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AIM:The current vs desired brand position of the nursing profession is examined using brand theory. BACKGROUND:The nursing brand has a long and revered image with various stakeholder groups. However, the current image frequently represents nurses as caring advocates rather than Influential Leaders who deliver, manage and administer health care services. EVALUATION:Recent quantitative field research describes perceptions of nurses' current vs desired brand position. A perceptual map illustrated a gap on the axes of Patient-Centered Caregivers and Leaders in Healthcare. Empirical literature provided the foundation for prescriptive advice, which could address potential threats and opportunities for the brand. KEY ISSUE:Brand theory is used to describe how nurses' current image seems at odds with nurses' role in contemporary society. The largest gap on the perceptual map was on the 'Leadership Axis', suggesting more effort is needed to change perceptions of the essential leadership role of nurses in various health care systems. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT:The nursing profession needs to implement branding strategies, which close the gap between the current and desired brand positions. The central brand position of nurses as leaders should thread throughout practice, education, research and professional associations for effective brand repositioning to occur.

This paper will explore the concept and meaning of service co design as it applies to the design, development and market testing ofhealth services. The results of a pilot study in health service co design will be used as a research based case discussion, thus providing a platform to suggest future research that could lead to building more robust knowledge of how the consumers of health services may be more effectively involved in the process of developing and delivering the type of services that are in line with expectations of the various stakeholder groups.

This paper is intended to stimulate discussion on the issue of health service delivery. Some of the underlying characteristics of services are reviewed from a health service perspective. The nature and implications of health service failure on sustainable health care operations are discussed. Key findings from a recent Australian study of practice in open disclosure of service failure in public hospitals will be reviewed for the purpose of examining the impact of service failure in a health care setting. The paper then goes on to explore the process and nature of health service delivery in terms of potential shortcomings and flaws with its implications for service quality. To begin the debate on potential solutions, a matrix table is developed to highlight the key areas of health service failure, suggested causes, and finally go on to suggest possible prescriptive measures to help manage the risks involved in the health service delivery process.

As in the private sector, public sector organizations face increasingly turbulent operating environments. To succeed and survive, public sector managers need to progressively adapt and change in order to mai ntain an alignment between conditions of the environment and their organizational direction and capabilities. Strategic issue management is one disCipline that, when practised effectively, can facilitate the ongoing management of this alignment process and of organizational cbange. This chapter will examine aspects of strategic issues management as one useful component of the change management process when applied to public sector organizations. First, the chapter will discuss general conditions facing the public sector, and explore the current operating environment. Second, it wiJJ provide suggestions on how to measure environmental turbulence in order to inform managers and prepare them for organizational change. Third, the chapter will look at strategic management, and in particular strategic issue management, as sets of tools and processes that can be effective and appropriate in the process of managing change in public sector organizations operating in high levels of turbulence.

With the increased application of recent technologies such as the Internet, CRM and advanced software capabilities, it has been suggested that the time has come for a debate on a new paradigm for knowledge management. As a contribution to this debate, this paper will examine a case study of an outpatients clinic in an Australian public hospital with the objective of gaining a better understanding of the issues related to knowledge transaction in communities of practice. A tentative knowledge dynamics model is proposed to stimulate discussion and future research.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to show how technology has dramatically altered the way businesses operate in a business-to-business (B2B) context and has had profound influences on services, altering the way services are delivered. It is believed that the increased use of self-service technologies (SSTs) impacts on B2B relationships. The paper seeks to explore the impact of the use of internet banking on business relationships. Design/methodology/approach - The paper reviews the results and implications of recent exploratory research conducted with a small sample of Australian business bank customers. Findings - It was expected that perceptions of technology would impact on the relationship. However, it was the perception of the relationship which led respondents to develop a perception of the technology. Further research is recommended. Practical implications - Banks are encouraging internet banking to reduce service delivery costs and improve service quality for customers. However, a greater understanding of the impact of this on relationships is essential. Originality/value - The importance of developing and fostering relationships with customers has long been regarded as important within services marketing and also within B2B relationships. However, there is little discussion of the impact of self-service technologies on business relationships. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

The importance of developing and fostering relationships with customers has long been regarded as important within services marketing (Berry, 1983) and also within B2B relationships (Ford, 1990). In the 1980s and 90s, a shift in marketing focus has seen an increased emphasis on Relationship Marketing (Morgan and Hunt, 1994). This paper reviews the results and implications of recent exploratory research conducted with a small sample of Australian business bank customers. Despite it being expected that the perception of technology would impact on the relationship, it was actually clear through the interviews that it was the perception of the relationship, which led respondents to develop a perception of the technology. An exploratory study, further research ideas are provided at the conclusion of this paper.

Some researchers contend that only through a deep understanding of the possibilities and nature of routine coordinated activity, that whole industries be properly framed and understood This article sets out to demonstrate the practical advantage of conducting a focused examination of industry dynamics with a case example. The process acts as an important foundation for industry members in setting business and marketing strategy for future directions. Data for this article has been collected from a wide range of secondary and primary sources. A strategy framework is used to examine the extent of competitive rivalry, the threat of new entrants, the role of consumers, the role of substitutes, and the role of suppliers. In discussion, an assessment is made of the Industry s attractiveness, implications of the findings for industry managers and an overview of future issues facing the case Industry.

