Service Style Research Articles

Analysis of opinions of medical workers and patients on the activities of the clinical diagnostic service

Everyday medical practice convinces us of the need for well-thought-out management functions in the organization of any business. Laboratory work is no exception. Gradually,there comes an awareness of the need to master and use scientific methods of management and organization of the laboratory service, i.e. what is commonly referred to as «management» throughout the world. Target. To study the existing system of organization, activity and management of the clinical diagnostic service in the conditions of the SBHI of the Samara Region «Tolyatti City Clinical Polyclinic No. 3». Results. The opinion of the medical personnel of the clinical diagnostic laboratory (CDL) was analyzed: laboratory doctors, laboratory paramedics on the organization of the laboratory service; The results of a survey of medical doctors on the organization of the clinical diagnostic service were examined; the opinion of patients on the organization of the laboratory service was studied; an analysis of the management style of the laboratory service of a medical organization was conducted. Conclusion. Clinical laboratory tests are diagnostic tests undertaken to obtain objectively substantiated information about the presence or absence of changes in the composition of the internal environment of the patient’s body. When treating or preventing a disease, the end consumer of the medical service is the patient, and when prescribing clinical diagnostic tests, it is the attending physician, since it is he who interprets, supplements and monitors the patient’s clinical laboratory tests. In this regard, the quality of the services provided for the former and the working conditions for the latter become important for both patients and medical personnel of the clinical laboratory.

S2O: A smart objects orchestrator framework based on the web of things

The Web of Things (WoT) is a new paradigm in which everyday objects are connected to the Internet using popular Web technologies. The smart things are abstracted into RESTful Web services to facilitate their manipulation. The composition of these objects within the same business process creates an automated, time-synchronized routine that can perform even the most complex tasks. BPEL is an orchestration language that defines the process responsible for coordinating the Web services involved. However, this language presents some limitations in this context. BPEL 2.0 does not support RESTful Web services; its specification is incompatible with this architectural style of services. Moreover, its temporal expressivity is insufficient to cover all the constraints that may arise when composing services. This work aims to adapt BPEL to the requirements of the WoT environment, enabling it to create processes that invoke the smart things in precise time intervals. The solution is to exploit one of BPEL's strengths: its extensibility. The BPEL specification is enriched with four activities that reflect the REST uniform interface. They include the necessary attributes to send the request to the target object and receive the response in convened format representation. Also, temporal attributes are added to BPEL elements to schedule their start, end, and duration of execution. The manual addition of these temporal values requires a verification of their accuracy. The BPEL process must be reviewed to ensure its validity before its execution. A temporal Petri Net is proposed to detect any conflicts or inconsistencies between BPEL activities. As a result, associating the formal model with the extension allows BPEL to orchestrate smart things represented by RESTful Web services according to a well-defined temporal scenario. They respect the REST constraints and provide the BPEL activities with temporal attributes for efficient time management. The approach can be applied in all application areas to create temporal scenarios.

Blended individual and group CBT for OCD in adolescents: model description and a feasibility study

Abstract Cognitive-behavioural treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is effective across the lifespan but is not widely available across the range of services. Delivering CBT as a blended treatment combining individual and group-based treatment with flexible parental involvement, adapted to the operational style of any particular service, is a promising option which we aimed to examine in OCD with adolescent samples. In a young people’s service based in a University Hospital, we evaluated the impact of a blended treatment combined with flexible parental involvement with adolescents (age 14–18 years of age). The CBT model used with OCD sufferers was a formulation driven approach, emphasising the importance of providing an alternative account linked to the way responsibility beliefs lead to compulsive behaviour. Six consecutively referred adolescents with their parents participated in a treatment group. Intervention consisted of eight individual meetings, eight group meetings and two meetings with parents. Five of six adolescents carried out the whole intervention. Of all participants, 5/5 scored in the clinical range for OCD at baseline, and 5/5 were no longer in the clinical range by the end of treatment; 5/5 were in the clinical range on general psychiatric problems at baseline, and 4/5 were rated as recovered at the end of treatment. Comparable changes were noted in measures of responsibility linked to intrusive thoughts. Use of a blended individual/group treatment based on a CBT model is feasible, with the results obtained being consistent with previous work on individual CBT treatment. Key learning aims (1) Delivering CBT to adolescents with OCD as a blended treatment combining individual and group-based treatment with flexible parental involvement is a promising option which merits further evaluation. (2) OCD symptoms and general psychiatric symptoms were reduced during and after treatment. (3) Use of a blended treatment based on a CBT model is feasible.

