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    Quality improvement interpreted as a complex adaptive system : implications and opportunities : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2024-11-01) Wilson, William
    The effectiveness of quality improvement (QI) methods in healthcare has been challenged, especially under circumstances of high complexity. This thesis examines the implications for quality improvement if complex socio-technical systems such as healthcare are interpreted as complex adaptive systems (CAS). The research followed a mixed-method design. Informed by the complex systems and quality management literature, a conceptual model for quality improvement within CAS was developed — the complex quality improvement network (CQIN). An agent-based simulation model was then used to establish the plausibility and face validity of the model constructs and their interaction. Thematic analysis and crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) were then used to examine the evidence for CQIN constructs within published quality improvement case studies. One applied case study was also conducted for deeper insight into the practical difficulties of interpreting a real-world quality improvement project as a CAS. Finally, the findings of the simulation modelling and the secondary data analysis were integrated into a Bayesian network model. Empirical evidence, in the form of consistency across cases and coverage within cases, was found for eleven of the twelve CQIN constructs. Multiple sets of sufficient conditions for reported improvement success were identified across cases. These sets were minimised to four strategies for successful quality improvement; i) strengthening agent network communication paths; ii) building shared understanding of problem and context amongst networked agents; iii) increasing problem-solving effectiveness; and iv) improved system signal integration. If the evolutionary foundations for CAS are in some way inhibited, the likelihood of quality improvement success is reduced. Healthcare quality improvement can be plausibly simulated using fundamental CAS principles. The first contribution to quality improvement discourse is the CQIN model, a CAS model of change applied specifically to quality improvement. A second contribution of this research is a complex quality improvement risk assessment model, the CQIN Bayesian Network. Practitioners can use this model to examine and test identified CAS-informed improvement strategies. The individual CQIN constructs make a third contribution by providing new categories of causal factors for the comparison of disparate quality improvement case studies.
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    Factors related to the cognitive appraisal of workplace health and safety change : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2019) Hurley, Matt Raymond
    Health and safety change is a critical and ongoing factor in New Zealand workplaces today, aiming to contribute to the enhanced health and safety performance of both organisations and society. There is a gap in the literature surrounding how and what factors relate to individual's responses to specific organisational change, such as safety-oriented change; the majority of literature focuses on restructuring and predominantly negatively experienced changes (Biggane, Allen, Amis, Fugate, & Steinbauer, 2017). We utilise the theory of cognitive appraisal (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984) integrated with a job demands and resources approach (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, & Schaufeli, 2001; Hobfoll, 1989) to explain why certain factors, such as Safety Climate, Role type, Perceived Scale of change, and Perceived Favourableness of change may relate to how individuals cognitively appraise change. Through the participation of 178 employees of various New Zealand organisations, within a multitude of industries and occupations, measures targeting the Perceived Scale at the personal and work unit level and Perceived Favourableness of change outcomes experienced, alongside measures of safety climate, challenge appraisal and threat appraisal with a number of demographic questions were distributed. Results demonstrated that Perceived Favourableness of change outcomes and Perceived Personal Scale of change played a key role in the appraisal process acting as situational factors predicting appraisal and emphasising the relevance of resource gain and its extrinsic and intrinsic value in change. Safety climate was found to not mediate responses to health and safety change, such as cognitive appraisal. Role type did not moderate appraisal. Findings indicated that organisations do not need to focus on developing a safety climate before implementing safety change and need to focus on perceptions of the scale and the favourable nature of change, utilising participation and involvement to achieve both desirable and functional change, and positive responses to the changes.
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    The chief executive and aspects of change : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration in Agriculture at Massey University
    (Massey University, 1978) Smith, Robin W. N.
