Outsourcing customer support: The role of provider customer focus

An increasing number of firms are outsourcing customer support to external service providers. This creates a triadic setting in which an outsourcing provider serves end customers on behalf of its clients. While outsourcing presents an opportunity to serve customers, service providers differ in their motivation and ability to fulfill customer needs. Prior research suggests that firms with a strong customer focus have an intrinsic motivation to address customer needs. We suggest that in an outsourcing context, this intrinsic motivation does not suffice. Using a Motivation–Opportunity–Ability framework, we posit that the effect of a provider's customer focus will be moderated by a set of relational, firm, and customer characteristics that affect its ability to serve end customers. We test our conceptualization among 171 outsourcing clients from the Netherlands and then validate these results among 135 Indian outsourcing providers. The findings reveal that customer-focused providers achieve higher levels of customer need fulfillment but this effect is contingent on their ability to serve end customers. In particular, customer-focused providers more effectively fulfill customer needs when clients and providers share close relational ties, when clients also have a high level of customer focus, and when end customer needs exhibit a low degree of turbulence. In addition, we find that, in turbulent markets, equipment-related services offer greater opportunity for effective customer need fulfillment than other outsourced services.     

中原生态经济区的建设与规划分析

中原生态经济区强调同时实现环境、经济、社会效益,侧重相互合作与整体利益,突出资源的节约共用与可持续发展,是工业系统、交换系统、社会网络、文化氛围的营造以及各种基础设施的物质空间建设,其健康运行需要区域经济发展、综合治理、循环经济发展、生态工业网络的政策支持。     

江西省居家养老改进模式研究

江西省已在2005年进入人口老龄化社会。江西省统计局人口变动情况抽样调查资料显示，在省内居民生活水平上升、平均预期寿命提高，以及人口生育率持续保持较低水平等因素的综合作用下，江西省人口老龄化进程持续加快。妥善解决老年人的需求，将成为实现江西崛起的关键一步。文中通过对江西省内实地调研，针对现有居家养老模式存在的缺陷，提出合理建议。     

Divergent and Convergent Idea Generation in Teams: A Comparison of Computer-Mediated and Face-to-Face Communication

Many tasks and decisions in business, including management consulting, are performed in group settings. Computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools (e.g., Lotus Notes) are increasingly being used by businesses to support teams in a variety of settings. Considerable research in information systems has demonstrated the advantages of electronic brainstorming (EBS) for generic tasks involving only divergent thinking. However, it is unclear whether the benefits of CMC extend to tasks that require both divergent and convergent processes. Per task–technology fit theory (TTF) (Zigurs and Buckland 1998), the use of computer-based group communication support tools, including chat systems in wide-spread use today, may be less effective for convergent processes than for divergent processes. This study experimentally compares the performance of computer-mediated and face-to-face (FTF) teams on tasks requiring both divergent and convergent processes. Consistent with theoretical predictions, the results revealed that computer-mediated teams outperformed FTF teams in the divergent aspects of the tasks, while FTF teams outperformed computer-mediated teams in the convergent aspects of the tasks.     

Strategic Manipulation of Preference Information in Multi-Criteria Group Decision Methods

When group decisions involve the allocation of resources to group members, the members might have an incentive to strategically distort any information they provide in order to increase their share of resources. The paper compares several multi-criteria group decision methods with respect to this problem. We show, using a computational model, that strategic manipulation of preference information is possible in all of the methods considered, although to a different extent. Furthermore, when the solution a method generates under correct information is not Pareto-optimal, manipulation attempts might even improve the efficiency of outcomes.     

The Effects of Process and Content Facilitation Restrictiveness on GSS-Mediated Collaborative Learning

Group Support Systems (GSS) technology, extensively applied in decision-making contexts, is now seeing increased application in the educational sector. Previous work has suggested that GSS applications can have significant positive effects on both the process and the outcome of collaborative learning. This study extends this work to examine the effects of process (high/low) and content (high/low) facilitation restrictiveness on GSS-supported collaborative learning. Our results indicate that content facilitation restrictiveness has no significant bearing on student learning. Process facilitation restrictiveness, on the other hand, is more influential, with knowledge acquisition by students requiring a low restrictive environment.     

New Approaches to Business Process Redesign: A Case Study of Collaborative Group Technology and Service Mapping

Whether it is called reengineering, quality function deployment, quality circles, continuous improvement or total quality management, business process redesign (BPR) is occurring in many organizations. In the broadest sense, BPR includes nearly any kind of systematic effort by companies to realign their business processes so that they are more competitive. Successful business process redesign can lead to dramatic improvements in productivity and quality. But BPR typically requires vast amounts of time and money to implement, since extensive employee input is necessary during the redesign process. Group Decision Support Software (GDSS) provides a viable alternative to the traditional BPR approach. GDSS is defined as computer-based information systems used to support intelligent, collaborative work.This technology allows multiple users to meet and discuss topics simultaneously via a computer network, thus increasing employee commitment while decreasing time and cost.This paper describes a business process redesign project that was conducted for a division within a large government agency fall of 1993. The BPR was done using a type of Group Decision Support Software called Group Systems V. A services marketing tool called service mapping was also used to identify customer needs and interfaces. Data were collected throughout the project to measure employee attitudes about the redesign process and the GroupSystems technology. Time to complete tasks was also recorded. The results of the study showed that the business process redesign was accomplished more effectively in a shorter period of time than with traditional BPR methods previously used. Participants also indicated that the service mapping tool provided a perspective that is missing from many BPR approaches: an understanding of the service from the customer's perspective.     

Relationship between flow experience and subjective vitality among older adults attending senior centres

ABSTRACT

This study examined relationships between leisure autonomy, leisure competence, leisure social support, and flow experience and subjective vitality among older adults. In total, 257 older adults attending senior centres from New Taipei City, Taiwan were recruited. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews, during which leisure autonomy, leisure competence, leisure social support, flow experience, and subjective vitality were measured. The data were analysed using a hierarchical regression method. Results revealed that leisure autonomy, leisure competence, and leisure social support were significantly and positively correlated with subjective vitality and that flow experience was more significantly and positively correlated with subjective vitality than the three leisure needs were. Practical implications of results in terms of enhancing subjective vitality among older adults are discussed. Considering that flow experience is a strong predictor of subjective vitality among older adults, helping older adults experience flow should considerably enhance their subjective vitality. Flow is experienced when a balance is reached between high levels of challenges and skills. Therefore, leisure with such balance increases the likelihood that older adults can experience flow.     

中国百岁老人养老问题研究

利用"中国高龄老人健康长寿"课题1998年调查数据,对中国百岁老人老有所养、病有所医、老有所乐等养老问题进行了初步分析.研究表明,中国百岁老人基本上实现了老有所养、病有所医和老有所乐,家庭在百岁老人养老中占绝对主导地位,是百岁老人经济供养、病时生活照料和精神慰藉的主要承担者,社会所起作用甚微.百岁老人的经济自立状况、医疗需求满足程度及医疗照料资源的可获性因城乡、性别及居住方式而异,并直接影响到其对生活的评价.社会和政府应更多地关注独居百岁老人及靠社会救济的百岁老人.     

基于共生理论视角的创立期科技型中小企业融资问题研究

本文基于共生理论的分析框架,分析了创立期科技型中小企业融资支持体系的构成,在此基础上,分析了我国科技型中小企业融资支持体系存在的问题和不足,并据此提出了针对性的对策建议。