Organizational Strategic Planning Research Articles

Collaboration amongst clinical nursing leadership teams: a mixed-methods sequential explanatory study.

To explore intra-professional collaboration amongst nursing leadership teams at a tertiary referral hospital in Sydney. Effective working within a wide network of alliances is critical to patient outcomes. An understanding of collaboration amongst nursing leadership teams is essential within this context. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was used. The Collaborative Behaviour scale was sent to 106 Nurse Unit Managers, Nurse Educators and Clinical Nurse Consultants to measure pairwise collaborative behaviours; two follow-up focus groups with 15 participants were conducted. Data were collected between May 2012 and May 2013. A thematic analysis of focus group data provided a detailed explanation of the questionnaire findings. The findings identified high collaboration between dyad groups. Two themes emerged from the thematic analysis: (1) professional role and expectations; with sub-themes of transparency and clarity of individual roles; and intra/interpersonal aspects of role functioning; and (2) organisational infrastructure and governance. These leadership teams can be effective and powerful vehicles for change and are central to optimum patient outcomes. Organisational strategic planning and evaluation can benefit from understanding how to promote collaborative behaviours in these nurse leaders. To date, little research has explored collaboration amongst nursing leadership teams. Successful collaboration may contribute to the efficient use of nursing resources; improve patient outcomes, and ultimately, nurse satisfaction and retention.

Concept mapping and network analysis: An analytic approach to measure ties among constructs

Group concept mapping is a mixed-methods approach that helps a group visually represent its ideas on a topic of interest through a series of related maps. The maps and additional graphics are useful for planning, evaluation and theory development. Group concept maps are typically described, interpreted and utilized through points, clusters and distances, and the implications of these features in understanding how constructs relate to one another. This paper focuses on the application of network analysis to group concept mapping to quantify the strength and directionality of relationships among clusters. The authors outline the steps of this analysis, and illustrate its practical use through an organizational strategic planning example. Additional benefits of this analysis to evaluation projects are also discussed, supporting the overall utility of this supplemental technique to the standard concept mapping methodology.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Practices and Stakeholders Expectations: The Nigerian Perspectives

Using Carroll’s (1991) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) model, the study examines business CSR practices and stakeholders’ expectations in Nigeria. Carroll’s (1991) CSR model states that four kinds of social responsibilities constitute total CSR: economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic. Both primary (survey) and secondary (the literature) data are used for the study. There are several stakeholders in business; but, for the purpose of the study employees, customers, shareholders, and local communities are identified as the main stakeholders in the context of the business environment in Nigeria. 240 questionnaires are administered to participants, selected through purposive sampling technique, in the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. One hundred and fifty eight (158) questionnaires, representing 66% response rate, were duly completed and retuned for the study. The findings indicate that CSR is concerned with treating stakeholders ethically; and business should protect wide range of stakeholders’ interest. We found that the four dimensions of CSR (economic, legal, ethical and philanthropic) are not ascribed equal importance in Nigeria. Nigeria’s Stakeholders place more emphasis on economic, legal and ethical responsibilities than on philanthropic components. Understanding and effective management of stakeholders’ as well as their expectations can enhance corporate image and competitive advantage. The implication for practice is that business needs to identify relevant stakeholders and integrate primary stakeholders’ interests into organisational strategic planning. It shows that identification of stakeholders’ groups is beneficial to business managers and decision-makers.

Soil-Transmitted Helminthiases in Secondary School Students in Selected Sites in Two Provinces in the Philippines: Policy Implications

The latest World Health Organization (WHO) strategic plan for eliminating soil-transmitted helminthiases (STHs) as a public health problem in children puts the emphasis on school-age children. On the other hand, the Philippine national helminth control program excludes secondary school students in mass deworming for STH. This study determined the prevalence and intensity of STH in a sample of 633 students (14-15 years old) in selected secondary schools in two Philippine provinces. Stool specimens were processed following the Kato-Katz technique and examined for the presence of helminth ova. Overall cumulative prevalence of STH was 31.3%, while prevalence of moderate-heavy-intensity infections was 7.7%, well beyond the WHO target of ≤1% for reducing morbidity in school-age children. Recommendations were made to update the Philippine helminth control program and to re-examine the WHO strategic plan so that helminth prevention and control strategies may also be emphasized for secondary school students especially in high-prevalence areas.

