Research

Background: Even though antithrombotic therapy has probably little or even negative effects on the well-being of people with cancer during their last year of life, deprescribing antithrombotic therapy at the end of life is rare in practice. It is often continued until death, possibly resulting in excess bleeding, an increased disease burden and higher healthcare costs. Methods: The SERENITY consortium comprises researchers and clinicians from eight European countries with specialties in different clinical fields, epidemiology and psychology. SERENITY will use a comprehensive approach combining a realist review, flash mob research, epidemiological studies, and qualitative interviews. The results of these studies will be used in a Delphi process to reach a consensus on the optimal design of the shared decision support tool. Next, the shared decision support tool will be tested in a randomised controlled trial. A targeted implementation and dissemination plan will be developed to enable the use of the SERENITY tool across Europe, as well as its incorporation in clinical guidelines and policies. The entire project is funded by Horizon Europe.Results: SERENITY will develop an information-driven shared decision support tool that will facilitate treatment decisions regarding the appropriate use of antithrombotic therapy in people with cancer at the end of life. Conclusions: We aim to develop an intervention that guides the appropriate use of antithrombotic therapy, prevents bleeding complications, and saves healthcare costs. Hopefully, usage of the tool leads to enhanced empowerment and improved quality of life and treatment satisfaction of people with advanced cancer and their care givers

The Business Model: Recent Developments and Future Research

This article provides a broad and multifaceted review of the received literature on business models in which the authors examine the business model concept through multiple subject-matter lenses. The review reveals that scholars do not agree on what a business model is and that the literature is developing largely in silos, according to the phenomena of interest of the respective researchers. However, the authors also found emerging common themes among scholars of business models. Specifically, (1) the business model is emerging as a new unit of analysis; (2) business models emphasize a system-level, holistic approach to explaining how firms “do business”; (3) firm activities play an important role in the various conceptualizations of business models that have been proposed; and (4) business models seek to explain how value is created, not just how it is captured. These emerging themes could serve as catalysts for a more unified study of business models