Organizational Processes Research Articles

Effective decision-making in public health organizations: reference to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The role of public health organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic was crucial. These groups acted to slow the spread of infection through the implementation of initiatives, policies, research and more. However, the rapidly changing and uncertain climate of the pandemic resulted in suboptimal processes and decision-making within these organizations. These already complex organizations and networks of people became even more nuanced. Thus, organizational decision-making processes must be improved upon based on previous experiences and lessons learnt. With minimal peer-reviewed literature available, resources for effective organizational decision-making in these organizations are scarce. This served as the impetus for this review. To conduct this literature review, both peer-reviewed and grey literature were incorporated to better understand effective organizational decision-making practices for public health organizations. Recommendations found in the literature review were identified, coded and themed to provide a novel decision-making framework to be used by public health executives. Nine key themes of effective organizational decision-making were identified, including utilize decision-making tools, define the problem and acknowledge an imminent decision, establish decision rights, outline a clear escalation path, create a supportive organizational culture, set decision objectives and goals, and evaluate decision alternatives. These findings in conjunction with existing decision-making models were used to create a seven-step effective decision-making framework for public health organizations. The review and analysis of effective organizational decision-making practices is instructive. Public health executives and decision-makers should incorporate the themes identified and employ the proposed decision-making framework to encourage improved decision-making practices.

Unlocking HR’s Hidden Treasure on Innovation Capability: The Mediating Role of Knowledge Management Capacity

Effective innovation is possible when one can innovate. Malaysia has serious problems due to a lack of R&D and innovation skills. Furthermore, small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) in developing nations have received less attention in past research on Malaysian innovation. A quantitative strategy is employed to meet the study's goals. A survey approach is used to collect data from the owners, chief executives, and management of ICT SMEs. The research collected and analyzed a total of 200 respondents. The research models and hypotheses were assessed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) technique. This research comprises the difference between Innovative Centric Human Resource Management (ICHRM) (Acquisition; Development; Egalitarian; Collaborative; Documentation, Information System) and Innovation Capability (Radical; Incremental), also the relationship between ICHRM and Innovation Capability, using Knowledge Management Capacity as a mediator. Based on the findings of this study, the majority of HRM practices are suitable for SMEs' incremental innovation capabilities. This study also presents empirical evidence of the impact of ICHRM on knowledge management capacity on innovation, focusing on the impact of each dimension in ICHRM components that were linked to organizational processes, with a focus on the influence on incremental and radical innovation.

Protecting oneself while supporting the organisation: A longitudinal exploratory study of healthcare workers’ coping strategies and organisational resilience processes in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major source of stress for health professionals and health institutions. In response, healthcare workers adapted their behaviours to protect their health and the organisational resilience of their institutions. The study aimed to explore these individual coping and organisational resilience strategies and their evolution during the first year of the pandemic. Based on a mixed and longitudinal protocol, the study included staff from several French-speaking Swiss healthcare institutions. Participants completed an online questionnaire three times during the first year of the pandemic. They described daily problematic work situations, coping styles, and organisational resilience strategies. ‘Problem solving’ was the most frequently reported coping style, followed by ‘positive thinking’, and in a lesser extent ‘seeking social support’ and ‘avoidance’. A high level of ‘problem solving’ and ‘positive thinking’ was associated with well-managed situations, learning and development of new work practices and higher team performance. A higher level of ‘seeking social support’ and ‘avoidance’ tended to be associated with high-risk problematic situations that hindered organisation resilience. Coping strategies differed depending on profession, job tenure and hierarchical status. The article concludes with recommendations for improving both organisational resilience and individual workers’ well-being in healthcare institutions.

Are the Quality of Organizational Changes Associated with Expected Retirement-Age Among Senior Employees?