The Use of Scoring Method for Prioritizing the Project Portfolio

Focusing in answering to the demand the organizations have for a project portfolio which is able to provide support to its development, the research was guided based on the current concepts and techniques for project managing. For this end, concepts and techniques from PMBOK were studied and applied, besides the Scoring method to prioritize and give support to the management of project portfolios. As a result, it is possible to highlight the application of a practical method which uses a technique to measure the benefits to give the projects punctuation properly aligned to the organizational strategic planning. The proposition developed delivered to the surveyed organization a process aligned to good practices in project management, besides contributing to the academic and scientific community showing practical and updated solutions from these methodologies.

Managing Healthcare Alliance Portfolios: A Theory-based Typology

IntroductionOrganizations operating in dynamic industries are faced with large amount of uncertainty regarding strategic options, and thus, must maintain the flexibility to respond to changes in the external environment and capitalize on the opportunities they provide (Teece, Pisano, & Schuen, 1997). Increasingly, organizations are managing environmental uncertainty and achieving strategic organizational goals by forming alliances with partners who offer strengths not maintained by the primary organization (Schreiner, Kale, & Corsten, 2009). Healthcare organizations, in particular, operate in an extremely dynamic environment due to frequent changes in the regulatory demands. The dynamism has never been more evident than with the recent passage of the Affordable Care Act. This act promotes an accountable care organization (ACO) model that encourages hospitals, physicians and other healthcare to collaborate to ensure cost effective delivery of patient care. Creating and maintaining these ACO alliances in addition to the many other non-ACO alliances in cohesive and efficient manner is challenging as managers must account for not only the dynamics of each alliance, but also for how each dyadic relationship influences the overall portfolio of alliances (Wassmer, 2010). Healthcare alliances have historically not been equipped to manage these types of portfolios and to date no specific insight to healthcare strategic alliance portfolio management has been proffered.In order to address this opening in the literature this paper sets out to examine the phenomenon of healthcare alliance portfolios from two perspectives. First, we utilize resource dependence theory (RDT) (Pfeffer & Salancik, 1978) to derive the options of strategic alliances that healthcare administrators can form based on the value and congruence of the resources that the alliance relationship could provide. Second, we use the resource-based view (RBV) (Barney, 1991) to explicate the options that administrators can use to manage the coordination, communication, and bonding of the formed strategic alliances. We then integrate these two perspectives and explain how effective management of the individual dyadic relationships and the overall alliance portfolio is important for establishing competitive strategic position within the healthcare industry.Analyzing portfolios of alliances requires hospital management to step back from the day-to-day management of transactional contracts and adopt broader perspective to ensure that the overall portfolio configuration is congruent with the organization's strategic goals (Gulati, Lavie, & Singh, 2009). Many organizations enter into alliance relationships without considering the impact of the relationship on the overall portfolio or how the specific alliance improves the alignment of the overall portfolio of alliances with the organization's strategic plan (Bamford & Ernst, 2002). Healthcare reform and the surrounding legislation suggests the need for real and significant changes to the way healthcare is delivered, yet leaves healthcare leaders in quandary as to how to make the necessary changes. In addition to the changing definitions of reform itself there is a lack of knowledge and experience on the part of providers (McClellan, McKethan, Lewis, Roski & Fisher, 2010 p.987) on the structure of the organization and the essential relationships necessary to implement the changes required or encouraged by the reform legislation. Similar to other organizational leaders, healthcare administrators may not fully consider how newly forged ACO alliances may contribute to their current alliance portfolio. With the ever-changing dynamic of the healthcare industry, not only the composition of the portfolio but also the management of the relationships is increasingly difficult. The national strategy for healthcare reform calls on ACOs to continue to examine the effectiveness of the relationships they create both within and outside the patient care area with an eye on clinical care and economic responsibility. …