Financial Technology and Financial Inclusion in Remote Areas of Algeria. Analytical Study Using Data Mining

This study aimed to demonstrate how financial technology tools can be used to achieve financial inclusion by shedding light on the reality of financial technology and financial inclusion in Algeria, specifically in the remote areas of Algeria, as financial inclusion represents one of the main areas that economists and governments are trying to focus on to eliminate poverty. To reach the goal of the study, a statistical analysis method was adopted for the various questions asked to 200 participants in the survey during the period 2022–2023. A set of quantitative and qualitative data was used. The study population represents 200 individuals to whom the questionnaire was distributed. A data mining tool was used to analyze the study data, and the survey participants’ K algorithm was later used to predict the behavior patterns of people from a similarly contextualized community regarding financial activities. The study concluded that financial technology, through its multiple tools, changes the structure of comprehensive financial services, in addition to the diversity and style of financial services provided to individuals, which has enhanced and increased their availability to a broader social group that did not have access to them. It was also shown that there is a significant impact of financial technology tools on enhancing financial inclusion indicators. It is recommended to adopt effective and modern financial and technological strategies that provide marginalized social groups with reasonable access to financial services and products that meet their needs, including transactions, payments, savings, credit, and insurance. Therefore, obtaining the added value of data and investing it will increase financial inclusion indicators.

RESIDENT EXPERIENCES OF PERSON-CENTRED CARE AT MEALTIMES IN LONG-TERM RESIDENTIAL CARE: A RAPID ETHNOGRAPHY

Abstract Poor nutrition is a common ongoing problem in long-term residential care, often resulting in reduced quality of life. Previous research has concluded that the content of the meal, dining environment, service style and general atmosphere all add to the mealtime experience, suggesting that person-centred mealtimes are optimal. However, knowledge about which elements of person-centred care can be achieved in a mealtime setting in a given context is currently lacking. As part of the TRANS-SENIOR research network, rapid ethnographies were conducted across multiple sites (including interviews, observations and informal conversations), in long-term residential care homes in the UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands between October 2020 and December 2021. During analysis and interpretation of data, different themes were developed where either successfully achieved or missed opportunities for person-centred moments were observed. We observed differences between the long-term care homes in as much as the setting could be considered, resident choice was implemented, residents were enabled, care was individualized in the communal setting and how much the person of the residents was known with their past and present. In the presentation we will discuss the possibility to provide person-centred care during mealtimes in view of differences between staff approaches, the overall environment (size of dining area, seating arrangements etc.), allocation of staff resources and country-specific rules and regulations. We see an interplay of factors in place for mealtimes to be moments of participatory choice, interaction, independence, and dignity.

Inter- and intra-religious appropriation

Moluccan people arrived in the Netherlands in 1951, as a result of the complicated process of the decolonization of Indonesia. A situation of permanent waiting and political disappointment resulted in this growing Moluccan community remaining. The Moluccan Protestant church reflects the migration experience and generational developments. The Moluccan churches face a decrease in membership and a lack of youth. The Malay language, the adherence to strict, liturgical rules and the unchanging, ‘old-fashioned’ character are possible causes. The challenges result in transformations of the Moluccan Protestant landscape. Moluccan Christians move to evangelical denominations. Here, they appreciate another style of worship against the background of traditional religious roots that cross into the ethnic-cultural domain. In turn, Moluccan Protestant churches experiment with bi- or tri-lingual services and hymns, with a broader range of instruments that accompany congregational singing (including trad-itional Moluccan instruments) and with different styles of song and service. This article discusses the appropriation or borrowing of practices within the Moluccan Protestant landscape. I aim to shed light on generational differences, relations and conflicts. I argue that both inter- and intra-religious borrowing as appropriation is a helpful perspective for analysing religious transformation and embodied religiosity.

Hidden realities: Food waste from servings in mini size packaging

This paper provides data obtained from real-life measurement of the Food Waste (FW) associated with the services offering food in mini size (9–20 g) single-use packaging representing the impact of the difficulties in emptying the food from such packages and service characteristics. We collected discarded such food packages from commercial public eateries (a time-share thermal town, student canteen, and student refectory), quantified FW, and subjected data to statistical analysis regarding the eatery places, package characteristics, and food type. The results suggest that service style, packaging, and consumer wastefulness can cause 10–47 %, 3–11 %, and 5–37 % FW, respectively, indicating hidden part of the wastage iceberg from mini size food portions with vast implication on the food and relevant packaging sustainability. Regarding the packing, the dominant cause of FW is difficulties in emptying the food, such as the shape, size, depth, width, and material of the package. Concerning the consumer wastefulness, our measurements seem to imply that the groups with relatively higher affluency creates more FW. Our results will prove to be highly beneficial in both promoting efforts to raise awareness of not only consumers but also industry players and decision makers on the sustainability for food and relevant packaging material.

