Service Delivery

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Building Antifragility in Service Organisations: Going Beyond Resilience

Journal Title, Volume, Page: 
International Journal of Services and Operations Management 11/2014; 19(4):491-513. DOI: 10.1504/IJSOM.2014.065671
Year of Publication: 
2014
Authors: 
Ayham A.M. Jaaron
Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, An-Najah National University, Nablus. Palestine
Current Affiliation: 
Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, An-Najah National University, Nablus. Palestine
Chris J. Backhouse
Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, UK
Preferred Abstract (Original): 

To maintain organisational growth in a turbulent environment, organisations must build highly effective learning systems to innovate and develop from threats and stressors. This has been termed by Taleb (2012) as 'antifragility'. This paper explores the benefits of applying a systems approach to service delivery design in order to build an 'antifragile' organisation that can learn from disruptions. Two exploratory case studies were conducted in the UK insurance sector using in-depth interviews supported by documented evidence. The findings of the case studies analysis suggest that systems approach expressed as the Vanguard method (Seddon, 2003) is likely to enhance organisational 'antifragility' by promoting a multilevel driver for learning from stressors. These levels being: 1) the macro level of clarity on the system due to the continuous analysis of customer demands received; 2) the meso level of organic structure of work place where effective learning-centred teams are built; 3) the micro level of employees' engagement with work and readiness to learn. This paper represents an early effort to explore the dynamics of how organisations can go beyond resilience by discovering how to develop the capacity to learn from stressors in order to flourish.

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Systems Thinking For Call Centre Service Design: Affective Commitment Implications In Manufacturing Enterprises

Journal Title, Volume, Page: 
The Service Industries Journal Volume 31, Issue 4, pages 613-628, 2011
Year of Publication: 
2011
Authors: 
Ayham A.M. Jaarona
Loughborough University, The Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough, Leicestershire, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
Current Affiliation: 
Industrial Engineering Department, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine
Chris J. Backhouse
Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughboough, LE11 3TU, UK
Preferred Abstract (Original): 
This paper explains the leveraging of affective commitment among call centre front-line employees through the improvement of service operations design in a manufacturing enterprise through systems thinking approach. A case study was carried out using face-to-face interviews, structured questionnaires, and observation methods to collect data at managerial and operative front-line levels. The case study finds a strong relationship between the level of affective commitment among front-line employees and the form of service operations system. The study has many implications for the manufacturing enterprises embracing a call centre to improve productivity and working experience. A higher level of affective commitment is likely to mitigate turnover and absenteeism in these service departments.
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