The impact of employee satisfaction on quality and profitability in high-contact service industries

The extant operations management literature has extensively investigated the associations among quality, customer satisfaction, and firm profitability. However, the influence of employee attributes on these performance dimensions has rarely been examined. In this study we investigate the impact of employee satisfaction on operational performance in high-contact service industries. Based on an empirical study of 206 service shops in Hong Kong, we examined the hypothesized relationships among employee satisfaction, service quality, customer satisfaction, and firm profitability. Using structural equations modeling, we found that employee satisfaction is significantly related to service quality and to customer satisfaction, while the latter in turn influences firm profitability. We also found that firm profitability has a moderate non-recursive effect on employee satisfaction, leading to a “satisfaction–quality–profit cycle”. Our empirical investigation suggests that employee satisfaction is an important consideration for operations managers to boost service quality and customer satisfaction. We provide empirical evidence that employee satisfaction plays a significant role in enhancing the operational performance of organizations in the high-contact service sector.     

Managing the performance of outsourced customer contact centers

This research focuses specifically on customer contact services that have been outsourced to external suppliers. The performance of the contact services supplier directly affects end customer satisfaction which underlines the need for appropriate management of customer contacts and consideration of the end customer's perspective in designing appropriate key performance indicators (KPIs). This research draws on various streams of literature including services purchasing, performance management and service quality to derive propositions on how to manage customer contact services suppliers. These propositions are subsequently investigated in an in-depth case study. The results of the case study show that managing customer contact services suppliers on effectiveness rather than efficiency benefits the overall performance of the supplier. This research shows that quality improvements in both process and service delivery ultimately lead to decreased costs. These improvements will furthermore enhance customer satisfaction and improve buying company performance. The current trend in selecting and managing suppliers for outsourced business processes is on efficiency improvements and cost savings. However, this research shows that this type of focus can actually decrease customer satisfaction and increase costs.     

网购用户对物流配送服务满意度测评体系研究

目前,我国的网络购物市场正处于持续增长阶段,电子商务市场的竞争也随之激烈。企业要想在激烈的竞争中持续经营,必须要提高服务质量,增加顾客满意度,而物流配送环节是我国电子商务发展的瓶颈,企业更需要在关键的环节提高服务质量,通过对网购用户配送服务满意度测评体系进行研究,不仅可以让物流配送企业不断提高服务质量,在激烈的竞争中得以发展壮大,还可以让电子商务企业选择更好的物流配送模式以改善物流配送环节,提高顾客满意度。     

Lean service operations: Reflections and new directions for capacity expansion in outpatient clinics

This field research in outpatient service operations examines original quantitative data on appointments and analyzes a lean process improvement project that was conducted to increase capacity to admit new patients into a healthcare service operation system. Analysis of 1726 intake appointments for the year preceding and the full year following the lean project showed a 27% increase in service capacity to intake new patients and a 12% reduction in the no-show rate as a result of the transformation of service processes achieved by the lean project. This study's action research methodology leverages the researcher's involvement in redesigning a service system that greatly improved performance and led to reflection on traditional operations management (OM) approaches to appointment scheduling. The study generates insights about effective alignment of resources, develops new strategies for service operations to respond to no-shows, reveals time-related variables that have been overlooked in appointment scheduling research, and challenges traditional OM scheduling performance measures. We provide recommendations for effective and appropriate use of overbooking and identify avenues for future research to continuously improve and increase the capacity of service operations.     

基于质量功能展开的顾客满意度研究

质量功能展开是基于顾客要求的结构化产品开发方法。把质量功能展开（Quality Function Deployment,QFD）方法引入顾客满意度研究中,建立了顾客满意度测评的质量屋模型。通过多阶段的QFD模型将总体顾客满意度逐步展开为易于顾客判断的指标,进而实施了顾客满意度指数的测评;并通过某家电企业的顾客满意度测评实例,说明了这种方法实施过程。     

How different is professional service operations management?

This paper presents detailed analysis of the operational and operations management characteristics of a professional service firm, a legal partnership. An in-depth study of customer interactions, service customization, process throughput and variability, professional employee behavior and managerial interventions provided the basis for confirmatory and exploratory research. The results suggested a number of refinements to existing conceptualizations of the professional service type operation and indicated areas where professional service operations management should be viewed as highly distinctive. First, professional–client exchange is variably asymmetrical – with significant implications for service package and process design. Second, professional service operations comprise a substantial number of less variable and faster throughput processes – creating a significant opportunity for commoditization. Third, professional status and corresponding organisational structures (e.g. the partnership model) need to be explicitly recognised in any typology – these factors introduce distinctive trade-offs when seeking greater efficiency and effectiveness.     

