Delivering ‘effortless experience’ across borders: Managing internal consistency in professional service firms |
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| Authors: | Susan Segal-Horn Alison Dean |
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| Institution: | 1. Open University Business School, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK;2. Kent Business School, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7PE, UK;1. Accenture Management Consulting, Anni-Albers-Straße 11, 80807 Munich, Germany;2. Institute of Management, University of St. Gallen, 9000 St. Gallen, Switzerland;3. University of Richmond, Robins School of Business, Richmond, VA 23173, USA;1. State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Division of Preventive Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China;2. ORBIS International, New York, New York;1. Graduate School of Information and Communications, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul 110-745, Republic of Korea;2. Department of Information and Communication, Dong Seoul University, Seongnam, Gyeonggi-Province 461-714, Republic of Korea;3. College of Information and Communications, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Kyunggi-do 440-745, Republic of Korea;1. Laboratory of Molecular Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark;2. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Herlev Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark;3. Coordinating Research Centre, Frederiksberg Hospital, Copenhagen University Hospital, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark;4. Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark |
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| Abstract: | This article explores how professional service firms (PSFs) manage across borders. When clients require consistent services delivered across multiple locations, especially across borders, then firms need to develop an organization that is sufficiently flexible to be able to support such consistent service delivery. Our discussion is illustrated by the globalization process of law firms. We argue that the globalization of large corporate law firms primarily takes place in terms of investments in the development of protocols, processes and practices that enhance internal consistency such that clients receive an ‘effortless experience’ of the service across multiple locations worldwide. Over the longer term the ability to deliver such effortless experience is dependent upon meaningful integration within and across the firm. Firms that achieve this are building a source of sustainable competitive advantage. |
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