Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Service delivery;management;marketing'

Thesis (MPA)--Stellenbosch University, 2000.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The hypothesis explored in this thesis is that the application of marketing in the public sector will improve public service delivery. Three different areas of academic enquiry are examined in an effort to prove a beneficial relationship between marketing and public service delivery. These three areas are Public Management, Marketing, and Services Management. Certain challenges for improving service delivery are identified in each of these disciplines, and the current status of public sector marketing is described. The study is applied to the Cape Metropolitan Area, and specifically the Cape Metropolitan Council. This does however not rule out the application of the findings of the study to other areas. Additional to the normal literature study, research for the thesis involves personal interviews with public managers, and on-line questionnaires on the Internet and the Intranet of the Cape Metropolitan Council. Combining the results of the literature study and the physical research with the argument constructed in the thesis, it is found that many of the challenges identified in the three disciplines address each other, and that marketing can definitely prove useful as a tool with which to improve public service delivery. A model for marketing-oriented public service delivery is proposed.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hipotese wat in hierdie tesis aangespreek word is dat die toepassing van bemarking in die openbare sektor sal meebring dat openbare dienslewering sal verbeter. Drie studievelde word verken om te bepaal of enige afleidings gemaak kan word oor die positiewe invloed van bemarking op dienslewering. Die drie studievelde is Openbare Bestuur, Bemarking, en Dienstebestuur. Sekere uitdagings om dienslewering te verbeter word in elke veld geïdentifiseer, en die huidige status van openbare bemarking word verduidelik. Die studie word toegepas op die Kaapse Metropolitaanse Gebied, met spesifieke verwysing na die Kaapse Metropolitaanse Raad. Die toepassing van die bevindings van die studie op ander gebiede word egter nie hierdeur uitgesluit nie. Bykomend tot die literatuurstudie word persoonlike onderhoude met openbare sektor bestuurders en vraelyste op die Internet en die Intranet van die Kaapse Metropolitaanse Raad as deel van die navorsingspoging gebruik. Deur die resultate van die navorsing en die literatuurstudie te vergelyk met die argument in die tesis, word dit bevind dat die uitdagings uit die verskillende velde mekaar aanvul. Dit word bevind dat bemarking aansienlik sal kan bydra tot die verbetering van dienslewering in die openbare sektor. 'n Model vir bemarkings-georiënteerde openbare dienslewering word voorgestel.

SDM is a process model, based on service marketing components, to position a service while concurrently being a service delivery management tool improving serviceen counter processes. Added to a service script, SDM can increase customer satisfaction, quality perception, voice levels and repurchase intentions in a general service encounter scenario as well as during episodes which include a failure. Addressing mishaps requires particular attention, since Consumer Complaint Behaviour research shows that most customers prefer to switch suppliers, rather than offer constructive feedback. This means that many service failures go unnoticed, with a large proportion of customers defecting. Since most services are performed in real time by service personnel, consistent quality output is a challenge. Therefore, occasional service failures are inevitable. Present research recognises this by offering suggestions, but does not present an integrated framework like SDM, using the presence of a customer during a service encounter as an unique opportunity to resolve issues on the spot. An elicitation process is used as a first step, attempting to improve voice and minimising lost feedback. Step two is a specific service recovery process, adapted to the failure type. SDM processes can also lead to a general increase of satisfaction and quality perception, regardless of whether or not there was a service failure. With satisfaction generally being regarded as an actual repurchase behaviour indicator, this may lead to increased sales turnover, while a higher quality perception may lead to a larger price premium tolerance and therefore higher profits. Higher service quality perceptions can also be used as a marketing positioning tool to differentiate a service from competitors. Data collected supported all hypotheses put forward in this thesis, showing statistically significant improvements on all key variables, including a satisfaction rating increase of 24percent when SDM was applied. In academic terms, the process model tested did not only link separate literature streams, but offered an integrated, proactive tool which is capable of operating in real time. Traditionally, academic models and their processes analyse results after an episode concludes, while SDM allows a provider to positively influence or manage satisfaction levels during the service delivery.

SDM is a process model, based on service marketing components, to position a service while concurrently being a service delivery management tool improving serviceen counter processes. Added to a service script, SDM can increase customer satisfaction, quality perception, voice levels and repurchase intentions in a general service encounter scenario as well as during episodes which include a failure. Addressing mishaps requires particular attention, since Consumer Complaint Behaviour research shows that most customers prefer to switch suppliers, rather than offer constructive feedback. This means that many service failures go unnoticed, with a large proportion of customers defecting. Since most services are performed in real time by service personnel, consistent quality output is a challenge. Therefore, occasional service failures are inevitable. Present research recognises this by offering suggestions, but does not present an integrated framework like SDM, using the presence of a customer during a service encounter as an unique opportunity to resolve issues on the spot. An elicitation process is used as a first step, attempting to improve voice and minimising lost feedback. Step two is a specific service recovery process, adapted to the failure type. SDM processes can also lead to a general increase of satisfaction and quality perception, regardless of whether or not there was a service failure. With satisfaction generally being regarded as an actual repurchase behaviour indicator, this may lead to increased sales turnover, while a higher quality perception may lead to a larger price premium tolerance and therefore higher profits. Higher service quality perceptions can also be used as a marketing positioning tool to differentiate a service from competitors. Data collected supported all hypotheses put forward in this thesis, showing statistically significant improvements on all key variables, including a satisfaction rating increase of 24percent when SDM was applied. In academic terms, the process model tested did not only link separate literature streams, but offered an integrated, proactive tool which is capable of operating in real time. Traditionally, academic models and their processes analyse results after an episode concludes, while SDM allows a provider to positively influence or manage satisfaction levels during the service delivery.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil Engineering; and, (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 1985.
MICROFICHE COPY AVAILABLE IN ARCHIVES, DEWEY AND ENGINEERING.
Bibliography: leaves 123-129.
by Francois Jacques.
M.S.

Describes the business plan for an entrepreneurial venture called Nutrition on Wheels, which will be the first locally owned and operated gourmet diet food delivery service in the Coachella Valley of California. The service will provide customized meals to fit the specific dietary needs of its customers. Covers the essential components of the business plan for Nutrition on Wheels including industry analysis, market potential, marketing plans, organization and operational plans, strategic management and a financial plan.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2004.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The high degree of extant commoditisation of organizations and their value propositions in the financial services industry has necessitated organizations in the industry to seek differentiation from the competition. Innovation has generally been accepted as a way for organizations to create differentiation by adding value to the organization. Until recently the focus of innovation activities has been limited to the product or the service of the organization. Recent emphasis has however shifted the innovation mandate to more holistically consider the total experience the customer has when interacting with the organization. This study concerns itself with the organizational activities required to innovate the customer experience. The main argumentation adopted by the thesis suggests that organizations need to constantly leverage their connectivity, forward and backward in value systems, across organizational boundaries to enhance the customer experience innovatively. Leveraging the organization's connectivity creates advantages for both radical and incremental innovation management to thereby improve and sustain the organization's profitability. The study commences by critically analysing the total customer expenence and then describing how the customer experience can create differentiation for the organization. The second part of the study scrutinises innovation literature to gain an understanding of how and where organizations can benefit in the management of innovation. The third part of the study reveals multi-channel management as a method that can be utilised to deliver the customer experience innovatively and benefit the organization in the continuous innovation of the customer experience. The study culminates in a preliminary model that conceptualises the leveraging of connectivity in the innovation process necessary within the organization for the innovation of a differentiated customer experience. Limitations of the study are described, and recommendations are made for both further research and the application of the study to the business environment.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Ondernemings in die finansiële dienste industrie ondervind huidiglik dat hul waardeproposisies relatief maklik in kommoditeite verander. Dit noodsaak ondernemings in hierdie industrie tot toenemende innoverende differensiasie om daardeur 'n voorsprong op konkurrente in die mark te verkry. Innovasie word algemeen aanvaar as die manier waarop organisasies waarde kan toevoeg om sodoende differensiasie te bewerkstellig. Tot onlangs was die fokus van innovasie-aktiwiteite beperk tot die produk of diens van 'n onderneming. Die moderne tendens is dat die klem in die innovasiemandaat verskuif om die totale ervaring in die interaksieproses tussen onderneming en kliënt holisties te benader. Hierdie studie konsentreer op die organisatoriese aktiwiteite wat benodig word in die innoveering van die kliënt se ervaring. Die hoof argument wat deur die tesis aanvaar word, beklemtoon dat ondernemings deurlopend hul konnektiwiteit voor- en terugwaarts in die waardesisteem, moet hefboom oor organisatoriese grense heen, om daardeur die innovasieproses van die kliënte-ervaring te bevorder. Om die onderneming se konnektiwiteit op hierdie wyse te hefboom, skep voordele vir beide radikale en inkrementele innovasie bestuur waardeur die onderneming se winsgewendheid volgehou en verbeter kan word. In die aanvang van die studie word gepoog om die totale verbruikerservaring krities te analiseer; daarna word uiteengesit hoe die kliënte-ervaring vir die onderneming differensiasie kan skep. Die tweede deel van die studie ondersoek literatuur wat betrekking het op innovasie om daardeur te verstaan hoe en waar ondernemings voordeel kan trek uit die bestuur van innovasie. Die derde deel van die studie stel multikanaal-bestuur voor as 'n metode om die beoogde kliënte-ervaring te weeg te bring, maar ook as 'n manier om die onderneming te bevoordeel in die deurlopende innovasie van die verbuiker se ervaring. Die studie resulteer in 'n voorlopige model wat die hefboom van konnektiwiteit in die innovasie proses vir 'n gedifferensieerde kliënte-ervaring konseptualiseer. Ten slotte word die beperkings van die studie omskryf en aanbevelings word gemaak vir beide navorsingsdoeleindes, en die toepassing van die studie tot die praktiese sakeomgewing.

