Service Development Performance Research Articles

Comprehensive Analysis of DevOps: Integration, Automation, Collaboration, and Continuous Delivery

This paper highlights the significance of DevOps in various contexts and explores the intricacies of DevOps practices, their utility, and strategies for their application within software organizations. Existing research on DevOps is scarce and often lacks rigor. DevOps fosters a culture centered on cooperation, automation, scalability, knowledge dissemination, and the utilization of web services. The advantages of DevOps extend to both information systems development and operational efficiency, with favorable outcomes for web service development and quality assurance performance. In conclusion, our survey underscores the need for further research to quantitatively assess these findings.

Coupling Artificial Intelligence Capability and Strategic Agility for Enhanced Product and Service Creativity

AbstractCreativity is key for organizations’ ability to remain relevant in today's disruptive world. In this paper, we identify new ways in which organizations can use artificial intelligence (AI) more effectively for creativity. Drawing on the resource‐based view as a background mechanism, we developed and empirically tested a new integrative model. We collected the research data via a large survey of managers distributed to 600 organizations in China. Our findings show that coupling AI capability with strategic agility can directly support creativity. It also mediates the effects of ambidexterity, customer orientation and competitor orientation on organizations’ creativity and performance when developing new products and services. In addition, our findings show that coupling AI capability and strategic agility can significantly improve firms’ new product creativity and new service development performance when there is a high level of government institutional support. Our findings provide theoretical and practical implications for academics and practitioners interested in managing AI for organizational creativity.

Does service modularity enhance new service development performance in supply chains: an empirical study

PurposeCustomer firms and suppliers are valuable knowledge resources that can be used for achieving superior new service development (NSD) performance. This study aims to investigate how supply chain relationship quality (SCRQ) and knowledge sharing promote the success of NSD, and examines service modularity as an important contingency factor that enhances NSD performance in supply chains.Design/methodology/approachBased on service-dominant logic, this study builds a conceptual model to empirically explore the impacts of SCRQ and knowledge sharing on NSD performance, and highlights the moderating effect of service modularity by means of survey methodology of 295 Chinese service firms to test the research hypotheses.FindingsRegression analysis results show that SCRQ has significant positive effects on knowledge sharing and NSD performance; knowledge sharing plays a partial intermediary role between SCRQ and NSD performance; and service modularity partially moderates the relationships between SCRQ, knowledge sharing and NSD performance.Research limitations/implicationsGeneralizations here are limited to Chinese service firms. Service modularity in manufacturing firms experimenting with servitization has yet to be examined and provides a good avenue for future research.Originality/valueThis study contributes to service management literature by providing empirical understanding of how service modularity affects NSD performance in multiprovider contexts. Furthermore, this study offers novel insights on the impacts of inter-firm relationship quality and knowledge sharing in modular collaborative innovation.

A NOVEL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION FRAMEWORK FOR NEW SERVICE DEVELOPMENT IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY USING HYBRID ISM AND ANP

Today, the innovative activities of companies in new service development (NSD) have an undeniable contribution to the economic development of countries. Given the recent advances in the healthcare industry, the issue of NSD and performance management of firms operating in this industry has received special attention of researchers and decision makers. A review of previous research shows that on the one hand there is no agreement among experts on NSD performance measurement criteria and on the other hand there has been no systematic framework that can measure and manage firm performance in this area. The proposed framework should allow for interaction between different decision makers, considering multiple and sometimes conflicting criteria. In this regard, this paper aimed to provide a framework to assess the NSD performance in healthcare industry using multiple-criteria-decision-making methods. The proposed model consists of 17 different criteria that have been identified and finalized based on previous studies as well as experts’ opinions. Then, the indicators are classified with the help of experts in the form of a balanced scorecard model and presented as an initial model. Due to internal relationships between criteria, this model was evaluated using interpretive structural modelling and modelled at 5 different levels. Then, the analytic network process approach was applied to determine criteria weights. Finally, new service development performance in Moheb hospital was evaluated through the framework proposed here.

