Alessandro Ancarani

Motivations of manufacturing reshoring: an interpretative framework

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a framework for the analysis of reshoring. The framework is then applied to analyze motivations for reshoring, as they emerge from extant literature and from new evidence collected. Design/methodology/approach – The authors start by formulating a literature-grounded definition of reshoring and reviewing some key theoretical approaches for international manufacturing location. In light of these theories, the authors then propose an interpretative framework for the analysis of reshoring motivations. Finally, the authors provide new evidence on this phenomenon, by presenting the findings of an extensive data collection of reshoring cases built on secondary data. Findings – The authors show that a vast array of single drivers of reshoring can be extracted from extant literature; however, the interpretative framework eventually highlights four main typologies of reshoring motivations, thus allowing for a more sound comprehension of why the phenomenon happens. T...

Manufacturing Back-Reshoring as a Nonlinear Internationalization Process

Abstract Purpose The first aim of the chapter is to offer a characterization of back-reshoring as a possible step of the firm’s nonlinear internationalization process. The second aim is to review the empirical literature on back-reshoring and to complement it with the findings of an extensive data collection. Methodology/approach In this chapter we adopted an explorative approach building on both theoretical and empirical literature from the fields of international business and international operations Management. We also collected secondary data on back-reshoring decisions in order to define the magnitude of the investigated phenomenon and to offer a primary characterization. Findings Our findings confirm that, though it cannot be considered a generalized trend, back-reshoring is a very topical issue for international business scholars. It represents an autonomous phenomenon consistent with the idea of nonlinear internationalization process. Research limitations/implications The chapter is based on cross-sectional data. Longitudinal research is required in order to address the proposed research questions and help understanding “how much” and what kind of manufacturing will be housed in western countries in the near future. Originality/value This is the first attempt to conceptualize back-reshoring as a possible step of the firms’ internationalization process. It is also the first chapter that summarizes and discusses the literature and empirical evidence on back-reshoring emerging from a wide range of countries.

Hospital safety climate and safety behavior: A social exchange perspective

BACKGROUND Safety climate is considered beneficial to the improvement of hospital safety outcomes. Nevertheless, the relations between two of its key constituents, namely those stemming from leader-subordinate relations and coworker support for safety, are still to be fully ascertained. PURPOSE This article uses the theoretical lens of Social Exchange Theory to study the joint impact of leader-member exchange in the safety sphere and coworker support for safety on safety-related behavior at the hospital ward level. Social exchange constructs are further related to the existence of a shame-/blame-free environment, seen as a potential antecedent of safety behavior. RESEARCH DESIGN A cross-sectional study including 166 inpatients in hospital wards belonging to 10 public hospitals in Italy was undertaken to test the hypotheses developed. METHODOLOGY Hypothesized relations have been analyzed through a fully mediated multilevel structural equation model. This methodology allows studying behavior at the individual level, while keeping into account the heterogeneity among hospital specialties. FINDINGS Results suggest that the linkage between leader support for safety and individual safety behavior is mediated by coworker support on safety issues and by the creation of a shame-free environment. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS These findings call for the creation of a safety climate in which managerial efforts should be directed not only to the provision of new safety resources and the enforcement of safety rules but also to the encouragement of teamwork and freedom to report errors as ways to foster the capacity of the staff to communicate, share, and learn from each other.

Successful digital transformations need a focus on the individual

Digitalization represents a challenge for organizations. Some organizational functions such as purchasing, sales, logistics and in general all those that are part of the wider area of supply chain management will be asked to achieve a closer integration to fully exploit the potential of big data and business analytics. In order to achieve the successful implementation of digitalization, organizations need to invest in staff training, empower employees, change the organizational culture to embrace the key role of analytics for the company, and hire leaders who actively support digitalization.

Work engagement in public hospitals: a social exchange approach

Abstract We develop and test a model that envisages work engagement in public services as determined by interactions with supervisor and co-workers. Specifically, we apply the framework of Social Exchange Theory to explore the impact of Leader–Member exchange (LMX) and Team–Member exchange (TMX) on Work Engagement in the provision of health care in public hospitals. Our investigation suggests that both LMX and TMX represent significant factors associated with work engagement among the hospital medical staff.

