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Continuous innovation through lean thinking in healthcare: The role of dynamic actor associations

Papadopoulos, Thanos (2012) Continuous innovation through lean thinking in healthcare: The role of dynamic actor associations. International Journal of Technology Management, 60 (3-4). pp. 266-280. ISSN 0267-5730. E-ISSN 1741-5276. (doi:10.1504/IJTM.2012.049442) (The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided) (KAR id:52870)

The full text of this publication is not currently available from this repository. You may be able to access a copy if URLs are provided.
Official URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJTM.2012.049442

Abstract

This paper focuses on continuous innovation in healthcare examining the implementation of lean thinking in the English National Health Service (NHS). Using interviews and non-participant observations, this study focuses on the dynamics of actor associations as they are manifested in the efficiency innovations in specimen turnaround times in a pathology unit of an NHS hospital, under actor-network theory principles. We illustrate the emergence of continuous innovation as an actor-network, which is responsible for creating the necessary conditions and behavioural changes for continuous innovation. Furthermore, we explicate the mechanism of translation to represent the 'glue' that keeps the corresponding actors together, contributing to the success of lean in the hospital and subsequently continuous innovation. Copyright © 2012 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Item Type: Article
DOI/Identification number: 10.1504/IJTM.2012.049442
Additional information: Unmapped bibliographic data: DB - Scopus [Field not mapped to EPrints]
Uncontrolled keywords: Actor-network theory; ANT; Continuous innovation; Dynamics; Lean thinking; Translation
Subjects: H Social Sciences
Divisions: Divisions > Kent Business School - Division > Department of Analytics, Operations and Systems
Depositing User: Kimberley Attard-Owen
Date Deposited: 08 Dec 2015 16:49 UTC
Last Modified: 16 Nov 2021 10:22 UTC
Resource URI: https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/52870 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Papadopoulos, Thanos.

Creator's ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6821-1136
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