From Business Development to Quality of Life

Abstract

Despite billions of euros of economic and infrastructural support, East Germany has experienced neither economic recovery in the form of the 'flourishing landscapes' promised by Helmut Kohl in 1989, nor a boom in innovation. Instead, the region is undergoing processes of accelerating demographic change: declining birth rates, selective migration-mainly of young women between 15 and 25-and as a result, an ageing population. The results include peripheralization of rural regions and marginalization of social groups. It is time to think about alternatives to classic forms of economic and infrastructural support, and to seek and foster potential for innovation beyond the traditional forms of market-oriented product innovation. Examples include process innovations in the public sector, services such as e-government, and new concepts of geriatric care and education that can, in turn, help to maintain the quality of life in peripheral rural areas. Following introductory comments, the authors examine the overall concept of innovation to identify the key issues at stake for rural innovations. Then, after describing the specific situation in rural northeast Germany, they discuss several innovations that can increase the quality of life in such areas.

Value co-creation on a shared healthcare platform: Impact on service innovation, perceived value and patient welfare

“…One stream of research indicated an indirect relationship between the concepts through perceived service quality and perceived value (Ogunmokun et al, 2020). Another stream of research establishes a direct link that leads PSI to customer welfare (Beetz & Neu, 2006;Edwards-Schachter et al, 2012). The findings of our study contribute to both the stream through the analysis from a health care perspective by suggesting that while patients perceived the service to be valuable and meaningful, they get the happiness that ensures the quality of life and welfare is enhanced.…”

“…Despite this fact, extant research emphasizes the patient-centred approach where patients can manage the day-to-day health care responsibility (Barlow, Wright, Sheaby, Turner, & Hainsworth, 2002), and this approach is possible due to service innovation (Bouwman, de Vos, & Haaker, 2008). Furthermore, another stream of research considers innovation directly leads to customer welfare (Beetz & Neu, 2006;Edwards-Schachter, Matti, & Alcántara, 2012).…”