A Framework for Analyzing Customer Service Orientations in Manufacturing

The proposed framework first clarifies the concept of customer service in a manufacturing context. Then the key strategic choices associated with emphasizing a customer service–oriented strategy are specified. Next, the organizational arrangements necessary to implement these strategic choices are described. Finally, alternative effective configurations of the strategic choices, organizational arrangements, and customer service activities are proposed. Research propositions are presented that focus on the relationship between central contingencies in the strategic management literature and customer service in manufacturing.

[1]  T. Parsons.  SUGGESTIONS FOR A SOCIALOGICAL APPROCH TO THE THEORY OF ORGANIZATIONS , 1956 .

[2]  J. March,et al.  A Behavioral Theory of the Firm , 1964 .

[3]  E. Johnsen.  Richard M. Cyert & James G. March, A Behavioral Theory of The Firm, Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1963, 332 s. , 1964 .

[4]  R. Kahn,et al.  The Social Psychology of Organizations , 1966 .

[5]  James D. Thompson.  Organizations in Action , 1967 .

[6]  F. Friedlander,et al.  Components of Effectiveness in Small Organizations , 1968 .

[7]  Dennis W. Organ,et al.  Linking pins between organizations and environment: Individuals do the interacting , 1971 .

[8]  J. Pfeffer.  Size and Composition of Corporate Boards of Directors: The Organization and its Environment , 1972 .

[9]  C. Perrow.  Complex Organizations: A Critical Essay , 1975 .

[10]  John P. Wanous,et al.  Effects of a realistic job preview on job acceptance, job attitudes, and job survival , 1973 .

[11]  G. Graen,et al.  A Role-Making Model of Leadership in Formal Organizations: A Developmental Approach , 1975 .

[12]  J. Hackman,et al.  A New Strategy for Job Enrichment , 1975 .

[13]  C. Perrow,et al.  Complex Organizations: A Critical Essay. , 1975 .

[14]  Peter Gilmour,et al.  Customer Service: Differentiating By Market Segment , 1976 .

[15]  G. L. Shostack.  Breaking Free from Product Marketing , 1977 .

[16]  Howard E. Aldrich,et al.  Boundary Spanning Roles and Organization Structure , 1977 .

[17]  Kim S. Cameron,et al.  Measuring Organizational Effectiveness in Institutions of Higher Education. , 1978 .

[18]  R B Chase,et al.  Where does the customer fit in a service operation? , 1978, Harvard business review.

[19]  J. Pfeffer,et al.  The External Control of Organizations. , 1978 .

[20]  R. Schmalensee.  Product Differentiation Advantages of Pioneering Brands , 1980 .

[21]  E. S. Buffa.  Research in Operations Management , 1980 .

[22]  William G. Ouchi,et al.  Markets, Bureaucracies, and Clans. , 1980 .

[23]  V. Zeithaml.  How Consumer Evaluation Processes Differ between Goods and Services , 1981 .

[24]  W. Richard Scott.  Organizations: Rational, Natural, and Open Systems , 1981 .

[25]  C G Thornton,et al.  Assessment Center and managerial performance , 1982 .

[26]  Peter K. Mills,et al.  Perspectives on the Technology of Service Operations , 1982 .

[27]  R. H. Waterman,et al.  In search of excellence : lessons from America's best-run companies , 1983 .

[28]  L. Argote.  Input uncertainty and organizational coordination in hospital emergency units. , 1982, Administrative science quarterly.

[29]  Frances Gaither Tucker,et al.  Creative Customer Service Management , 1983 .

[30]  D. Hambrick.  An Empirical Typology of Mature Industrial-Product Environments , 1983 .

[31]  D. Collier.  The service sector revolution: the automation of services. , 1983, Long range planning.

[32]  K. J. Blois,et al.  The structure of service firms and their marketing policies , 1983 .

[33]  David A. Tansik,et al.  The Customer Contact Model for Organization Design , 1983 .

[34]  S. Piereson,et al.  In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America's Best-Run Companies. By Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr. New York: Harper & Row, 1982 , 1983 .

