Ian R. Hodgkinson, Claire Hannibal, Byron W. Keating, Rosamund Chester Buxton and Nicola Bateman
In providing a fine-grained analysis of public service management, the purpose of this paper is to make an important contribution to furthering research in service management, a…
Abstract
Purpose
In providing a fine-grained analysis of public service management, the purpose of this paper is to make an important contribution to furthering research in service management, a body of literature that has tended to regard public services as homogenous or to neglect the context altogether.
Design/methodology/approach
Integrating public management and service management literatures, the past and present of public service management are discussed. Future directions for the field are outlined drawing on a service-dominant approach that has the potential to transform public services. Invited commentaries augment the review.
Findings
The review presents the Public Service Network Framework to capture the public value network in its abstraction and conceptualizes how value is created in public services. The study identifies current shortcomings in the field and offers a series of directions for future research where service management theory can contribute greatly.
Research limitations/implications
The review encourages service management research to examine the dynamic, diverse, and complex nature of public services and to recognize the importance of this context. The review calls for an interdisciplinary public service management community to develop, and to assist public managers in leveraging service logic.
Originality/value
The review positions service research in the public sector, makes explicit the role of complex networks in value creation, argues for wider engagement with public service management, and offers future research directions to advance public service management research.
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Outlines and describes the results of research at Cardiff Business School into the sustainability of process improvement involving shop floor personnel. The study identified a…
Abstract
Outlines and describes the results of research at Cardiff Business School into the sustainability of process improvement involving shop floor personnel. The study identified a number of factors that influence the success or inhibit progress in terms of performance and sustainable improvement. The findings identify what companies perceive to be inhibitors and enablers for sustainability, within 21 companies who have conducted process improvement (PI) activities using a common intervention approach. The paper presents five classificatory profiles and concludes that managers can easily identify specific inhibitors in their own companies, but find it difficult to formulate specific enablers associated with successful and sustainable improvement. The general and cultural nature of the identified enablers indicates that managers perceive progressing PI activities are reliant on a change of culture within their organisations in parallel with “up‐skilling” the technical knowledge of employees for change to be successfully enacted. The lack of specific processes to change culture, identified in the enablers, also indicates that managers do not know what to do to change their cultures or how best to deal with the inherently challenging and demanding nature of process improvement with shop floor operators.
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Nicola Bateman and Arthur David
This paper outlines a model for assessing the sustainability of shop floor based process improvement programmes. The model was developed as part of a larger research programme…
Abstract
This paper outlines a model for assessing the sustainability of shop floor based process improvement programmes. The model was developed as part of a larger research programme, investigating the inhibitors and enablers for process improvement. The model is based on the SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) Industry Forum MasterClass Process Improvement activity, but can be applied to any intensive shop floor based process improvement programme. The model’s purpose is to identify the level of sustainability achieved by process improvement programmes and consists of two elements. The first element identifies five different levels of sustainability at cell level. The second element operates at factory level and examines the degree to which the tools and techniques have been spread between cells.
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This paper identifies ten “enablers” for sustaining process improvement (PI) activities.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper identifies ten “enablers” for sustaining process improvement (PI) activities.
Design/methodology/approach
The enablers are derived from analysing 40 activities and identifying the significant enablers from the more successful activities.
Findings
Five enablers associated with activities that fully realise the PI activity are identified and a further five enablers associated with those activities that go on to achieve continuous improvement are identified.
Practical implications
The enablers are designed to assist people who conduct PI activities, cell leaders whose areas are involved in PI activities and change agents and change champions who are co‐ordinating PI programmes. The practical nature of the enablers means that they are based on processes that cell leaders, change agents and change champions can affect.
Originality/value
PI activities are a crucial tool for companies undergoing a lean transformation and removing waste from their processes. PI activities have been conducted widely throughout many industries and countries, but little analytical work has been done into what sustains the improvements made by these activities.
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Nicola Bateman, Peter Hines and Peter Davidson
The lean enterprise model has been adopted in a wide range of industries beyond its origins in the motor industry. To achieve this there has been a considerable extension of the…
Abstract
Purpose –
The lean enterprise model has been adopted in a wide range of industries beyond its origins in the motor industry. To achieve this there has been a considerable extension of the lean concept outside high-volume repetitive manufacture. The purpose of this paper is to present an in-depth study of the application of lean within the British Royal Air Force. It offers a number of new insights which have implications for the future development and adoption of lean in service contexts, and the public sector in particular.