The roles of NSD performance and standardized service development processes in the performance of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises

Despite its importance, for micro, small, and, medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), the impact of new service development performance (NSDP) on organizational performance (OP) and the significance of formal or standardized service development processes (SSDPs) remains unknown. This study proposes that NSDP is positively associated with OP and that SSDPs positively moderate this direct effect. These and other hypotheses are tested with data collected from 801 Irish service MSMEs using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and multigroup analysis. Our results reveal that a positive relationship exists between NSDP and OP and we report the magnitude of this relationship for micro, small, medium-sized organizations; while the moderating effect of SSDPs was not supported for each of these groups. We thus provide novel empirical insights into service development for MSMEs, where our findings suggest that SSDPs are of particular importance for small organizations.

A Knowledge Transfer Perspective on Front/Back-Office Structure and New Service Development Performance: An Empirical Study of Retail Banking in China

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the mechanism of the front/back-office structure affecting new service development (NSD) performance and examine the role of knowledge transfer in the relationship between front/back-office structure and NSD. Background: The separation of front and back-office has become the prevailing trend of the organizational transformation of modern service enterprises in the digital era. Yet, the influence of front and back-office separation dealing with new service development has not been widely researched. Methodology: Building on the internal social capital perspective, a multivariate regression analysis was conducted to investigate the impact of front/back-office structure on the NSD performance through knowledge transfer as an intermediate variable. The data was collected through a survey questionnaire from 198 project-level officers in the commercial banking industry of China. Contribution: This study advances the understanding of front/back-office structure’s influence mechanism on new service development activity. It reveals that knowledge transfer plays a critical role in bridging the impact of front and back-office separation to NSD performance under the trend of digitalization of service organizations. Findings: This study verified the positive effects of front/back-office social capital on NSD performance. Moreover, knowledge transfer predicted the variation in NSD performance and fully mediated the effect of front/back-office social capital on NSD performance. Recommendations for Practitioners: Service organizations should optimize knowledge transfer by promoting the social capital between front and back-office to overcome the negative effect organizational separation brings to NSD. Service and other organizations could explore developing an internal social network management platform, by which the internal social network could be visualized and dynamically managed. Recommendation for Researchers: The introduction of information and communications technology not only divides the organization into front and back-office, but also reduces the face-to-face customer contact. The impacts of new forms of customer contact to new service development and knowledge transfer between customer and service organizations call for further research. Along with the digital servitization, some manufacturing organizations also separate front and back-offices. The current model can be applied and assessed further in manufacturing and other service sectors. Impact on Society: The conclusion of this study guides us to pay attention to the construction of social capital inside organizations with front/back-office structure and implicates introducing and developing sociotechnical theory in front/back-office issue undergoing technological revolution. Future Research: As this study is based on the retail banking industry, similar studies are called upon in other service sectors to identify differences and draw more general conclusions. In addition, as the front and back-offices are being replaced increasingly by information technology such as artificial intelligence (AI), it is necessary to advance the research on front/back-office research with a new theoretical perspective, such as sociotechnical theory.

Innovation community and content providers' new service development performance in technology-based service ecosystem

PurposeThis paper investigates the paths through which innovation community affects content providers' new service development (NSD) performance in technology-based service ecosystem and contingency factors exist in the paths.Design/methodology/approachThe research model is built based on service-dominant (S-D) logic, exploring the relationship among innovation community, content providers' knowledge acquisition and content providers' NSD performance as well as the moderating role of content providers' technology readiness and content providers' complexity. Using survey data collected from 386 content providers of selected open network platforms in China, this study finds broad support for the proposed research model.FindingsThe findings of this paper reveal that content providers' tacit knowledge acquisition from users plays a mediating role between the innovation community and new service ratings. Content providers' technology readiness plays a positive moderating role in the relationship between innovation community and their explicit or tacit knowledge acquisition. Content providers' task complexity negatively moderates the effects of their explicit knowledge acquisition from users on new service volumes or ratings, but positively moderates the effects of tacit knowledge acquisition from users on new service volumes or ratings.Originality/valueThough extant literature highlights the importance of knowledge acquisition in NSD performance, few studies explore the antecedents of content providers' knowledge acquisition from users and the paths through which these antecedents affect content providers' NSD performance. Moreover, boundary conditions exist in the process of improving NSD performance are generally ignored in previous literature. With the lens of S-D logic, this paper explicates how content providers of different technology readiness and different task complexity enhance their new service volumes and ratings through acquiring explicit and tacit knowledge from users in innovation community. Adopting S-D logic from marketing area to NSD area, this paper not only enriches the theoretical accumulations of antecedents and boundary conditions of content providers' NSD performance but also offers insights for content providers and users on how to synergistically advance NSD activities and co-create value in the technology-based service ecosystem.