Report of the President

As a member of AIHP since my student days at the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy, I am grateful to have this opportunity to serve the Institute as President. I have tried during my first year in office to apply my experience in organizational development and strategic planning—

Management control issues in Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs): an evaluation of contingency factors and potential for future research

This study examines how the contingency factors identified by Chenhall impact on the Management Control Systems (MCSs) of NGOs. Based on literature review, it finds that the management controls of for–profit organisations and NGOs do not follow similar paths as the nature and objectives of the two types are different. Common problems in controlling NGOs are the ambiguous organisational objectives, difficulties in measuring performance effectively, the need to discharge multiple accountabilities, and the balancing between voluntarism and professionalism. MCSs of NGOs should maintain transparency, ensure both top–down and bottom–up accountability, link national and organisational strategic planning to day–to day operations, crystallise their objectives and goals, in addition to monitoring plans and acting as a basis for organisational adaptation.

Letter from SPN President

As your president, I want to welcome you to the Journal of Pediatric Nursing (JPN) SPN Column. I would like to familiarize you with the organization's strategic plan for the last fiscal year and for fiscal years 2013–2016 and offer a summary of last year's accomplishments and ongoing initiatives. As stated on our website (www.pedsnurses.org), the SPN vision is “To be the premier resource for nurses caring for children and their families,” whereas our mission is to “... champion the specialty of pediatric nursing by supporting its members in their practice.” Our five core values (collaboration, advocacy, respect, excellence, and schol-

Beyond legitimacy: legitimacy types and organizational success

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to clarify and extend knowledge concerning the relationship between legitimacy and organizational success within the framework of institutional theory. Design/methodology/approach – While previous research has found links between legitimacy and organizational success, the authors test this assumption by case analysis, on a sample of thirteen Spanish Mutual Guarantee Societies. Data were collected from survey questionnaire and Annual Financial Reports. Findings – Results of the empirical examination confirm that, within this population, organizations with greater legitimacy obtain better organizational results as well as improved access to resources. The findings also show that not all dimensions of legitimacy contribute equally to organizational success. Practical implications – For managers, the authors have included a recommendation that legitimacy is an important element of an organization's success that must be strategically managed and be considered as a required goal in the organization's strategic planning process. Managers should analyze legitimacy, in their own activity sector, to identify the most useful types of legitimacy. In the specific case of Spanish MGSs, the most beneficial strategic actions are those geared towards obtaining pragmatic legitimacy. Originality/value – The analysis provides a new approach to measure legitimacy. It also provides empirical advances to the organizational legitimacy process, showing its usefulness as a key factor for organizational success.

Alignment of performance measurement to sustainability objectives: A variance-based framework

Meaningful incorporation of environmental and social responsibility goals into organizational strategic plans requires a mechanism to measure and reward performance contributing to that objective. This paper formulates such a framework using management accounting concepts. We demonstrate that the benefits of pursuing sustainability objectives can be decomposed into three parts. The first consists of what might be considered a natural outcome of pursuing the traditional economic goal of efficiency through cost-minimization (a “waste” variance). The second part consists of sustainability gains that produce societal benefit but may be incongruent with short-term economic goals (a “sustainability” variance). The third part stems from a change in optimal output level when that is considered endogenous to the firm (a “volume” variance). While elimination of waste variances can be encouraged using a traditional performance evaluation and reward structure, elimination of sustainability and volume variances requires redesign of performance evaluation tools and reward structures. We demonstrate that failure to recognize and incorporate the difference between the three variances can lead to inefficient allocation of resources, over- or under-production, and only partial fulfillment of environmental goals. Further, availability of shadow price information is essential to implementing such a performance measurement system; thus it is a public policy imperative to develop markets that establish such prices.