基于BSC方法的供应链绩效评价

本文运用从BSC的方法来评价供应链绩效,评价的角度有四个:财务,顾客,内部流程,创新和成长。在提出指标的时候,对以往的很多供应链绩效指标相关文献进行了回顾,并把这些指标导入到供应链的四个维度。在对文献回顾的基础上提出了本文的方法,本文的方法对于管理者来说可以更有效的从多角度评价供应链绩效。     

基于顾客导向的企业服务承诺的设计与实施

服务承诺(service guarantee)作为一种重要的营销手段,在各类企业中得到越来越广泛的使用。基于顾客导向的服务承诺的设计与实施,可以更好地满足顾客需求和增加购买意愿,有利于提高企业的服务质量和增强市场竞争力。在服务承诺的设计过程中,需要选择服务承诺的类型、设计具体流程;在服务承诺的实施过程中,需要对整个实施过程进行有效监控,具体包括加强顾客导向的服务过程管理、对服务失误进行补救以及服务承诺的效果评估和反馈优化。     

Apply 6-sigma methodology in measuring the competition quality of satisfaction performance—an example of ISP Industry

At present time the ISP (Internet Service Provider) already make a great impact to the human life as well as the economic society, everything has a close relation with the internet service and due to the fast development of information technology further lower the cost of ISP and improved the service speed as well as its quality. All of this make the customer layer of ISP more popular than before and thus bring up the fierce competition in this industry. Due to the entry barrier of high investment and high technology of ISP industry it has become as a monopoly market and the monopoly market is very respect the competition and cooperation relationship with competitors. Besides, most of the relevant literature in the past is focus on the measurement and analysis of customer to the self-company and few of them mention how to include the satisfaction of competitor’s customer into measurement and analysis. As golden strategy stated in the Sun-Tze Strategic: “Know yourself and know your competitor well, winning every war.” we must consider the strength, weakness, opportunity and threat on customer satisfaction of your company and competitors. Base on the above motivation, this article will apply the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control) methodology of 6-Sigma, focus on the viewpoint of customer satisfaction of ISP industry. At first we utilize the 5 equal scale measurement define the network quality item of ISP, which provided by the self-company and competitors. And measuring the degree of “satisfaction” and “importance” of these quality items, then use the performance evaluation matrix and strength and weakness matrix to analyze the Strength, Weakness, Opportunity and Threat of self and competitors, focus on the quality items that fall out of the 2 sigma and use the strength–weakness strategic chart to establish the improvement strategy. And at last, utilize the strength–weakness matrix chart as the control tool to verify and sustain the effectiveness of the improved performance. The complete and easy measurement improvement model provided in this article can be used by the enterprise to effectively and quickly evaluating and analyzing the service quality of self and competitors. And under the reasonable cost condition with considering the competing opportunity and threat of market to effectively improving the customer service quality and promoting the overall customer satisfaction and create powerful high value-added quality competition strength.     

基于顾客导向的物流服务质量评价研究

从客户角度出发,参照SERVQUAL质量评价体系,建立基于顾客导向的物流服务质量评价体系,运用动态模糊综合评价方法对物流服务质量进行综合评价,结果显示动态模糊综合评价方法能够准确地反映出第物流服务失误之所在,并用实例论证了该评价方法的可行性。     

The role of service innovation in the market orientation—new service performance linkage

While most academics generally agree that innovation plays the mediating role between market orientation and new product/service performance, relatively little research has examined how each component of market orientation contributes to new service performance through various types of service innovation. Based on a survey of 235 managers and taking a component-wise approach, this study finds that customer orientation spurs incremental service innovation while inter-functional coordination spurs radical service innovation, both of which, in turn, enhance new service performance. A surprise finding shows that the impact of competitor orientation on new service performance is fully mediated by radical service innovation. The results of this study should help market oriented managers create and evaluate service innovation.     

Break through to success with training and teamwork

This is a case study on the effect of training and teamwork in two different divisions within the same company. One division consisted of a nonunion manufacturing plant; the second was a unionized distribution operation. In both operations, serious problems existed--poor customer service levels, inadequate inventory turns, and insufficient profitability. These are the kinds of problems that, left untreated, can cause the death of any manufacturing or distribution operation. However, by implementing training and teamwork at both operations, impressive benefits were achieved, including customer service levels exceeding 90 percent, dramatic improvements in the inventory turnover rate, and profitability that exceeded corporate goals.     

The impact of supply chain agility on business performance in a high level customization environment

To improve business performance in rapidly changing environments, supply chain agility can be a crucial requisite to address responsiveness issues, especially in environments with high levels of customization. This paper examines the effect of supply chain agility on customer service, differentiation, and business performance. A survey research methodology was employed using a sample of 156 manufacturing firms that provide high levels of customization. In particular, structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to evaluate the proposed model. The results suggest that supply chain agility influences customer service and differentiation positively. However, it does not affect business performance directly; instead, better business performance can be achieved and mediated through improved customer service and differentiation. In particular, differentiation through customer service is the most effective way to improve business performance, and supply chain agility can help to achieve high-level customer service. The paper advises managers on details of how to fulfil their business performance ambitions better through suggested key agile supply chain management activities.     