Based on research into the area of financial service delivery it has become obvious that convenience and simplicity are the keys to success in the future as far as delivering financial services to consumers. This thesis discusses how this convenience and simplicity will be accomplished. It also covers the changes that need to be made and the financial impact on the institutions.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007.
The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on December 12, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (S.M.M.O.T.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, Management of Technology Program, 2000.
Includes bibliographical references (leaf 69).
Products and services are two ways firms delivery value to customers. In some situations firms augment physical products with services related to that product. In other situations the service offered to customers is the primary offering and it is enabled by a product. This paper investigates enterprise resource planning (ERP) software tracking its evolution from predominantly a product with associated services to an offering as a service enabled by the software product. Frameworks have been developed to analyze service offerings. Two such frameworks capture causal relationships to customer value and customer satisfaction. This paper analyzes these frameworks and applies one of them to SAP R/3 ERP software as the offering evolved towards a more pure service offering (product-based). The paper then analyzes the sufficiency and appropriateness of one framework, the service profit chain, to the current offering of the SAP R/3 ERP application service provider (ASP) product, MySAP.com. Several additions are suggested to enhance the service profit chain model.
by Atsuhito Momma.
S.M.M.O.T.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Sydney, 2008.
A thesis presented to the University of Western Sydney, College of Arts, Social Justice and Social Change Research Centre, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Includes bibliographies.

Empirical research has established that the service sector is the engine of growth in global economies. Despite the contributions of the service sector to global economies, research in service innovation has been neglected. There are still empirical research gaps especially on the predictors of strategic service delivery innovation (SSDI). The problem statement addressed in this study was that no research used the resource advantage theory to investigate the nature of the relationship between SSI and SSDI with OS as a possible moderator variable. Using resource advantage theory as the foundation, the purpose of this correlational study was to determine whether organizational size moderates the relationship between SSI and SSDI. Survey data were collected from a random sample of IT managers in the United States (n = 250), and data were analyzed using SPSS to specifically test the three hypotheses of the study. The key findings indicated that SSI was positively related to SSDI F (3, 246) = 428.153, p < 0.001 OS was positively related to SSI (t = 10.4, p < 0.001), and OS moderated the relationship between SSI and SSDI F (1, 245) = 0.005, p = 0.006. Using the conceptual framework of the R-A theory was statistically significant to investigate the relationships between the three key variables. Positive social change should be achieved when IT managers realize that strategic service innovation is positively related to strategic service innovation delivery, and is moderated by organizational size, then this information should factor into IT managers' strategic planning to positively impact social change by minimizing cost of production in service delivery to consumers. The outcome of this study was two-fold: academic significance of delivery innovation (SSDI) and managerial significance.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2000.
Includes bibliographical references.
This is a study of the local package delivery industry. This thesis shall consider only businesses that are engaged in delivery of goods and services that have been purchased online. Such companies may or may not be engaged in other business activities aside from delivery. Local refers to deliveries that are made between origin (pickup from warehouses or stores) and destination (drop-oft) points that are within the same metropolitan area. The overall objectives of this thesis are to show: ) -- There are significant pressures in this industry forcing a vertical disintegration, the process by which companies transform themselves from being an end-to-end retailer to serving only specific part(s) of the value chain. The early entrants in the market began as online grocery and replenishment retailers. Today, the focus is shifting towards becoming a delivery infrastructure for businesses and consumers. ) -- There will be significant business opportunities in serving the local delivery businesses resulting from the forced disintegration of the industry. One class of opportunities is to address the basic needs of local delivery companies such as providing the technology components for running fleet operations. Another class is the result of the fragmentation of the industry and the inclination of businesses to simplify choices for customers. New businesses will be formed through creative set of partnerships that counteract the impact of disintegration. ) -- For individual companies to succeed and grab investor attention, they will have to revolutionize rather than simply evolve their part of the value chain. Only innovative approaches to solving needs can have sustainable competitive advantage. We begin by discussing the value chain for the local delivery businesses and the structure of this industry. Then, we shall proceed to analyzing various business drivers that are pushing the industry towards a vertical disintegration and a focus on service. Afterwards, we will talk about what vertical disintegration means to existing companies and future entrants and the outlook for the industry. We will end this thesis by discussing various forms of business opportunities that exist for companies that want to serve local delivery industry.
by Reza Morakabati.
M.B.A.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management, 2002.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 111-118).
This dissertation analyzes the strategic implications of customization policies available to companies that must simultaneously provide service and learn about their customers through automated interfaces. The first part of the dissertation lays out the theoretical framework within which the analysis is carried. The second part addresses whether companies should use Internet-based customization tools to design service encounters that maximize customers' utility in the present or explore customers' tastes to provide more value in the future. Good customization policies must quantify the value of knowledge so as to adequately balance the expected revenue of present and future interactions. Such policies can be obtained by analyzing the customization decision problem within the framework of dynamic programming. Interpretation of the service design policies enhances the current understanding of the mechanisms connecting service customization, value creation, and customer lifetime value. This leads to insights into the nature of the relationship between learning, loyalty, and long-term profitability in service industries. The final part of the dissertation considers situations where companies have the ability to acquire information by other means in addition to observing interactions with customers. In information-intensive industries, investments in customer retention often take the form of paying customers to answer questionnaires, or somehow acquiring information about the customers' preferences. The value of customers is convex as a function of knowledge.
(cont.) This means that the more firms know about a customer, the more eager they should be to learn even more. However, the cost of obtaining information about customers increases as knowledge increases. Understanding the interactions between these two functions is fundamental to designing information acquisition policies. In the real world, investment in customer retention must often be balanced with investment in customer acquisition. Therefore, investment in learning about a current customer must depend not only on the current level of knowledge about that customer but also on properties of the population to which potential customers belong. The analysis concludes with the characterization of information acquisition policies for a number of different managerial settings.
by Paulo Rocha e Oliveira.
Ph.D.

The study seeks to clarify why donors such as the World Bank still insist on the use of their financial management system rather than the recipient country’s financial management system, despite the intention under the Paris Declaration 2005 to use the respective government’s systems. The study then explores the reasons why the financial management system used by the World Bank is more effective in managing risks related to public financial management and aid as compared to the Government of Malaysia approach. The study compares financial management by the World Bank and Ministry of Education, Government of Malaysia, in their parallel implementation of Educational Sector Support Projects (ESSP) under the Eighth Malaysian Plan, 2001-2005. The quality of financial management of projects in two systems is compared using established criteria of good financial management practice. Findings are based on evidence from interviews, documentation and direct observations. The study demonstrates the significant roles in reducing risks played in the World Bank approach by the Project Management Reports (PMR), the high quality of Project Implementation Unit (PIU) staff and the better procurement procedures. The implication is that more effective risk management and financial management reporting were needed by the Ministry of Education in implementing the ESSP under the Eighth Malaysian Plan 2001 - 2005.

