Considers trend testing in the context of reliability/survival applications. Suggests that the very common tendency in reliability testing to fit lifetime distributions to reliability/maintenance data might occasionally be invalid. Details the appropriate methods to assess the validity, or...

Purpose – The paper aims to present and interpret excellence through the parchments of the ancient Hellenic philosophy and the different schools of management thought and its application in the university context. Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken in the paper is theoretical...

Purpose – Technology is fast transforming how we supply both services and products. With virtual reality technology rapidly becoming available and much user friendlier and affordable than before, the next challenge is to supply not just products but also dreams. The purpose here is to explore...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to trace the development of economic theory to the point where “economic rationalism” is a commonly used term. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on earlier research and published works examining: the history of economics; economic...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the historical development of quality assessment methods in manufacturing industry and healthcare. It examines the gap between methods across the two sectors, as well as the extent to which industrial techniques have been successfully adopted in...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the development of total quality management (TQM) from the very beginning to the present and to give a proposal for a redefinition for the future. Design/methodology/approach – To reach this purpose, experiences and problems from the past are...

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to elaborate, interpret, discuss and decode excellence in a new way by focusing on some of the critical success factors for attaining and sustaining excellence. Design/methodology/approach – The framework used for analysis is an old text which explains...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the development of a system for assessing and improving technology development and innovations. The system components comprise: a framework or model for assessing, measuring, diagnosing and improving innovation enablers and results;...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of how patients experience their health problems and how they can generate innovative ideas about health care services. The research questions that guide the present study are: how can solicited diaries be used for capturing...

Purpose – Appreciative inquiry (AI) is an inquiry into the “best of” what already exists in a system. Applying AI at the start of a design process gives a process that is very different from traditional design approaches, in other words “appreciative design” is achieved. The overall...