Honors Projects in Management

Effectiveness and Best Practices of Lean and Six Sigma Methodologies in Hospitals

Daniel Branco — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 20:12:32 PDT

Healthcare quality and costs are a growing problem in the United States. Healthcare organizations are facing increasing costs combined with declining quality (Schoenbaum). This unsustainable trend is putting a great burden on the health care system as a whole. The improvement of quality within the healthcare system would increase the value of the care (Schoenbaum).Improving healthcare quality, and thereby lowering the costs, is critical for the sustainability of healthcare organizations.

There are many different ways that organizations can use quality to reduce costs and increase the quality of service to their patients. There are also various ways an organization can implement quality. The processes can lead to different results and focuses. The potential processes include lean based A3 Report, Kaizen events, and Six Sigma. These processes focus on continuous improvement of quality within a process. The ideal situation would utilize these processes to create a high quality environment while lowering costs.

This report will investigate the impact of projects utilizing the A3, Kaizen, and Six Sigmamethodologies in order to improve processes efficiency,increase quality, and reduce costs of care.These methods can be applied in many different organizations, including the health care industry. The impact of these process improvement projects should be substantial and essential to the health care industry. The impact of the methodologies will be analyzed to see if they substantially reduce the costs and increase the quality. The focus of this research is on hospitals and will compare hospitals in a quality position, as defined by the 100 Top hospitals list and the MalcolmBaldrigeQuality Award recipients nationwide, and other regional hospitals in the Northeast not currently on the 100 Top lists or a Baldrige award winner. The goal of any organization should be to increase the quality of their service.

An ACPE Quality of Care Surveyfound that 18.5% of respondents utilized Six Sigma to improve quality, 13.3% utilized Lean processes, 12.2% used vendor-provided systems, 26.7% used other methods including homegrown, and 29.2% did not utilize any programs (Martin). This project looks to identify if there are trends between those that utilize the programs and positioning as a top quality performance hospital and if so what quality management programs had the biggest impact at the different types of hospitals. While this project focused on hospitals as the health care organization to be surveyed and examined, similar principals would be expected to hold true for any patient facing organization.

Coordination, Cooperation, and Collaboration: Defining the C3 Framework

Breanna Weaver — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 21:07:01 PDT

The term C3 refers to the framework of coordinative, cooperative and collaborative relationships within the realm of external supply chain partnerships. Each unique partnership offers both benefits and challenges within a supply chain and must be aligned with company and supply chain strategy in order to achieve maximum effectiveness. This paper aims to fill the current void in supply chain literature concerning C3 by defining each term based upon current supply chain research as well as give the most prevalent characteristics and differences between each “C” in this phase model. This research is then compared to the industry through a case study of a major international retailer. Finally, we propose a set of propositions that organizations can use to assess at what level their external relationships reside within the phase model as well as how companies move and evolve their relationships between the levels and what the trigger mechanisms are in this evolution.

Uncovering Hidden Profiles; Managerial Interventions for Discovering Superior Decision Alternatives

Brian D. Waddell — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:54:13 PST

A common reason for the use of teams in organizations is the idea that each individual can bring a unique perspective to the decision task; however, research shows that teams often fail to surface and use unique information to evaluate decision alternatives. Under a condition known as the hidden profile, each member uniquely possesses a critical clue needed to uncover the superior solution. Failure to share and adequately evaluate this information will result in poor decision quality. In order to mitigate this team decision-making bias, the present study utilizes experimental research to examine the impact of the devil’s advocacy technique on the decision quality of hidden profile teams. Results show that advocacy groups had higher decision qualities than groups under free discussion; however, advocacy teams also had higher levels of anger and lower levels of individual support for their group’s decision. As a result, while these teams selected the best solution, the presence of a devil’s advocate introduces conditions that may hinder the solution’s implementation. Furthermore, similar experiments with advocacy techniques suggest that the positive effect on decision quality found here is reduced in the presence of stronger hidden profiles.

Complexity in Work Identifications: the Case of the H-1B Worker in the United States

Cinthia Fruci — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 19:36:22 PDT

The H-1B visa program allows for United States employers to supplement their workforce with high-skilled foreign workers. Issues arise for these workers when transitioning their lives to the U.S because they have to adapt to a new culture and are exposed to a constantly changing work environment. This exploratory study addresses how these individuals identify with their employing organization and their clients. The findings show that the H-1B contract workers identify more with the client organization as opposed to the employer, who was viewed by the majority as the “payroll department.” Primary factors of such client identification include treatment and relationships with colleagues and managers. Personal factors include motivation and goals. Daily interaction with the client as well as a positive corporate culture had an impact on client identification as well. This study has important implications for both research and practice of management. Furthermore, this study is beneficial to employers seeking to ease the stress of employees joining their organization.