Thesis (MPA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research study explores the impact of organisational culture with specific reference to the South African Police Service (SAPS) culture on service delivery. The two interrelated concepts "organisational culture and service delivery are discussed broadly in terms of their challenges for the contemporary policing function which put emphasis on the provision of police service and accounatbility to the broader community. The premise of the study is based on literature research evidence that organisational culture is an important factor to influence employee behaviour towards organisational effectiveness and also determine how they respond to its external environment. At the same time a strong organisational culture can be rigid and become a hindrance to change. Service delivery is a critical challenge to the government's ongoing efforts to ensure that its delivery process is efficient and responsive, particularly to the needs of the previously disadvantaged communities. In recent years, this challenge reinforced the government to embark on broad transformation mechanisms in order to position public institutions in an environment where service delivery meets the public needs and expectations. Some of these mechanisms include the promulgation of legislation, regulations and a series of policy frameworks notably, The White Paper on Reconstruction and Development (ROP), 1994, The White Paper on the Transformation of the Public Service of 1995, Public Service Regulation of 1999 etc. However, the provision of efficient service delivery in public institutions is usually constrained by various factors such as lack of capacity and shortage of competency skills, financial and technological resources as opposed to the private sector which normally have these resources in abundance. Since lack of sufficient financial resources will always be a challenge for public service delivery enhancement, this study suggests that public institutions can incorporate some private sector strategies in order to be innovative and improve efficiency. Apart from a lack of the above mentioned resources as contributing factor to inefficient service delivery, available theory on organisational culture state that it is an all encompassing factor that influences employee behaviour in public institutions. Chapter 3 provides a theoretical framework on the concept of organisational culture, its formation, and its sources, how it is sustained in the organisation. Various models and examples of organisational culture as found in small and big organisations such as those associated with government agencies are analysed and distinguish in terms of why the size of the organisation can determine its prevailing culture. Small organisations with flat structures are considered to be flexible, autonomous, innovative and responsive to customer needs. On the other hand the traditional bureaucratic organisations such as government agencies like police organisations tend to be characterised by highly formal hierarchical structure with too many layers, operational rules and regulations which are intended to enforce control measures. However, type of structures are criticised for rigid systems, autocratic, and slow. Models for changing organisational culture in order to increase its effectiveness are suggested. After a theoretical discussion on both the concepts organisational culture and service delivery, the SAPS was used as a case study to establish the applicability and the extent to which organisational culture impact on service delivery. The first stage consist of analytical perspective of the SAPS historical military culture since its inception in 1913 and giving critical accounts of its operational phases that it had undergone until the new dispensation. Since the early 1990s until after April 1994 elections, marked a new era in the SAPS which embarked on broad transformation initiatives in order to change policing function from that of a narrow law and order maintenance to a fully integrated community policing which makes police officers to be accountable to the broader community by rendering police service and problem solving within a human rights culture. However, police culture has been widely criticised as a source of resistance to change and reform, and is often misunderstood. The prevailing police culture which was inherited from the previous paramilitary legacy such as the autocratic leadership style, traditional bureaucratic structure, corruption, secrecy, mistrust are some of the dominant indicators which are identifiable and commonalities among the different police agencies. These dominant features cause any resistance to any change initiative and are perceived with negative image. After contextualising the description of the SAPS, the study describes the methods and procedures used to conduct an empirical research project in the form of a pilot study conducted in two police stations in Cape Town. Data collection methods include the following: 1) literature review, 2) open-ended one-an-one interviews with the station commissioners from the selected stations, 3) distributing survey questionnaires which consist of close ended questionnaires to junior officers at police stations to determine their attitudes towards the organisations they work in, and 4) by means of observation. Theoretical evidence proves that police culture which is characterised by paramilitary, bureaucracy, rigid systems and procedures, inflexible structure still prevail in the SAPS and contributes significantly to lack of coordination, slow response and results inefficient service delivery. It is concluded that police stations are the primary centres where the public gets first hand experience when reporting their cases or need the help of police officers to solve problems in the community. In order to provide efficient police service, units which provide interrelated functions need to be fully integrated under one unit commander in order to improve coordination and prompt response. Policing crime is still the primary function of the police and police officers need to be fully equipped with competency skills and other capacity building programs that are consistent with the contemporary policing function.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie navorsingstudie stelondersoek in na die impak van organisasiekultuur met spesifieke verwysing na die Suid-Afrikaanse Polisiediens (SAPD) se kultuur op dienslewering. Die twee verwante konsepte "organisasiekultuur"en "dienslewering"word breedvoerig bespreek teen die agtergrond van die agtergrond van die uitdagings wat dit stel vir die hedendaagse polisieringsfunsie wat dit beklemtoon dat die polisie 'n diens moet lewer en aanspeeklik moet wees teenoor die breer gemeenskap. Die studie se aanname is gebasseer op literatuurnavorsing wat toon dat organisasiekultuur 'n faktor is wat werknemersgedrag beinvloed ten opsigte van organisasie-effektiwiteit asook hoe werknemers reageer teenoor die eksterne omgewing. 'n Sterk organisasiekultuur word beskou as 'n bindende faktor tussen werkers en die organisasie en dit skep kosekwentheid en rigting. 'n Sterk organisisasiekultuur kan terselfdetyd rigied wees en 'n struikelblok word in die weg van voorgestelde verandering aangesien verandering beskou kan word as inmenging in die normale gang van die organisasie. Hierteenoor het 'n meer buigsame kultuur die voordeel van aanpasbaarheid ten opsigte van verandering. Dienslewering is 'n volgehoue uitdaging vir die regering se se volgehoue pogings om te verseker dat sy leweringsproses effektief is en die behoeftes van spesifiek die voorheen benadeelde groepe aanspreek. Hierdie uitdaging het die regering genoop om transformasie-meganismes daar te stel ten einde openbare instellings in staat te stelom leweringsagente te word wat die behoeftes en uitkomste-verwagtinge van almal aanspreek. Van die meganismes sluit in die promulgering van wetgewing en beleid soos die Heropbou-en Ontwikkelingsprogram (HOP) Witskrif, 1994, die Transformasie van Openbare Dienste Witskrif, 1995, die Openbare Diens Reguleringswet van 1999 ensomeer. Die lewering van effektiewe dienste word gewoonlik beperk deur deur veskeie faktore soos 'n gebrek aan kapasiteit en vaardighede, asook finasiele en tegnologiese hulpbronne wat normaalweg tot die beskiking van die private sektor is. Gegewe dat 'n tekort aan finansiele hulpbronne altyd 'n uitdaging vir effektiewe openbare sektor dienslewering sal wees, stel hierdie studie voor dat openbare instellings sekere privaatsektor strategiee kan inkorporeer ten einde innovasie en effektiwiteit te verbeter. Behalwe bogenoemde beperkende faktore, stel beskikbare organisasiekultuur-teorie dit dat dit ook organisasiekultuur is wat openbare sektor amptenare se gedrag is wat die kwaliteit en vlak van dienslewering beinvloed. Hoofstuk drie bied 'n teoretiese raamwerk vir die konsep organisasiekultuur ten opsigte van hoe dit geskep en in stand gehou word binne organisasies. Verskeie modelle en voorbeelde van organisasiekultuur binne klein sowel as groor organissaies word ontleed en daar word gekyk na hoe die grootte van 'n organisasie organisasiekultuur beinvloed. Klein organisasies met 'n plat struktuur word beskou as buigsaam, outonoom, innoverend en daartoe in staat om die vebruiker se behoeftes aan te spreek. Daarteenoor word tradisionele burokratiese organisasies soos polisie-organisasies gekenmerk deur formele strukture met te veel vlakke, operasionele reels en regulasies ten einde volle beheer te he oor prosedures. Die rigiede stelsels, outokrasie, en stadiege leweringsproses van sulke strukture word dikwels gekritiseer. Modelle om organisasiekultuur te verander ten einde effektiwiteit te verbeter word voorgestel. Die teoretiese bespeking van die konsepte organisasiekultuur en dienslewering word gevolg deur 'n gevallestudie van die SAPD ten einde te bepaal die mate waartoe organisasiekultuur impakteer op dienslewering. Die eerste fase behels 'n analitiese perspektief van die SAPD se historiese militere kultuur sedert 1913 asook' n kritiese blik op operasionele fases waardeur die SAPD gegaan het tot en met die nuwe dispensasie. Die vroee 1990s tot net na die April 1994 verkiesing verteenwoordig' n nuwe era in die SAPD ten opsigte van transformasie inisiatiewe wat daarop gerig was om die polisieringsfunksie te verander van 'n agent wat eng gefokus was op die handhawing van wet en orde na 'n geintegreerde polisiediens wat aanspeeklik is teenoor die bree gemeenskap. Dit behels die lewering van 'n polisiediens sowel as probleem-oplossing binne die konteks van 'n menseregte-kultuur. Polisiekultuur word, as gevolg van misverstande, dikwels beskou as 'n bron weerstand teen verandering. Die heersende organisasiekultuur - wat 'n nalatenskap is van die vorige paramilitere styl byvoorbeeld outokratiese leierskapstyl, tradisionele burokratiese strukture, korrupsie, geheimhouding, wantroue - is van die dominante indikatore wat gemeenskaplike eienskappe is van die verskeie polisie-agentskappe. Hierdie dominante kenmerke veroorsaak weerstand teen enige veranderingsinisiatief en word as negatief beskou. Die beskrywing van die SAPD word gevolg deur' n uiteensetting van metodes en prosedures wat gebruik was tydens die empiriese navorsing wat gedoen was by twee polisiestasies in Kaapstad. Data insamelingsmetodes sluit in: 1) lieratuurnavorsing, 2) ope een-tot-een onderhoude met die stasiekomisarisse van die twee stasies, 3) die verspreiding van geslote vraelyste aan junior offisiere by polisiestasies ten einde hul houding te bepaal teenoor die organisaies waar hulle werk, en 4) observasies. Teoretiese bewyse toon dat die polisiekultuur wat normaalweg gekenmerk word deur paramilitere, buroktariese, rigiede stelsels en prosedures steeds bestaan binne die SAPD en dat dit bydra tot swak koordinasie, swak response en oneffektiewe dienslewering. Ten slotte word gemeld dat polisiedienssentra plekke is waar die publiek eerstehands kennis maak met dienslewering. Ten einde 'n effektiewe diens te lewer, behoort eenhede wat verwante diense lewer geintegreer te word onder die bevel van een bevelvoerder. Misdaadvoorkoming is steeds die primere funksie van die SAPD en beamptes moet toegerus word met die nodige bevoegdhede, vaardighede asook kapasiteitsbouprogramme wat in lyn is met die kontemporere polisieringsfunksie.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Kelley School of Business, 2008.
Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Jul 23, 2009). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-11, Section: A, page: 4414. Advisers: Kurt M. Bretthauer; Munirpallam A. Venkataramanan.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Sydney, 2002.
Title from title screen (viewed Apr. 24, 2008). Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Australian Graduate School of Management. Includes bibliography. Also available in print form.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering en sy organisasies en instellings, net soos ander internasionale state, word gekonfronteer met uitdagings om hul bates te bestuur, soos onder andere data, inligting, kennis, mense en prosesse. Hierdie uitdagings tel onder die faktore wat dienslewering negatief beinvloed. Alhoewel die Departement van Behuising ongeveer twee miljoen en sewe honderd duisend huise gelewer het, sedert 1994 was daar nog steeds uitdagings. Gepaardgaande met swak dienslewering, het die Departement ook gesukkel om bates soos inligting, kennis, inligtingstegnologie en menslike hulpbronne te bestuur. Alhoewel dit uitgebreide beleggings gemaak het in inligting tegnologie, veral in die ondersteuningsdienste, het die departement nog nie die tegnologie ten volle benut nie. Die tesis poog om die positiewe aspekte te ontdek wat deur die toepassing van kennisbestuur binne die behuisingsektor oor al drie regeringsvlakke teweeggebring kan word. ‘n Vraelys is versprei onder beamptes wat die bestaande behuisingsinformasie-sisteme gebruik in die areas van behuisingsubsidie administrasie, monitering en evaluering en projekbestuur afdelings in die behuisingsektor. Gebaseer op die bevindinge van die vraelys word ‘n kennisbestuursmodel vir die behuisingsektor voorgestel wat dienslewering kan bevorder.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering en sy organisasies en instellings, net soos ander internasionale state, word gekonfronteer met uitdagings om hul bates te bestuur, soos onder andere data, inligting, kennis, mense en prosesse. Hierdie uitdagings tel onder die faktore wat dienslewering negatief beinvloed. Alhoewel die Departement van Behuising ongeveer twee miljoen en sewe honderd duisend huise gelewer het, sedert 1994 was daar nog steeds uitdagings. Gepaardgaande met swak dienslewering, het die Departement ook gesukkel om bates soos inligting, kennis, inligtingstegnologie en menslike hulpbronne te bestuur. Alhoewel dit uitgebreide beleggings gemaak het in inligting tegnologie, veral in die ondersteuningsdienste, het die departement nog nie die tegnologie ten volle benut nie. Die tesis poog om die positiewe aspekte te ontdek wat deur die toepassing van kennisbestuur binne die behuisingsektor oor al drie regeringsvlakke teweeggebring kan word. ‘n Vraelys is versprei onder beamptes wat die bestaande behuisingsinformasie-sisteme gebruik in die areas van behuisingsubsidie administrasie, monitering en evaluering en projekbestuur afdelings in die behuisingsektor. Gebaseer op die bevindinge van die vraelys word ‘n kennisbestuursmodel vir die behuisingsektor voorgestel wat dienslewering kan bevorder.

