On the different "worlds" of intra-organizational knowledge management: Understanding idiosyncratic variation in MNC cross-site knowledge-sharing practices.

This qualitative field study investigated cross-site knowledge sharing in a small sample of multinational corporations in three different MNC business contexts (global, multidomestic, transnational). The results disclose heterogeneous "worlds" of MNC knowledge sharing, ultimately raising the question as to whether the whole concept of MNC knowledge sharing covers a sufficiently unitary phenomenon to be meaningful. We derive a non-exhaustive typology of MNC knowledge-sharing practices: self-organizing knowledge sharing, technocratic knowledge sharing, and best practice knowledge sharing.

The fair factor in matters of trust.

Communities are bound together by trust among their members. Trust thrives when a pervasive sense of fairness exists. Evidence suggests that trust has social, professional, and economic value for today's organizations, making it worthy of attention.

Stakeholder perspectives on public managed behavioral care in Massachusetts.

The 2003 survey of Massachusetts behavioral health providers, as well as conference presentations by other key stakeholders, demonstrate continuing high ratings for the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Program. Key issues facing the program include improving integration, state funding cutbacks, movement into performance and outcomes measurement, and concerns about continuing stigma of mental illness. These issues are prevalent in other states that can benefit from the studies and perspectives of the Massachusetts experience.

Utilization of essential medications by vulnerable older people after a drug benefit cap: importance of mental disorders, chronic pain, and practice setting.

Objective: To identify specific characteristics of patients, physicians, and treatment settings associated with decreased receipt of essential medications in a chronically ill, older population following a Medicaid three-prescription monthly reimbursement limit (cap).

Design: Quasi-experiment with bivariate and multivariate regression.

Setting: Patients in the New Hampshire Medicaid program and their regular prescribing physicians.

The evaluation of fee for service and managed care from the viewpoint of people with disabilities in the USA.

In the literature on managed health care there is little presented from the viewpoint of people with disabilities, but this study looks at what is found. Using a sample of 258 persons with disabilities in Massachusetts obtained through a mail survey, no statistically significant differences between the two groups (fee for service or managed care) on a series of relevant variables was found. An evaluation of their health insurance and their primary care physician was asked for and several regression models of the relevant variables related to these two evaluations were tested.