Major organizational changes may be associated with both positive and negative uncertainty in working life. This study described the prevalence of organizational changes (reorganizations or round of layoffs) within different job functions in Denmark and investigated whether quality of the implementation process (measured as "information", "involvement" and "consent") was associated with employees' expectations regarding retirement age. A representative sample of older Danish employees ≥ 50years (n = 12,269) replied to a questionnaire survey in 2020. In cross-sectional analyses, we compared employee's expected retirement age being either not exposed to organizational changes or exposed to implementation processes of high, moderate or low-quality, respectively. Analyses were further stratified for job function: office work, work with people and work in the field of production. More than half (56%) of the employees had experienced organizational changes within the past 2years, and 23% of those effected reported that the changes had led to considerations of earlier retirement. Organizational changes were most prevalent within office work, and least prevalent within the job function working with people. The analyses showed significantly lower expected retirement age when the implementation process had been of moderate (mean reduction of 0.45years) or low quality (mean reduction of 0.71years) compared to high quality implemented changes. Experiences of organizational change processes of moderate or poor quality were associated with expectations of earlier retirement, while well implemented changes were not. This study underscores the importance of good implementation when changes at the organizational level are needed.

The Adoption and Applications of Earth Observations and Allied Geoinformation Systems for Environmental Management in Ghana

Earth Observations (EOs) and allied technologies were initially adopted and applied to inform sustainable environmental resource management in Ghana. This paper examines the initial adoption of EOs in the early 1990s and subsequent applications. It highlights the transformative potentials of EO technologies in addressing critical environmental issues while also identifying barriers to their widespread adoption and options for optimal up-scaling. Literature review, in-depth interview, and personal experiences of the author were analyzed. The initial optimism bias generated may have masked the need for establishing the necessary sustainability arrangements. The adoption of EOs was driven by the need to generate data to inform natural and environmental resource management in the mid-1990s. Initially, EOs facilities were established in public organizations, including the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Survey Department, and the University of Ghana. Since then, EOs have been applied in various sectors for research and environmental resource management. Granted, there have been successes. Yet, challenges undermine the optimization and scaling-up of actual benefits. These include the misconceived technocentric view of EOs, which is a restricted domain for the technically initiated and map-making tool. Others, such as unfavourable organizational processes, unsustainable funding, and limitations in research and applications, have adversely contributed to suboptimal outcomes. Suboptimal institutionalization of EOs into management decisions has constrained EOs infrastructure acquisition, maintenance and data procurement. To sustainably enhance EOs applications in resource management, research, and governance, a shift from present misconceptions for effective mainstreaming and a leveraging of EOs as integral parts of decision-making processes are prerequisites. Decision-makers and management personnel should be educated on the relevance of EOs’ functionalities to the core strategies of environmental management.

Partnering in construction re-visited: gauging progress in industry practice and prospects for advances in academic research

Despite the ubiquity of partnering and alliancing in industry discourse and academic research, questions remain about the extent of transformational change within the sector towards more collaborative working. Revisiting earlier work that highlighted issues, problems and dilemmas of partnering related to definitional ambiguities, conflicting (commercial) orientations and cultural reach and readiness, this paper highlights continuing problems of definition, formalization, translation and performance. Attention is directed towards the lack of external validation and institutionalization, as well as the need for more comparative analysis, situated understanding, awareness of organizational pluralism and recognition of relational dynamics. From this critical review, a framework is presented that embraces the variety and indeterminacy in the many definitions, pathways to collaboration, realizations in practice and evaluative recipes used. Partnering is presented instead as being constituted through complex and interacting bundles of practices that cut across levels of interaction, and which reflect competing (and contested) institutional influences, situated practices, outcomes/effects and performance evaluations. This practice-based approach is more attuned to the diversity and fluidity of the institutional contexts, organizational processes, and project/programme settings wherein partnering is situated and through which it is instantiated, and thus affords new avenues of research into its nature and effects.

