Service Design

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The Effects of Lean Thinking on Service Workers Value Productivity: a Conceptual Framework

Journal Title, Volume, Page: 
International Journal of Quality and Innovation 01/2012; 2(1):1-17
Year of Publication: 
2012
Authors: 
Ayham A.M. Jaaron
Department of Industrial Engineerin, Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, An-Najah National University, Nablus. Palestine
Current Affiliation: 
Department of Industrial Engineerin, 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, Fax: +44-0-1509-227648
Preferred Abstract (Original): 

The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual framework for leveraging value productivity of support service workers through the application of lean thinking concepts to service operations. Derived from literature review, the framework focuses attention on the achievement of twofold determinants for higher value productivity; organically structured service department and, as a result, high levels of employee's affective commitment. The framework indicates that offerings of lean thinking model provide a mechanism through which the productivity of service workers can be enhanced. The paper concludes that through the implementation of lean thinking to service operations, higher levels of service workers affective commitment will have a substantial impact on increasing service value productivity. The framework presented is important in that it attempts to incorporate service workers commitment concepts with service operations design to substantially promote service productivity.

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A Comparison Of Competing Structural Models In Call Centres: Prospects For Value Creation

Journal Title, Volume, Page: 
International Journal of Services and Operations Management 2011 - Vol. 10, No.3 pp. 294 - 315
Year of Publication: 
2011
Authors: 
Ayham A.M. Jaaron
Department of Industrial Engineering, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine, Po. Box:07
Current Affiliation: 
Department of Industrial Engineering, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine, Po. Box:07
Chris Backhouse
Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, UK
Preferred Abstract (Original): 
This paper presents a comparative study of two service system designs, i.e., mechanistic and organic, in a public sector call centre environment. It explores the impact of each of these service designs on employees' affective commitment and on service performance. Thirty-nine interviews were conducted in mechanistic call centre and 16 in organic call centre. A nine-item organisational commitment questionnaire was also administered among employees in both places to measure affective commitment levels. The comparison revealed significant improvement in employees' affective commitment level using systems thinking design to create an organic structure when contrasted with employees working under mechanistic structure design. Further, systems thinking has been found of particular benefit to the service performance in terms of departmental communication enhancement and service waste minimisation. The value of this paper is the identification of alternative service design models applied to call centre operations that will leverage employees' affective commitment to improve service performance and enhance customer loyalty.
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