Strategic Commitment Research Articles

Can I do My Job in Peace? Hotel Employees’ Wellbeing in the Face of Sexual Harassment Awareness and Organizational Commitment

Workplace sexual harassment, particularly in hospitality, is a significant issue with many implications. For decades, assessing its scope and impact has drawn the attention of scholars, but some gaps still exist. Based on Rational Choice Theory, this paper explored employee conformance behavior to sexual harassment in relation to organization strategic commitment and employee wellbeing in the global south context. A total of 712 completed questionnaires were collected from Nigeria and Ghana. WarpPLS version 8.0 partial least squares structural equation structural modeling was employed to assess the research model. Results revealed that hotel workers’ behaviors toward awareness and management of sexual harassment are nonlinear and complex. Conformance behavior, despite conceived by employees as an economic coping strategy, proved to be a temporary measure and is disadvantageous to wellbeing. An important managerial implication of this study is the need for education about what sexual harassment is and how it impacts employees’ wellbeing.

Supporting open education practice: Reflective case studies from the University of Edinburgh

This paper outlines the University of Edinburgh’s long-running strategic commitment to supporting sustainable open education practice (OEP) across the institution. It highlights how the University provides underpinning support and digital capability for OEP through central services working with policy makers, partners, students, and academics to support co-creation and active creation and use of open educational resources to develop digital literacy skills, transferable attributes, and learning enhancement. We present a range of case studies and exemplars of authentic OEP evidenced by reflective practice and semi-structured ethnographic interviews, including Wikimedia in the Curriculum initiatives, open textbook production, and co-creation of interdisciplinary STEM engagement resources for schools. The paper includes recommendations and considerations, providing a blueprint that other institutions can adopt to encourage sustainable OEP. Our experience shows that mainstreaming strategic support for OEP is key to ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.

Technological change and the Interplay of Strategic Innovation and Business Model Innovation

Technology-enabled innovation has increasingly puzzled and attracted strategists, since it offers opportunities to create new sources of value by challenging traditional approaches. To address this topic, research efforts have focused on the emerging construct of Business Model (BM), that describes how an enterprise creates and delivers value to customers, enticing them to pay and converting payments into profits. However, the relationship between Business Model Innovation (BMI) and Strategic Innovation (SI) is still unclear. This study investigates this relationship by examining the role of technological change in it. To this end, we propose a conceptual framework that classifies technological change according to three dimensions: trajectory, intent, and effect. Second, based on this framework, we conduct a multiple-case study with 16 companies to identify different innovation paths that arise from the interplay between SI, BMI, and technological change. Our findings reveal eight types of innovation paths that depend on the mediating or triggering role of the technological change faced. This result suggests a transitivity in the BM-Strategy and BMI-SI relationships. Change is the essence of BMI and SI, both their origin and outcome, and acts as the fil rouge that connects SI with its execution through BMI. Additionally, we shed light on the role of different actors (top, middle and low management and key employees) in SI and BMI, depending on their level of technological change empowerment. The study shows that BMI can survive without supervision and strategic commitment from top management, being primarily led by line managers and employees invested in experimentation at an operational level. This claim reveals the need to focus on the “technological change empowerment” given to line management and employees, balancing it with an ability to supervise and consolidate BMI. Overall, this study contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between SI and BMI and the role of technological change in it. Our findings provide insights for firms to strategically operate and govern technological change and leverage it to innovate their business models.

Sustainability orientation and sustainability performance in response to hostile environments in cultural tourism destinations

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand how sustainability orientation influences economic, environmental and social sustainability performance and the moderating role of environmental hostility on these relationships. This study aims to deepen the consequences of the strategic commitment to sustainability of tourism firms located in the World Heritage Cities of Cusco, Lima and Arequipa in Peru.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical analysis was conducted on a sample of 238 tourism firms. The authors implemented structural equation modelling technique to contrast the hypothesis.FindingsThe results shows that sustainability orientation has a positive effect on social and environmental performance mainly, but also on both financial and non-financial economic performance. The authors also detect a significant negative moderating effect of environmental hostility, which is accentuated in the case of social and economic-financial performance.Practical implicationsThis study provides interesting practical implications in the tourism sector. Firms should develop a strategic commitment to sustainability, even in hostile environments, to improve their competitive position while reducing the negative impact of their activity on the natural and social environment. Institutions should encourage firms to commit to sustainability to achieve more sustainable and competitive urban tourism destinations.Originality/valueThis study advances the controversial debate on whether sustainability orientation of tourism firms leads to better economic performance. Moreover, from triple bottom line approach, it provides a holistic view of how sustainability orientation affects sustainability performance in all its dimensions. Finally, this paper delves into the complexities and challenges of sustainable urban tourism.

