International Journal of Production Research, 2005
... Slater, SF and Narver, JC. 1994. Does competitive environment moderate the market orientation... more ... Slater, SF and Narver, JC. 1994. Does competitive environment moderate the market orientation-performance relationship?. J. Marketing , 58: 4655. [CrossRef], [Web of Science ®] View all references, Sousa and Voss 200152. Sousa, R and Voss, C. 2001. ...
Quality management (QM) has become an all-pervasive management philosophy, finding its way into m... more Quality management (QM) has become an all-pervasive management philosophy, finding its way into most sectors of today's business society. After the initial hype and enthusiasm, it is time to take stock of the knowledge accumulated in what is now a mature field of study and look for directions to take the field further forward. This article reflects on the mass of literature in the field, synthesizing, organizing and structuring knowledge and offering suggestions for future research. It reviews QM research organized along five main themes: the definition of QM, the definition of product quality, the impact of QM on firm performance, QM in the context of management theory and the implementation of QM. The article draws on these themes to reflect on three questions which are fundamental to re-visit and re-appraise QM: (i) What is QM? (ii) Is the set of practices associated with QM valid as a whole? (iii) How to implement QM in a real business setting?
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to craft a future research agenda to advance smart service... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to craft a future research agenda to advance smart service research and practice. Smart services are delivered to or via intelligent objects that feature awareness and connectivity. For service researchers and managers, one of the most fascinating aspects of smart service provision is that the connected object is able to sense its own condition and its surroundings and thus allows for real-time data collection, continuous communication and interactive feedback. Design/methodology/approach – This article is based on discussions in the workshop on “Fresh perspectives on technology in service” at the International Network of Service Researchers on September 26, 2014 at CTF, Karlstad, Sweden. The paper summarizes the discussion on smart services, adds an extensive literature review, provides examples from business practice and develops a structured approach to new research avenues. Findings – We propose that smart services vary on their individual level of autonomous decision-making, visibility and embeddedness in objects and customer lives. Based on a discussion of these characteristics, we identify research avenues regarding the perception and nature of smart services, the adoption of smart services, the innovation through smart services as well as regarding the development of new business models. Originality/value – Smart services is a new emerging topic in service marketing research, their implications on organizations, customers and the service landscape have not been fully explored. We provide a fresh perspective on service research by characterizing relevant aspects of smart service that will stimulate fruitful future research and advance the understanding and practice of smart services.
ABSTRACT This article reports the results of a study of operational practice and performance in 6... more ABSTRACT This article reports the results of a study of operational practice and performance in 663 manufacturing sites in Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. It reviews the competitiveness of manufacturing in each country against a “world class”scale. The results are examined in more detail examining differences between countries, factors influencing competitiveness such as site size and origin of parent, and agendas for individual countries. Overall a broad spread is found in Northern Europe with disappointingly few world class sites but many reasons for cautious optimism. The best companies are realistic about their position, but the worst are dangerously over-optimistic.
As operations management (OM) best practices have become mature, research on practices has begun ... more As operations management (OM) best practices have become mature, research on practices has begun to shift its interest from the justification of the value of those practices to the understanding of the contextual conditions under which they are effective-OM practice contingency research (OM PCR). This article sets out to examine and critique the current state of OM PCR. We review OM PCR studies through the lens of the major theoretical view on contingencies, contingency theory, along a number of relevant dimensions: contingency variables, performance variables, measurement, research design and employed form of fit. In this process, we put forward a number of tasks that need to be accomplished in order to move OM PCR forward and develop more solid conceptual foundations in which to anchor rigorous research in this area. Finally, we reflect on the theoretical arguments that underlie OM PCR (which are based on the contingency approach) and identify its limitations in fully explaining the currently observed patterns of use of OM practices and associated performance outcomes. As a result, we propose that in order to increase our understanding of these patterns, OM scholars need to study in more depth the process of selection of OM best practices by organizations. Accordingly, we put forward a framework to underpin such research integrating contingency theory and other theoretical perspectives.