Gene co-expression analysis reveals conserved and distinct gene networks between resistant and susceptible Lens ervoides challenged by hemibiotrophic and necrotrophic pathogens

As field crops are likely to be challenged by multiple pathogens during their development, the investigation of broad-spectrum resistance in the host is of great interest for crop genetic enhancement. In this study, we attempted to address this question by adopting a weighed gene co-expression approach to study the temporal transcriptome dynamics of resistant and susceptible recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from an intraspecific Len ervoides cross during the infection process with either the necrotrophic pathogens Ascochyta lentis or Stemphylium botryosum, or the hemibiotrophic pathogen Colletotrichum lentis. By comparing networks of resistant and susceptible RILs, seven network module pairs were found to possess high correlation coefficients (R > 0.70) and large number of overlapping genes (n > 100). The conserved co-regulation of genes in these network module pairs were involved in plant cell wall synthesis, cell division, cytoskeleton organization, and protein ubiquitin related processes and appeared to be common disease responses against these pathogens. On the other hand, we also identified eight modules with low correlation between resistance and susceptibility networks. Among those, a stronger gene co-expression in R-genes and small RNA processes in the resistant hosts may be enhancing L. ervoides resistance against A. lentis, C. lentis, and S. botryosum, whereas the higher level of synergistic regulation in the synthesis of arginine and glutamine and phospholipid and glycerophospholipids in the susceptible hosts may contribute to increased susceptibility in L. ervoides.

FASECO: A Framework for Advanced Support of E-Commerce and digital transformation in SMEs with natural language processing-enhanced analysis

ObjectivesThe primary aim of this study is to develop a framework that identifies the factors, organizational processes, and mechanisms that facilitate the successful integration of e-commerce within the digital transformation journey of Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The FASECO framework seeks to enhance strategic alignment, IT infrastructure, customer experience, and data analytics in SMEs, and is compared with existing theoretical frameworks to provide a holistic solution. Methods/ApproachThe research employs a mixed-methods approach, starting with an extensive literature review on digital transformation and e-commerce integration in SMEs, followed by qualitative semi-structured interviews with 13 industry professionals. The data is analysed using thematic analysis, significantly enhanced by Natural Language Processing (NLP) tools, which allowed for the extraction of deeper insights into e-commerce adoption challenges and organizational dynamics that traditional methods might overlook. ResultsThe study reveals that effective e-commerce integration in SMEs requires robust IT infrastructure, strategic alignment, personalized customer experiences, and data-driven decision-making. The FASECO framework supports SMEs by providing a comprehensive structure that bridges the gap between strategy and technology, enhancing their digital maturity and competitiveness. The framework’s holistic approach and detailed comparison with existing models underscore its effectiveness. ConclusionsThe FASECO framework offers a novel approach tailored to SMEs for digital transformation and e-commerce integration, highlighting the critical role of strategic and technological alignment in achieving digital maturity and competitive advantage. The use of NLP techniques in this study enhanced the analysis of qualitative data, providing deeper insights into organizational processes. Future research should explore the adaptation of this model for micro-SMEs and the integration of emerging technologies.

Трансформация технологий профессионального образования в условиях цифровизации

The aim of study is to develop a technology for effective interaction between universities and business based on the analysis of the problems of vocational education in the era of digital transformation. The article examines the changes that have occurred in the business processes of organizations and highlights the key gaps between the level of graduate qualifications and employer requirements. To solve the identified problems, it is proposed to establish a systemic collaboration between business, science and education. The following forms of interaction between business and universities are being explored: case study technologies, educational hackathons and scientific crowdsourcing. These technologies can bring mutual benefits to all stakeholders. For the interaction of the educational and scientific components of the university, a new concept of student association called student scientific enterprise is proposed. This association is built on the principles of self-organization and self-government and has the characteristics of a real enterprise. Its main goal is to involve students in scientific work and adapt young people to future professional activities. Scientific novelty: a theoretical model of collaboration between business and universities for mutual benefit has been developed. As a result of the study, forms of interaction among science, professional education and business were proposed.