Technology has dramatically altered the way businesses operate in a Business-to-Business (B2B) context and has had profound influences on services, altering the way services are delivered (Bitner, Ostrom & Meuter, 2002). The increased use of self-service technologies (SSTs) could have a great impact on B2B relationships, yet there is little understanding of this in the literature. Electronic banking is one technology that has streamlined business transactions, encouraged by banks as a way to reduce service delivery costs and improve service quality for customers (Australian Bankers Association, 2000). The importance of developing and fostering relationships with customers has long been regarded as important within services marketing (Berry, 1983) and also within B2B relationships (Ford, 1990). In the 1980s and 90s, a shift in marketing focus has seen an increased emphasis on Relationship Marketing (Morgan and Hunt, 1994). Recently, marketing theory has emerged with a focus on a service dominant logic (Vargo and Lusch, 2004). Therefore it is important to consider both Relationship Marketing and Service Dominant Logic in order to have an increased understanding of the impact of SSTs on business relationships. This is the beginning of a research project aimed at answering the research question What impact does the use of SSTs have on relationships within a B2B context ? This will be examined in the context of electronic banking, however it is anticipated that this will be applicable in other contexts where SSTs are used by businesses.

Technology has dramatically altered the way businesses operate in a Business-to-Business (B2B) context and has had profound influences on services, altering the way services are delivered (Bitner, Ostrom & Meuter, 2002). The increased use of self-service technologies (SSTs) could have a great impact on B2B relationships, yet there is little understanding of this in the literature. In the 1980s and 90s, a shift in marketing focus has seen an increased emphasis on Relationship Marketing (Morgan and Hunt, 1994). This conceptual paper seeks to explain relationship marketing, and the importance of building trust in order to develop a relationship marketing approach. Many authors stress the importance of trust in relationships, however, does not consider the impact of self service technologies on relationships. Further research is needed to understand the impact of SSTs on relationship marketing.

Strong forces of competition and globalisation have created awareness and an urgency to focus how an organisation controls and nurtures its intellectual capital. The knowledge concept and its management have gained currency and momentum as technology has enabled thoughts and ideas to be more easily produced and distributed. With the increased application of recent technologies such as the Internet, CRM and advanced software capabilities, it has been suggested that the time has come for a debate on a new paradigm for knowledge management. As a contribution to this debate, this paper will examine exploratory research conducted in the Australian private hospital industry with a view to better understand issues related to knowledge management from an industry perspective.

Strong forces of competition and globalisation have created awareness and an urgency to focus how an organisation controls and nurtures its intellectual capital. The knowledge concept and its management have gained currency and momentum as technology has enabled thoughts and ideas to be more easily produced and distributed. It gained considerable discussion in the late 1990 s in the management literature. With the increased application of recent technologies such as the Internet, customer relationship management and advanced software capabilities, it has been suggested that the time has come for a debate on a new paradigm for knowledge management. As a contribution to this debate, this paper will examine exploratory research conducted in the Australian private hospital industry with a view to better understand issues related to knowledge management from an industry perspective.

The considerable interest in quality management has filtered through to health-care organisations. It is now widely used as a basis for continuous operational and customer service improvement management. Although well accepted as an operational improvement tool, the role of quality in strategic management and marketing is less clear. Qualitative research was undertaken within one of Australia's largest private health care providers for the purpose of exploring the role that quality management plays in its operations. Interviews revealed that the organisation's major emphasis on continuous quality management had yielded significant strategic results since its inception. These included an industry first, five-year term accreditation, high-level standing with government, the medical profession and practitioners, health insurance companies and research institutions. Notwithstanding the benefits realised to date, there was a perceived need continuously to evaluate quality management against objective criteria and to integrate the process better with mainstream strategic management activities of the organisation

Today humankind faces two major crises. The first is the global financial crisis which began in 2008. The second is ecological and has been slowly building since the industrial revolution. The ecological crisis is now gaining momentum as we witness the meltdown of the worlds glaciers and a range of related issues such as widespread weather volatility, desertification and food shortages. The two crises are intimately related. In the words of leading ecologist Tim Flannery: `We have become the `future eaters, living beyond the earths ability to replace the resources we consume. As a consequence, there is a need for up-to-date, relevant course materialsand particularly case studiesaddressing the challenges ahead. Cases in Corporate Sustainability and Change: A Multidisciplinary Approach includes Australian and New Zealand as well as international cases. Corporate sustainability is increasingly central to strategy in modern businesses. Learning about sustainability lends itself to the use of case studies because: (1) case studies demonstrate that sustainability is not some fantasy but a business imperative; (2) sustainability issues do not come in neat packages but cut across the traditional academic disciplines; and (3) case studies allow the relevance of theories to be tested. As the title of this book indicates, the primary emphasis is on corporate sustainability but an emphasis has also been placed on corporate change. Sustainability will not be achieved through technological fixes alone; corporate culture needs to change also.

Hewlett Packard (HP) is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. It has products and services that span IT infrastructure, personal computing and access devices, global services and imaging, as well as printing for consumers, enterprises and small and medium businesses. This case focuses on HP as a global company and associate& global supply chain issues.

Today humankind faces two major crises. The first is the global financial crisis that began in 2008. The second is ecological and has been slowly building since the industrial revolution. The ecological crisis is now gaining momentum as we witness the meltdown of the world's glaciers and a range of related issues such as widespread weather volatility, desertification and food shortages. The two crises are intimately related. In the words of leading ecologist Tim Flannery: 'We have become the 'future eaters', living beyond the earth's ability to replace the resources we consume'. As a consequence, there is a need for up-to-date, relevant course materials-and particularly case studies-addressing the challenges ahead. Corporate sustainability is increasingly central to strategy in modern businesses. Learning about sustainability lends itself to the use of case studies because: (1) case studies demonstrate that sustainability is not some fantasy but a business imperative; (2) sustainability issues do not come in neat packages but cut across the traditional academic disciplines; and (3) case studies allow the relevance of theories to be tested. As the title of this book indicates, the primary emphasis is on corporate sustainability but an emphasis has also been placed on corporate change. Sustainability will not be achieved through technological fixes alo? corporate culture needs to change also.