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 2015
ABSTRACT This discussion paper is the summary of a EurOMA-funded workshop held in Dublin in 2010 ... more ABSTRACT This discussion paper is the summary of a EurOMA-funded workshop held in Dublin in 2010 on 'Theory in Operations Management', and special sessions on the same topic held at the 18 th and 20 th Annual EurOMA Conferences in Cambridge and Dublin, respectively. We are grateful to all participants for the contributions made to these sessions, which form the basis of this paper. This paper does not seek to " close " the issue, in fact its very purpose is to further the debate on this topic of perennial relevance and importance to OM scholars. We thus would welcome any comments or suggestions on both the content of the viewpoints represented in the paper, as well more generally how EurOMA can take this debate forward. Harry Boer ([email protected]) and Matthias Holweg ([email protected])
ABSTRACT The context in which service is delivered and experienced has, in many respects, fundame... more ABSTRACT The context in which service is delivered and experienced has, in many respects, fundamentally changed. For instance, advances in technology, especially information technology, are leading to a proliferation of revolutionary services and changing how customers serve themselves before, during, and after purchase. To understand this changing landscape, the authors engaged in an international and interdisciplinary research effort to identify research priorities that have the potential to advance the service field and benefit customers, organizations, and society. The priority-setting process was informed by roundtable discussions with researchers affiliated with service research centers and networks located around the world and resulted in the following 12 service research priorities:
This report examines innovation in experiential services. These are services where the focus is o... more This report examines innovation in experiential services. These are services where the focus is on the experience of the customer when interacting with the organisation, rather than just the functional benefits following from the products and services delivered. The report is based on a continuing research programme on experiential services at London Business School. In particular it draws on a recent case-based study of eight design agencies and consultancies and nine successful experiential service providers. The report addresses the question of how do experiential service providers innovate, in particular the content of innovation and the process of innovation including organisation for innovation. Studying innovation in experiential services facilitates wider reflection on the subject of service innovation. Readers of this report are enouraged to read thee more setailed analysis in: Zomerdijk L. and Voss C.A., Service Design for Experience-Centric Services, Journal of Service Re...
This paper puts forward a personal view of some of the issues facing Operations Management in par... more This paper puts forward a personal view of some of the issues facing Operations Management in particular reconciling the multiple approaches to researching and teaching OM which in turn raises issues such as journal rankings, teaching, relationship to practice and promotion and tenure
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 1994
Benchmarking and self-assessment is being used increasingly by industry as a tool to help identif... more Benchmarking and self-assessment is being used increasingly by industry as a tool to help identify "best practice", and to identify areas for improvement. In the quality management area, the impact has been particularly striking. In the US and Europe the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award has been particularly effective. Many companies have used it both for benchmarking and self-assessment leading to great improvements in quality practices and performance . To date these approaches have been practice led, with limited academic rigour of the kind that is found in other areas and tools for improvement in manufacturing. The research in this article set out to examine two questions, first, can an academic based approach contribute to more rigorous benchmarking and self-assessment in manufacturing and, second, can tools be developed for use in areas in manufacturing, in particular those to do with technology management.
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 1986
... This leads to the proposition that: Page 7. Implementing Manufacturing Technology 23 The real... more ... This leads to the proposition that: Page 7. Implementing Manufacturing Technology 23 The realisation of the full benefits of advanced manufacturing technology requires managerial controls that match the business objectives of technology. ...
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 1987
Background The Japanese have been highly successful in designing, manufacturing and marketing a w... more Background The Japanese have been highly successful in designing, manufacturing and marketing a wide range of products which have penetrated markets world-wide. The extent of this success has become so noticeable that there is now considerable interest in Japanese ...
International Journal of Production Research, 2005
... Slater, SF and Narver, JC. 1994. Does competitive environment moderate the market orientation... more ... Slater, SF and Narver, JC. 1994. Does competitive environment moderate the market orientation-performance relationship?. J. Marketing , 58: 4655. [CrossRef], [Web of Science ®] View all references, Sousa and Voss 200152. Sousa, R and Voss, C. 2001. ...
Quality management (QM) has become an all-pervasive management philosophy, finding its way into m... more Quality management (QM) has become an all-pervasive management philosophy, finding its way into most sectors of today's business society. After the initial hype and enthusiasm, it is time to take stock of the knowledge accumulated in what is now a mature field of study and look for directions to take the field further forward. This article reflects on the mass of literature in the field, synthesizing, organizing and structuring knowledge and offering suggestions for future research. It reviews QM research organized along five main themes: the definition of QM, the definition of product quality, the impact of QM on firm performance, QM in the context of management theory and the implementation of QM. The article draws on these themes to reflect on three questions which are fundamental to re-visit and re-appraise QM: (i) What is QM? (ii) Is the set of practices associated with QM valid as a whole? (iii) How to implement QM in a real business setting?