The advent of multi-party democracy in 1994 spearheaded different reforms in the Malawi public sector. One prominent reform is administrative reform. The new government that was ushered into power instituted a policy on civil service reform and institutional development. The reforms that were introduced aimed at improving performance and enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in the delivery of services. Accordingly, a Public Service Act was promulgated that constituted the clarification of the role of the civil service; equal access to public employment; merit based recruitment and promotion; and increased accountability and transparency in the policies and practices of the public service. This study therefore seeks to examine administrative reforms in Malawi and assess their impact on service delivery. The research further endeavours to explore factors which block the successful implementation of reform programmes, and seeks to come up with areas of improvement which would ensure successful implementation of reform programmes in future. The scope of this research is limited to the current civil service reform programmes and is mainly based on primary and secondary sources of information. The study uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. However, findings reveal that reforms had a negative impact on service delivery since no significant change in the delivery of services was registered. The Malawi civil service continues to suffer from unprofessionalism, inefficiency, corruption and a host of other problems. The study shows the gap between rhetoric and reality of civil service reform programmes in Malawi.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--Stellenbosch University, 2008.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study report concerns service delivery issues at municipal level which have emerged as areas of critical concern as far as they affect consumers of municipal services, interest groups and government as a whole. Background to investigation. The need to investigate the service delivery challenges at municipal level arose out of multiple newspaper reports reflecting on lack of satisfaction from end-users and authorities regarding quality of delivery. Organizations such as South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and South African National Civic Organization have both commissioned assessment of municipal service delivery performances, and the reports drafted thereof were both critical and unimpressive. Based on these reports, the author recognized the need to investigate the reasons for poor service delivery and to test the idea of adopting outsourcing as a complementary mechanism to the delivery of services that are currently being employed. Procedure used. The information gathering for this investigation was done by means of structured interviews with municipal managers and senior officials in the administration. Provinces which were covered in the study include Limpopo, Gauteng, and North West. Although it was desirable to include more provinces in the study, it was however not feasible owing to limited resources available. Related literature was examined to further enhance insight in the subject and also to search for added potential solutions to the service delivery problem. Results of investigation. The findings reveal that primary barriers to quality service delivery are lack of sufficient municipal capacity; shortage of skilled workers; budgetary constraints; lack of effective management systems to ensure that, when a service is sourced from outside, competent service providers are appointed and their performance satisfy and exceed expectation and requirements. The root causes to these service delivery challenges are, among other things, a consequence of economic development which stimulates demand for skilled workers in the private sectors, and limited resources in the coffers of government. To compound the challenges, municipalities are unable to attract, develop and retain the quantities and qualities of skilled workers they need, owing to the uncompetitive pay packages they offer. Literature has revealed that legislature, in the form of Municipal Systems Act, make provision for municipalities to explore service delivery mechanisms in order to supplement internal means (Municipal Systems Act, 32 of 2000). Conclusion. From the results and findings the following conclusions can be drawn: Owing to the present demand for service delivery and the inability of municipalities to build sufficient internal capacity, alternative mechanisms such as outsourcing, must be explored and employed. In addition, there is, however, a great need for management systems and structures to be established or upgraded to ensure that mileage from external service providers is maximized. Recommendation. Following the results of the investigation and the conclusion made, the following actions can be recommended: • Assess service delivery capabilities and identify gaps. • Establish service needs and requirements that can be sourced externally. • Set up robust management systems and support structures to ensure that outsourcing initiatives are guaranteed to be successful.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studieverslag het betrekking op munisipale diensleweringskwessies - 'n gebied wat sorgwekkende afmetings aanneem in die opsig dat verbruikers van munisipale dienste, belangegroepe en die regering as 'n geheel daardeur geraak word. Agtergrond van die ondersoek. Die behoefte aan 'n ondersoek na die uitdagings ten opsigte van dienslewering op munisipale vlak spruit uit verskeie koerantberigte wat die gebrek aan tevredenheid van eindgebruikers en owerhede aangaande die gehalte van dienslewering reflekteer. Organisasies soos die Suid-Afrikaanse Vereniging vir Plaaslike Regerings (SALGA) en die South African National Civic Organisation het beide die assessering van munisipale diensleweringsprestasies gelas. Die verslae wat hierna opgestel is, was krities en onindrukwekkend. Die outeur het, gebaseer op hierdie verslae, twee behoeftes geeien: die behoefte aan 'n ondersoek na die redes vir die swak diensverskaffing geeien, en die behoefte aan die uitkontraktering, soos wat tans aangewend word, as 'n aanvullende meganisme tot dienslewering. Die prosedure wat gevolg is. Die insameling van inligting vir hierdie ondersoek is gedoen deur gestruktureerde onderhoude met munisipale bestuurders en senior amptenare in die administrasie. Provinsies wat by die ondersoek betrek is, is Limpopo, Gauteng en Noordwes. Alhoewel dit wenslik is om meer provinsies in te sluit, was dit weens beperkte beskikbaarheid van hulpbronne nie uitvoerbaar nie. Verwante literatuur is geraadpleeg om verdere insig in die onderwerp te verkry en ook om bykomende moontlike oplossings te vind vir die probleem van dienslewering. Resultaat van die ondersoek. Die bevindinge dui daarop dat die primere struikelblokke in die pad van gehalte dienslewering die volgende is: gebrek aan munisipale bekwaamheid, tekort aan geskoolde werkers, beperkte begrotings, en 'n gebrek aan effektiewe bestuursisteme wat kan verseker dat, indien 'n diens uitgekontrakteer word, bekwame diensverskaffers aangestel word en dat hulle werksverrigting bevredigend is en verwagtinge en vereistes oortref. Die grondoorsaak vir hierdie uitdagings in dienslewering is o.a. die gevolg van ekonomiese ontwikkeling wat die aanvraag na geskoolde werkers in die privaatsektor stimuleer en hulpbronne in die staatskas beperk. Wat die uitdaging verder vergroot, is dat munisipaliteite, as gevolg van die onkompelerende besoldigingspakkette wal hulle aanbied, nie in staat is om die kwantiteit of kwaliteit geskoolde werkers wat hulle benodig te trek, ontwikkel of te behou nie. Literatuur het aan die lig gebring dat wetgewing, in die vorm van die Wet op Munisipale Rade, voorsiening daarvoor maak dat munisipaliteite diensverskaffingsmeganismes ondersoek ten einde interne vermoens aan te vul. Gevolgtrekking. Die volgende gevolgtrekkings kan afgelei word uit die resultate en bevindinge van die ondersoek: Te wyte aan die huidige aanvraag vir dienslewering en die onvermoe van munisipaliteite om voldoende interne bekwaamheid op te bou moet alternatiewe meganismes soos uitkontraktering ondersoek en aangewend word. Daar is egter ook 'n dringende behoefte dat bestuursisteme gevestig of opgegradeer word ten einde te verseker dat maksimale insette verkry word van eksterne diensverskaffers. Aanbevelings. Die volgende optrede word aanbeveel na aanleiding van die uitkoms van die ondersoek en die gevolgtrekking waartoe gekom is: • Assesseer die geskiktheid van dienslewering en identifiseer die leemtes. • Stel vas watter diensbehoeftes en -vereistes suksesvol uitgekontrakteer kan word . • Vestig kragtige bestuur- en ondersteuningsisteme om te verseker dat uitkontrakteringsinisiatiewe gewaarborg is om suksesvol te wees.

