Friendly flexible working practices within the internal marketing framework: a service perspective

The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of the existence of work flexibility and its relevance to internal marketing. Friendly forms of work flexibility are critical to an improved understanding of the role internal marketing should have to achieve better service quality performance. This exploratory study is based on a sample of 2997 private-sector organisations provided by the CRANET survey. The results show the divergence in industry business patterns in the use of friendly and unfriendly flexible work arrangements. Service companies tend to use friendly flexible working practices in larger proportions. The analysis reveals a small negative relationship between unfriendly practices and service quality. These findings may suggest that service organisations tend to create more supportive environments when offering flexible work arrangements that are friendlier for individual workers and their families.     

Determinants of knowledge management system adoption in health care

The demand for efficient knowledge management (KM) in health care is increasing because the complexity and scale of the knowledge generated from medical research and clinical practices have resulted in challenges of information overload and medical quality. These critical issues can be improved through the adoption of knowledge management systems (KMS). However, the adoption of technological innovations in health care demands an enhanced understanding of the lagged technology adoption status in the health care sector. This study uses empirical methods to investigate the determinants of KMS adoption on the basis of a national survey. Results suggest that KMS adoption is affected by organizational characteristics, KM enablers, and KMS characteristics. We emphasize that KMS adoption in health care is considerably complex because it largely depends on KM enablers and organizational characteristics and not solely on system characteristics. The implications of the findings for research and practice are outlined in this work.     

支持MBSE的企业信息管理系统发展与启示

多年的实践表明,基于模型的系统工程（MBSE）没有被大规模采用的主要原因之一是缺乏对整个系统生命周期内各类模型进行管理的能力和手段。在此背景下,介绍了模型管理与MBSE、产品生命周期管理（PLM）的概念及其之间的关系,分析了不同行业的模型管理现状,提出了模型管理的解决方案与技术方向,最后给出了建设企业信息管理系统的建议,以期为企业信息管理系统支持MBSE及后续发展提供思路。     

战术面向服务架构概念及相关技术

战术面向服务架构（TSOA）是实现战术云平台服务基础设施的重要支撑概念。由于战术环境的复杂性,目前对TSOA实施过程中面临问题和相关实现技术的总结还较少。为此,开展了针对TSOA的概念以及相关技术的研究。首先,从战术环境下的TSOA架构需求背景出发,介绍了TSOA架构的组成以及适应性特征;然后,通过分析战术环境下设备和网络等多方面存在的限制性因素,明确实施TSOA架构所面临的挑战以及需要解决的关键问题,并对实现过程中涉及的服务发现、消息传输机制、网络状态自适应等相关技术进行归纳;最后,对国内外的相关研究工作进行总结,期望对推动TSOA架构的具体实施提供一定参考。     

Driving dynamic knowledge articulation and dynamic capabilities development of service alliance firms

By investigating drivers of dynamic learning in service alliance firms, this empirical study demonstrates the locus of dynamic knowledge articulation (DKA) and dynamic capabilities (DCs) development. This study uses a sample of 363 service alliance firms to test the distinctive role of drivers of dynamic learning in DKA and DC development. The results show that manager integration powers, external linkages, codification of experience, and ambiguity have positive effects on DKA. Moreover, DKA has a strong positive influence on DC development. This study contributes to the literature by focusing on DKA and DC development from the perspective of processes, structure, and DCs of service alliance firms.     

Parent control mechanisms,knowledge attributes,knowledge acquisition and performance of IJVs in Taiwan service industries

The study explores parent companies' use of control mechanisms in their international joint venture (IJV), IJV knowledge acquisition and IJVs' performance. Traditionally, control mechanisms are criticized for potentially limiting autonomous learning. However, we propose that knowledge-oriented control mechanisms used by the parent company on its subsidiaries could facilitate knowledge acquisition and learning. This study takes samples from 104 Sino-foreign joint ventures in service industries in Taiwan. The results of the study indicate that in IJV, parent companies require a ‘personnel training’ control mechanism as a guide for gaining codified knowledge from foreign partners. MNCs should apply ‘culture’ and ‘performance’ control mechanisms to gain non-codified knowledge. In turn, the tacit knowledge of IJV results in a better economic, competency-based performance, while explicit knowledge more significantly influences the synthetic performance.     

Entrepreneurship and knowledge management in small service-sector firms

The purpose of the paper is to examine the performance of small UK service-sector firms during a period of poor economic conditions in relation to entrepreneurial behaviour and knowledge management. A mail survey of small rural hotels was undertaken. Hotels achieving higher sales growth exhibited an entrepreneurial orientation and have created effective knowledge management systems. The practical implications of the study are that service firms seeking to survive in turbulent times should focus upon adopting entrepreneurial solutions and the creation of effective knowledge management systems. The originality of this study is in providing empirical evidence of the advantages of small UK service-sector firms during the current economic downturn adopting an entrepreneurial orientation in order to sustain business performance.     