Bringing brain into the game: introducing the brain-based view of dynamic capabilities

Purpose Change lies at the heart of the dynamic capability theory; however, the essence of concept of change is antithetical to the brain's predominant mode of operation i.e. maintenance of internal homeostasis. Since very little is known about the connection between neurology and dynamic capabilities, the present study aims to open this black box and propose a novel brain-based view of developing dynamic capabilities. Design/methodology/approach This study draws on the insights from neuroscience to offer propositions that not only provide realistic approaches for building dynamic capabilities, but also explain what would cause the brain to enter a state of plasticity to facilitate the development of managerial dynamic capabilities. Findings This study explains that dynamic capabilities are shaped by both lower-level neural processes and higher-level organizational processes, and that both these levels must be brought together to provide a holistic explanation about the complex phenomena of dynamic capabilities. Originality/value This study proposes a novel brain-based view of dynamic capabilities that provides neuroscientific explanations regarding how managerial capabilities can be leveraged to form organization-level capabilities without holding a priori assumptions about the application of the aggregation principle.

CONECTANDO COM O SUCESSO: ESTUDO DE CASO EMPRESA AMAZON.COM

Navigating and discovering one of the great success stories of global e-commerce, a company that emerged in a garage with the aim of selling books, also saw in 1998 a new and little explored tool, but with tremendous potential for the future, selling online. The mastery with which its founder managed and believed faithfully, made that dream of that somewhat obscure project become a reality, the advancement of technology and the management of data and information enabled greater steps towards success. It being then necessary to invest in new technologies, and after putting the concept of marketplace into practice and popularizing the use of cloud computing, the next step seems to be the definitive merger between retail and banking services. Big data is a tool capable of managing a variety of data and information generated every day from different electronic devices, analyzing the processing of this information in various ways and techniques to assist in making decisions in the most diverse areas. With the exponential growth of Amazon, it is necessary to use technologies to better serve the multinational's organizational process, improving the processes and management of what is considered the largest e-commerce store in the world.

Control Method For Processes in a Horizontal Organization and its Relationship with Business Success Aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)

Objective: This study aims to develop an appropriate control method for a horizontal organization that is managed by processes, based on the establishment of the functioning of this type of organizations from a theoretical conceptual point of view and in application of the mathematical method to find an appropriate equation. Methodology: In this research, the descriptive and analytical approach was used, both to understand the functioning of the processes of the horizontal organization and to infer the relationship between the fulfillment of the objectives of the different types of processes, assigning a specific weight to each one according to its relative impact on the mission and formulating the equations whose development converged in the proposed control method. Results: The results show that this method not only provides an effective quantitative tool for strategic decision making, but also faithfully reflects the collaborative and decentralized nature of horizontal organizations. The practical application of the equation will allow managers to prioritize the most critical processes and align actions with strategic objectives and mission. Conclusions: The development of the work confirmed the possibility of generating a control method for a horizontal organization based on the evaluation of its processes, thus becoming a decision-making tool that ensures organizational success, a necessary condition for having efficient business structures that support the growth of society aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

A IMPORTÂNCIA DA INTELIGÊNCIA EMPRESARIAL NO PROCESSO DE TOMADA DE DECISÃO DA EMPRESA X DE PINHALZINHO-SC

Over the years, companies are going through various organizational change processes, many transformations are taking place, and one of them is the insertion of technologies in the most diverse business segments. Information technology and business intelligence, Busines Intligence (BI), is becoming loyal and a great ally when it comes to strategy and decision making. Organizations are using such technologies as a support tool in the way they administer and manage their processes and businesses. These tools assist in the analysis of data and results that companies have, providing safer and more assertive decision making, in addition to offering greater security to owners. This study seeks to analyze the importance of this theme in the organizational environment of company X, located in the municipality of Pinhalzinho-SC. The data for this article were collected through an interview with the owners of the organization. In addition to doing an analysis on the subject, one of the objectives of this work is to present an improvement proposal for the company.

Бережливые технологии как инструмент организации пациентоцентричного подхода к оказанию медицинской помощи пациентам центра амбулаторной онкологической помощи

It is crucial to implement and use patient-centered approach towards communication between doctors and patients and towards management of treatment and diagnostics. The instruments of lean production can be used in order to find problems of organizational processes and to solve and improve them. Purpose of the study is to evaluate the possibility of using lean production to improve patient-centered approach towards the work of Outpatient Cancer Center. Materials and methods. The scientific articles from databases pubmed, cyberleninka, elibrary were studied. The performance results of Outpatient Cancer Center were analyzed. Results. During research the performance of Outpatient Cancer Center and its change as a result of using lean production instruments was analyzed. The positive results including the improvement of availability of diagnostics and consultations were found out. The medical and patient ratings of organizations have also shown significant improvement. Findings. Thus, the use of lean production not only in outpatient clinic but also in Outpatient Cancer Center is relevant nowadays. The instruments of lean production can improve healthcare processes and make them more patient-centered.