Patient Flows to Improve Hospital Performance

Jacquelyn Parr — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 20:39:26 PDT

This is a case study focused on Backus Hospital in Norwich, Connecticut. The purpose of this report is to discuss ways for Backus Hospital to improve patient flows, which will increase patient satisfaction and safety, increase revenue, and decrease costs. The focus of the research is how the kaizen blitz and A3 methodologies can be used to develop ways to improve patient flow processes. Literature reviews on flow, process improvement, and innovation strategies, both within and outside of the healthcare industry were conducted. The hospital is dedicated to process improvement, innovation and quality improvement, so methodologies based on the Toyota Production System will be applied to patient flows from the emergency room to a hospital bed. The end goal is to improve patient satisfaction and reduce waiting time and movement of patients throughout the hospital system by decreasing the average length of time that patients stay in the emergency department. This case study focuses on the segment of the process from when patients’ admit orders are received to when they are discharged to specific floors. This was accomplished through a rapid cycle improvement project where a kaizen blitz was used along with A3 processes to implement change. Some of the major policy changes that resulted from the project include the development of a pull system, standardized processes and improved communication.

A Study on Workforce Integration in an International Acquisition

Christopher Lussier — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 20:36:55 PDT

International acquisitions are extremely difficult to maneuver and success is far from guaranteed. Navigating through financial statements is one thing, but trying to link together two or more geographically and culturally diverse workforces is an entirely another thing. This study analyzes fourteen employee interviews from four different companies involved in international acquisitions within the last ten years. It develops a comprehensive comparison of companies looking to partially integrate through hands-off management or fully integrate through synergistic collaboration of workforces. The analysis looks at the actions companies take once the decision is made to grow internationally through mergers and acquisitions in order to form strategic roadmaps at the corporate level and integration roadmaps at the deal-specific level based on whether the companies intend to integrate partially or fully. Of course, different approaches to those actions yield different cultural and operational outcomes, but both convey strong messages that managers should understand when considering an international acquisition.

Gender & Leadership: Do Human Resource Policies and Practices Affect a Woman’s Ascent in Organizations?

Arielle Langlais — Sun, 10 Apr 2011 20:20:54 PDT

As more women began assuming leadership roles in organization, researchers established a number of consistencies in the promotion of women into the upper ranks of an organization. Jonsen, Maznevski, and Schneider have taken a look at these differences in their study, “Gender Differences in Leadership: Believing is Seeing.” In this study they examine three ways in which organizations view women and the Human Resource policies and programs that support these views. Based on this and other research, I conducted a study in hopes of assessing the validity and existence of these views as they are evident in Southern New England organizations. Through interviews with ten prominent women in eight organizations, I have found that these views are evident in many organizations. Some organizations, however, have Human Resource Programs that do not fit into these categories and should therefore be classified into separate paradigms. Additionally, a clear disconnect has been assessed between the programs an organization has in place and those programs that women believe they would benefit the most from. This leads me to believe that there is a lack of communication between employees and human resource departments.

Managing Growth: Best Practices of Family-Owned Businesses

Justin M. Andrews — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 19:46:39 PDT

Family-owned businesses represent the majority of business in the United States. As consumers and employees, we are compelled to their sense of trustworthiness that all too often disappears in the business world. Our economy depends on the success of family-owned businesses, but only one third of these organizations successfully transition to the second generation and only one in ten survive to the third generation. While a series of best practices attempt to prescribe solutions their challenges, these practices fail to account for the various types of family-owned businesses. More specifically, many types of family-owned businesses exist as evident by specific transitions in terms of ownership, family and business. Therefore, the study of best practices in family firms must consider the timing of implementation. This study analyzes three family-owned businesses that successfully transitioned from start-up businesses owned by a single controlling owner ready to give up control to an expanding business owned by a sibling partnership with young children. From this analysis of a specific type of family-owned business, six common practices emerged.

Evaluating Effectiveness of Employee Attraction Strategies

Gregory Doane — Wed, 06 May 2009 20:38:35 PDT

This project deals with the effectiveness of attraction strategies, specifically those utilized by corporate accounting firms at Bryant University. The primary concern of the research was to identify various aspects that influence the recruitment of college students and ultimately share this knowledge with the companies, subsequently rendering the recruitment process more efficient for everyone involved. In order to accomplish this task, several methods of data collection were used including surveys of companies, surveys of students, interviews, and participant observation. This data was then organized and analyzed to determine the strategies each firm engaged in, the effect of those strategies, and how well each company perceived their efforts to work. In the end, it was evident that some companies were proficient at the attraction game, while others believed incorrectly that their approach was highly successful. Hopefully by being alerted to the presence of these inconsistencies, companies will be able to refine some of their recruitment practices and be able to hire the right people with less spending in the future.

Can Increased Trade Prevent Conflict with China?