Логотип є важливим інструментом візуальної комунікації, особливо для рекламної діяльності, ідентичності бренду та кампаній. Логотип дозволяє ідентифікувати компанію серед сотень інших в очах споживача. У дослідженні порівнюються логотипи закладів служби крові, які працюють в Україні, з логотипами закладів у різних регіонах світу. Логотипи різних закладів служби крові були знайдені в Інтернеті, зокрема на офіційних веб-сайтах центрів крові та на офіційних сторінках соціальних мереж. Було знайдено 100 логотипів з 58 країн: 43 логотипи, знайдені в Європі (12 з них в Україні), 13 в Азії, 19 у Південній та Північній Америці, 15 в Африці, 10 в Австралії та Океанії. Порівняння логотипів ґрунтувалося на аналізі логотипів України та інших державних закладів служби крові. Був використаний метод семіотичного аналізу, при якому аналізувалися словесні та візуальні сигнали символічних повідомлень. Було досліджено такі аспекти: використання символічних та шрифтових елементів у логотипі, кольори та їх кількість, основні повідомлення про ідентичність (символи повідомлень). Це дослідження підтверджує, що, зібравши таку потужну порівняльну базу компонентів, кольорів та їх комбінацій, символів та повідомлень, можна створити гарну відокремленість від конкурентів і в кілька разів збільшити маркетингові результати новоствореної організації чи існуючої. Заклади служби крові можуть використовувати результати цього дослідження для ребрендингу організації та власники організації для розвитку ідентичності майбутнього бренду.
A logo is an important visual communication tool, especially for promotional activity, brand identity, and campaigns. The logo allows identifying the company from hundreds of others in the consumer's eyes. The study compares blood service facilities' logos working in Ukraine with facilities' logos in different world regions. The logos of various blood service facilities were searched on the Internet, particularly on the facilities' official websites and on social networks' official pages. There were found 100 logos from 58 countries: 43 logos found in Europe (12 of them in Ukraine), 13 in Asia, 19 in South and North America, 15 in Africa, 10 in Australia and Oceania. The comparison of logos was based on the analysis of the logos of Ukraine and other countries' blood service facilities. It was used the semiotic analysis method, in which were analyzed verbal and visual signals symbolic messages. The following aspects were investigated: the use of symbolic and font elements in the logo, the colors used and their number, the main messages of identity (message symbols). This study of logos confirms that by assembling such a powerful comparative base of components, colors, and their combinations, symbols, and messages, you can create a good separation from competitors and several times increase the marketing performance of the newly formed organization or existing. Blood service facilities can use this study's results in the organization's rebranding and the organizations' owners to develop the future brand's identity.

This research examines the role of customer behavior in Internet service deliveries. A nomological network of customer behaviors and its antecedents is developed and tested in two studies. In the first study, two hundred individuals were surveyed about their customer satisfaction, socialization, coproduction, and citizenship behaviors in their most recent online service experience. Results show that customers distinguish between two types of behavior: required customer coproduction behaviors and voluntary customer citizenship behaviors. Furthermore, these two behaviors were predicted by differential antecedents. Customer coproduction was more strongly predicted by customer socialization than by customer satisfaction. Customer citizenship behaviors, on the other hand, were more strongly predicted by customer satisfaction than by customer socialization. In the second study, three hundred twenty-eight participants acted as customers in a simulated Internet service delivery. In a 2 x 2 factorial design, perceptions about customer satisfaction and perceptions about organizational citizenship behavior were manipulated prior to the service experience. Subsequently, measures of self-reported customer citizenship intentions as well as actual citizenship behaviors towards the organization were assessed. Results showed an effect on customer citizenship behaviors and intentions for customer satisfaction but not for organizational citizenship behavior. Participants in the condition with perceptions of high-customer-satisfaction engaged in more citizenship behaviors and reported greater intentions to do so in the future than those in the condition with perceptions of low-customer-satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed from the perspective of organizational citizenship behavior and social exchange theory.

Background: Engagement in the core public health functions and ten essential services remains the standard for measuring local health department (LHD) performance; their role as providers of clinical services remains uncertain, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Purpose: To examine the role of LHDs as clinical service providers and how this role varies among rural and nonrural communities. Methods: The 2013 National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) Profile was used to examine the geographic distribution of clinical service provision among LHDs. LHDs were coded as urban, large rural, or small rural based on Rural/Urban Commuting Area codes. Bivariate analysis for clinical services was conducted by rural/urban status. For each service, the proportions of LHDs that directly performed the service, contracted with other organizations to provide the service, or reported provision of the service by independent organizations in the community was compared. Results: Analyses show significant differences in patterns of clinical services offered, contracted, or provided by others, based on rurality. LHDs serving rural communities, especially large rural LHDs, tend to provide more direct services than urban LHDs. Among rural LHDs, larger rural LHDs provided a broader array of services and reported more community capacity for delivery than small rural LHDs- particularly maternal and child health services. Implications: There are capacity differences between large and small rural LHDs. Limited capacity within small rural LHDs may result in providing less services, regardless of the availability of other providers within their communities. These findings provide valuable information on clinical service provision among LHDs, particularly in rural and underserved communities.

