Purpose -The purpose of this study is to examine the current state of sustainability efforts within the field of supply chain management, more specifically supply chain logistics operations, and to identify opportunities and provide recommendations for firms to follow sustainable operations. This study also aims to stimulate further research within the area of sustainable logistics operations. Design/methodology/approach -The reasons why it is important to implement sustainability into supply chain operations is discussed. Based on a review of the extant literature, various areas within the logistics function where sustainability can be implemented are then presented. Some short-term and long-term recommendations for the successful implementation of sustainability in the logistics function of supply chains are provided.Findings -There has been very little work done to understand the role and importance of logistics in an organization's quest towards sustainability. For firms to implement a sustainability strategy in their supply chain operations, the logistics function needs to play a prominent role because of the magnitude of costs involved and the opportunity to identify and eliminate inefficiencies and reduce the carbon footprint. Practical implications -Firms in their quest for sustainable logistics operations must start early and start simple. A top management commitment is required for such efforts to be successful. Also, firms need to be able to visualize and map out their supply chains and benchmark their sustainability efforts with other firms in their industry. Social implications -Firms need to follow sustainable practices in their overall operations and in their logistics operations in particular because not only does it have financial and other intangible benefits, but it is also the right thing to do. Firms have a great social responsibility especially with respect to use of non-renewable sources of energy and materials and also with respect to how their products are used and handled once they reach the end of their life cycles. Originality/value -This paper is the first of its kind which examines the state of sustainability within the field of supply chain logistics operations and identifies areas and sets the agenda for future research in this field.

Purpose Radio-frequency identification (RFID) systems are transforming hospital operations by improving care and reducing costs. However, hospital managers have some concerns about adopting RFID technologies. These are cost, return on investment, privacy and other technology issues. This study examines RFID adoption in health-care industry based on the Technology-Organization-Environment framework. This paper aims to demonstrate how US hospitals are adopting RFID technologies and make recommendations, using empirical data. Design/methodology/approach An online survey was sent to Chief Information Officers and the top information technology (IT) executives of US acute care hospitals to determine the extent to which hospitals have implemented RFID technologies including the reasons, concerns and applications of RFID technologies, and the antecedents of RFID adoption in hospitals. Findings The study found that a high percentage of respondents have adopted or are considering adopting RFID technology as a new management tool. Organizational and technological factors have strong positive influence on adoption, whereas environmental factors do not significantly affect the adoption decisions. The main reasons for implementing RFID technology are improved hospital operations, including inventory management, asset control, workflow and patient flow. Some of the concerns are cost of RFID tags and cost associated with implementation. Research limitations/implications This study is limited to a small sample (n = 86) of US hospitals. This study should continue to be replicated in the future, as adoption of RFID technologies matures in the health-care sector. Originality/value This study informs health-care managers on the challenges and opportunities of RFID by identifying motivations, barriers and issues related to RFID adoption. The findings of this study will expand the emerging literature and provide direction to academicians for further research in technology adoption.

In recent years, there has been a proliferation of health information technologies (HITs) that promise to improve the delivery of care. Health care service providers are faced with an increasing push to develop electronic medical record (EMR) capability, which is the ability to leverage health IT to enable and link the clinical processes for an effective and efficient delivery of care. However, there is little guidance in the literature on the performance implications of EMR capability and whether providers should commit to higher stages of EMR capability. Based on data from 1,011 acute care providers in the United States, the findings of this study suggest that the operational performance of providers, measured as case mix index-adjusted discharges per licensed bed, is positively related to the stage of EMR capability. However, the findings also point to a cautionary insight-committing to higher stages of EMR capability may not be uniformly beneficial to all providers. The findings suggest that the choice of the stage of EMR capability is self-selected. Interestingly, if health care service providers were to be assigned to a higher stage of EMR capability (i.e., incommensurate with their idiosyncratic technological, organizational, and environmental characteristics), the potential operational performance benefit of that stage of EMR capability may remain unrealized.

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This study explores the direct effect of an increase in patient volume in a hospital and the complementary effect of quality of care on the cost efficiency of U.S. hospitals in terms of patient volume. The simultaneous equation model with three-stage least squares is used to measure the direct effect of patient volume and the complementary effect of quality of care and volume. Cost efficiency is measured with a data envelopment analysis method. Patient volume has a U-shaped relationship with hospital cost efficiency and an inverted U-shaped relationship with quality of care. Quality of care functions as a moderator for the relationship between patient volume and efficiency. This paper addresses the economically important question of the relationship of volume with quality of care and hospital cost efficiency. The three-stage least square simultaneous equation model captures the simultaneous effects of patient volume on hospital quality of care and cost efficiency.