Family abuse targeting queer family members: An argument to address problems of visibility in local services and civic life

Abstract Purpose To draw attention to the invisibility of family abuse victimisation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or trans folk and its impacts; and the lack of appropriate, confident, skilled, formal responses to family abuse victimisation. In addition to argue that local strategic commitment is required to address structural discrimination faced by queer folk and to positively invite those victimised to seek help from local services. Method A multi-method local study in a Central Bedfordshire, a County in England was conducted with an online survey, interviews and focus groups with local LGBT+ communities and practitioners. Results The data suggests worryingly high reporting of family abuse particularly for trans participants. At the same time our data, in line with others, shows help-seeking to be low other than to informal sources of help especially friends. In addition professionals appear underconfident about how to respond appropriately. Conclusions Family abuse targeting queer folk is a significant problem and under-recognised. This is in part due to the mainstream domestic abuse sector associating family abuse with racially minoritised and/or faith communities and particular forms of violence such as “honour” abuse, forced marriage and female genital mutilation. Family abuse victimising queer folk is relatively invisible despite profound social, mental and physical health impacts. Practitioners in this study describe a lack of confidence, skills and knowledge about their practice responses to queer folk which needs to be addressed through training. However, we also conclude that the wider civic context can also play a part in sending messages to local queer folk that local services are for them and that there is a role for civic leaders to improve the visibility and confidence of local queer folk as citizens.

Spillovers and strategic commitment in R&D

Spillovers and strategic commitment in R&D

Beyond the neoconservative legacy in American counterterrorism policy: from George W. Bush to forever war

More than two decades after the 9/11 attacks, the militarised approach to counterterrorism initiated by the George W. Bush Administration remains firmly in place. Growing frustration with these actions has prompted debates on ‘forever war’. This article traces the origins of ‘forever war’ to the interplay of neoconservatism and conservative nationalism in the George W. Bush Administration, which aimed at preserving American primacy through the cultivation of overwhelming military power. The Administration’s support for the revolution in military affairs contributed to the development of a more remote counterterrorism approach, which helps explain the continuities in US counterterrorism policies across the latter Bush administration as well as the Obama and Trump presidencies. By helping embed a ‘common sense’ understanding that further 9/11-style attacks could only be prevented by enduring and aggressive military action against transnational terrorist organisations, neoconservatism shaped the evolution of American counterterrorism policy. The specific influence of neoconservatism must be qualified and contextualised, however, because the strategic commitment to primacy had wider support within the Bush Administration.

OBRAZOVANJE, ISTRAŽIVANJE I ODRŽIVO UPRAVLJANJE ŠUMSKIM RESURSIMA KAO FAKTOR ODRŽIVOG RAZVOJA U BOSNI I HERCEGOVINI / EDUCATION, RESEARCH AND SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT AS A FACTOR OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

The sustainable forest management concept contains the essence of the sustainable development paradigm - meeting the current needs of society without compromising the needs of future generations. The strategic commitment of the Faculty of Forestry University of Sarajevo is aimed at quality education of forestry experts, conducting innovative research and the most intensive cooperation with the economy. The methodological approach in this paper is based on a critical analysis of the scope of the educational-research process at the Faculty of Forestry University of Sarajevo, and the potentials of sustainable forest management in BiH, to determine to what extent higher education and research on environmental, sociological and economic aspects of forest management can affect positive changes in BiH society. Apart from identifying the benefits of forest ecosystems in the context of contributing to sustainable development, the research on the attitudes of teaching staff related to the contribution of the educational-research process to general goals of sustainable development from the 2030 Agenda was conducted. The results of this paper show that the concept of sustainable forest management, as it is realized in educational-research process at the Faculty of Forestry University of Sarajevo, has significant potential to contribute to sustainable development in BiH. This contribution is reflected in biodiversity conservation, mitigation of climate change, carbon storage, prevention of natural disasters, impact on the stability of water and soil, energy supply from renewable sources, continuous economic growth, socially responsible production and consumption, job security, development of rural and urban areas as well as maintaining and improving the psychophysical health of the population. Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that sustainable forest management, grounded on scientific postulates, understanding of diversity of forest ecosystem services and dynamics in society's requirements towards forests, multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral cooperation, can be an important factor of sustainable development in BiH.