Innovative Human Resource Practices in U.S. Hospitals: An Empirical Study

Contemporary organizations increasingly recognize human resource (HR) capabilities as a source of sustained competitive advantage; about 80% of an organization's value is attributable to intangible assets, including human assets and capital. Some scholars consider effective human resource management (HRM) the single most important factor affecting organizational performance. This study examined (1) the extent to which HRM strategies were included in organizational strategic planning and (2) the association between the involvement of senior HR professionals in strategic planning and the use of innovative HR practices in U.S. hospitals employing strategic HRM theory. A survey was administered to 168 chief executive officers and HR executives from 85 hospitals during spring 2005. Binary logistic regression was conducted to determine whether HRM involvement was associated with the use of innovative HRM strategies in the hospitals. We found significant associations between HRM strategy inclusion in the strategic planning process and senior HR professionals' involvement in organizational strategic planning and in three innovative HR activities: finding talent in advance for key job openings (odds ratio [OR] = 4.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10-7.38), stressing organizational culture and values in the selection process (OR = 3.97, 95% CI: 1.01-3.97), and basing individual or team compensation on goal-oriented results (OR = 6.17, 95% CI: 1.17-3.37). Our data indicate that innovative HR practices were underused in some U.S. hospitals despite their potential to improve overall hospital performance. Hospitals that emphasized effective HRM were more likely to use some of the innovative HR approaches. In this article, we discuss this research and the practical implications of the findings.

CUA’s strategic moves

It was another excellent CUA meeting in Toronto with very interesting scientific sessions and enlivening socials events. Despite the fact that the meeting ended on Tuesday (a day earlier than in previous meetings), there were many guest speakers, scientific presentations and posters. I want to extend my congratulations to Dr. Laurence Klotz, the scientific and local organizing committees, and the CUA Central Office for making this meeting a success! To address the rapid changes in our Association, the CUA executive developed a 5-year strategic plan. Under the leadership of past-president Dr. Laurence Klotz, secretary Dr. Denis Lavoie and treasurer Dr. Stuart Oake, several objectives were identified. The following 6 objectives are slated for implementation during my presidency: Develop and implement an advocacy business plan that will position the CUA as the voice of matters urological in Canada Develop and implement a publishing business plan that will support the CUA’s education and advocacy initiatives and contribute to overall CUA revenue Develop and implement a practice support business plan that will be of value to the membership Develop and implement a member engagement/value strategy Develop a sustainable funding base, working with current partners to identify a broader range of revenue options Design and implement the appropriate organizational model The strategic plan was strongly supported and ratified by CUA members at the Annual General Meeting. My challenge during the course of my service as CUA president will be to implement the plan and to ensure we meet these objectives in a timely manner. Along with these objectives is the growth of the Office of Education. Under the solid leadership of Dr. Peter Anderson, Tiffany Pizioli and Nadia Pace have worked hard to address and exploit new challenges with industry. I encourage members to get in touch with the OE for more information on how to accredit and organize your next meeting. Another objective is the continued growth of CUAJ. This past year, while Dr. Klotz was president of the CUA, Dr. Armen Aprikian led the journal as interim editor-in-chief. During this past year, the journal has had a marked increase in manuscript submissions, continued to fine-tune its referee process and developed a website (www.cuaj.ca). We welcome Dr. Klotz back in his position as editor-in-chief and thank Dr. Aprikian for his strong leadership. Managing editor Josephine Sciortino, along with the CUAJ Task Force, is working hard to make the journal more financially sustainable. The CUA Scholarship Fund is on solid ground in the hands of Dr. Gerry Brock, chair, Administrative Council; and Dr. Martin Gleave, chair, Research Council. This year 6 scholarships were awarded (3 new awards, 3 renewals). In conclusion, I want to extend my personal thanks to all CUA members for their support and dedication to the CUA and for giving me the opportunity to serve as CUA president. I count it an honour and a privilege.