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to craft a future research agenda to advance smart service... more Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to craft a future research agenda to advance smart service research and practice. Smart services are delivered to or via intelligent objects that feature awareness and connectivity. For service researchers and managers, one of the most fascinating aspects of smart service provision is that the connected object is able to sense its own condition and its surroundings and thus allows for real-time data collection, continuous communication and interactive feedback. Design/methodology/approach – This article is based on discussions in the workshop on “Fresh perspectives on technology in service” at the International Network of Service Researchers on September 26, 2014 at CTF, Karlstad, Sweden. The paper summarizes the discussion on smart services, adds an extensive literature review, provides examples from business practice and develops a structured approach to new research avenues. Findings – We propose that smart services vary on their individual level of autonomous decision-making, visibility and embeddedness in objects and customer lives. Based on a discussion of these characteristics, we identify research avenues regarding the perception and nature of smart services, the adoption of smart services, the innovation through smart services as well as regarding the development of new business models. Originality/value – Smart services is a new emerging topic in service marketing research, their implications on organizations, customers and the service landscape have not been fully explored. We provide a fresh perspective on service research by characterizing relevant aspects of smart service that will stimulate fruitful future research and advance the understanding and practice of smart services.
ABSTRACT This article reports the results of a study of operational practice and performance in 6... more ABSTRACT This article reports the results of a study of operational practice and performance in 663 manufacturing sites in Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK. It reviews the competitiveness of manufacturing in each country against a “world class”scale. The results are examined in more detail examining differences between countries, factors influencing competitiveness such as site size and origin of parent, and agendas for individual countries. Overall a broad spread is found in Northern Europe with disappointingly few world class sites but many reasons for cautious optimism. The best companies are realistic about their position, but the worst are dangerously over-optimistic.
As operations management (OM) best practices have become mature, research on practices has begun ... more As operations management (OM) best practices have become mature, research on practices has begun to shift its interest from the justification of the value of those practices to the understanding of the contextual conditions under which they are effective-OM practice contingency research (OM PCR). This article sets out to examine and critique the current state of OM PCR. We review OM PCR studies through the lens of the major theoretical view on contingencies, contingency theory, along a number of relevant dimensions: contingency variables, performance variables, measurement, research design and employed form of fit. In this process, we put forward a number of tasks that need to be accomplished in order to move OM PCR forward and develop more solid conceptual foundations in which to anchor rigorous research in this area. Finally, we reflect on the theoretical arguments that underlie OM PCR (which are based on the contingency approach) and identify its limitations in fully explaining the currently observed patterns of use of OM practices and associated performance outcomes. As a result, we propose that in order to increase our understanding of these patterns, OM scholars need to study in more depth the process of selection of OM best practices by organizations. Accordingly, we put forward a framework to underpin such research integrating contingency theory and other theoretical perspectives.
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 2015
ABSTRACT This discussion paper is the summary of a EurOMA-funded workshop held in Dublin in 2010 ... more ABSTRACT This discussion paper is the summary of a EurOMA-funded workshop held in Dublin in 2010 on 'Theory in Operations Management', and special sessions on the same topic held at the 18 th and 20 th Annual EurOMA Conferences in Cambridge and Dublin, respectively. We are grateful to all participants for the contributions made to these sessions, which form the basis of this paper. This paper does not seek to " close " the issue, in fact its very purpose is to further the debate on this topic of perennial relevance and importance to OM scholars. We thus would welcome any comments or suggestions on both the content of the viewpoints represented in the paper, as well more generally how EurOMA can take this debate forward. Harry Boer ([email protected]) and Matthias Holweg ([email protected])
ABSTRACT The context in which service is delivered and experienced has, in many respects, fundame... more ABSTRACT The context in which service is delivered and experienced has, in many respects, fundamentally changed. For instance, advances in technology, especially information technology, are leading to a proliferation of revolutionary services and changing how customers serve themselves before, during, and after purchase. To understand this changing landscape, the authors engaged in an international and interdisciplinary research effort to identify research priorities that have the potential to advance the service field and benefit customers, organizations, and society. The priority-setting process was informed by roundtable discussions with researchers affiliated with service research centers and networks located around the world and resulted in the following 12 service research priorities:
This report examines innovation in experiential services. These are services where the focus is o... more This report examines innovation in experiential services. These are services where the focus is on the experience of the customer when interacting with the organisation, rather than just the functional benefits following from the products and services delivered. The report is based on a continuing research programme on experiential services at London Business School. In particular it draws on a recent case-based study of eight design agencies and consultancies and nine successful experiential service providers. The report addresses the question of how do experiential service providers innovate, in particular the content of innovation and the process of innovation including organisation for innovation. Studying innovation in experiential services facilitates wider reflection on the subject of service innovation. Readers of this report are enouraged to read thee more setailed analysis in: Zomerdijk L. and Voss C.A., Service Design for Experience-Centric Services, Journal of Service Re...