Design/methodology/approach
To illustrate the issues of application of lean outside automotive, this paper considers the adoption of the lean concept by the Tornado joint integrated project team within the UK Ministry of Defence. A review of methods of application of lean used within Tornado are studied. The paper considers how the fundamental principles of lean apply in this environment and how, considering these principles, methods of implementation should be modified.
Findings
This paper finds that the five lean fundamental principles apply in Tornado but they need to considered specifically within the public service context particularly the pull principle. Hence the authors offer three propositions relating to the use of the lean principles of value, waste, flow and pull in the public sector, and one for perfection only relating to military organisations.
Originality/value
This paper makes an important contribution by demonstrating that lean can be successfully applied, in a public service context, with only modest modifications to its core principles, principally about how customer demand (pull) is managed. The implication of this finding demonstrates that to be adopted successfully, lean must be adapted to its context and the lean principles need to be reviewed too.
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David Stockton and Nicola Bateman
In order to ensure that the introduction of a flexiblemanufacturing system confers overall benefits to a company there is aneed to be able to measure quantitatively and then…
Abstract
In order to ensure that the introduction of a flexible manufacturing system confers overall benefits to a company there is a need to be able to measure quantitatively and then control flexibility levels. Initially identifies the various types and levels of flexibility that are important to a manufacturing concern. Identifies production range flexibility as that defining the universe of part types that a manufacturing system can process. Proposes a methodology that will enable probability measures to be established for each type of flexibility that contributes to the production range flexibility of a manufacturing system. In addition measuring flexibilities in terms of probabilities enables quantitative relationships to be established between levels of flexibility. Concludes that the result is an integrated system for measuring flexibility that can be used at both the strategic and operational planning and control levels.
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Mohamed M. Naim, Andrew T. Potter, Robert J. Mason and Nicola Bateman
This paper aims to develop a framework that rationalises transport flexibility into different types. In this way the role of the flexibility types in delivering specific strategic…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop a framework that rationalises transport flexibility into different types. In this way the role of the flexibility types in delivering specific strategic logistics outcomes can be determined.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors undertake a synthesis of available literature related to flexibility to determine what types of transport flexibility are required and when.
Findings
Twelve definitions and key components of transport flexibility are identified. These signify a proactive approach to the consideration of the subject within the context of a collaborative approach to relationships between carrier, supplier and customer.
Research limitations/implications
This is a conceptual study developing definitions and models for transport flexibility. While these frameworks have been formed within the context of the literature, further research to determine the application of the model will need to be undertaken, to examine the benefits and costs associated with various degrees of flexibility.
Practical implications
While the definitions and models are conceptual, they are important as generic templates by which carriers may develop a logistics strategy, determining their competitive offering and hence defining their flexibility capabilities. They may then determine the degree of collaboration necessary. The results of this paper also inform further empirical research into the area of transport and logistics flexibility.
Originality/value
There is little research that addresses the issue of transport flexibility from a logistics perspective. Thus, there is originality in developing a framework that rationalises transport flexibility into different types. This will provide a foundation by which carriers and shippers may develop collaborative and information technology strategies.
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Denise Rodríguez, Hendrik Van Landeghem, Virginia Lasio and Dirk Buyens
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the situational and dispositional determinants of job satisfaction in environments created by implementing employee-supportive lean.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the situational and dispositional determinants of job satisfaction in environments created by implementing employee-supportive lean.
Design/methodology/approach
The research uses a questionnaire to measure the determinants of job satisfaction (perceived job demands, perceived job autonomy and core self-evaluations) and job satisfaction. Afterwards, the paper proposes a conceptual framework and uses hierarchical multiple regression to test the relationships among perceived job demands, perceived job autonomy, core self-evaluations and job satisfaction. Additionally, the study describes the implementation of employee-supportive lean in four small companies using an action research approach.
Findings
The findings reveal that perceived job demands has a negative impact on job satisfaction. In addition, the authors find that perceived job autonomy and core self-evaluations have a positive impact on job satisfaction. Finally, the results show that core self-evaluations buffer the impact of perceived job demands on job satisfaction.
Originality/value
The present research underscores the importance of work and personal characteristics for employees’ job satisfaction in an environment created by implementing employee-supportive lean.