Supply chain management in service industry: A process capabilities perspective

Abstract

This paper develops and tests the measurement scales for service supply chain management (SSCM) process capability constructs. An extensive literature review and interviews were conducted to define the constructs and initial measurement items. The measurement items were refined by using the Q-sort method. Confirmatory factor analyses of a large-scale survey confirmed the unidimensionality, reliability, and validity of the multidimensional construct of SSCM process capability. The findings show that SSCM process capability consists of seven-dimensional constructs, each represented by a unidimensional multi-item scale Practitioners may use the scales to benchmark and develop their capabilities in managing SSCM processes beyond the typical internal service supply chain capabilities. The development of measurement scales elevates the service operations field, which previously relies on largely conceptual frameworks and descriptive accounts of SSCM processes. The measurement scales of SSCM process capability can be also used by future empirical studies to advance theory in service supply chains.