From product to service quality: the role of managerial mindsets

Abstract

This study is a response to calls for a more comprehensive treatment of service operations management amid concerns over the prevalence of poor service quality. Building upon the ideas of total quality management as an ethos of continual learning and quality improvement, this study aims to elucidate different managerial mindsets towards service quality and the resulting impact on the organisational learning environment. Using a qualitative case study methodology of a sample of UK-based service organisations, the findings point to a trichotomy of managerial mindsets towards service quality each connected to different types of organisational learning. These include (i) outcome mindset with a focus on short-term learning, (ii) process mindset with a focus on intermittent learning, and (iii) process-outcome mindset with a focus on continuous learning. We suggest several propositions for further empirical testing and highlight practical implications of the findings.