Relationship between BCA TBK KCP Tidar Surabaya Customer Service Communication Style and Customer Service Satisfaction

This research is a study that examines the influence of the communication style of BCA customer service Tidar sub-branch offices on the level of customer satisfaction. research uses quantitative methods, quantitative methods are defined as research methods used to examine certain populations or samples, data collection uses research instruments, data analysis is quantitative statistics, with the aim of testing the hypotheses that have been set. This study collected data by filling out the Google form technique. In providing satisfaction to BCA customers, customer service is the spearhead in serving customer complaints. Communication between customer service and customers is one of the important factors that can influence a customer's assessment of BCA. Interpersonal communication is one of the customer service efforts to achieve customer satisfaction. The results of this study indicate that there is a relationship between the two variables which is considered very strong, the conclusion is based on the correlation table used as an indicator of the strength and weakness between the two variables. It can also be concluded that the hypothesis is accepted, namely that there is a significant influence of the communication style of BCA Tbk customer service at the Tidar Surabaya Sub-Branch Office on the level of customer service satisfaction.

Hey Robot, Tell It to Me Straight: How Different Service Strategies Affect Human and Robot Service Outcomes.

With robots already entering simple service tasks in shops, it is important to understand how robots should perform customer service to increase customer satisfaction. We investigate two methods of customer service we theorize are better suited for robots than human shopkeepers: straight communication and data-driven communication. Along with an additional, more traditional customer service style, we compare these methods of customer service performed by a robot, to a human performing the same service styles in 3 online studies with over 1300 people. We find that while traditional customer service styles are best suited for human shopkeepers, robot shopkeepers using straight or data driven customer service styles increase customer satisfaction, make customers feel more informed, and feel more natural than when a human uses them. Our work highlights the need for investigating robot-specific best practices for customer service, but also for social interaction at large, as simply duplicating typical human-human interaction may not produce the best results for a robot.

The Effects of Covid-19 on Libraries

The Covid-19 pandemic has greatly affected higher education and cultural sector, including libraries. Most of the libraries in Mongolia were physically closed for patrons. Librarians were suddenly tasked moving from in-person service into online and the Covid-19 pandemic affects policies, strategies, activities, behavior itself and the library’s future development strategy was not considering the effect of Covid-19. The aim of this paper is to explore how Mongolian libraries satisfy the need of their patrons in unexpected situation, such as Covid-19-induced transition to adapt to keep afloat, to identify the main issues that have arisen and make recommendations for the betterment of libraries’ role in such situations. To be more specific, we address the following research questions: To what extend Covid-19 affected library daily activities? Will the library service styles, perspectives, strategies, patrons’, and librarian’ attitudes change in the future? To address the research issues a quantitative and qualitative content analysis was used on a dataset created from a questionnaire survey and interviews from librarians and patrons. The aim was to find out whether libraries can meet patrons’ needs and if the staff is fully paid. Besides, the analysis covered such criteria as printed and e-book usage, internal and external online databases, other library services usage during the pandemic period, and positive and negative impact of Covid-19. The results were then compared to the indicators of the pre-Covid-19 period.

Investigating how secondary agriculture teachers’ characteristics influence their perceived ability to teach students decision-making skills

ABSTRACT Purpose This study sought to investigate how secondary agriculture teachers’ characteristics influence their perceived ability to teach students decision-making skills. Design/Methodology/Approach We used a cross-sectional survey research design and distributed the instrument to secondary agriculture teachers in the U.S. via Facebook. We received 151 usable responses and conducted a multiple regression and mediation analysis. Findings The regression model accounted for 34.97% of the variance in teachers’ perceived ability to teach decision-making skills and explained a statistically significant amount of variation in the outcome (F(16, 129) = 4.34, p < 0.001). Teaching efficacy, teaching style, decision-making beliefs, and years of service statistically and significantly influenced the outcome. In addition, 29.35% of the total effect of decision-making beliefs on perceived ability to teach decision-making is mediated through teaching efficacy. Practical Implications Findings can inform the development of workshops and educational resources intended to improve agriculture teachers’ perceived ability to teach students decision-making skills, thereby enhancing their ability to teach students how to make decisions. Theoretical Implications Teachers’ psychological and socio-demographic characteristics statistically and significantly influence their perceived ability to teach students decision-making skills. Originality/Value The regression model was the first of its kind to investigate the influence of teacher characteristics on this particular outcome. Therefore, results provide novel but preliminary insight into teachers’ perceptions.

