Luca Gastaldi

Continuous innovation: towards a paradoxical, ambidextrous combination of exploration and exploitation

The Continuous Innovation Network (CINet) is a global network studying the innovation processes through which the synergistic combination between exploratory and exploitatory activities fosters a synergistic combination of operational effectiveness and strategic flexibility – allowing firms to achieve superior performance. This paper presents the theoretical field of continuous innovation as an extension of the intersection of three research streams – namely exploration-exploitation, organisational ambidexterity and paradoxical thinking. Moreover, it presents four papers from the International CINet Conference held in Zurich (CH), from the 5th to the 7th of September 2010.

Smart Healthcare Digitalization: Using ICT to Effectively Balance Exploration and Exploitation within Hospitals:

Most of the literature on healthcare digitalization is focused on the benefits, the barriers and the determinants of the adoption of ICT-based solutions within hospitals. Little is understood about how hospital digitalization can be accomplished or how this digitalization fosters an increase in hospital performance — both in terms of quality improvement and cost rationalization — by ambidextrously combining the exploration and exploitation of hospital assets. This paper sheds a preliminary light on the topic, identifying a set of action-oriented propositions for smart healthcare digitalization within hospitals.

Performance improvement in hospitals: leveraging on knowledge asset dynamics through the introduction of an electronic medical record

Purpose – This study seeks to further the current debate about how to systematically improve hospital performance by enhancing and balancing knowledge exploration and knowledge exploitation capabilities through the development of an electronic medical record (EMR).Design/methodology/approach – The study has an interpretative, inductive perspective, based on multiple and embedded case studies. Three large size Italian hospitals that have introduced an EMR were considered. Evidence was gathered by triangulating multiple sources of evidence.Findings – Three emergent strategies of EMR development are identified. Pros and cons of each strategy are stated and a set of propositions to be tested in further research are formulated. These results provide hospital managers and professionals with clearer guidelines about how to improve performance by implementing a tailored strategy to balance knowledge exploration and knowledge exploitation through the development of an EMR.Originality/value – Most of the literature...

Academics as orchestrators of continuous innovation ecosystems: towards a fourth generation of CI initiatives

In this paper, we shed light on why academics are in one of the best positions to orchestrate inter–organisational initiatives of continuous innovation (CI) within an innovation context that is shifting towards an open collaborative ecosystem mode. Two rationales seem to explain the potential key role of academics within a CI ecosystem: 1) their independence; 2) their compliance to CI ecosystems purposes - independently by its type. The implications of the five papers invited to be part of the special issue, and formerly presented at the 14th International CINet Conference in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, are also discussed.

Measuring the benefits of tracking medical treatment through RFId

Purpose – Radio frequency identification (RFId) technology has a great potential to improve process efficiency and effectiveness. However, because of the variety of application areas and achievable benefits, structured assessment models are needed to support managers in the adoption decision. The purpose of this paper is to describe a structured method to support the evaluation of the benefits enabled by RFId technology in medical treatment support in the healthcare industry. The method, and its application to an Italian case study, are deeply illustrated so as to increase the knowledge available to decision makers. Design/methodology/approach – The research underlying this paper has modelled the relationship between the technology and the performance driver of the target process, and then between the performance driver and the measurable key performance indicators of that process. This knowledge, focused on the healthcare industry but still quite general, has been formalised into 12 causal maps. Starting...

Telemonitoring: Criteria for a Sustainable Implementation

The use of information and communication technologies appears to be a main lever to ensure effectiveness and efficiency of modern health care systems. In particular, telemonitoring is one of the most promising concepts in enabling patients’ self-management, relocating medical services and improving equity in access to high quality care. However, a large-scale adoption of telemonitoring solutions across Europe has still barely been accomplished. Considering the several dimensions of a system’s implementation, this chapter provides insight on the reasons for the slow diffusion of these innovations in the health sector. Subsequently it illustrates how to take advantage of these systems and outlines what the different stakeholders need to contribute in order to bridge the gap between pilot projects and the diffusion of telemonitoring solutions.

From Shared Decision-making to Patient Engagement in Health Care Processes: The Role of Digital Technologies

In the past patients have mainly been passive recipients of health care services and clinicians’ advice. However, within today’s healthcare environments constellations have changed. Patients have access to a tremendous amount of information and are more confident in managing their own health and care independently. Shared decision making and patient engagement are increasingly popular approaches to respect patient sovereignty and enhance participation. The following article summarizes the influence of these developments on health care processes and outlines the crucial role of digital technologies as levers to support shared decision making and patient engagement. Despite potential benefits and widespread political commitment, empirical evidence demonstrates that supportive digital solutions only slowly diffuse into the health sector.

The Role of ICT in the New (Virtual) Working Space

Purpose. The article explores how ICT supports the open enterprise approach, which is emerging empirically as one of Enterprise 2.0 model. More specifically, it explores (1) the applications characteristics - in terms of drivers and barriers - adopted by companies to support E2.0, and (2) the different ways of integrating applications in the E2.0.

An assessment model for virtual communities of practice: a study in the oil and gas industry

This paper proposes a model to assess the level of maturity in Virtual Communities of Practice (VCoPs). The model is based on a theoretical construction attained from the analysis of previous frameworks proposed in literature. Using this construction, we have proposed eight main organizational, managerial and technological levers to improve the performance of VCoPs. Additionally, the model presents the analysis of four performance metrics obtained from these VCoP management levers. The model presented can be used as a benchmarking tool for analysing how companies perform in their management of VCoPs. After developing the model, we applied it to a benchmarking study of four global oil and gas companies. Our results include a performance comparison among these companies as well as the main practices and technologies they use to achieve success in the management of VCoP.

Smart work: Supporting employees’ flexibility through ICT, HR practices and office layout

Purpose - This paper explores smart work (SW), a work practice characterized by spatial and temporal flexibility, supported by technological tools, and that provides all employees of an organization with the best working conditions to accomplish their tasks. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to identify whether firms adopt different SW models, explore complementarities between the factors that can lead to choose a SW model, and figure out whether contingent variables matters in the implementation of a particular SW model. Design/methodology/approach - This study is based on: a survey delivered in 2013 to 100 Human Resources directors of medium and large Italian organizations to collect preliminary evidence on SW; and four embedded case studies based on 49 semi-structured interviews to better explain the findings achieved in the quantitative analysis. Findings - Four SW models can be chosen by companies. They are named inconsistent, analogical, digital and complete SW. They are different according to investments in the enabling digital technologies, in trans-formations of the organizational policies and in workspace settings, according the contingent conditions where firms operate. Results show that there are complementarities between the elements that characterize a SW model and that at least two elements are developed in each SW model. In case all the three elements are developed, companies achieve higher labour productivity. Originality/value - The paper unpacks the elements that can generate SW environments by deepening the complementarities that can be exploited among information and communication technologies, work place and work practice innovation, and by evaluating their development on employees’ performance.