Mindful new service conception in not-for-profit organisations: a study of sustainable innovation with scarce resources

Service innovation entails developing new services, but new service development can be difficult even with slack resources. While no consensus has been reached on the determinants of new service development (NSD) performance, some research has pointed to the importance of new service conception (NSC) practices. Research into NSC is still immature, though, and what we know about it is grounded in traditional expectations of slack resources. To better understand how new services are conceived under conditions of resource scarcity, we draw from an embedded, interpretive case study of an innovative organisation that managed ongoing new service conceptions for more than ten years under conditions of continually reduced resources. Findings show that this organisation was able to conceive many successful new services by: 1) mindfully identifying new, germane customer needs while engaging with new information sources; 2) keeping in mind unresolved customer needs while trying to identify matching potential solutions, especially external resources. This paper contributes to the NSD literature by advancing a model based on these findings.

Idea generation leveraged from value co-creation process enhances new service development performance

This study examines the relationship between value co-creation process, idea generation and new service development performance from the perspective of telecommunication companies. Two dimensions of idea generation tested in this framework are internal and external idea generation, and the probable relationship between these two dimensions is further investigated. The data were collected from 78 marketing managers and were statistically analyzed. The findings show that value co-creation crucially influences both external idea generation and internal idea generation, however, the new service development performance can be enhanced through internal idea generation. Nonetheless, the results show that the external idea generation is vital to influence internal idea generation. This study extends theoretical understanding of how to leverage the value co-creation process for idea generation happenings, while the practical contribution of the research is to realize that new service development performance demands internal idea generation, which is supported with external resources of idea generation.

Flight attendant's knowledge sharing, innovative work behaviour, and new service development

New service development is an important topic for decision-makers in service firms, since continuous innovation is expected to pay off. We argue that flight attendants' knowledge sharing and innovative behaviours can enhance new service development performance. In addition, flight attendants' perceived behavioural control can enhance their knowledge sharing and innovative behaviours. Furthermore, we argue that organisational support and attitudes towards sharing knowledge also increase flight attendants' knowledge sharing and innovative behaviours. Data were collected from 328 flight attendants representing eight airline companies at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand. The results showed that organisational support and positive attitude to sharing affected knowledge sharing and innovative work behaviour, whereas perceived behavioural control has been found to affect only knowledge sharing behaviour. In addition, flight attendant's knowledge sharing had a positive effect on innovative work behaviour and new service development.

Flight attendant's knowledge sharing, innovative work behaviour, and new service development

New service development is an important topic for decision-makers in service firms, since continuous innovation is expected to pay off. We argue that flight attendants' knowledge sharing and innovative behaviours can enhance new service development performance. In addition, flight attendants' perceived behavioural control can enhance their knowledge sharing and innovative behaviours. Furthermore, we argue that organisational support and attitudes towards sharing knowledge also increase flight attendants' knowledge sharing and innovative behaviours. Data were collected from 328 flight attendants representing eight airline companies at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok, Thailand. The results showed that organisational support and positive attitude to sharing affected knowledge sharing and innovative work behaviour, whereas perceived behavioural control has been found to affect only knowledge sharing behaviour. In addition, flight attendant's knowledge sharing had a positive effect on innovative work behaviour and new service development.