Just the tip: exploring the tipped restaurant employee perspective

PurposeThis research aimed to fill several gaps in the tipping literature which has overlooked the server's perspective in identifying and understanding variables that influence a tip amount and therefore where they concentrate their efforts during the service encounter. Furthermore, the extant literature has theorized how or why certain variables influence the tip amount, but these studies fail to capture insight from server's which would supplement the theory and provide a more in-depth understanding of the mechanisms at play.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a grounded theory approach using semi-structured one-on-one interviews with tipped restaurant employees who were identified and selected using snowball sampling. Content analysis is employed to code and categorize the data.FindingsThe content analysis revealed five categories where servers focus their time and effort to earn tips: service quality, connection, personal factors, expertise and food quality. The server's personality was identified as a variable the tipping literature has largely ignored as a determinant of the tip amount. Server's shift their style of service for groups of eight or more people, and for regular customers, who must dine in the restaurant at least once per week. Lastly, despite the many drawbacks associated with working for tips, servers would not want to replace it with any other method of compensation.Originality/valueThis is the first qualitative study focused on understanding the server's role in the service exchange relationship since McCarty et al. (1990) study. The results provide new insights on the often-studied variables from the tipping literature.

Practitioners' perspectives on acupuncture treatment for postpartum depression: A qualitative study.

Acupuncture may become a treatment for postpartum depression (PPD). Currently, little is known about the use of acupuncture in the treatment of PPD from the point of view of practitioners. The aim of this study was to explore practitioners' perspectives on the treatment of PPD with acupuncture and provide suggestions for future improvement. This study employed a qualitative descriptive method. Semistructured, open-ended interviews were conducted with 14 acupuncture practitioners from 7 hospitals via face-to-face or telephone interviews. The data were collected using interview outline from March to May 2022 and analysed using qualitative content analysis. In general, the use of acupuncture for treating PPD was positively regarded by practitioners. They claimed that acupuncture is both safe and helpful for breastfeeding women who are experiencing emotional discomfort and that it can alleviate a variety of somatic symptoms. The following three themes were extracted: (a) patient acceptance and compliance; (b) acupuncture as a treatment for PPD; and (c) the advantages and drawbacks of acupuncture treatment. Practitioners' optimistic outlooks demonstrated that acupuncture is a promising treatment option for PPD. However, the time cost was the most significant barrier to compliance. Future development will focus mostly on improving acupuncture equipment and the style of service.

Exploring resident experiences of person-centred care at mealtimes in long-term residential care: a rapid ethnography

IntroductionPoor nutrition is a common ongoing problem in long-term residential care, often resulting in reduced quality of life. Previous research has concluded that the content of the meal, dining environment, service style and general atmosphere all add to the mealtime experience, suggesting that person-centred mealtimes are optimal. However, knowledge about which elements of person-centred care can be achieved in a mealtime setting in a given context is currently lacking. We aimed to understand the mealtime experience in long-term residential care by exploring (missed) opportunities for person-centred care in different settings.MethodsAs part of the TRANS-SENIOR research network, rapid ethnographies, were conducted across multiple sites (including interviews, observations and informal conversations), in a long-term residential care home in the UK, Switzerland and the Netherlands between October 2020 and December 2021. ResultsFollowing analysis and interpretation of observations, interviews and informal conversations, the following themes were developed where either successfully achieved or missed opportunities for person-centred moments were observed: 1) considering the setting, 2) listening to and implementing resident choice, 3) enabling residents to help/care for themselves and others, 4) providing individualised care in a communal setting, and 5) knowing the person in the past and present. Residents experienced moments of participatory choice, interaction, independence and dignity, but opportunities for these were often missed due to organisational or policy constraints.ConclusionsThere are opportunities for person-centred moments during the mealtime, some of which are taken and some missed. This largely depended on the setting observed, which includes the overall environment (size of dining area, seating arrangements etc.) and allocation of staff resources, and the level of resident involvement in mealtimes, from preparation to the actual activity.

Review: Front of the House, Back of the House: Race and Inequality in the Lives of Restaurant Workers, by Eli Revelle Yano Wilson

Review: <i>Front of the House, Back of the House: Race and Inequality in the Lives of Restaurant Workers</i>, by Eli Revelle Yano Wilson

The role of individual service and team-based service price in the online environment: A view from the price difference.

