Systems Thinking for Public Services: Adopting Manufacturing Management Principles

A management thinking shift has recently been noticed in public services to adopt manufacturing improvement paradigms in their attempt to face economical and operational challenges. This chapter investigates the utilization of systems thinking in public service operations for potential added value. A case study of systems thinking implementation at a UK city council help desk was carried out using in- depth interviews with key personnel coupled with observations and document evaluation. The Organisational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) was administered among frontline employees. Results show that systems thinking could create significant added value to the business and to the working place. In addition, a strong relationship was demonstrated between the systems thinking implementation and the affective commitment level of employees. This chapter is one of a few studies that demonstrate the applicability of manufacturing systems in other settings and that they can generate significant added value for the overall service department.

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