Traditional Quizzing with a Twist: Involving University Students in the Development Process

Quizzes have been used for educational purposes for many years. Mainly it has been digital quizzes like Kahoot or ZippyGo. However, there is an ongoing debate on the security of students’ data. As the university cannot be responsible for what is stored in computers outside of Norway and at the same time paying attention to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a critical framework for data privacy across Europe, including the UK, Norway, and the EU (ICO, 2024). The GDPR came into force in 2018, agreeing data privacy laws across all member states. It applies to any organization processing personal data of individuals in the EU, regardless of the company's location. The regulation grants rights such as data access, correction, and deletion, and imposes strict penalties for non-compliance (ICO, 2024). As part of the European Economic Area (EEA), Norway implements the GDPR similarly to EU countries. The regulation applies to Norwegian businesses processing data of EU citizens, ensuring that data privacy standards are uniform across the region (Team, 2016; ICO, 2024). Therefore, utilizing digital games have become increasingly difficult. The students, however, are missing the gaming, and the lecturers are missing the opportunity to utilize games-based learning techniques. This leads the lecturer in the research methodology course to “Go Native” and turn to the “old style” analogue quizzing. However, previous research showed that students are not only engaged in the solving of the quizzes, but also, they engage in the development of the questions and answers for the quizzing, i.e. ‘co-creating’. This paper will present a pilot study of a paper-based quiz developed by university students, and their reactions from this. Through informal interviews, data was collected to establish how they felt about this “old school” quiz type of learning after having had several different digital tools for educational games. In this paper, and based on our previous research findings (from the informal interviews with the students), we will develop this further into a digital but low-tech version of a quiz game; it should be still both fun and educational.

BIG DATA AND AMOEBA ORGANIZATIONS: INNOVATIVE MANAGEMENT IN DECISION MAKING PROCESSES

This study examines the interaction between big data and amoeba organisations and addresses innovative management in decision-making processes. In the study, the impact of big data on business processes and the structural characteristics of amoeba organisations are discussed in detail. Furthermore, the integration of big data into decision-making processes in amoeba organisations and how this integration interacts with innovation and technological developments are examined. How innovative management strategies can be applied in this context and the impact of these strategies in organisations are analysed in detail. The study aims to make the interaction of big data and amoeba in the decision-making processes of organisations more understandable. Challenges and solutions are also discussed and suggestions are made for future work in this area.

Breathe and let breathe: Breathing as a political model of organizing

Take a deep breath. Although nothing is more natural or essential to human bodies than breathing, this simple yet vital act is the critical result of complex organizational, material, and political processes. We suggest that breathing can be thought of as a political model of organizing insofar as it shapes questions of life and death while rooting these “operationally” in immediate, urgent, collective and more-than-human intra-action. Breathing is also a social act because the self is bound up with others in a fabric of relations upon which each person depends, and so breathing can serve as a trope for regenerating and rethinking social structures, institutions and organizing blueprints. We take the act of breathing—its literal and metaphorical (im)possibility and collective organization—as the focus of a reflection on relations among humans and between other living beings, humans, and their ecological surroundings. Re-thinking the question of whose breathing we care about and whose breathing counts, we offer a political model that embraces the mutuality principle for post-humanistic and post-anthropocentric organizing and community building. We thereby hope to “inspire” and materialize new social and political realities for organizing our shared future, conceptualized as building a (scholarly) community of breathers who breathe and let breathe.