The Impacts of Customer Interaction and Social Capital on New Service Development Performance

Customer interaction has a positive impact on new service development of firms. Nowadays, in the networked economies and societies, the importance of social capital as related to new service development performance is also becoming prominent. However, the existing literature does not reveal much about the relationships among the three variables. Based on customer cooperation innovation theory and new service development theory, this paper tested hypotheses by using the empirical data of 219 knowledge intensive business service firms in the Pearl River Delta of China. The study finds that customer interaction has a distinct positive impact on new service development performance; and social capital has a distinct positive impact on new service development performance. Furthermore, social capital plays a regulatory role in the relationship between customer interaction and new service development performance. By exploring the issues above, the paper will enrich research in the area of service science, especially new service development in China. Meanwhile, our findings will help managers to improve new service development performance by utilizing customer interaction and social capital.

Continuous improvement competence, employee creativity, and new service development performance: A frontline employee perspective

As an important source of competitive advantage, new service development (NSD) is widely used by service firms for new developments. Since creative ideas are crucial to NSD and service firms commonly involve frontline employees in the process of NSD, we argue that frontline employees’ creativity can enhance NSD performance. In addition, since the implementation of continuous improvement practices necessitates frontline employees to make changes and solve problems consistently, we argue that frontline employees’ operational improvement competence (OIC) (i.e., skills in implementing continuous improvement practices) can enhance their creativity. Furthermore, we draw on the contingency theory and argue that the relationships between OIC, employee creativity, and NSD performance are contingent on six relevant contextual factors. Based on the data collected from 146 frontline teams in the banking sector of China, we test our theory-driven model and the posited hypotheses. Our findings serve to advance the knowledge of multiple disciplines by showing the linkages among their core concepts (i.e., OIC, employee creativity, and NSD performance) and also ascertain the factors (i.e., OIC and employee creativity) that enhance NSD performance and the circumstances under which these factors are particularly effective.

A Study of Service Innovation Management in the Malaysian Telecommunications Industry

To what extent does service innovation management influence performance in the telecommunications industry? That is the primary question addressed in a study of 249 managers in two leading Malaysian telecom firms. Researchers used the SPOTS model, which links five dimensions of service innovation management—strategy, process, organization, tools/technology, and system—to the three dimensions of performance—market performance, service development, and delivery process performance. Of the 15 hypotheses proposed, six were supported by the research findings. The analysis finds that the combined effect of strategy, process, organization, and system (SPOS) has an impact on service performance. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mixing rich and asynchronous communication for new service development performance

This article explores the nature of relationships between internal communication modes, new service development (NSD) competencies (specifically learning and development competencies) and NSD performance. To do so, it draws on and advances communication theory by comparing and contrasting the contingent approach, favoured by media richness theory and media synchronicity theory, with the multiplicative manner of dual coding theory. Antecedent roles of rich and asynchronous communication modes for two NSD competencies are investigated, and their function as critical contingency variables affecting the competencies–performance link is unravelled. An empirical quantitative study of senior managers of leading service firms was conducted, with a survey‐based methodology. Results show that a learning competency drives development competency which in turn drives NSD performance. Asynchronous communication is essential for learning competency but not for development competency. In contrast, rich communication underpins development but has no direct effect on learning competency. Rich communication is essential for NSD performance when a firm has a low development competency. The interaction between asynchronous and rich communication is shown to be positive for learning, whereas surprisingly it is negative for development competency.

Identifying some internal S/F factors of NSD project performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to integrate existing streams of literature in service innovation and services marketing and adopt an internal perspective of the new service development (NSD) process by discussing the role of some intra‐organizational contingencies that determine NSD project performance.Design/methodology/approach – This paper develops a number of propositions applicable to new service development projects, in order to shed light on how internal team dynamics and contextual antecedents of service innovation affect NSD project performance.Findings – The importance of adopting an internal market orientation (IMO) for new service development performance is illustrated. The role of intrateam contingencies, such as trust, relationship conflict and political activity and some contextual antecedents, such as resource allocation effectiveness and efficiency and cross‐functional integration for NSD project performance are also discussed.Originality/value – This study is clearly a fruitful p...

