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Planning Activities (planning + activity)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting	50%
Medical Sciences	33%

Selected Abstracts

NPD Planning Activities and Innovation Performance: The Mediating Role of Process Management and the Moderating Effect of Product Innovativeness

THE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2007
Sören Salomo
The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of planning and control on the performance of new product development (NPD) projects. It is hypothesized that (1) thorough business planning at the beginning of a project creates a basis for proficient project and risk planning; (2) the proficiency of project planning, risk planning, and process management activities each improves innovation performance directly; (3) the relationship of planning and success is mediated by process management; and (4) the strength of these relationships is moderated by uncertainty, as determined by the degree of innovativeness. To test the hypotheses, data from 132 NPD projects were collected and analyzed. A measurement model was used to establish valid and reliable constructs, a path model to test the main effects, and a multiple-moderated regression analysis for the moderator hypotheses. The results suggest that the proficiency of project planning and process management is important predictors of NPD performance. Specifically, project risk planning and goal stability throughout the development process are found to enhance performance significantly. Business planning proves to be an important antecedent of the more development-related planning activities such as project planning and risk planning. Additionally, the results lend support to the hypotheses regarding the mediating role of process management in the planning,performance relationship. Project planning and risk planning support the quality of process management and thus impact NPD performance indirectly. Only to a limited extent are the strengths of these relationships moderated by the degree of innovativeness of the NPD project. [source]

From rhetoric to reality: including patient voices in supportive cancer care planning

HEALTH EXPECTATIONS, Issue 3 2005
Sara K. Tedford Gold PhD
Abstract Objective, To explore the extent and manner of patient participation in the planning of regional supportive care networks throughout the province of Ontario. We consider the disconnect between the rhetoric and reality of patient involvement in network planning and co-ordination. Context, In 1997, the Province of Ontario, Canada, established a new, regionalized cancer care system. By transferring responsibility to the regional level and to networks, the architects of the new provincial system hoped to broaden participation in decision making and to enhance the responsiveness of decisions to communities. Research approach, Through a qualitative, multiple case study approach we evaluated the processes of involving patients in network development. In-depth, semi-structured interviews and document analysis were complemented by observations of provincial meetings, regional council and network meetings. Results, The network development processes in the three case study regions reveal a significant gap between intentions to involve patients in health planning and their actual involvement. This gap can be explained by: (i) a lack of clear direction regarding networks and patient participation in these networks; (ii) the dominance of regional cancer centres in network planning activities; and, (iii) the emergence of competing provincial priorities. Discussion, These three trends expose the complexity of the notion of public participation and how it is embedded in social and political contexts. The failed attempt at involving patients in health planning efforts is the result of benign neglect of public participation intents and the social and political contexts in which public and patient participation is meant to occur. [source]

Integrating Decentralized Strategy Making and Strategic Planning Processes in Dynamic Environments

JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 8 2004
Torben Juul Andersen
abstract Decentralized post-bureaucratic organizations are deemed to display superior performance in dynamic environments, but recent evidence indicates that centralized integrative cross-functional processes may be equally critical. Accordingly, this paper hypothesizes that organizational performance can be ascribed to the simultaneous emphasis on decentralized strategy making and strategic planning processes. This is investigated in a study of 185 manufacturing organizations operating in diverse industries spanning food processing and computer products. The study shows that both decentralized decision structure and planning activities are associated with higher performance in dynamic environments. These findings confirm that effective organizations engage in more complex strategy formation processes that complement the decentralized post-bureaucratic form with formal mechanisms of rational analyses and operational integration. The paper highlights a need to extend our understanding of the duality between decentralization and planning. [source]

NPD Planning Activities and Innovation Performance: The Mediating Role of Process Management and the Moderating Effect of Product Innovativeness

Dietary Planning as a Mediator of the Intention,Behavior Relation: An Experimental-Causal-Chain Design

APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2008
Tabea Reuter
Health behavior change is seen as a self-regulatory process that consists of a motivation phase of goal setting and a volition phase of goal pursuit. Previous studies suggest that the intention,behavior association is mediated by planning. However, evidence is based on observational studies rather than on experimental designs. To validate the causal assumptions, an experimental-causal-chain design was employed. Study 1 (n= 145) examined whether changing dietary intentions by a motivational intervention engenders changes in planning activities 1 month later. Study 2 (n= 115) examined, in a different sample, whether a volitional planning intervention engenders changes in dietary behavior 1 month later. In both studies, repeated measures ANOVAs revealed a significant Time × Condition interaction. Changes in intention mediated the effects of the motivational intervention on planning activities (Study 1). Changes in planning mediated the effect of a planning intervention on dietary behavior (Study 2). Previous observational findings on planning as a mediator in the intention,behavior association were supported by the two experiments. The findings might help to identify points of intervention in the process underlying health behavior change. Le changement de comportement au plan de la santé est considéré comme un processus d'auto-régulation qui se compose d'une phase de motivation (fixation des buts) et d'une phase de volition (poursuite des buts). Des études précédentes suggèrent que le passage de l'intention au comportement est médiatisé par la planification. Ces résultats sont obtenus par voie d'observations plutôt que par expérimentations. Pour valider les hypothèses de causalité, un modèle de chaîne-causale-expérimentale a été employé. L'étude 1 examine si, en changeant les intentions alimentaires par une intervention motivationnelle, on obtient des changements dans la planification des activités un mois après (n= 145). L'étude 2 examine, sur un échantillon différent, si la planification d'une intervention engendre des changements du comportement alimentaire un mois plus tard (n= 115). Pour ces deux études, des ANOVA à mesures répétées révèlent une interaction significative entre le temps et la condition étudiée. Les changements de l'intention influencent les effets de l'intervention motivationnelle sur la planification des activités (étude 1). Les changements de la planification influencent les effets de l'intervention de la volition sur le comportement alimentaire (Etude 2). Les résultats obtenus par observation sur la planification comme lien entre l'intention et le comportement sont confirmés par les expérimentations. Les résultats peuvent permettre d'identifier les modalités d'interventions relatives au processus sous-tendant le changement du comportement de santé. [source]

Emergency Medicine Career Choice: A Profile of Factors and Influences from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Graduation Questionnaires

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2009
Jeremy S. Boyd
Abstract Objectives:, This study sought to account for trends in medical student specialty choice by examining the importance of lifestyle factors. Emergency medicine (EM) is among several medical specialties classified as having a "controllable lifestyle." The primary objective of this study was to determine if medical students choosing careers in EM have a different profile of influences, values, and expectations from students choosing other specialties or specialty groups. Of secondary interest was how much lifestyle influenced students choosing EM compared to students choosing controllable lifestyle (CL) specialties. Methods:, Using data from the 2005 and 2006 Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) graduation questionnaire (GQ) supplemental surveys, we grouped responses according to desired specialty choice: EM (n = 963), CL (n = 3,681), primary care (PC; n = 3,191), or surgical specialty (SS; n = 1,694). The survey requires students to rate the influence of nine specific factors in determining their specialty choice: lifestyle, competitiveness, high level of educational debt, mentors and role models, options for fellowship training, salary expectations, length of residency training, family expectations, and medical school career planning activities. Using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and nonparametric statistics, we assessed responses among the four subgroups for differences in the importance attributed to these factors. Results:, A total of 13,440 students completed the two supplemental surveys of the GQ. Of these students, 9,529 identified a specialty choice that fell within one of the four comparison groups and were included in the analysis. Compared to other specialty groups, students choosing EM reported lifestyle and length of residency as strong influences, while attributing less influence to mentors and options for fellowship training. Conclusions:, Students choosing a career in EM have distinctly different priorities and influences than students entering PC and SS. The profile of students who choose EM is very similar to those choosing traditional CL specialties. A more thorough understanding of the values and priorities that shape medical student career selection may allow educators to provide better career counseling. [source]