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In this paper we compare the quality management practices and quality results between Taiwanese manufacturing and service companies, based on a survey of 131 manufacturing and 109 service companies. The results presented here are focused on eight critical factors of quality management ‐ quality leadership, strategic quality planning, quality information and analysis, human resources management, quality assurance, supplier quality, customer orientation, quality citizenship ‐ and company quality results. The present study shows significant differences between manufacturing and service companies with manufacturing companies performing better in six critical dimensions of quality management as well as in quality results. Opportunities for improving quality management practices in Taiwanese service companies are identified.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the intertwining of productivity, quality and innovation in the service domain and, based on that discussion, propose and examine the implications of a service productivity framework that incorporates not only the company's perspective (as is done traditionally) but also the customer's perspective and a typology for classifying service innovations on the basis of their potential impact on productivity from the company's and the customer's perspectives.

The service productivity framework and service innovation typology are developed by synthesizing – and extending – concepts and insights from the relevant literature pertaining to productivity, quality and innovation.

Analysis and discussion of the proposed frameworks lead to the overarching conclusion that strategies to improve service productivity, enhance service quality or implement service innovations, are likely to be suboptimal if pursued in isolation. As such, it is important for companies to consider the inter‐linkages among service productivity, quality and innovation when formulating and implementing strategies pertaining to any of them.

The integration of conventional productivity concepts with key insights from the rich literature on service quality is novel. The resulting expanded service productivity framework and service innovation typology have important managerial implications and also offer several potentially fruitful avenues for further research.

Proposes an effective customer satisfaction program. Demonstrates that successful services companies have service packages, such as minimum service requirements and value added services that distinguish them from competitors. Offers five steps to greater customer satisfaction that focuses on satisfaction audits, service strategy development, employee relations, implementing tactics, and maintenance and feedback. Concludes that marketers must ultimately have a good understanding of the marketplace.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the different types of innovation that are predominant in companies in the UK services sector, the degree of innovativeness, the practices associated with the pursuit of innovation and their relationship with company performance.

The empirical phase of the study was conducted using a two‐stage process initiated by interviews and completed with mail surveys. Interviews were held with six senior executives of leading service companies in the UK. 214 senior managers of UK service companies were surveyed. The response rate was 47 per cent. Relevant statistical analytical techniques including regressions were used to analyse the data.

Product innovations are emphasized more in telecommunications and financial sectors than in transport and retail sectors while service innovations are emphasized more in retail and transport sectors. Radical and incremental innovations were found to be related to innovation performance. Radical innovations were also found to be related to innovation management practices.

Service companies need to pursue radical, me‐too and incremental innovations. Formal practices and processes must not be limited to the pursuit of radical innovations. Service companies must also recognize the pursuit of incremental innovations formally in their innovation strategies and define formal process for implementing these types of innovation.

The finding that formal practices are set up to foster the development of radical innovations in spite of the fact that both me‐too and incremental innovations are also related to innovation performance represents an interesting contribution. Applying a framework that was based on the development of new products and innovations in the manufacturing context to the service context represents a contribution to the extant literature. Finally, investigating the link between innovation types, innovativeness, management practices and innovation performance in service companies is pioneering.

This article develops a new conceptual model of knowledge flows within international service firms. Our model takes explicit account of the critical role of relationships and the individual as being central to the process of knowledge transfer for service firms. The model is then validated with data collected from five international service firms using critical event analysis techniques. The findings reinforce our contention that the individual plays a critical role in the process of knowledge transfer and that relationships form an integral part of this process. The implications of this finding are also discussed.

Preface The functions of business divide into several areas and the general focus of this book is on one of the most important although least understood of these—DISTRIBUTION. The particular focus is on reviewing current practice in distribution costing and on attempting to push the frontiers back a little by suggesting some new approaches to overcome previously defined shortcomings.

The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the pricing policies that service companies adopt in order to set their prices along with the service, organizational and environmental characteristics that influence these policies. Moreover, the extent to which these policies and characteristics are varied across different service industries is also examined.

In order to achieve the research objectives, data were collected from 170 companies operating in six different service sectors in Greece through personal interviews. Moreover, a qualitative research through 38 in‐depth interviews was also conducted.

The study found that the pricing policies tend to be influenced by a number of different service, organizational and environmental characteristics, while different patterns of pricing behavior were clearly identified across different service industries.

The practical implications of the findings refer to the fact that there does not seem to be a “one and only” recipe for pricing decisions, which can be applied to all circumstances and service contexts. Formulating the pricing strategy seems to be a “situation specific” business activity. The significance of these findings notwithstanding, the context of the study (Greece) is the most important caveat, since it limits the ability to generalize the results to other countries.

The contribution of the paper lies in the fact that it presents the first attempt to empirically examine the potential impact of the aforementioned characteristics on the pricing policies used especially across different service contexts.

Many organizations are investing much time and effort in the management of quality. A few enlightened ones even have a vision to be the best. G. Howland Blackiston, the president of the Juran Institute, noted recently that, “All around the world companies are waking up to ‘quality’. Everyone is touting quality. Many are attempting it. Some organizations have gotten enviable results by using the concepts of ‘managing for quality’ dramatically to lower their costs, increase their profits and become more competitive in an increasingly competitive market. For these winners, quality has become an integral part of their business strategy”.

This paper aims to investigate how buying companies manage the quality for their externally sourced business services. It explores how quality management for business services influences the performance of the buying company and what the major determinants of quality management are. The paper presents case evidence on which a conceptual model with preliminary propositions is built upon.

The paper uses case study evidence from eight manufacturing and eight service companies. Drawing on the findings of these case studies, a conceptual model with propositions is presented.

The paper suggests that buying companies do not yet use quality management for externally sourced business services to its full potential. However, buying companies using quality management practices for business services report positive effects on service quality and satisfaction of internal or external customers. The major determinants affecting the intensity of quality management are the usage of the service by the buying company, the risk associated with quality failures, the degree of standardization, and volume of the purchased service.

The research is based on information from 16 companies located in Germany and the conducted study is exploratory in nature. The collection of statistical data will be subject to future research as suggested in this paper.

The insights obtained from this paper can assist purchasers in their decision on how to design quality management practices. By understanding, what determines the quality management practices of buying companies, service providers may better adjust their service offerings to customers' requirements.

Quality management for business services in professional procurement has not attracted much academic attention so far, as literature on quality management has mainly adopted the perspective of a goods or service provider. Literature on the purchasing of services concentrates on the differences between the purchasing of goods and services and literature on service quality focuses on consumer services. This paper fills this gap conceptually with a multiple case study and offers guidance for further research.

How many times have you been in a bank, shop or restaurant, satisfactorily received what you wanted, only to be treated by the member of staff with utter disdain? If the answer is once only, that is once too often. People are talking about a breakdown in society in terms of morals but all I am talking about are a few good manners. It has never harmed anyone to say please or a thank you, yet it is surprising how many people who are working at the customer interface of a business often find difficulty with this simple task. It is sometimes not what they have said, but the way in which they have said it, and ultimately whether or not they will go back again. Tone of voice is most important to show that a person means what they are saying.