The evolution of service innovation research: a critical review and synthesis

The number of service innovation articles has increased dramatically in the past 25 years. By reviewing 128 articles published between 1986 and 2010, primarily in leading marketing and innovation journals, this study analyzes the progression of service innovation research according to topicality and perspective. The authors summarize prior research by clustering it into three evolutional phases and drawing parallels with the evolution of the wider services marketing field. Overall, the view of service innovation has evolved, from a complement of traditional product innovation to a multidimensional, all-encompassing notion that entails several functions, both within and outside the firm.     

我国专业化创业服务体系的研究与思考

创新驱动正成为我国经济高质量发展的关键，创业服务平台作为我国中小微企业创新创业的重要载体，服务模式和服务质量对助力创新经济具有重要意义。通过梳理国内众创空间、大学科技园、科技企业孵化器等多层面的创业服务平台运营现状，分析创业服务体系对科技创新和产业发展的显著作用，提出专业化服务能力建设对于推动战略性新兴产业的快速发展，支撑我国产业创新发展和“双创”升级具有重要价值并提出相应的推进策略。     

Perception value of product-service systems: Neural effects of service experience and customer knowledge

Digital trends in product-service system (PSS) development focus on developing win-win solutions for both companies and customers, particularly when considering human behavior issues. It is useful for the PSS provider to know the PSS value creation mechanism when customers are buying and utilizing a PSS, particularly in the service-dominant logic (SDL) and cognitive neuroscience perspective. This study solved the PSS implementation that satisfied the demands of both customers and manufacturers and the value cocreation mechanism during product and service configuration with the impacts of consumer learning and the service experience. The proposed neuroscience methodology is based on an ERP (event-related potential) experiment using PSS stimuli, representing the perception value creation process during customer decision making and the PSS configuration process. The effectiveness of the service experience is more important than customer knowledge during PSS value perception due to positive emotions with pleasant memories for the service experience and the conflicting cognition process of customer learning. The combination of service science and neurology may measure and observe human behavior and psychology through the brain science method and effectively solve the human factors in service science. The findings suggest a more objective and personalized understanding of PSS value perception, particularly the practical requirements of a resulted-oriented PSS and an application-oriented PSS.     

Advanced information technology: transforming service innovation and design

This research explores the role of advanced information technologies at the ‘fuzzy’ front-end of service innovation and design. Service researchers have been exploring the application of technology to services for a while, however there has been little attention paid to the use of technology at the front-end of service innovation and design. Research suggests that advanced information technologies should be useful in research and development for services; but how this may occur has not been explored. Bringing together design thinking and the technology–organization–environment framework for technology adoption this research develops propositions for research to expose how technology can advance and transform service innovation and design. Theoretical and practical research questions are offered to guide inquiry in this emerging research space.     

Managing global knowledge transfer: Inpatriate manager embeddedness and firm innovation

The purpose of this study is to explore the role of tacit knowledge transfer in a particular type of global manager - the inpatriate manager who is typically relocated from the MNC’s subsidiary to headquarter. To do so, we draw on social embeddedness theory. Our paper suggests that if an inpatriate manager becomes embedded within the MNCs headquarter, tacit knowledge transfer will occur resulting in innovative practices and a global mindset within the MNCs headquarters. This study takes the unique approach of studying the barriers that inpatriate managers face in the transfer of tacit knowledge and highlights the role of human resources in facilitating the transfer of knowledge across the MNC. The paper articulates the implications for policy and practice and a future research agenda.     

Social Media in Organizations: Leveraging Personal and Collective Knowledge Processes

By using social media, many companies try to exploit new forms of interaction, collaboration, and knowledge sharing through leveraging the social, collaborative dimension of social software. The traditional collective knowledge management model based on a top-down approach is now opening up new avenues for a bottom-up approach incorporating a more personal knowledge management dimension, which could be synergized into collective knowledge using the social-collaborative dimension of social media. This article addresses the following questions: (1) How can social media support the management of personal and collective knowledge using a synergetic approach? (2) Do the personal and collective dimensions compete with each other, or can they reinforce each other in a more effective manner using social media?

Our findings indicate that social media supports both the personal and collective dimensions of knowledge, while integrating a social collaborative dimension. The article introduces a framework that classifies social software into four categories according to the level of interaction and control. With certain tools, individuals are more in control. With other tools, the group is in control, resulting in a higher level of interaction and a diversity of knowledge and mindsets brought together. However, deploying and adopting these new tools in an organizational context is still a challenging task for management, owing to both organizational and individual factors.     