Does Religious Diversity in Health Team Composition Affect Efficiency? Evidence from Dubai

Team cultural diversity, the degree to which working team members differ in culture-related factors, may affect healthcare teams’ outcomes. This paper focuses on one particular source of cultural diversity, namely religion, and examines its relation to the production efficiency of hospital wards. Building on the categorization-elaboration model of organizational diversity, the authors test an empirical model positing that team religious diversity has non-linear effects on efficiency, and considering the role of moderating variables of the relation diversity–efficiency. Empirically, the authors adopt a two-step approach, whereby the first step applies data envelopment analysis to estimate efficiency scores for each team, and the second investigates the effect of diversity and of moderating variables. The model is tested on a sample of hospital wards from three large hospitals in Dubai. The results suggest an inverse U-shaped relation between religious diversity and the wards’ efficiency. Evidence is provided that the relation is moderated by task complexity, task conflict, team leader tenure and diversity in nationality. This study advances research on the management of hospital team diversity by emphasizing the complexity of diversity effects and the importance of contextual factors.

Linking Organizational Climate to Work Engagement: A Study in the Healthcare Sector

ABSTRACT Using a two-level structural equation approach, this article investigates the links between organizational climate and work engagement in a sample of public hospitals in Italy. Drawing from the Job Demands-Resources model, the model posits a positive association between work engagement and a climate promoting worker’s autonomy, empowerment, and well-being, whereas it suggests that a climate based on efficiency and goal attainment is not favorable for engagement. Results support the hypotheses and suggest that performance based models implemented in recent years as part of public sector reforms are not conducive to engaged workers. Implications for research on work engagement in the public sector and for public management are drawn.

An exploratory study of risk aversion in supply chain dynamics via human experiment and agent-based simulation

The literature on the impact of risk aversion on supply chains (SCs) is relatively limited and, in particular, there is a dearth of theory and a lack of empirical evidence concerning: (1) the impact of individual risk aversion on the generation and dynamics of the order policy (e.g. order patterns and inventory holding costs); (2) the impact of several combinations of risk-averse members in each stage of a multi-echelon SC. We explore these gaps through a multi-method approach (i.e. human experiments and agent-based simulation), thus using both empirical and simulated data. Specifically, based on results from a human experiment, we develop the conjecture that risk aversion is positively correlated to the desired stock level and consequently to the safety stock factor of inventory order policies. Building on this finding, we perform a simulation study to infer the impact of individual risk aversion in a multi-echelon SC. Results show that alternative compositions of the SC in terms of risk aversion levels of the echelons significantly influence inventory holdings and SC dynamics. The study implies that a company facing problems of high inventory days-on-hand should favour low-risk aversion managers, as instrumental to lowering stock and improving net working capital.

The purchase of technology in health organisations: an analysis of its impact on performance

The paper presents an investigation carried out in an Italian health organisation, aimed at studying the purchasing process of medical equipment at the hospital ward level, and at assessing its impact on hospital ward performance. A model of the decision process that leads to purchase is developed. The results show that the acquisition of technology has a positive impact on the wards relative efficiency, and that efficiency is further linked to the specific goals pursued by the head of ward and by the constraints faced.

The impact of public firms commercialisation on purchasing management

Purchasing management has been recently focused by public organisations aiming to maximise its contribution to operations. Such an aspect has been emphasised by the impacts of on going commercialisation process in the network public service sector. This paper provides evidence of changes in purchasing management behaviour in public firms in the water supply sector. In particular, in Italy the firms, after a first phase of increasing attention to purchasing management and suppliers selection, slowly has come back to a clerical approach, maintaining an “arms-length” relationship with suppliers. A model for describing the oscillation of purchasing management within the firms is presented and an explanation of such an oscillation is suggested in terms of flow of power between technical management and political managers.