    This research is directed to an analysis of certain change related variables, (e.g. competitive/innovative attitudes and postures), that are influential in determining a Chief Executives perception and choice of growth strategies available within his companies future. It attempts an analysis of the interaction on the change dimension of a management culture and its operating environment. For purposes of contrast this culture was in part defined by the levels of conservatism found in the Chief Executive personality. A national sample was drawn from among Chief Executives of the larger, (fifty employees plus), New Zealand Commercial enterprise. A measure was developed from the work and findings of a conservatism theorist, G. Wilson to sample sort for respondents who would fall within one of two groups at the extremes of a range of conservatism (Very Low/Very High). Significant relationships were identified that indicated determining influences by Executive personalities and attitudes on the growth and change futures of the organisations they managed; in turn this has re-emphasized the need to more fully recognize that the behavioural characteristics of the firm and its leadership are at least of equal significance with the structural in shaping-out organisational futures.
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    An exploratory study of mechanisms to transfer and embed a value-based culture : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Business Studies in Management at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Wallace, Andrew Mark
    This exploratory study seeks to build on the work of theorists who have proposed concepts to enhance organisational culture through a better alignment of values. The study seeks to gain additional support for the exploration of mechanisms to embed value-based cultures. This is achieved by better understanding the origins of goal-orientated values and the types of culture that manifest in small to medium enterprises. As a result of this study a model was developed, which could be implemented in future longitudinal research on the influence of embedding a value-based culture through the use of applied mechanisms. What distinguishes this study from others is the development of a comprehensive model to define, embed, and measure a value-based culture. To gain a deeper understanding of the concepts a multi-method qualitatively driven methodology was implemented to identify core mechanisms to embed value-based cultures. Additional quantitative data was used to enable a deeper, more robust, understanding of the influence the identified mechanisms have on goal-orientated values and the types of culture, which manifest in a small to medium enterprise. The study suggests that founders of small to medium enterprises can define a value-based culture and through the use of six mechanisms, embed a value-based culture that aligns with the organisation’s objectives. Gaining a better understanding of the concepts and mechanisms to embed a value-based culture enabled the development of a pragmatic process and model, which encompasses each of the key mechanisms identified in the literature. The study adds support to the work of theorists who have argued for value-based cultures and the concept of conflicting core values occurring in organisational cultures. The study builds on the work of others by proposing an applied model that draws the key concepts together into a single comprehensive model.
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    Listen to me : the relationship between an organisation's listening environment and employees' openness to change : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Business Studies (Communication) at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) McFaull, Nicola
    Change is a reality of organisational life. New technologies, globalisation, the vagaries of the economic climate, and internal organisational pressures drive change today faster than ever before. Yet failure rates for change can be up to 70%. Understanding the different drivers of change, and what promotes change success, is therefore critical. Researchers are recognising that change is essentially a human event, and that individuals have a major role in determining whether organisational change will be successful. Employees’ attitudes towards change determine whether they will support or resist it. The focus of this study is on employee’s openness to change, and the extent to which this variable is affected by the listening environment created in the organisation by the supervisor and also that created between team members. An online survey was carried out of 485 employees in one public sector organisation in New Zealand. Measures were taken of employee openness to change, team listening environment, supervisor listening environment and potential demographic contributors. Findings were that the supervisor listening environment had a moderate effect on employees’ openness to change. It also had a similar effect on the team listening environment. However, the team listening environment was found to have only a small little impact on openness to change. Four employee variables—position, tenure, age and gender—were considered, and all were found to influence the relationship between the supervisor listening environment and openness to change. This was especially so for managers, employees between 35 and 54 years of age, and female employees. The impact of employee characteristics on the openness to change variable was also looked at. The only demographic variable that had an impact on openness to change was the position an employee holds in the organisation. The implications of these findings for management is that the quality of the interpersonal relationship between an employee, and their supervisor, as demonstrated by how the supervisor listens to them, creates an environment where employees feel listened to, cared for and connected. This influences an employee’s willingness to support new and different things, that is, their openness to change. This contributes in turn to whether the employee will embrace change or resist it, and ultimately influences whether the organisational change will be successful.