Competitive performance improvement by operational budget allocation using ANFIS and fuzzy quality function deployment: a case study

A budget is a detailed and comprehensive plan estimated to use a company's resources over a specific period, and a primary purpose of budget allocation is to drive all activities towards organizational goals. But it seems, often, there is no logical and coherent relationship between overall objectives and action plans. This paper has drawn a consistent relationship between an organization's strategic plans to operational budgeting in a competitive environment. According to the step-by-step model proposed in this article, a strategic plan's importance considers the main competitors of the market as an external environment factor and a balanced scorecard factors as an internal envi- ronment. Both are calculated by an artificial neuro-fuzzy inference systems approach to outshine competing compa- nies. Then, sub-progress must be hierarchically determined in specific plans. In passing, a fuzzy quality function de- ployment method translates a strategic plan' sw eight to detailed task importance (as the smallest component of an operational program) at the mercy of four houses of a quality matrix. An operational budget is allocated to pro- grams for propagating strategic plans in a competitive envi- ronment. Finally, a case study in an automobile industry is presented and discussed to illustrate the application of the developed pattern.

The Industrial Law and Right to Retrench in Malaysia from a Human Resource Management Perspective

This paper explores the legal right to retrench employees from a human resource management perspective in Malaysia. The paper is based on the analysis of the relevant statues on retrenchment such the Employment Act 1955, The Industrial Relations Act 1967, the Employment (Termination and Lay-Off Benefits) Regulations 1980 and the Code of Conduct for Industry Harmony 1975. The author has also used criterion based sampling of the Industrial Court and Superior Court awards to analyze retrenchment cases and to provide recommendations to human resource management practitioners. Findings from these cases analyses reveal that many of the retrenchment awards were made against the employers due to poor selection of workforce for retrenchment, and the handling of the retrenchment exercise itself which violated the relevant statutes and the established procedures. The author suggests that retrenchment should not be viewed as a reactive but a proactive exercise, which begins with effective human resource planning aligned with the organizational strategic plan. The retrenchment exercise should also need be seen as a last resort when limiting recruitment, reduction in working hours, helping the employees (workmen) to find alternative employment, encouraging early retirement, offer of voluntary separation scheme (VSS) and other measures have been exhausted. The author hopes with many proactive measures, taken by employers in the management of retrenchment, the number of unfair retrenchment claims made to the Industrial Relations Department will be reduced.

CSF Approach for IT Strategic Planning

Although the purpose of strategic planning is straightforward - to outline where an organization wants to go and how it’s going to get there - its nature is complex and dynamic. Two techniques, the critical success factor (CSF) method and future scenario planning, can augment strategic planning efforts by illuminating an organization’s present situation and potential future. This paper explores the value of enhancing typical strategic planning techniques with the CSF method and presents an integrated framework for helping organizations understand the broad range of interrelated elements that influence strategy development for Information Technology (IT). Critical success factors are defined as the handful of key areas where an organization must perform well on a consistent basis to achieve its mission. CSFs can be derived through a document review, analysis of the goals, objectives of key management personnel and interviews with individuals about their specific domain and the barriers they encounter in achieving their goals and objectives. The paper synthesizes documented theory and research in strategic planning and CSFs and provides insights and lessons regarding the value and limitations of the integrated strategic planning framework in the context of IT. Through a method of in-depth literature review and contextual analysis, the paper incorporates suggestions for future work which include: exploring the use of IT in unit-level planning and organizational strategic planning, creating an integrated strategic planning process and connecting CSFs directly to one another in the monitoring stages to support the integrated framework, for an holistic strategic planning process.