Strategic Commitment by Sultanate of Oman towards 2050 Net-Zero Emission: Current Environmental Initiatives and Future Needs

Global warming is a major concern to humanity due to its massive environmental impact. Studies emphasize low-carbon issues such as emissions policy, carbon taxation, carbon emissions trading, and emissions accounting and reduction (Gao et al., 2014). This paper will cover one of the main commitments towards environmental protection, which is 2050 net zero emissions. Many countries have set this target to show a clear commitment to reducing their CO2 and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) to zero in the coming 30 years. Yet the main question here would these targets be aspirational or realistic? If the goals are aspirational, does this encourage more effort, or will it make the public and investors even more critical of the government if they fail? How does the mission to maintain average temperature increases below 2C or, preferably, 1.5C by 2100 relate to the net zero by 2050 goal? In October 2022, Oman joined the current effort to protect the environment and reach net zero by 2050. The country has already implemented many environmental measures; however, more effort is required to achieve the net-zero emission target. In addition, the paper will outline and investigate the current global efforts to meet the commitment. Also, it will cover the current environmental work conducted in Oman. The paper will also evaluate the challenges and requirements to reach net zero in Oman.

The European Union оrganizational and legal mechanism for ensuring gender equality

The article analyzes the provisions of founding treaties of the European Union, in particular, the Treaty on the European Union, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, the European Social Charter regarding their consolidation of the principle of gender equality, which has been formed since the adoption of the UN Charter as a fundamental international universal act, contributed to the further development and adoption of norms at the international universal and regional levels based on gender principle. Attention is focused on the features of EU acts and it is stated that they have expanded the principle of equality between women and men, including working conditions, social security, access to goods and services, balance between work and private life, maternity protection, parental leave and equal treatment in the workplace and as self-employed persons.Attention is paid to EU strategic acts in this sphere, including: Strategic commitments to ensure gender equality, Gender equality strategies, Gender Action Plan – putting women and girls’ rights at the heart of the global recovery for a gender-equal world. The directions and obligations contained in the specified acts are disclosed; the EU measures adopted for their implementation (development of relevant recommendations, adoption of directives, preparation of annual reports) are outlined and attention is focused on perspective directions of the Union’s activities in this area.Attention is focused on the activities of specialized agencies, bodies and other structures whose competence include issues of protection of human rights and gender equality as their integral component, among which are indicated: the Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, European Ombudsman, European Institute for Gender Equality, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights, European Women’s Lobby, European Network of Legal Experts on Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination. Their powers, legal basis of activity, competence and contribution to ensuring human rights in general and, in particular, the principle of gender equality within the EU, are characterized.

The correlation between quality change management and process implementation with financial and non-financial market performance in south-eastern Europe companies

This study aims to analyze the impact of overall quality management on company performance by examining the relationship between operational performance and customer orientation, commitment to top management, employee focus on the job, and process approach. The study employs a quantitative approach using statistical analyses, such as KMO and Bartlett's factor analysis, correlation analysis and t-tests to test the research econometric model. The results revealed a positive correlation between operational performance (financial and non-financial) and customer orientation with a coefficient of 0.164. Additionally, the study found a significant correlation between commitment to top management (coefficient p = 0.654), employees’ focus on the job (coefficient p = 0.378), and process approach (coefficient p = 0.387). Overall quality management can be considered a strategic commitment of a company to create value for customers and owners based on quality. The commitment of top management to continuously improve the quality of all aspects of the business is crucial in achieving this goal. The study's findings suggest that companies can benefit from implementing overall quality management practices to improve their performance. By prioritizing customer orientation, committing to top management, and focusing on employee job satisfaction and process approach, companies can create a competitive advantage through their commitment to quality.