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2009.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 77-79).
This thesis considers the case of Ubiquisys Ltd., a femtocell company, and the ability for its products to provide added services to users in the home. The findings include recommendations for software applications, application delivery, timing, and pricing. The actions that should be taken as a result of this study include a few things in both application architecture as well as long-term strategy. First, the femtocell needs to allow communication between the smartphone, the home network, and other smart devices. Secondly, the femtocell has no self-contained interface to the user, and thus will require platform specific applications sold through the smartphone OS or handset vendor. Lastly, Ubiquisys needs to decide on a strategy, including both place and timing, for rolling out services. Femtocell applications require femtocells, which in the next few years will only reach an installed base several orders of magnitude smaller than the smartphone. It is recommended that mobile advertising based free applications should be provided initially while slowly phasing in paid applications in 2011 and 2012. Through application of system architecture analysis and Design Structure Matrices (DSM) to the current and emerging architectures, this paper provides a template for analyzing ecosystems for home cloud services and content delivery. This is achieved through an in depth analysis of two current product architectures. Information drawn from analysis of these systems is then used to make conclusions and recommendations about how a femtocell can provide the greatest value in the home.
by Kelly Yedinak.
S.M.

background: Rural communities face numerous health disparities related to health behaviors, health outcomes, and access to medical care. LHDs serving rural communities have fewer resources to meet their community needs. The number and types of community organizations (hospitals, health clinics, not-for-profits), available to partner with may be limited geographically. These factors may affect availability of clinical services in rural communities. This study will assess LHD clinical service delivery levels based on rurality. data sets and sources: Data were obtained from the NACCHO 2013 National Profile of Local Health Departments Study. LHDs were coded as “urban”, “micropolitan”, or “rural” based on Rural/Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) Both “micropolitan” and “rural” categories are considered rural by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy. analysis: Bivariate analysis for 25 clinical services offered by rurality . For each service, we compared the proportions of LHDs that: 1) directly performed, 2) contracted with organizations, and 3) reported that the service was provided independently by organizations in the community. principal findings: Analyses show significant differences in patterns of clinical services offered, contracted or provided by third parties based on rurality. LHDs in micropolitan areas provided more services directly than urban and rural LHDs (p≤0.001). Urban LHDs were more likely to contract with other organizations (p≤0.001). conclusions: Rural LHDs are less likely to offer, contract, or have services provided by another organization in the community, whereas larger rural (i.e., micropolitan) jurisdictions are more likely to directly provide these services. implications for public health practice and policy: Lower levels of clinical service delivery by rural LHDs may contribute to the access issues facing rural communities. Health care reform brings threats and opportunities for LHD clinical service delivery. Further analyses to assess impacts on rural LHDs and identify strategies to ensure access to clinical services is encouraged.

Nonprofit organizations and the social services they provide have often engaged the attention of organizational scholars and practitioners. There is also a general perception of nonprofits as agents of social development in cases of public service failure. However, with the proliferation of many small nonprofits, their capacity for effective service delivery has been debated. Some have proposed cross-sector organizational partnerships (CSPs) as a means of assuring service effectiveness; however, such initiatives have been limited and not well understood in Nigeria. This study used a qualitative case study approach to focus on a CSP involving a nonprofit vocational training institute and 4 multinational companies in Nigeria. A purposeful sampling method was used, which emphasized participant experience and knowledge relevant to the study. Data were obtained from organizational records and participant interviews from a sample size of 10. An open-system theoretical lens was used as guide to answer the research question about the key elements of CSPs that support social service delivery by nonprofit organizations in Nigeria. Data analysis included coding, categorization, patterning, detailed description, and interpretation of the data. Categorical elements that increased institutional capacity of nonprofits or facilitated partnership management and government policy were found to be the key support to social service delivery. The results clarify links between CSP and social service delivery, and potentially aid synergy of action across sectors, in advancement of policy formulation and social service delivery.

The objective of this thesis is to explore the design of operational processes in information-intensive service delivery systems. Empirical data is presented which builds upon existing literature within the Business Process Management (BPM) and Service Operations Management (SOM) disciplines. Adopting a theory building mode, the thesis concludes with the formulation of several research propositions which specify the design characteristics of the processes that provide the service concept to the customer. The research addresses a number of gaps in the literature. First, there is little empirical evidence concerning the relationship between the service concept, customer inputs, and process design. Second, service classification schemes promote homogeneous thinking in the design of service systems delivering diverse service concepts. Third, the BPM literature provides generic process design principles which offer limited theoretical insights into the design requirements of operational processes. Finally, there is a need for process design research in information-intensive service organisations. A research framework that integrates theoretical models addressing service process design is investigated using a single case study approach. Fieldwork was carried out over a sixteen-month period in a large electricity supplier in the UK. In contrast to the macro-orientation found within the literature, this study employs a more granular level of analysis to address the unique requirements of ‘service concept – processes’ pairs. This approach results in a number of important findings which, in several instances, are in contradiction to current thinking. First, the results empirically validate the theoretical relationship between service concept, customer inputs, and process design. Different service concepts lead to different process designs, and the more customised the service concept, the more the process is uniquely designed. Significant differences in the design of the individual processes that collectively provide the service concept to the customer are highlighted. The results also provide some new insights into the design of front office – back office activities as well as into the design characteristics of processes characterised by low customer contact. In addition, the study refutes the view that generic process design principles are universally applicable irrespective of the context in which the processes operate. Finally, the research findings show that a process-based view of service systems allows for heterogeneity; that is differences in the design of service delivery processes within the same organisation.

The aim of this article-based thesis was to develop and test four structural models of the antecedents and outcomes of service climate on data collected from frontline employees, store managers, and customers nested in 70 stores of a South African retailer of home improvement products. The first article explored the extent to which frontline employees’ perceptions of six service-oriented high-performance work practices (SO-HPWPs) predict their work engagement and psychological service climate perceptions at an individual level of analysis. The results showed that service-oriented training predicted both psychological service climate and work engagement, while staffing and involvement also predicted service climate. The second article compared two rival store-level structural models of the interrelationships between service-oriented high performance work systems (SO-HPWS), collective work engagement, and service climate as predictors of frontline employees’ collective in-role and extra-role service performance. The findings supported the climate-centric model in which service climate functions as a direct antecedent of collective in-role and extra-role service performance. The third article tested an expanded store-level structural model in which SO-HPWS and collective work engagement predict service climate, which, in turn, predicts customer satisfaction and, ultimately, also store loyalty. This model fitted the data well, confirming that service climate is a key mediator that links internal organizational variables (i.e., SO-HPWSs and collective work engagement) to important customer responses (i.e., overall customer satisfaction and store loyalty). Surprisingly, the relationships between frontline employees’ collective in-role and extra-role service performance and customer satisfaction were not statistically significant. This may be due to a range restriction in the customer satisfaction ratings.
Thesis (PhD (Marketing Management))--University of Pretoria, 2021.
Marketing Management
PhD (Marketing Management)
Unrestricted

Thesis (MTech (Quality))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2010.
Computacenter SA (CCSA), serves as focus of this study. One of CCSA's clients is Unipart and therefore will be used as the example to mitigate the research problem, serving to demonstrate how Service Levels are structured and how they are monitored. According to the Company policy and agreed Service Level Agreements (SLA's), an acceptance level of 95% should be reached in terms of service delivery. Anything below 95% would be considered a failure, and therefore constitutes a breach of the agreement. The tool used by Computacenter South Africa (CCSA), to measure or monitor the SLA is referred to as Service Flow. Within Service Flow there are mechanisms known as 'pre exception result and a 'post exception result'. These concepts constitute a report, which is compiled on a monthly basis to check and evaluate performance, Should a request from a client not be met and there is a valid reason for the non compliance of the request. It can however bean exception and can therefore be processed as being successfully executed within the context of the SLA. If no valid reasons are, however logged in the request work log, the request constitutes as failed and can therefore lead to the team not achieving their agreed SLA with the customer.

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sloan School of Management; and, (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division; in conjunction with the Leaders for Manufacturing Program at MIT, 2008.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 73-74).
Many companies have realized significant value through the application of lean principles to manufacturing and supply chain operations. Dell Inc. in particular garnered international fame for its ability to manufacture and deliver computers using a lean, direct-to-customer approach that provided a tremendous competitive advantage. The Author suggests that these same lean principles can be applied to improve a firm's service and support operations, while acknowledging some important nuances of applying lean in a customer service environment. The Author calls to light a key differentiator between lean manufacturing and lean customer service. Specifically, while customers use relatively consistent value systems to assess manufacturing operations, different customer segments typically value customer service in very different ways. Thus, lean customer service must begin by thoroughly characterizing the value expectations and contributions of each customer segment. After characterizing these value systems, a firm must design a support channel architecture aligned with the value exchange system of the entire customer population. After designing a lean channel architecture, lean principles may be tactically applied to optimize performance within individual channels. This research project focused on improving customer service operations at Dell by using lean principles to: 1. Establish a data-driven, strategic architecture for Dell's consumer support division and 2. Identify operational improvement opportunities to drive the tactical execution of that strategy. The project began with a benchmarking study of customer service strategies at companies such as Best Buy, Apple, Fed-Ex, Amazon.com, GM, and Comcast.
(cont.) The Author then proposes a "Lean Support Channel Architecture" using on-line and retail service channels to offload demand from the call centers, effectively eliminating waste from call centers. Finally, the Author examines how lean principles can be tactically applied to a retail service channel to enable the cost-effective delivery of retail support in line with the support channel architecture proposed.
by Hannah Elizabeth McClellan.
S.M.
M.B.A.