Building an End-to-End Hiring Process in Salesforce: Automating Recruitment with Custom Objects, Approval Processes, and Lightning Components

The process of hiring employees involves numerous steps that can be complex and time-consuming for HR teams. In this paper, we explore how Salesforce can be customized to streamline the hiring process end to end, from the moment a candidate submits an application to the final approval and onboarding. Using custom objects, automation, and integrations within Salesforce, we will develop an efficient system to track interview stages, manage interviewer feedback, and automate approval processes, resulting in a smoother, more organized hiring process. The paper includes key custom fields, workflow automation, and Apex code examples to showcase the technical implementation. Keywords Salesforce, Hiring Process, Automation, Interview Stages, Custom Objects, Workflow, Process Builder, Apex, HR Solutions, Recruiter

Exploring the role of aggrephagy-related signatures in immune microenvironment, prognosis, and therapeutic strategies of breast cancer.

Breast cancer (BC) is 1 of the most common malignant tumors among women globally. This study aimed to develop a prognostic signature based on aggrephagy-related genes (ARGs). Transcriptomic and clinical data for BC patients were downloaded from the cancer genome atlas and GEO databases. Differential expression analysis, univariate Cox proportional hazards regression and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator Cox regression were employed to construct a prognostic signature. Consensus clustering, evaluation of immune infiltration and drug sensitivity, and gene set enrichment analysis, and development of nomogram were performed. The expression of ARGs was validated using data from the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia and clinical samples. Eleven ARGs were abnormally expressed in BC, with 5 showing significant correlations with BC prognosis. Consensus clustering identified 2 molecular subtypes with distinct prognoses. A prognostic signature including 5 ARGs (VIM, TUBB1, TUBA3E, TUBA3D, TUBA1C) was developed, which showed high performance in predicting BC prognosis. The low-risk group showed enrichment in extracellular matrix organization and cell migration processes while chromosome separation was suppressed. Additionally, patients in this group also show activation in several signaling pathways including MAPK, PI3K-AKT, and cAMP pathways, whereas cell cycle and neutrophil extracellular trap formation were significantly inhibited. The signature was also associated with immune infiltration and drug sensitivity. A nomogram incorporating the risk signature, clinical stage and chemotherapy was constructed, demonstrating excellent performance in predicting prognosis. The expression of signature-related genes were validated in patients with BC. This study successfully constructed molecular subtypes and a prognostic signature based on ARGs in BC, and developed a nomogram.

Perceptions, Barriers and Facilitators Regarding Nutritional Care for Patients with Chronic Limb Threatening Ischemia: A Focus Group Study Among Healthcare Professionals

Nutrition and nutritional care are essential for optimal outcomes, and, therefore of importance for patients with chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI) given their high risk of complications. However, insight is lacking in how healthcare professionals directly involved in the care of patients with CLTI perceive nutritional care, as well as in the perceived barriers and facilitators regarding optimal nutritional care. In this qualitative study with a phenomenological approach, three online focus groups were conducted with various healthcare professionals directly involved in the care of patients with CLTI. Sample size was guided by information power. Focus group recordings were transcribed verbatim, and reflexive thematic analysis was performed. Seventeen healthcare professionals participated, including vascular surgeons, fellows in vascular surgery, a medical doctor and researcher, nurse specialized in wound care, general nurse, physical therapists, dietitians, and nutrition assistants. Four themes were generated: (1) nutritional care is crucial for optimal clinical outcomes and a healthy life, (2) insufficient attention to undernutrition and nutritional care by healthcare professionals, (3) patient-related factors challenge healthcare professionals in providing nutritional care, and (4) need for optimizing the organizational process related to nutritional care. Perceived barriers regarding nutritional care included knowledge deficits, nutritional care not being part of the healthcare professionals' routine, missing tools to identify undernutrition, patient-related factors, and time constraints. Facilitators regarding nutritional care included more scientific evidence regarding the effect of nutritional care on clinical outcomes and optimization of organizational processes related to nutritional care. Healthcare professionals perceive nutritional care as important for optimal outcomes, but nutritional care is not routinely implemented in the care of patients with CLTI. This lack of implementation of nutritional care may be due to the barriers perceived in various domains. The findings of this study stress the need to optimize nutritional care, with the aim of improving outcomes in the CLTI population.