Key drivers of value amongst multicultural teams in construction projects

Major projects often involve intense team diversity—people are drawn from multiple cultures, professional disciplines and geographical areas. Past studies have established the roles of such diversity in project success. However, most outcomes from such studies are only superficial, as they hardly exceed comparing the pros and cons. Knowledge and practice gaps remain significant around how projects and businesses can maximise the benefits of cultural diversity amongst the project team. This research investigates key drivers of value relating to multiculturality amongst project teams involved in large projects. As a scoping study, the study reports interview results from an initial phase of a longitudinal study. Findings show thematic drivers of value in multiculturality include intentionality [project governance], strategic commitment (firm’s leadership determination), and stakeholders’ purposive buy-in to work with soft challenges. Others include project organisational culture and leadership. The implication of these themes, when put together in a framework, is such that understanding how to manage multicultural teams in projects does help towards improving project outcomes. Conclusions are drawn on how these findings to further measure multiculturality and its values in project outcomes. The additionality of such a contribution to ongoing debate helps to quantise and quantify the strengths of diversity amongst project teams in construction projects of all forms and size, as well as management practices.

Modeling enablers of agility of healthcare organizations

PurposeThis purpose of the study is to investigate enablers of building agility capabilities in healthcare organisations in developing countries. The key research questions are: (1) What are the key enablers for building healthcare agility? (2) Is there an interdependence among the enablers of healthcare agility? (3) What is the driving and dependence power of the enabling factors of healthcare agility?Design/methodology/approachThe enablers for building capabilities of organisational agility were identified from the extant literature. Perceptual responses for pair-wise comparison of identified enablers were collected from 17 clinical and non-clinical professionals working in Indian hospitals through online interviews. Participants were selected from India which supposedly represents the socioeconomic contexts and healthcare systems in developing economies. Next, the data was analysed using multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques to develop a structural framework depicting the enablers and their interdependence.FindingsThe TISM framework showed that the two most influential enablers of healthcare agility in developing countries are policy and regulatory support and strategic commitment and resource availability. The results were based on the analysis of four enablers identified from the literature. The results of MICMAC analysis revealed the driving and dependence power of each enabler and classified the enablers into driving, autonomous, dependence and linkage groups.Practical implicationsThe study will help stakeholders and academics in the healthcare domain in devising effective strategies for building agility within healthcare systems and processes.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the service operations literature on building agile systems for dynamic and complex service environments.

Invitation games and the politics of joining US-led coalition warfare: a small state perspective

How do status-seeking governments in small states mobilize parliamentary support for participation in US-led warfare coalitions? We argue that the formulation of official invitations by the United States plays an overlooked instrumental role in the domestic ratification game. Invitations can be a strategic tool for governments confronted with divided parliaments to secure support for contributions close to their position. Building on a modified and reversed version of Schelling’s tying hands strategy, we develop a novel invitation game to explain dynamics in the two-level game between coalition leader, government and parliament where governments tie their hands internationally rather than domestically. By signalling their intentions and strategic commitments to the coalition leader, small state governments can seek to influence the content of the coalition leader’s invitation, which they in turn can present as a take-it-or-leave-it offer to parliament. In this way, governments can raise the perceived abandonment costs to a level that outweighs parliament’s fear of entrapment, making the latter more willing to support a forceful commitment. We illustrate the plausibility of this invitation game model with empirics from Denmark’s past contributions to US-led coalitions, which show that the domestic value of these US invitations has so far been underestimated, even in a case where there exists a strong Atlantic security predisposition. In this way, this paper not only raises attention to the importance of studying how small states decide on costly military contributions, it also shows that understanding domestic contestation of military deployments requires taking into account the strategic importance of international signals.

Pressures for sustainability and strategic responses on employment relationships: The role of the HR manager

The study objective was to show how a company's internal factors, such as organizational commitment and HR manager role can affect the establishment of different employment models towards sustainability. Specifically, we defined a model that analyses how an organisation's external (Institutional Pressures for Sustainability, or IPS) and internal factors (Sustainable Strategic Commitment, or SSC) can influence a company's Employment Relationships (ERs)– i.e., the relationships between employers and employees. We tested our hypotheses on a sample of 145 Spanish companies conducting multiple regression analyses as well as the moderation and mediation test using PROCESS (for SPSS v3.5). The results showed that despite the direct influence of IPS on ERs, a company's commitment and/or contribution towards sustainability plays a major role, as the latter constitutes the mechanism through which IPS enhance ERs. Furthermore, our results confirm the HR manager's significant role in fostering a company's strategic commitment to sustainability, thereby reinforcing the relationship between IPS and SSC. Consequently, HR management can develop a set of ERs better suited to a sustainable model, that is, one which encourages long-term commitment (Mutual Investment).