This paper puts forward a personal view of some of the issues facing Operations Management in par... more This paper puts forward a personal view of some of the issues facing Operations Management in particular reconciling the multiple approaches to researching and teaching OM which in turn raises issues such as journal rankings, teaching, relationship to practice and promotion and tenure
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 1994
Benchmarking and self-assessment is being used increasingly by industry as a tool to help identif... more Benchmarking and self-assessment is being used increasingly by industry as a tool to help identify "best practice", and to identify areas for improvement. In the quality management area, the impact has been particularly striking. In the US and Europe the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award has been particularly effective. Many companies have used it both for benchmarking and self-assessment leading to great improvements in quality practices and performance . To date these approaches have been practice led, with limited academic rigour of the kind that is found in other areas and tools for improvement in manufacturing. The research in this article set out to examine two questions, first, can an academic based approach contribute to more rigorous benchmarking and self-assessment in manufacturing and, second, can tools be developed for use in areas in manufacturing, in particular those to do with technology management.
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 1986
... This leads to the proposition that: Page 7. Implementing Manufacturing Technology 23 The real... more ... This leads to the proposition that: Page 7. Implementing Manufacturing Technology 23 The realisation of the full benefits of advanced manufacturing technology requires managerial controls that match the business objectives of technology. ...
International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 1987
Background The Japanese have been highly successful in designing, manufacturing and marketing a w... more Background The Japanese have been highly successful in designing, manufacturing and marketing a wide range of products which have penetrated markets world-wide. The extent of this success has become so noticeable that there is now considerable interest in Japanese ...
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Papers by Chris Voss
Design/methodology/approach – This article is based on discussions in the workshop on “Fresh perspectives on technology in service” at the International Network of Service Researchers on September 26, 2014 at CTF, Karlstad, Sweden. The paper summarizes the discussion on smart services, adds an extensive literature review, provides examples from business practice and develops a structured approach to new research avenues.
Findings – We propose that smart services vary on their individual level of autonomous decision-making, visibility and embeddedness in objects and customer lives. Based on a discussion of these characteristics, we identify research avenues regarding the perception and nature of smart services, the adoption of smart services, the innovation through smart services as well as regarding the development of new business models.
Originality/value – Smart services is a new emerging topic in service marketing research, their implications on organizations, customers and the service landscape have not been fully explored. We provide a fresh perspective on service research by characterizing relevant aspects of smart service that will stimulate fruitful future research and advance the understanding and practice of smart services.
Design/methodology/approach – This article is based on discussions in the workshop on “Fresh perspectives on technology in service” at the International Network of Service Researchers on September 26, 2014 at CTF, Karlstad, Sweden. The paper summarizes the discussion on smart services, adds an extensive literature review, provides examples from business practice and develops a structured approach to new research avenues.
Findings – We propose that smart services vary on their individual level of autonomous decision-making, visibility and embeddedness in objects and customer lives. Based on a discussion of these characteristics, we identify research avenues regarding the perception and nature of smart services, the adoption of smart services, the innovation through smart services as well as regarding the development of new business models.
Originality/value – Smart services is a new emerging topic in service marketing research, their implications on organizations, customers and the service landscape have not been fully explored. We provide a fresh perspective on service research by characterizing relevant aspects of smart service that will stimulate fruitful future research and advance the understanding and practice of smart services.