Stephen Rush — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:12:04 PDT

In the early 1990s, the United States began to run a significant trade deficit with China due to the dual forces of greater trade liberalization and China’s transition from a command economy towards a market economy. Proponents of free trade with China argue that greater integration will lead to a convergence of interests that reaches beyond economics. Despite growing economic and cultural ties with China, the U.S. still maintains military assets to defend Taiwan. Large scale conflicts on the order of cold war expectations are unlikely due to the growing importance of multinational entities such as international institutions, corporations, and nonprofits. This means that developed nations must contend with world opinion or forego the assistance of these groups in pursuing national interests. Situations such as Taiwan could limit economic integration and potentially introduce long term political risk with an impact on the U.S. economy similar to the Middle East effect on oil price. While the Chinese government presents itself as a monolithic entity to foreigners, the ability of the central government to enforce policy differs greatly throughout the country. The potential for political instability will likely increase as China becomes more integrated with the rest of the world. Western nations have already experienced the challenges of applying World Trade Organization regulations on market driven economies. The effects will be even more difficult to manage in China’s hybrid economy. The Chinese government’s primary concern is to govern the entire nation with diverse cultures, languages, and economic interests despite a lack of infrastructure and strong institutional development. To do this without some form of participatory government requires a population which is not critical of government policies. This is achieved through the promise of economic growth. The first section of the paper will review the current literature on financial integration and trade liberalization. Many analysts have commented on China’s increasing foreign reserves. The US trade deficit with China is primarily financed through the sale of US treasury bonds and the Chinese central bank is one of the largest buyers of these securities. A substantial decrease in the demand for these securities could lead to a dramatic increase in the US interest rate. While China may not reduce the amount of Dollars purchased, the use of these reserves is also controversial. China’s accumulation of Dollars has been used to secure resources in Africa and oil in the Middle East. While China’s leaders may be inclined to keep large currency reserves to support future exchange rate policy, there remains an increasing amount of Dollars which cannot be spent. This Dollar surplus is a potential threat to world economic stability. The second section will describe the current trade relationship and the challenges ahead. In addition to the trade deficit and the exchange rate, the U.S. has recently imposed countervailing tariffs on glossy paper products to offset subsidies provided by the Chinese government. The terms of China’s accession to the WTO have been difficult to implement due to both caution on the part of the Chinese government and the ability of the government to enforce policy. Over the past several months, the U.S. has adopted a tougher stance on Chinese trade conflicts largely as a response of the Bush administration to a democratic congress rather than a change in American trade policy. Previous incidents have introduced temporary volatility into American financial markets, but could China introduce sustained volatility? If so, what would be the long term impact of sustained market volatility to the U.S. economy? The third section will explain the degree to which the U.S.-China trade relationship can introduce volatility in the U.S. markets and explain its long term effects. The U.S. attracts large amounts of foreign portfolio investment based on the relatively low risk and efficiency of American markets. A lack of capital controls combined with America’s dependence on foreign capital could cause a significant decrease in investment if the market were perceived to be too risky when compared to the rate of return. While capital flight on the scale of the Asian financial crisis is unlikely, any substantial loss of foreign investment could significantly impact American economic growth. The long term impact of a sustained current account deficit must be considered in terms of the valuation and portfolio balance effects. The relationship between the current account, exchange rate, and the national debt will be examined in order to determine the amount of a sustainable current account deficit. The conclusion will place the U.S.-China trade deficit in perspective with a brief description of the Gulf Cooperation Council’s relationship with the U.S. This section will also describe the U.S. policies necessary to prepare for a stronger Chinese economy with a floating exchange rate.

Women in Power: Examining the Pathway to the Top

Erika Rosewell — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 06:36:03 PDT

As more women begin to enter the upper management ranks of the business world, researchers have recognized several patterns in terms of common factors which influence career paths and choices. Based on this, I conducted a study with the purpose of identifying those influences and traits which women in the field most attributed to their individual success. This information could thereafter be used as a guide for young women such as myself who are about to begin their own career paths within this field. Through the use of survey and individual interview, my findings indicated that individual background, family support, education, and activities were shown to be the most influential aspects of professional development, while key personality traits necessary to success as noted by the participants included a mixture of both individual (self-motivation, perseverance, etc.) and interpersonal (communication, compassion, etc.) abilities. Advice offered by respondents again emphasized the need for individual motivation combined with the strong interpersonal skills which facilitate professional relationships.

Key Factors for Reaching the Top of the Corporate Ladder

Nicholas Sinkus — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 06:19:42 PDT

The purpose of this study is to in a succinct manner provide a clear delineation of key factors and primary points for increasing the likelihood of success and upward mobility in corporate America. Numerous facets of the personal and professional lives of corporate executives have been documented, studied, and debated. From the autobiographies of successful individuals such as Jack Welch’s “Winning” to analysis of the widely criticized executives, such as Home Depot’s former CEO Bob Nardelli, the lives of these high ranking corporate managers have been extensively scrutinized. However, despite the numerous studies, and with the study of any behavioral science holding the potential to return an innumerable amount of outcomes, it is obvious that portions of this field lend themselves to further analysis. Since the beginning of my working career, my interest has always centered on upper level management. From wondering how much the store manager at my first job got paid, to pondering the strategic moves of today’s Fortune 500 CEOs, my focus has been on the people driving organizations. Coupling this with my goal to one day attain an executive position, my recent curiosity has turned to how to best position myself to be considered for an executive level management position in the future. To do so, the most effective means appeared to be to interview senior level managers and executives within local companies and see what their experience and success has taught them and more importantly, what information they can pass on to a individual looking to one day earn a similar position.