The Evolution of Energy Management Maturity in Organizations Subject to Mandatory Energy Audits: Findings from Italy

Promoting energy efficiency is a key element of the strategic commitment of the European Community. Prominent among the binding measures established by the 2012 Energy Efficiency Directive to further this vision is the requirement for large companies to conduct energy audits every four years. After receiving the second cycle of energy audit reports in December 2019, a new description of the energy situation of Italian companies was made available. This presented the previously inaccessible possibility of comparing the two situations reported in 2015 and 2019 to assess the development of energy efficiency practices in organizations subject to the legislative obligation of energy audits in the country. To this end, in collaboration with the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), a project was initiated with the aim of developing the tools and methodologies necessary to assess in more detail the evolution that has occurred in the four years since 2015. In this paper, the findings of the analysis conducted on a significant sample of companies in Italy are presented. Through the design of a maturity model to assess the degree of progress achieved in a company’s energy management, the results of the two situations were analyzed. The analysis was deepened by assessing the progress achieved in different aspects of Energy Management: “Strategic Approach”, “Awareness, Competence, and Knowledge”, “Methodological Approach”, “Organizational Structure”, “Energy Performance Management and Information System”, and “Best Practices”. Furthermore, the observed variations were statistically tested using a pairwise t-test to make statistical inferences about the maturity of the total population of Italian enterprises under legislative obligation. The results have shown an increase in overall energy management maturity in each maturity dimension.

Moonshots

In the last half-century, technological progress has stagnated. Rapid advances in information technology disguise the slow pace of productivity growth in other fields. Reigniting technological progress may require firms to invest in moonshots—long-term projects to commercialize innovations. Yet all but a few giant tech firms shy away from moonshots, even when the expected returns would justify the investment. The root of the problem is corporate structure. The process of developing a novel technology does not generate the kind of interim feedback that shareholders need to monitor managers and managers need to motivate employees. Managers who anticipate these agency problems invest in incremental innovations instead.
 In the last few years, a new structure designed to commercialize long-term innovations has emerged—the venture carveout. A venture carveout is a private company with one or two public company parents, outside private investors, and employee ownership. The parents provide intellectual property and a long-term strategic commitment. The private investors supply patient capital that insulates the project from short-term shareholder pressure. The employees’ equity motivates them to bring a product to market. The first venture carveouts are attempting to commercialize autonomous vehicles. If they succeed, they will validate a new model for innovation. This Article argues that venture carveouts could enable more companies to invest in moonshots, compete with the tech giants that dominate our economy, and accelerate technological progress.

Globalization orientation, business practices and performance outcomes: an empirical investigation of B2B manufacturing firms

Purpose This paper aims to examine how market globalization orientation (i.e. a firm’s strategic commitment to developing the target markets beyond national borders) influences business-to-business (B2B) practices to achieve competitive performance outcomes. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual framework shows how to translate strategic orientation into integrated organizational practices for competitive outcomes. A research model defines key variables (drivers, B2B practices and performance outcomes). The research model is tested using an international survey of 439 firms from four continents. And the analysis results are reported. Findings The results suggest that market globalization orientation influences organizational practices and external B2B network processes to achieve desirable performance outcomes. Integrated product development is a crucial linkage mechanism that enables firms to translate strategic network coordination and product innovation goals into improved manufacturing and firm performance. Research limitations/implications First, macro-level factors (e.g. the changing attitudes of domestic stakeholders toward globalization) do not necessarily dictate the critical aspects of the micro-level responses (e.g. firm-level practices). Despite negative narratives of globalization at the macro-level (e.g. economic inequality, unwanted immigration that spreads transmissible diseases, supply chain disruptions), firm-level responses toward global markets are determined by their missional direction and strategic priorities for achieving competitive advantage by expanding their B2B supply chains and market frontiers (Adams et al., 2019; Kobrin, 2020; Witt, 2019; Zinn and Goldsby, 2020). Second, the findings suggest that many firms take globalization orientation as an essential strategic driver that governs critical operational and network practices for achieving desirable performance outcomes. Market globalization orientation motivates B2B firms of all sizes –including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) – to pursue globalization in their unique paths of differentiation. Globalization orientation expands their spheres of influence beyond their local, regional and domestic fronts. The globalization orientation of business leadership motivates firms to stretch their business frontiers without self-imposed geographical constraints. Practical implications Competitive firms choose market globalization orientation in their supply flow and implement strategic and operational practices to pursue global market opportunities. Globalization orientation is imperative to firms that seek new growth engines to achieve competitive performance that appeals to diverse market segments of the world. Social implications Outstanding firms expand their value frontiers to secure a flexible supplier base and reach out to diverse B2B customers in their domestic and global market segments. This study also suggests that firms with a market globalization orientation aim to develop novelty products, offer essential services, support the livelihood goals of people and pursue a shared vision of a sustainable planet. Originality/value In the context of conflicting societal attitudes and political priorities toward globalization, this study examines the crucial role of market globalization orientation. Using an empirical study, this paper suggests that globalization efforts succeed as firms deploy their internal and network resources to address people’s essential and timeless needs beyond national boundaries.

