The paper aims at analysing the complex relations between knowledge management and project management on an empirical case in healthcare system represented by Electronic Medical Record (EMR); the... Show More

The paper aims at analysing the complex relations between knowledge management and project management on an empirical case in healthcare system represented by Electronic Medical Record (EMR); the effective goal is to underline the approach and the practical methods used by the project teams to maximize the level of knowledge plugged in EMR in two selected Italian hospitals. First, the research analyzes the main references about knowledge management and project management; then, it shows the job research, based on interviews and questionnaires given to the key professionals involved in the project.

This study investigates the relationship between organizational conflict and knowledge creation in the Italian health care system in order to identify the main determinants and effects of this... Show More

This study investigates the relationship between organizational conflict and knowledge creation in the Italian health care system in order to identify the main determinants and effects of this relationship. The paper defines this relationship and investigates the interaction between conflict levels, management conflict styles and their effects on knowledge. Considering the innovative characteristic of the subject, the authors propose a multiple method study. First, the authors conducted a qualitative study on the dynamics of conflict and knowledge creation using the focus group technique (38 nurses selected from the Italian health care system). Second, the authors conducted a field study (180 nurses from Italian hospitals). The results show that the participants consider conflict more as a beneficial instrument for the creation of organizational knowledge and, at the same time, there is not always a significant and linear relationship between conflict characteristics and knowledge creation dimensions. Recent theories on organizational conflict underline the strategic role of conflict, as neither positive or negative, but always necessary to preserve and further the survival of a firm. Therefore, the outcomes of the application could prove very important in improving the organizational effectiveness and day-to-day efficiency of hospitals.

During the past two decades a renewed interest about the role of intangible resources in determining performances of public services organisations has risen. This is particularly valid for... Show More

During the past two decades a renewed interest about the role of intangible resources in determining performances of public services organisations has risen. This is particularly valid for HealthCare (HC) services, as they are knowledge intensive services and their performance are closely related, as the vast majority of their outputs, to intangible resources. Recently, scholars have examined the relevance of organisational climate for gathering outstanding performance in HC services. Literature suggests that organisational climate is a multifaceted concept deeply rooted in the intangible domain of an organisation. Several intangible resources intervene to shape organisational climate. Following this, the study shows how Intellectual Capital (IC) provides a useful and fresh frame for analysing intangible components of organisational climate and planning initiatives for their effective management. Especially, the examination of organisational climate through IC lens is proposed both as diagnosing tool for identifying elements which are hindering productivity, effectiveness and quality of HC services, and as tool for supporting managers in designing management initiatives aimed to enhance organisational performances by leveraging organisational climate. The study is based on the Action Research (AR) methodology and illustrates the results of an AR project, carried out at a public hospital.

The importance of intellectual capital in the non-profit sector generates the need to measure its role in the value creation process. The purpose of the paper is to study the application of... Show More

The importance of intellectual capital in the non-profit sector generates the need to measure its role in the value creation process. The purpose of the paper is to study the application of intellectual capital within the non-profit sector, by turning attention to resources such as: knowledge, experience, and skills. Organizations, which are able to increase the knowledge of their staff and transform this knowledge into skills to improve services, can easily meet users’ needs and, thereby, become competitive. This contribution proposes to study how people’s knowledge can contribute to increasing social value, which is the non–profit organization’s aim. Furthermore, the goal is to demonstrate how collaboration between staff and volunteers is essential to professional services. Finally, the research proposes a conceptual framework in which intellectual capital helps in defining the strategic issues, which non–profit organizations must tackle in order to achieve their social programs.

The management of intellectual capital (IC) is considered as a highly promising approach for non-profit organizations (NPO). However, lack of in-depth understanding about the issue and practical... Show More

The management of intellectual capital (IC) is considered as a highly promising approach for non-profit organizations (NPO). However, lack of in-depth understanding about the issue and practical tools to support management persists. IC research in the case of NPO’s is still rather generic and conceptual. This paper makes a contribution by describing the practices of IC management in this particular context. The paper describes one possible approach to recognize the key intangibles of non-profit organizations. This approach was applied in three case organizations in order to illustrate the significance of IC from the viewpoint of value creation in services. More generally, the paper illustrates first, the necessity to concretize the strategic perspectives of IC management and second, the need for measurement tools that enable the monitoring of IC.