Turning the other cheek: Facial orientation influences both model attractiveness and product evaluation

The layout of visual elements in advertising influences consumers' perception and judgments. The research reported here investigates the influence of the face orientation of a human model on the perception of their attractiveness and its downstream consequences on product evaluation. Across five experiments, we first demonstrate that consumers tend to perceive a model's face showing his or her left cheek as more attractive than when showing the right cheek, even when the images are otherwise identical. More importantly, we demonstrate the downstream influence of face orientation on the evaluation of advertised products whereby the leftward (vs. rightward) model's face increases the evaluation of the advertised product through perceived model attractiveness. We identify the underlying mechanism of the face orientation effect, namely, that consumers perceive those faces showing their left (vs. right) cheek as more prototypical, and that this perception of prototypicality elicits an aesthetic preference for the model's leftward face which in turn carries over to influence product evaluation. The theoretical and practical implications of this research are also discussed.     

Service willingness and senior tourists: knowledge about aging,attitudes toward the elderly,and work values

With the increase in the number of senior tourists, it is important to understand the attitude of tourism professionals and their skills in serving aged tourists. A total of 381 tourism professionals participated in this study. Structural equation modeling results show that attitudes toward the elderly play the major role in predicting service willingness. Gaining knowledge about aging will indirectly predict service willingness through a change in attitudes. Intrinsic and prestige aspects of work value (WV) better explain service willingness to senior tourists, while extrinsic WV is non-significant and social WV has an indirect effect on willingness. The results also suggest that real interaction experiences with the elderly can successfully change attitudes toward them.     

The preparedness of critical success factors of IT service management and its effect on performance

Recently, information technology service management (ITSM) has emerged as a challenging research area. ITSM implementation often involves huge investment with unexpected risks. Therefore, understanding the preparedness of critical success factors (CSFs) and its effect on the organizational performance can help in not only reducing the risks but in also providing helpful guidance for enterprises. This empirical study explores the preparedness of ITSM-relevant CSFs and its effect on the organizational performance. The findings show that (1) the more important a CSF is, the more prepared the CSF is; (2) the organizational performance is mostly beneficial from customer and internal business process perspectives; and (3) only a few CSFs can significantly affect the organizational performance. Finally, the implications based on the findings are given for the management of ITSM implementation.     

Objective quality and business performance in service environments: moderating effects of entrepreneurs' knowledge and involvement

This study considers two main research issues: the relationship between objective quality and business performance and the moderating role of an entrepreneur's knowledge (education and experience) and involvement (exclusiveness in professional dedication) in that relationship. A sample of 103 rural tourism entrepreneurs in Spain serves as the study setting. Results indicate the positive influence of an establishment's quality on performance. Moreover, both knowledge and involvement have direct effects on performance, but involvement influences performance to a greater extent and even reaches profits. Positive moderating effects of experience and exclusiveness also emerge, as does an unexpected negative moderating effect of education.     

Research on satisfaction recovery from service failure due to attitude defect and unfair price: A dynamic and longitudinal evaluation model based on customer win-back management

Customer win-back is a cognitive process of satisfaction changing from a low level to a high level with service recovery strategies as the stimulus. Because prior research tends to view service recovery strategies as a static antecedent, it is difficult to analyze and observe how the recovery strategies affect satisfaction and repurchase intention dynamically. Moreover, not enough attention has been directed to the relationship between reasons of customer loss and recovery strategies. This research conducted a field experiment involving a 2 × 2 between-subjects design (defects of service attitude and unfair price × tangible recovery and intangible recovery strategies). From a longitudinal and dynamic perspective, this study has produced the following key results: First, there are significant differences in satisfaction and purchase intention between the four groups categorized by specific reasons of customer loss. Second, recovery strategies may have non-linear effects on customer’s satisfaction. Lastly, based on the prospect theory and disappointment theory, we discuss important managerial implications of the function curves fitted between customer satisfactory (before customer loss and after implementation of customer winback strategy) and purchase intention.     

Diagnosing the supplementary services model: Empirical validation,advancement and implementation

Abstract

Since the publication of Levitt’s (1980) ‘total product concept’, there has been an increasing recognition that additional supplementary elements, beyond the core product, can have a profound impact on customer value. Lovelock’s (1995) supplementary services model further develops this concept by providing more specific guidelines regarding where to seek value enhancement. However, there is little empirical validation of his theoretical model across the services sector. Our paper addresses this gap in three ways. First, we assess the soundness of Lovelock’s model across different service businesses by adopting a form of interaction research. Second, drawing upon findings from this process, we then develop a revised model of supplementary services. Finally, we propose an implementation framework for our revised model of supplementary services.     

Designing and executing memorable service experiences: Lights, camera, experiment, integrate, action!

Designing services that deliver memorable personal experiences is a science and an art that is poorly understood. Borrowing from the masters of managing performances, the theatre industry, we examine the process for staging plays. Based on our study, we draw inferences that can help service experience managers in a variety of settings create more memorable face-to-face service encounters. To this end, we illustrate seven steps managers should follow to ensure service experience success.