The relative impact of culture, strategic orientation and capability on new service development performance

Purpose – This research attempts to understand the operant resources required for new service development (NSD). It aims to construct a more intricate understanding of how operant resources interact to drive NSD. Specifically, it aims to look at the impact of culture, strategic orientation and NSD capability for number of new services, the success rate of new services and the resulting financial contribution by NSD to overall firm performance.Design/methodology/approach – To investigate these relationships, data were collected from 105 leading UK‐based service firms via a key informant survey. Regression analysis was employed to test the model presented.Findings – Analysis reveals that a different culture (entrepreneurial culture) is needed to drive the number of new services from that required for a higher success rate (learning culture). A NSD capability has an important role supporting both of these aspects of NSD performance. The quantity and quality of NSD go on to affect the financial contribution m...

Employee Collaboration, Learning Orientation, and New Service Development Performance

Businesses rely on knowledge interfaces to gather and integrate knowledge that drives innovation and builds competitive advantage. But key knowledge interfaces such as cross-functional teams (CFTs), frontline employees (FLEs), and learning orientation have not shown consistent effects on innovation outcomes in prior research. This study addresses that problem by testing a mediation model that extends the service-dominant logic service innovation framework developed by Ordanini and Parasuraman. Based on analyses of 160 new service development (NSD) projects, the authors find that CFTs, FLEs, and learning orientation consistently influence NSD sales and process efficiency outcomes when they first create a service having (1) superior attributes and expert frontline employee service delivery (service marketability) and/or (2) a well-targeted launch with formal promotion to internal and external markets (launch effectiveness). Those NSD project characteristics in turn yield favorable new service performance results. Specifically, service marketability and launch effectiveness mediate the influence of CFTs on NSD outcomes. Launch effectiveness mediates the influence of learning orientation, and service marketability mediates the impact of FLEs. In ranking the organizational resources, the study finds that CFTs and learning orientation have greater effect on NSD sales performance than do FLEs. The results highlight the importance of aligning CFTs, FLEs, and learning orientation with NSD project characteristics in order to maximize sales performance and process efficiency.

The impact of customer knowledge capability and relational capability on new service development performance: The case of health service

AbstractThis study intends to explore the impact of the customer knowledge integration capability, customer knowledge absorptive capability, customer knowledge creation capability, and customer relationship capability on new service development (NSD) performance for Taiwan's hospitals from customer knowledge and customer relationship perspectives. We employ the self-administered mail survey to collect research data and select self-pay medical service managers or top managers as key informants. After testing the fitness of sample representativeness, non-response error, common method variance, reliability, and validity, we adopt structure equation model to test the research model. Empirical results indicate the customer knowledge absorptive capability of a hospital is positively associated with NSD performance, and the customer knowledge integration capability of a hospital fully mediates the relationship between customer knowledge absorptive capability and NSD performance. However, customer relationship capability and customer knowledge absorptive capability both have positive influence on customer knowledge creation capability. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.

The impact of customer knowledge capability and relational capability on new service development performance: The case of health service

AbstractThis study intends to explore the impact of the customer knowledge integration capability, customer knowledge absorptive capability, customer knowledge creation capability, and customer relationship capability on new service development (NSD) performance for Taiwan's hospitals from customer knowledge and customer relationship perspectives. We employ the self-administered mail survey to collect research data and select self-pay medical service managers or top managers as key informants. After testing the fitness of sample representativeness, non-response error, common method variance, reliability, and validity, we adopt structure equation model to test the research model. Empirical results indicate the customer knowledge absorptive capability of a hospital is positively associated with NSD performance, and the customer knowledge integration capability of a hospital fully mediates the relationship between customer knowledge absorptive capability and NSD performance. However, customer relationship capability and customer knowledge absorptive capability both have positive influence on customer knowledge creation capability. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.