Different from the traditional medical market, the online medical market allows physicians considerable discretion in setting prices of their services, which is beginning to be paid close attention to. Physicians face a challenge with the introduction of various service styles. Guided by transaction utility theory and price fairness, this study aims to investigate the influence of pricing strategy on service demands from the price difference perspective by focusing on two typical service models: individual service and team-based service. Moreover, team characteristics (response speed and team size) are also considered. The data collection was done in March 2018 and repeated in May 2018, and physicians who provide both individual service and team-based services are included in our study. Finally, a dataset consisting of 1,100 teams with 1,100 physician leaders from 14 departments such as obstetrics and gynecology department were collected from an online medical platform in China. Empirical results support most of our hypotheses. A negative influence of team-based price was observed. As a substitute service, a higher individual service price will make patients turn to team-based service. Moreover, individual service prices negatively moderated the relationship between team-based service prices and demands. By calculating the price difference between the individual service price and the team-based service price, we found a negative role of the price difference affecting patient purchase decisions. Although we did not find a significant effect of team size, a quick response can attract more patients. Price fairness provides a proper framework for understanding pricing strategy in individual and team-based service in an online environment. Understanding the effects of prices from a price difference perspective has both theoretical and practical contributions. Specifically, this study contributes to knowledge on price fairness, online medical platforms, and virtual teams, and provides management suggestions.

Group Styles of Justice or Service: How Ticket Inspectors Manage Contested Citizen Encounters

People who interact with citizens in their job often have to use discretion when facing complex situations. Research shows that how people understand their job regulates this use of discretion. Yet, little research has conceptualized how group culture shapes these understandings and discretionary actions in real‐life citizen encounters. This article addresses this gap with a microsociological theory of group culture. To demonstrate the merits of this theory, I use a sample of 11 interviews and 88 body‐worn camera recordings to analyze how ticket inspectors perceive and act in contested ticket‐fining events. The analysis identifies two group styles of moral inspection characterized by tight or loose regulation: justice or service. These styles are associated with the two operating teams in a traffic company and influence how inspectors manage contested events with a risk of escalation. I discuss how these findings contribute to the sociology of culture and enhance the understanding of how group culture shapes discretionary actions in citizen encounters.

POLICE REFORM IN DIVIDED TIMES

POLICE REFORM IN DIVIDED TIMES

Financial Technology as a Basis for Financial Inclusion and its Impact on Profitability: Evidence from Commercial Banks

The purpose of this study was to show how financial technology tools can be used to reinforce financial inclusion indicators on the profitability indicators of a Jordanian commercial bank listed on the Amman stock exchange. Between 2010 and 2020, a quantitative and qualitative panel data set was used. The study population is represented by all the banks listed on the Amman stock exchange (n = 16). The study found that financial technology through its multitools changed the structure of the overall financial services, besides the diversity and style of financial services for the commercial banks' clients, thus reinforcing and increasing the availability for a wider social group that did not have access to that service. Further, it was found that there is a significant effect of the financial technology tools to reinforce the financial inclusion indicators over the studies' profitability indicators that include return on assets, return on equity, and earnings per share (JD). It is recommended to adopt effective and modern financial and technological strategies that provide marginalized social groups and small and medium enterprises reasonable access to the financial services and products that meet their needs, including transactions, payments, savings, credit, and insurance. Thus, getting the added value of the data and investing it to increase the financial inclusion indicators improves the profitability indicators and income for commercial banks. Keywords: Financial Technology, Profitability, Financial Inclusion, Commercial Banks.

He Pou Whirinaki (pillars of support). Elder indigenous New Zealand Māori narratives about influenza immunisation and the use of telehealth during the first COVID-19 lockdown

ABSTRACT This paper describes issues, strengths and challenges experienced by elderly Māori accessing influenza vaccination, during the first Level 4 COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. We also obtained views about the introduction of COVID-19 vaccines, and the social restrictions of lockdown. A sampling frame of four Māori elders speaking on behalf of themselves and their communities in Northland was recruited from health sector network connections and interviews were undertaken and recorded. The rich narratives highlighted an awareness of the generational impact of illness and vaccination and concern about the impact of COVID-19 on vulnerable populations. Despite initial fear about COVID-19, communities described ‘safety and comfort’ from ‘lockdown’ creating community resilience and marae, hapu and iwi making major contributions to local crisis response. The well-developed views of these Māori kaumātua about influenza, vaccination and COVID-19 occurred within an environment of contrasting health beliefs and trust/distrust about government and Pākehā-led health services. There was support for the style and content of local health services and recognition and that Pākehā-led health services can be effective when complemented by traditional Māori health values approaches and beliefs. We also noted that the lockdown provided opportunities for these elders to adapt to new technology within a health context.