http://hdl.handle.net/10256/1554 2025-08-09T22:44:09Z http://hdl.handle.net/10256/26951 Online tourism education and Territorial development in Latin America: A case study from Colombia López Olachica, Jhonatan Andrés; Moya Sánchez, Daissy Hatblathy; Majó, Joaquim Purpose: This study examines the impact of online higher education on territorial tourism development, focusing on the Tourism & Hotel Business Administration, Digital University Institution from Antioquia (IU Digital), Colombia's pioneering fully virtual public institution since 2018. It investigates the program's alignment with national and departmental tourism development plans, its role in professional training, and its measurable impact on local contexts. Design/methodology/approach: Employing a qualitative case study methodology, the research triangulates data from semi-structured interviews with institutional and government stakeholders, a graduate follow-up survey (n=29), and document analysis of policy frameworks and academic outputs. Additionally, the study incorporates analysis of visual materials and database metrics to assess the program's digital presence and engagement. Findings: The findings reveal that online higher education fosters territorial inclusion and provides relevant training for tourism professionals, particularly in underserved regions. However, there is a limited articulation between higher education curricula and tourism public policies at the national and international levels. Graduates have made tangible contributions to regional tourism development initiatives, especially in sustainability-focused territories. Visual and database analyses indicate a growing digital engagement and outreach of the program, highlighting areas for further enhancement. Originality/Significance: This study offers empirical evidence from Latin America on the role of digital higher education in regional tourism development. It provides actionable recommendations for improving curricular relevance, graduate engagement, and policy integration. The case presents a scalable model for connecting online education with Sustainable territorial development in tourism, contributing to the academic discourse on educational pertinence and digital engagement strategies 2025-05-30T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10256/26719 Optimization of the Website for Smart Tourism Destination: A Case Study of Bogota Rojas, Estefanía; Moya Sánchez, Daissy Hatblathy; Majó, Joaquim Purpose: This study aims to analyze key factors influencing Smart Tourism Destinations' website positioning. It provides a framework for destinations seeking to become STDs, optimizing digital presence, enhancing tourist experience, and strengthening competitiveness through usability, accessibility, interactivity, and credibility strategies. Design/methodology/approach: The study will employ innovative netnographic methods, focusing on qualitative research, to examine the interaction between virtual communities and a destination's websites. This unique approach will be preceded by a theoretical exploration to understand the composition of an STD website, uncovering the key factors contributing to boosting the tourism sector's competitiveness through its online presence. Findings: The qualitative results of this study will provide a model for the web positioning of any STD. By correlating the conceptual framework with quantitative findings, the study will determine the percentage level of each STD, identifying its specific needs, areas for improvement, and accolades that can serve as a benchmark for other cities. These findings will be instrumental in guiding future website development strategies for STDs. Originality/ Significance: This study proposes theoretical, highly practical, and actionable alternatives that enhance the impact of the technological dimension in developing a destination's website. It will provide a comprehensive guide on the necessary components for positioning a destination's branding in the global tourism network, emphasizing the tourism product offered by the destination. These proposals empower the tourism industry to take control of its online presence and reputation, delivering tangible benefits 2025-01-05T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10256/26685 Citizen engagement in public sector innovation: exploring the transition between paradigms Nguyen, Huong Thu; Drejer, Ina; Marquès i Gou, Pilar This paper explores how the public sector engages citizens for innovation purposes. It connects the related but currently separate debates concerning the transition from the 'new public management' to the 'new public governance' paradigm and the application of different helix models to public sector innovation. Through a case study of a Danish municipality, the process for changing normativity and the perception of citizens' roles is illustrated. This includes the application of both new structures and instruments for engaging citizens in collaboration and a pragmatic approach to quadruple helix collaboration, which is context-driven rather than strictly compliant with theoretical models 2024-05-05T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10256/26663 Lean Healthcare: Improving Surgical Process Indicators Through Prioritization Projects Sales Coll, Marc; Castro Vila, Rodolfo de; Ochoa de Echagüen, Anna; Martínez Ibáñez, Vicenç Purpose: Implementing process management methodology through Lean Management and Design Thinking provides a new way to manage surgical blocks, maximize efficiency and adapt to the high variability of demand. This article presents our experience of implementing a set of improvement actions within the surgical process in the context of Lean Healthcare Processes. The project involved a total of 900 healthcare professionals over a 3-year period (2017-2019) and has impacted over 38,000 surgical patients each year at the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona, Spain. The purpose of this article is to present a set of improvement projects within the surgical process and show the indicators that monitor its evolution. These projects have been implemented successfully in a hospital with high surgical complexity and indicate how health care professionals and process engineers can work together as a team to improve healthcare resources. Design/methodology/approach: To evaluate the effectiveness of the actions presented, we propose a series of standardized indicators showing how our findings increase the efficiency of the surgical process. We also indicate Lean projects that can reduce patient waiting times and increase capacity. Below is a management model for the surgical process that considers industrial production criteria such as resource planning, optimizing the use of operating rooms and professionals' time and generating the best surgery combinations. Findings: Projects that have increased efficiency in the surgical block the most have been standardized and converted into a model of action. This is designed to adapt to any level of complexity within the hospital process. The set of improvement projects has been divided into 6 stages: Programming, Material logistics process, pre-surgical stage, intra-surgical stage, post-surgical stage and transversal projects; each affecting a different area of the general hospital (not only the surgical unit). Furthermore, a visual flow chart was designed using the results of the project. Findings from the study have led to a 15% increase in surgical capacity without the need for new resources. The average hospital stay also dropped from 7.2 days to 4.1 days. The flow vision in the care process improves the experience of both patients and health care professionals, who see their participation as part of the whole health care process. Research limitations/implications: the projects were mainly developed at the Vall d'Hebron University Hospital. Although several of these projects have been carried out in other hospitals in Spain by the same team of process engineers, results may be biased when the team provides support within its own process department, compared to when it supports the local team in another hospital temporarily. Another important limitation is that it takes several months to implement and consolidate the improvement projects and demonstrate improved indicators in a sustainable way over time. This matrix of projects is more than a specific action, a cultural change with the entire surgical department. Originality/value: This study sets out a proposed practical example of applying surgery management tools in the surgical process. Our proposal can offer hospital managers and surgical coordinators an orderly, streamlined project guide for overall surgical performance indicators. The main results from developing the model include the degree of satisfaction shown by healthcare professionals and the determined commitment from the center’s management team to promote process management using Lean methodology. This commitment continued despite the challenges of shifting the organizational structure towards process management, which is a complex task requiring a period of adaptation and learning. Healthcare management has always prioritized increasing surgical patient safety and satisfaction. Patient flows are increased and resources used more efficiency by shifting the focus to the patient and the processes gone through during their hospital stay. This improvement project provides us with the best example of Lean methodology implementation if reinvested in bettering healthcare. This in turn increases the value perceived by patients, which is the ultimate purpose of the process 2023-10-01T00:00:00Z