There are a number of FM service delivery models ranging from in-house provision to total outsourcing, operating in the UK market. The portfolio of FM services and the range of options relating to the various combinations of service delivery have sparked many discussions and debates over the merits of certain modes of service delivery. Underpinning this circumstance, this research attempted to understand and explore how facilities management services in UK shopping centres have been managed and services delivered. This includes looking at how shopping centre managers determined the best options of FM service delivery in the shopping centres. As the research identified the dilemma of shopping centre managers, it aimed to develop an effective decision-making framework for assisting the shopping centre managers to select the best options of FM service delivery prior to the tendering process. This research adopted a quantitative approach to investigating facilities management services in UK shopping centres as well as determining the best options of FM service delivery. A questionnaire survey was used to investigate the current practiced of FM service delivery in UK shopping centres. Apart from that, it will also investigate shopping centres managers' perceptions towards the factors and criteria in assessing the best options of FM service delivery. Meanwhile, in developing the decision-making framework, this research introduced the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) as an alternative decision-making model as providing a basis of methodological framework for the selection of the best options of FM service delivery in UK shopping centres which is known as Facilities Management Outsourcing Selection System (FMOSS). The implementation and validation of this decision-making framework has been carried through the series of evaluation by using the pair wise comparison in the Expert Choice system and evaluation form. Those evaluations have been carried out by the selected shopping centres managers. The main findings of this research have identified that in UK shopping centres the current provisions of FM services in the majority are practicing outsourcing. In the meantime, the current options available of FM service delivery being practiced are single service contracts and bundled service contract. Based on FMOSS decision-making framework the results indicated that bundled service contract is the best option of FM service delivery in UK shopping centres. This is because bundled service contracts have resulted more in potential benefits and less in potential risks when compared to single service contracts. The factors that influenced the decision-making are favourable on cost and financial factors. Finally, this research has achieved the aim and the objectives of the study. This research has significance in helping the facilities management industry to understand more about the perceptions of shopping centres industry and theirs requirements towards FM services in shopping centres in order to deliver quality, innovative, cost effective and best in value services. A side of that, the FMOSS decision-making framework has significance in assisting the shopping centres managers in making the best selection of FM service delivery in shopping centres prior to tendering process; it is also provides the basis for a methodological framework for selecting the best options of FM service delivery in UK shopping centres and gives management of shopping centres an alternative approach to determine the best options of FM service delivery as well as improving their existing decision making process. This framework is identified as an original contribution of this research and would be beneficial to the shopping centres managers in making better decisions.

This study is about helping managers identify and enhance the idiosyncratic firm resources required for delivering superior perceived use value to customers. Specifically, the research has focused on the organisational knowledge required for routinised service delivery, and has operationalised this organisational knowledge as activities. Project 1 was a comparative study involving observation and interviews in two similar but differentially performing financial services organisations in order to identify the activities involved in service delivery and the differences between the two operations. Project 2 identified customers’ perceptions of value through customer interviews, and then mapped the links between these and the service delivery activities identified in Project 1. Project 3 involved a clinical inquiry intervention aiming to encourage and leverage the firm specific resource of inter-team coordination to enhance the delivery of customer value. The research has confirmed the role of firm specific resources as a source of competitive advantage, and has demonstrated a link with customers’ dimensions of perceived use value. In this study, effective inter-team coordination is identified as the firm specific strategic resource that appears to enable effective service delivery as perceived by customers, through the sharing of knowledge and interpretations, and the development of service process innovation. Many of these coordination activities are discretionary rather than prescribed, with implications for management practice. From this research, a framework has been developed for considering and managing firm specific sources of advantage at the detailed operational level. This is a micro level approach that makes specific links between the customer experience and internal activities, through identifying internal and external competitiveness factors, mapping the ‘inside-outside’ connections, and achieving alignment between internal activities and customer perceptions of value.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2011.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this research report is to identify the alternative service delivery models that could deliver effective and efficient services to the South African public in future. The current economic realities, the effects of globalisation, the potential for technological innovation and the public‟s demand for better services have led the South African government to reconsider the manner in which services are being rendered. A futures methodology tool that was employed in understanding the environment in which services are delivered in South Africa is the environmental scanning. Environmental scanning which took the form of literature review, analysis of statistics already produced by other researchers, official publications and correspondence, newspaper surveys, pamphlets and newsletters, dissertations and theses as well as information from the internet will be employed in this study. Constructive environmental scanning which encompasses both material monism (also known as pop-ism) and the transcendental monism (Naude.2008; 53) was employed to develop a sound understanding of the environment (factors and forces) which have a bearing on the futures of the public service delivery. This exercise revealed that in South Africa services delivery is influenced by the following driving forces (environments): cultural and social, political and legislative, technological and economic. The environmental scanning also revealed that due to the importance attached to service delivery; government had to move away from the conventional approaches to public service delivery where government was the sole provider of services to the public and sought alternative ways of delivering services to the public. The following alternative service delivery models were adopted by government: contracting out, concession, leasing, privatization, management contract, and Electronic government as alternative models of service delivery. Notwithstanding the success of most of the models, some of these proved to be a breeding ground for nepotism, corruption, fraud and a paradise for white collar criminals. Political interference, that masquerades as political oversight is the order of the day. All of these are taking place at the expense of services delivery and are costing the government dearly. Government viewed this as an unhealthy state of affairs and also realised that this situation cannot be left to perpetuate into the future. Most importantly, government has awoken to the reality that the future can no longer be left to chance. Scenario planning was adopted as the research methodology employed in anticipating and preparing for the future. In the quest for v seeking alternative service delivery models for the future, the research report adopted the six stages of scenario planning. The chief value of scenario planning is that it allows policy-makers to make and learn from mistakes without risking career-limiting failures in real life. Further, policymakers can make these mistakes in a safe, unthreatening, game-like environment, while responding to a wide variety of concretely-presented situations based on facts. Scenario planning has an added benefit of allowing participants the latitude to think freely, allows creativity and encourages innovation.

Pervasive computing implies the invisibility of the technology involved in providing ubiquity, such that technology is integrated into the environment and non-intrusive. In such a manner, computing and networking resources become diffused into physical environments, enabling users to exploit their provided functionalities such that functionality is distributed, enabling it to be controlled, monitored, managed, and extended beyond what it was initially designed to do. Moreover, computer awareness moves towards user-centricity, whereby systems seamlessly adapt to the characteristics, preferences, and current situations of users and their respective surrounding environments. Users exploit such functionalities in the form of a virtual device, whereby a collection of heterogeneous devices in the vicinity of the user are behaving as one single homogeneous device for the benefit of the user in solving some given task. This dissertation investigates the problem of dynamic composition and management of virtual devices for ad hoc multimedia service delivery and proposes an autonomous policy driven framework for virtual device management. The framework consists of a hierarchical structure of distributed elements, including autonomic elements, all working towards the self-management of virtual devices. The research presented in this dissertation addresses the functionalities of these components. More specifically, contributions are made towards the autonomous management of virtual devices, moving away from infrastructure based schemes with heavy user involvement to decentralized and zero touch (i.e., no user involvement) solutions. In doing so, the components and methodology behind a policy-driven autonomous framework for the dynamic discovery, selection, and composition of multimodal multi-device services are presented. The framework operates in an ad hoc network setting and introduces a Service Overlay Network (SON) based definition of a virtual device. Furthermore, device and service discovery, composition, integration, and adaptation schemes are designed for Mobile Ad hoc Network Environments (MANETs) enabling users to generate, on-the-fly, complex strong specific systems, embedding in a distributed manner, QoS models providing compositions that form the best possible virtual device at the time of need. Experimental studies are presented to demonstrate the performance of the proposed schemes.

