Performance measurement in the service business: the facilities management function

The nature of performance measurement has changed over the past few decades. Generally performance measurement indicates successful management in the fulfilment of organisation goals. In service businesses measuring customer satisfaction and service quality has become an industry standard and as FM is becomes more widely recognised as a component in the business value chain and corporate strategic objectives, the adoption of performance indicators that relate directly to the core business driver is key to success. This paper examines the state of knowledge of performance measurement in a facilities management context, expounds and reveals the role that performance measurement plays in the overall efficiency of the FM service function in relation to service business operation. The paper suggests that a fully developed performance measurement solution can deliver as a business tool whilst acting as a driver in the innovation process of service organisation

A call for conceptual clarity: a soft systems view of performance measurement in public service delivery

Performance measurement systems and the publication of performance data are fundamental to the New Public Management, with its emphasis on decentralised service provision through a variety of agencies. There seem to be four reasons for this performance measurement: to see what works, to identify competences, to support public accountability and to allow control of decentralised service provision. Each of these is examined, using the root definitions that form part of soft systems methodology, which highlights the importance of different worldviews that provide justifications for different approaches to this measurement. If performance measurement systems are to be beneficial, their design should be based on a conceptualisations that recognises these different worldviews and purposes

IT service management: towards a contingency theory of performance measurement

Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) focuses on IT service creation, design, delivery and maintenance. Measurement is one of the basic underlying elements of service science and this paper contributes to service science by focussing on the selection of performance metrics for ITSM. Contingency theory is used to provide a theoretical foundation for the study. Content analysis of interviews of ITSM managers at six organisations revealed that selection of metrics is influenced by a discrete set of factors. Three categories of factors were identified: external environment, parent organisationand IS organisation. For individual cases, selection of metrics was contingent on factors such as organisation culture, management philosophy and perspectives, legislation, industry sector, and customers, although a common set of four factors influenced selection of metrics across all organisations. A strong link was identified between the use of a corporate performance framework and clearly articulated ITSM metrics

From Measurement to Management: the Influence of IT on Service Operations

The state of service management practice and the developments in IT-efficiency research prompt the call for managerial relevance, normative theory building and the conceptualization and measurement of the impact of Information Technology (IT) on service efficiency. Drawing on theoretical insights from economic and behavioral literature, this article deduces a work system centered model of the service outlet and proposes a measurement methodology (ITIMPACT) geared towards the development of a business intelligence tool. The measurement follows a two-step methodology that first assesses compared-to-best efficiency, using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), and subsequently explains efficiency differences using a regression framework. An inter-disciplinary approach bases the first step on econometric logic, while the second takes its foundation in behavioral sciences, and information system research.Service industry;

Personalised service? Changing the role of the government librarian

Investigates the feasibility of personalised information service in a government department. A qualitative methodology explored stakeholder opinions on the remit, marketing, resourcing and measurement of the service. A questionnaire and interviews gathered experiences of personalised provision across the government sector. Potential users were similarly surveyed to discuss how the service could meet their needs. Data were analysed using coding techniques to identify emerging theory. Lessons learned from government librarians centred on clarifying requirements, balancing workloads and selective marketing. The user survey showed low usage and awareness of existing specialist services, but high levels of need and interest in services repackaged as a tailored offering. Fieldwork confirmed findings from the literature on the scope for adding value through information management advice, information skills training and substantive research assistance and the need to understand business processes and develop effective partnerships. Concluding recommendations focus on service definition, strategic marketing, resource utilisation and performance measurement

Evolving Role and Nature of Workplace Leaders and Diversity: A Theoretical and Empirical Approach

This paper describes the development of the organisational gap model for hotel management. It descries a management measurement instrument that helps to assess the 3 organizational service gaps that are preconditions for delivering service quality (the positioning gap, specification gap and evaluation gap). The described theoretical model was constructed based upon the four organisational gaps of the Parasuraman et al. service quality model, then redefined and reassessed. Data were gathered on the sample of 500 questionnaires from the Slovenian hotel industry and analysed with exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The results can be useful guidelines for hotel management on how to improve the service delivery process.service quality model, organisational gaps, multivariate analysis, hotel industry

The SERPVAL scale: a multi-item scale for measuring service personal values

Personal values have long been considered an important variable in understanding consumer purchasing behaviors. Although research on values has been performed in a wide range of social disciplines, this variable has never been operationalized in the service management ontext. In this paper we develop a scale that measures the personal values that are associated with buying a service: the Service Personal Values (SERPVAL) scale. Insights from an empirical study of 386 service users indicate that this scale is multi-dimensional. It presents four dimensions of service value to 1) living comfort, 2) peaceful life, 3) social recognition, and 4) social integration. Discussion centers on implications of this scale to theory and to managerial development of services strategies. Directions for future research in services management and personal values are also presented.Services Management, Services Marketing, Personal Values, Measurement, SERPVAL Scale

Service quality in alcohol treatment: a qualitative study

The objective of the study was to qualitatively evaluate the managerial and organisational issues associated with service quality in a privately funded alcohol treatment centre in the UK. Two different groups of participants at a private treatment clinic were interviewed. The first group comprised 25 of its patients. The second group comprised 15 staff members of the same clinic. All 40 interviews were transcribed and a thematic analysis was performed on the data to reveal the key themes. Six themes emerged from the interviews amongst patients and staff of the treatment clinic. The six themes were: (1) the fellowship of patients, (2) professionalism, (3) process and measurement, (4) incarceration, (5) empathy gap, and (6) access to treatment. Findings suggested there was a strong emphasis on management of the service delivery with established quality systems and performance measurement systems in place. The two service quality gaps, suggested by the research, were the rigid delivery of service and a lack of empathetic relationships with patients. Furthermore, by evaluating the service quality delivery from the service user’s perspective, a voice was given to a group of patients, who in research terms have gone largely unheard

Longitudinal Measurement of Service Quality in Information Systems: A Case Study

Using SERVQUAL, IS service quality was measured twice, at a one year interval, in a large accounting and information management consulting firm. After the first measurement, IS management used the results to initiate several actions to improve service quality. The second measurement indicated that service quality improved. The managerial actions that preceded the increase in service quality are reported and discussed

The exploration of service quality and its measurement for private higher education institutions

The strategic importance of service excellence for service industries places the focus on service quality leadership, service quality management systems, service quality dimensions and the measurement of service quality. Many businesses such as private higher education institutions (PHEIs) regard service quality excellence as the single most important and distinct competence for survival and sustainability. The paucity of literature on the topic does not reflect the substantial growth of PHEIs in South Africa, and this paper explores service quality in this context. This exploratory study focuses on service quality (general insights), the need for service quality management and measurement at PHEIs, and the practical value of the SERVQUAL methodologies. The research approach is exploratory in the sense that it involves a literature review and an empirical application of the SERVQUAL instrument at a PHEI. The results (with internal validity) indicate the following three factors: the increasing strategic importance of service quality at PHEIs; good service quality levels at the PHEI studied; and why and how SERVQUAL (and SERVPERF) can benefit PHEIs.Key words: service quality management, service leadership, service quality dimensions, service quality management systems, private higher education institutions (PHEIs), exploratory study, service quality measurement, SERVQUA