Process management practices: organizational (dis-)similarities

Organizational processes have been manifested as resources which are difficult to imitate. Not least because goods and services are offered worldwide on comparable levels, processes are nowadays sources of competitive advantage. Manufacturers recognized process management's benefits early on. Meanwhile service providers adopt related practices with slight adaptations as well and even potentials for small and flexible firms have been revealed. From a present-day perspective, the question arises whether manufacturers and large firms are still more process oriented than their entrepreneurial counterparts. The results of a survey-based comparison show that this situation continues to hold with fewer differences between manufacturers and service providers. However, it became clear that the process culture – one of six investigated factors – is independent from a firm's industry affiliation and size. The evidence demonstrates that service providers progress on their journey to process management, which is taking an increasingly decisive role in the management of service operations.