This research aims to contribute to the area of new alignment in Facilities Management (FM). By taking urban FM as the focus of the research, this research highlights how FM is looking at a new way to deliver services to the community, which involves the management of public facilities, infrastructure and its associated services. This new alignment in FM gives new ideas to many researchers by using the urban FM concept to explore many possibilities and putting it in a proper place to improve the current services related to FM. The concept of urban FM moves away from the classical view of the 'traditional service provider' approach that involves the private sector such as in privatisation, outsourcing, or even joint venture approaches. This study tries to look beyond that by looking at the possibilities for having a flexible platform that could involve public agencies or the private sector, or both together, as a new way of delivering services to the public and the community. Therefore, it is important to understand the concept of urban FM and its underlying philosophy in order to realise the inter-relationships with the social enterprise principle, which could possibly offer a new approach to improve the current service delivery. In particular, this thesis outlines the enablers for a new service delivery model which meets the needs of social enterprise applications in an urban FM setting, for the purpose of managing community facilities operations. The research has thoroughly investigated the activities related to urban FM around the world including the UK, and the same goes for the social enterprise practices. It was done by looking at different perspectives to reveal the enablers of the service delivery model so that it can be used extensively. Having this in place helped the researcher to develop a strong base in identifying the initial enablers before particularly seeking the enablers for a Malaysian setting. Looking at the main themes; urban FM and social enterprise with the aim of building a theory, a thorough review of the literature provided a strong basis before looking into current practices. Case studies were conducted at several local councils in Malaysia to gain a better understanding of the contextual factors in seeking the applications of the new service delivery model. Although it was a new approach to apply this model for Malaysian applications, having expert views on this to validate the findings helped to explain the findings in an appropriate way. The contribution to knowledge in the field may be viewed in terms of a critical examination about the urban FM concept and its relationship with social enterprise principles, as well as demonstrating its potential success within an urban FM setting. This study also adds to the current empirical evidence being studied, particularly for the Malaysian context. Derived from that, this uncovered a flexible model for delivering services in managing community facilities operations. This suggested a 'Ridley-Duff model, Type B' of a social enterprise organisational form as a suitable company or agency, with combining the government and business aspect which suits an urban FM setting in this context of study. Moreover, realising the benefits from the 'flexible model' provides added value to the contribution to the knowledge in this area, which also can be taken for further research in other FM areas.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, School of History and Politics, Discipline of Politics, 2004.
Title from opening screen; viewed 19 May 2005. "August 2004." Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print format.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT:The research answered the primary research question by defining what business intelligence (BI) platform must be included in Pragma’s asset care centre (ACC) model. Pragma delivers physical asset management services and products with the aim of improving performance of physical assets. These services and products are contained in the ACC model, which is based on Pragma’s AMIP asset management maturity assessment methodology. The current BI platform in the ACC Pack cannot deliver information management to a mature asset management organisation as set out in the AMIP methodology. The research used a questionnaire, based on an extensive literature review, to determine the need for BI within the current user base, and to determine the ideal BI functionality profile delivered inside the ACC model. This proved to be valuable input in defining the BI platform by evaluating the features and capabilities of BI vendors. The quality of information findings highlighted the inadequacy of the current BI platform. The current platform consists of SSRS reports executing directly on the database of the business application, On Key. The concern is that the reports do not conform to the specification. This highlights a misalignment between what the SSRS reports deliver, and what the user expects. The platform is not sufficiently dynamic to allow tailored reports or data analysis to overcome this. Another key finding was that the platform is not delivering the service that the consumer expects. The current platform favours operational users over managerial users. Most of the information quality weaknesses are due to the current platform’s functionality that is stretched beyond its intended purpose. The research found that the current platform is delivering the two main capabilities required from the BI platform, i.e. reporting and MS Office integration. However, this is insufficient because SSRS is unable to deliver on any of the other capabilities present in the BI model. Capabilities like dashboards, collaboration and ad hoc query are key capabilities required by Pragma’s user base. Users require an online platform where they can perform analysis originating from multiple sources. The users responsible for implementing and maintaining the platform must have the functionality to make minor adjustments to the standard reports and the ability to add objects unique to the business environment. The research recommends a hybrid BI platform consisting of SSRS for activity reports, and QlikView for analysis models and adding the complete set of BI capabilities not present in the current platform. QlikTech’s QlikView, one of the leading data discovery tools in the industry, is the BI tool best suited to Pragma’s needs due to its user-friendliness and self-service BI capabilities. This will require an original equipment manufacturers (OEM) partnership between Pragma and QlikTech, with QlikView embedded into On Key as its BI capability. Another recommendation is that Pragma include a data warehouse as part of the On Key deployment. This will allow for analysis across multiple sources and enable completeness of information.

Thesis (Dissertation(MTech(Quality))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2011
Poor service delivery is becoming one of the core factors that can ruin the reputation of organisations in South Africa, and all over the world. In order to have satisfied users, an organisation should implement business improvement initiatives to enhance, and continually improve, service delivery. Service delivery is becoming one of the key critical performance measures in the Government and other service providing sectors. Performance by various departments of Government, regarding service delivery, draws a considerable amount of attention from citizens throughout the country. Organisations need to understand that there are benefits in delivering an excellent service to the users, as it increases user satisfaction.An understanding of the importance of service delivery in organisations can help managers in the formulation and development of service charters, and in making strategic service improvement decisions. Water Demand Management, a branch of Water and Sanitation at the City of Cape Town, has a long term goal, whereby the department is striving to become a leader in the provision of equitable, sustainable, people-centred, affordable and reliable water and sanitation services to all the residents in the low income areas of the Cape Town Metropole.The department is currently faced with a challenge of poor service delivery to the low income areas that result in dissatisfaction and discontent among the residents. This research will focus on the impact of service delivery on user satisfaction. The current standard of service delivery of Water Demand Management will be reviewed and improved upon.

Successful delivery of public service depends on how the relationships are forged by the actors (organizations) involved in service provision in a given socioeconomic and political context. By applying Agency Theory to the accountability features of service transaction and Activity Theory as a tool to define relationships, I have demonstrated that the public sector (District Governments) exhibits a more liberal attitude towards relationships with community based organizations (Water Users' Committees) in the provision of rural drinking water, while being more formal in relationships with the technical service providers (NGOs). The resolution of the dilemma regarding whether to choose trust-based or more formal contractual relationships with community and service providers in service provision, depends on how effectively the public sector builds their capacity to monitor, supervise and enforce the terms of the service provision relationship. The study of the application of accountability features in the service delivery transaction helps us to understand how a government organization structures its relationships with community organizations and with others, by using either a social or a market approach. The research also reveals that it is difficult to assign accountability in the collaborative network type of service provision, particularly for the provision of public goods and services, which demands a greater level of formal accountability to legitimize the functioning of the government.

This study considers the nature of South African municipal water service delivery, and how marketing strategies can provide a framework for better management of this service. It reflects on the elements that guide municipal decision making and evaluates user preferences for levels of the municipal “water service mix” by employing conjoint analysis. Particular attention is paid to consumer willingness to pay for improvements in the “water service mix”. The study argues that the values municipal consumers attach to the variables of the water service mix need to be better incorporated into decision making regarding water service delivery, and that conjoint analysis is an informative method to assist in generating this information. The study outlines a water service marketing challenge and methods of research followed to deal with it (Chapter One) and the nature of the laws and institutions governing water service provision in South Africa (Chapter Two). The task of providing water services is delegated to Water Service Providers (municipalities). The key variables of the water service mix from the consumers perspective include; quality of the water, rate of flow from tap, interruption of water flow, sewerage disposal, assurance of supply, and water service tariffs (Chapter Three). The study covers the areas of Amathole, Kouga and Nelson Mandela Bay Municipalities' (Chapter Five). The method of marketing analysis applied is conjoint analysis, alternatively known as choice experiment analysis. An overview of the method is provided and its application to three samples of one hundred residents at each of the study sites is described in Chapter Four. The responses of the three hundred residents provide the basis for the results. Respondents were requested to make a series of choices between alternative water service mixes consisting of six variables differentiated by three levels (Chapter Three). In making these choices they implicitly compared and weighed up the relative worth of the selected variables against each other. The findings of the analysis were diverse (Chapter Six); two of the three estimated models did not yield significant results. An interpretation of these results showed that the respondents of the Kouga municipality were willing to pay R65.05 more (per 10 xii Kilolitres of water) than their current monthly tariff for a marginal improvement in water quality, R57.29 more (per 10 Kilolitres of water) per month for a marginal improvement in sewerage disposal and R21.90 (per 10 Kilolitres) per month for marginal improvements in assurance of water supply. Findings showed that willingness to pay for reduced interruptions and improved flow rates was lower and not as highly valued as the abovementioned variables. Most of these findings were consistent with similar international and national studies showing their reliability. Although there has been significant improvement in extending the reach of the network since 1994, the standards of water service provision in South African municipalities do not appear to have improved. The results of this study mirror a number of concerns that have been expressed about the standards of service, particularly sanitation (in publications like the Green Drop Report). Municipal service delivery in these areas would appear to be constrained by a number of issues including a lack of public involvement, legislation, limited financial resources and institutional capabilities. However, it is a service that is too vitally important to be allowed to deteriorate. Marketing analyses can make a valuable contribution to allocating and managing the scarce resources to best satisfy the consumers of water services (Chapter Seven). When consumer orientation is formally introduced as the main objective into the thinking of the service provider, it becomes untenable to offer poor service delivery. But that is exactly what many municipalities appear to be doing. There is a need to get back to the basics – where the consumer is king. This analysis concludes that consumers want, above all else, assurance of water supply, a high quality of water, and safe environmentally sensitive disposal of waste water. It is recommended that municipalities not lose sight of the fact that price is an important part of the marketing mix. From the paying consumers perspective, when the government incorporate too many other considerations into pricing of water services they are, in effect, disengaging price from the marketing mix by not being sensitive to consumer needs. This approach shows a weak marketing strategy, and may result in dissatisfied consumers who may become unwilling to pay for their water services – an outcome that the researcher would discourage.