基于顾客价值的销售服务顾客满意度测评研究——以汽车4S店为例

顾客满意度直接影响服务型企业绩效和发展前景,因而被高度重视。本文以汽车4S店为例,在美国顾客满意指数(ACSI)模型基础上,结合汽车销售服务的特征,建立以顾客让渡价值为中心的汽车销售服务顾客满意度测评模型,运用模糊层次分析法,建立顾客满意度测评指标体系,并进行实证研究以验证其适用性。     

Facilitating offshoring with enterprise technologies: Reducing operational friction in the governance and production of services

The development of cheap and robust communications technologies has lowered the cost of conducting business transactions across international boarders and opened up low wage rate global labor markets to firms facing demand for cheap and efficient service delivery. A review of transaction cost theory and operations management models of service process disaggregation reveals parallels between the how firm boundaries are determined and how certain service process elements can be disaggregated from face-to-face customer contact. This theoretical background is used to identify challenges to the effective offshoring of service processes. The competitive capability literature offers suggestions as to how firms might acquire the internal capabilities required to manage offshore service processes. Propositions are developed on how the standardized transactional infrastructure of enterprise technologies (and the organizational competencies developed by successful enterprise system adopters) may help mitigate the challenges of offshore governance.     

旅游企业内部服务质量、内部顾客导向对绩效的影响机制研究

本文基于对相关文献的研究,试图探索内部服务质量、内部顾客导向对绩效的影响,通过对天津市25家旅游企业212份员工样本的采集分析,提出并验证内部服务质量、内部顾客导向对员工绩效的影响机制模型。研究发现,内部服务质量对内部顾客导向具有显著的正向影响,内部顾客导向对员工绩效有直接正向影响,提高企业内部服务质量可以间接提升员工绩效水平。     

Developing measures for performance excellence: is the Baldrige criteria sufficient for performance excellence in higher education?

The implementation of the education criteria for performance excellence (ECPE)—the education version of the Baldrige criteria—is driven by the growing need for performance excellence in higher education. Ironically the criteria meant for performance excellence have no theoretical underpinning and are based on normative performance improvement requirements. The lack of content and internal validity is reflected in some critical weaknesses in the criteria. Based on a critical review, this paper highlights potential improvements in the areas of aligning processes with the organisational mission, operations focus, customer focus, workforce focus, and performance measurement. To help enhance the ECPE, the paper develops performance measures for systematic implementation of the criteria. This is discussed in terms of defining desired outcomes, developing key measures, identifying specific indicators to track performance, and choosing methods to assess performance. The discussions provide a basis for future revisions to the ECPE.     

The effects of retail channel integration through the use of information technologies on firm performance

The ability of information technologies (ITs) to integrate activities and offerings across multiple channels offers a promising opportunity for retail firms to enhance their relationship with their customers and firm performance. Consumers value the flexibility to learn about the available offerings, complete their orders and obtain customer service across different channels in a convenient and integrated manner. Therefore, the retail industry has begun to use IT extensively to automate and integrate business processes across their traditional and online channels. This study examines the impacts of the use of IT by retail firms in integrating channel activities for selling to customers. Our research model argues that retail channel integration through IT should enhance the efficiency and innovation of a retail firm. In turn, these improvements should enhance their overall performance. We also propose that the environmental dynamism would moderate the effects of improvements in efficiency and innovation on firm performance. We draw upon recent theories in organizational resource integration and organizational learning to develop our research model and hypotheses. Based on survey data from 125 multichannel retailers in Singapore, we find that retail channel integration through the use of IT allows firms to not only be efficient in delivering the current offerings, but also be innovative in creating future offerings. Further, we find that environmental dynamism does positively moderate the effects of innovation ability on performance. Our results provide managerial insights for firms involved in digital integration not only in the retail sector but also in other service industries. These findings could also serve as a foundation for further research on service operations management for firms with both physical and online operations.     

A gap model of purchasing's internal service quality: Concept,case study and internal survey

Traditionally, the monitoring of a purchasing department's performance is primarily focused on cost analysis and the evaluation of suppliers rather than on internal service aspects. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to develop an instrument for the measurement of the internal service quality of purchasing departments. Based on the SERVQUAL and the general gap model of service quality, a specific gap model regarding purchasing's internal service quality was developed. Similar to previous research, both the perceptions of the actual service and the internal customers’ expectations of the service quality were included. In addition, the model contains a self-evaluation by contrasting the views (expectations and perceptions) of the internal customer with those of the purchaser. The application of this instrument in a large company demonstrates the general usefulness of this instrument. Statements of 145 internal customers and 36 purchasers were available for statistical analysis. The results of this analysis can be helpful in detecting weak points and sources of internal customers’ dissatisfaction.     

建筑施工企业顾客满意度评价体系的建立与实施

结合建筑施工企业的特点,就如何识别顾客需求,建立顾客满意度评价体系,收集评价所需数据以及实施顾客满意度评价过程进行了分析,讨论了顾客满意度评价信度概念及其分析方法。