[35]  M. T. Cunningham,et al.  Customer analysis for strategy development in industrial markets , 1983 .

[36]  Peter K. Mills,et al.  Motivating the client/employee system as a service production strategy. , 1983, Academy of management review. Academy of Management.

[37]  J. Tropman,et al.  The Managed Heart: Commercialization of Human Feeling , 1984 .

[38]  Gregory G. Dess,et al.  Porter's (1980) Generic Strategies as Determinants of Strategic Group Membership and Organizational Performance , 1984 .

[39]  J Hogan,et al.  How to measure service orientation. , 1984, The Journal of applied psychology.

[40]  R. J. House,et al.  Organizations: A Quantum View , 1984 .

[41]  Steven Wright.  Manufacturing strategy: Defining the missing link , 1984 .

[42]  Fremont E. Kast,et al.  Organization and Management , 1985 .

[43]  Peter K. Mills,et al.  Managerial practices that enhance innovation , 1985 .

[44]  A. Parasuraman,et al.  A Conceptual Model of Service Quality and Its Implications for Future Research , 1985 .

[45]  Richard B. Chase,et al.  Managing Service Demand at the Point of Delivery , 1985 .

[46]  Thomas J. Peters,et al.  A passion for excellence , 1985 .

[47]  B. Schneider,et al.  Employee and customer perceptions of service in banks: Replication and extension. , 1985 .

[48]  David Lei,et al.  Toward an Empirical Prioritization of Contingency Variables for Business Strategy , 1985 .

[49]  Gareth R. Jones,et al.  Transaction Cost Analysis of Service Organization-Customer Exchange , 1986 .

[50]  Alan Mercer.  Operations management in service industries and the public sector: Christopher VOSS, Colin ARMISTEAD, Bob JOHNSTON and Barbara MORRIS Wiley, Chichester, 1985, ix + 318 pages, £12.95 , 1986 .

[51]  Peter K. Mills,et al.  Clients as “Partial” Employees of Service Organizations: Role Development in Client Participation , 1986 .

[52]  Franklin S. Houston.  The Marketing Concept: What it is and What it is Not , 1986 .

[53]  R. Schmenner.  How can service businesses survive and prosper? , 1986, Sloan management review.

[54]  Roderick E. White.  Generic business strategies, organizational context and performance: An empirical investigation , 1986 .

[55]  Peter K. Mills,et al.  Managing Service Industries: Organizational Practices in a Postindustrial Economy , 1986 .

[56]  David J. Miller,et al.  Configurations of strategy and structure: Towards a synthesis , 1986 .

[57]  David E. Bowen,et al.  Managing customers as human resources in service organizations , 1986 .

[58]  P. H. Friesen,et al.  Porter's (1980) Generic Strategies and Performance: An Empirical Examination with American Data , 1986 .

[59]  R. D. Buzzell,et al.  The PIMS Principles: Linking Strategy to Performance , 1987 .

[60]  Jack R. Meredith,et al.  The Strategic Advantages of the Factory of the Future , 1987 .

[61]  M. Lele.  How service needs influence product strategy: Sloan Management Review, 1, 63–70 (Fall 1986) , 1987 .

[62]  Paul M. Swamidass,et al.  Manufacturing strategy, environmental uncertainty and performance: a path analytic model , 1987 .

[63]  Gareth R. Jones.  Organization-Client Transactions and Organizational Governance Structures , 1987 .

[64]  David J. Miller,et al.  The structural and environmental correlates of business strategy , 1987 .

[65]  Robert B. Reich,et al.  Tales of a new America , 1987 .

[66]  P. Strebel,et al.  STRATEGIES TO OUTPACE THE COMPETITION , 1987 .

[67]  S. Davis.  Future Perfect , 1987 .

[68]  R. B. Chase,et al.  The Service Factory , 1988 .

[69]  D. Organ.  Organizational citizenship behavior: The good soldier syndrome. , 1988 .

[70]  N. Harris,et al.  Service Operations Management , 2001 .