Using the repertory grid technique to surface strategic planning assumptions

PurposeIn his article titled, “The theory of the business,” Peter Drucker suggests that organizations need to frequently challenge the assumptions underlying their theory of the business (TOB) in order to assure that it remains viable. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to introduce the repertory grid technique (RGT) and illustrate how it can be used as a strategic planning tool to surface the assumptions underlying an organization's TOB.Design/methodology/approachThe RGT's merits as a planning tool are demonstrated through a case study involving the president of a Pittsburgh‐based financial services organization. Specifically, this case study describes how the RGT and the organization's competitors were used to surface the assumptions underlying the organization's TOB.FindingsThe paper describes how the assumptions surfaced from this case study can be used to challenge the organization's TOB. Furthermore, guidance is offered as to how the RGT can be integrated into an organization's strategic planning process and a list of resources that one can refer to for further information concerning the RGT is provided.Originality/valueWhile the RGT has been used by scholars as a research tool and various authors have suggested that it can be used to address various organizational challenges (e.g., implementing a new system), no one to date has demonstrated its value as a strategic planning tool. Consequently, the paper is a valuable resource for practitioners, as well as academics and consultants who provide strategic planning services to organizations.

Determinants of and opportunities for continuing education among health care professionals in public health care institutions in Jimma township, Southwest Ethiopia

BackgroundAn effectively prepared and continually updated workforce of health professionals is essential to maintenance and improvement in patient care. The major goal of continuing education is to improve and promote quality care. Continuing education is also important to an organization’s strategic plan because of its positive influence on the quality of care provided. The purpose of this study was to identify the determinants of and opportunities for continuing education among health care professionals at public health facilities in Jimma township.MethodsA cross-sectional study of 319 health care professionals working in the public health facilities of Jimma township was conducted from January 10, 2012 to February 28, 2012. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. First, descriptive analysis was done to describe the characteristics of the study participants. Finally logistic regression was then used to determine the independent predictors of continuing education.ResultsOnly 70 (25%) of the study participants were participating in continuing education. As working experience increased, participation in continuing education did not steadily increase. The working hours per week were higher for diploma holders than for those with any other qualification. One hundred and fifty-three (71.8%) participants mentioned lack of support from their current employer as the reason for not participating in continuing education. Health care professionals with a lack of support from management were 2.4 times more likely not to participate in advanced education. Health care professionals with lack of funding were 0.3 times less likely to participate in advanced education. Health care professionals with lack of resources other than financial were 2.2 times more likely not to participate in advanced education.ConclusionParticipation of health care professionals in continuing education is low in Jimma township. The hospital management and town health office should support health care professionals in pursuing advanced education.

Where we are today: Prioritizing women’s health services and health policy. A report by the Women's Health Expert Panel of the American Academy of Nursing

There has been a recent resurgence of interest in women's health as evidenced by several federal and international policy-shaping reports that will impact women's health services. These reports include the 2010 Affordable Care Act, the formation of the National Prevention Council and Strategy, the 2011 IOM report on clinical preventives services for women, and the World Health Organization strategic plan for 2010-2015. In this paper, we summarize and discuss these reports and discuss implications of enacting the suggested health policies. We highlight policy strategies and recommendations that will extend national and global recommendations to improve women's health and wellness across the lifespan and emphasize the urgent need for preventive services. We conclude this paper by detailing our broad recommendations for putting prevention into practice illustrated by specific recommendations related to unintended pregnancy prevention and management.

Perceived professional standards and roles of public relations in China: Through the lens of Chinese public relations practitioners

As the first quantitative examination of perceived public relations professional standards in China using an online survey, this study was designed based on the standards of professional standards inventory Cameron, Sallot, & Lariscy (1996) constructed and tested among practitioners in the U.S. The survey results suggest six dimensions of perceived standards of professional performance: (1) role and function in organizational strategic planning, (2) sufficiency in professional training and preparedness, (3) gender and racial equity, (4) situational constraints, (5) licensing and organizational support, and (6) participation in the organizational decision-making team. Four dimensions of public relations roles were also identified by the survey participants: (1) brand promotion facilitator, (2) public information specialist, (3) media relations counsel, and (4) conflict management expert. Primary practice area was found to affect how Chinese practitioners perceive the six clusters of professional standards and the four identified public relations roles. These findings provide insights for both practitioners and researchers on how Chinese public relations practitioners view public relations as a profession and how the profession currently holds its professional standards in China.