Measuring the global response to antimicrobial resistance, 2020–21: a systematic governance analysis of 114 countries

Understanding strategic commitments and policy responses to overcome antimicrobial resistance at the national, regional, and global levels is required to evaluate current progress and direct future planning. National action plans (NAPs) are the primary mechanism for guiding national strategy and action for antimicrobial resistance governance. Although several NAPs have been developed, no comprehensive content analysis of these plans exists. Using a governance framework, we aimed to assess all publicly available NAPs on antimicrobial resistance. We systematically reviewed the contents of NAPs on antimicrobial resistance from 114 countries, applying a governance framework containing 18 domains and 54 indicators in three integral areas: policy design, implementation tools, and monitoring and evaluation. As well as manually searching NAPs and doing online and literature searches that were relevant to specific indicators from repository inception to June 1, 2022, several data sources were used to generate scores, including the Tripartite Antimicrobial Resistance Country Self-Assessment Survey, the Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System, the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Research and Development Hub, and various WHO datasets. NAPs were included if the country had also submitted the NAP to the Tripartite Antimicrobial Resistance Country Self-Assessment Survey 2020-21, if the NAP was retrievable through a publicly accessible database or website, and if the NAP was either published in English or eligible for machine translation. Three researchers independently reviewed each NAP and were initially blinded to the evaluations of other researchers. They generated a score using a quantification system for each of 54 indicators. The Cochrane protocol for ensuring reliability was followed. The three researchers were then unblinded and met to resolve any disagreements in scoring to reach a consensus agreement. In each case of discrepancy, consensus was reached between the researchers. We developed criteria to standardise the process of quantifying each indicator. We also weighted and collated relevant national data from various sources to generate composite scores concordant with the key governance areas. We transformed these data to a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best), ranked countries on the basis of their mean scores, and used descriptive statistics to analyse global and regional trends. 306 NAPs were identified and 114 were eligible for analysis. Between 2020 and 2021, the mean antimicrobial resistance governance score was 51 (SD 14). Norway had the highest governance score (mean 85 [SD 32]), and the Federated States of Micronesia had the lowest governance score (28 [37]). The highest scoring domain was participation (83 [16]), and the lowest scoring domains were accountability (30 [18]) and feedback mechanism (30 [25]). Domains relating to policy design (55 [13]) and implementation tools (54 [17]) scored similarly, whereas monitoring and evaluation (38 [20]) efforts were lower. International efforts to control antimicrobial resistance varied considerably between countries. Monitoring and evaluation efforts need improving for continuous understanding of national and international progress. International response might not be commensurate with the scale and severity of antimicrobial resistance. None.

What is being done to respond to the rise of chronic diseases and multi-morbidity in Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia?

Although countries in central and eastern Europe (CEE) have relatively younger populations compared to the West, their populations are often affected by higher prevalence of chronic conditions and multi-morbidity and this burden will likely increase as their populations age. Relatively little is known about how these countries cater to the needs of complex patients. This Perspective piece identifies key initiatives to improve coordination of care in Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, including some pioneering and far-reaching approaches. Unfortunately, some of them have failed to be implemented, but a recent strategic commitment to care coordination in some of these countries and the dedication to rebuilding stronger health systems after the COVID-19 pandemic offer an opportunity to take stock of these past and ongoing experiences and push for more progress in this area.