Hadid, W., Mansouri, S.A. and Gallear, D. (2016) Is lean service promising? A socio-technical perspective. International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 36 (6). pp. 618-642. ISSN 0144-3577
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the ongoing debate about the effectiveness of lean practices in the service sector.
Design/methodology/approach – This paper examines the impact of lean service on firm operational and financial performance. Exploratory factor analysis is used to reduce the data and identify the underlying dimensions of lean service, and partial least squares structural equation modelling is used to test the developed model.
Findings – The results indicate that the social bundles of lean service had an independent positive impact on firm operational and financial performance. Furthermore, while the technical bundles had an independent positive effect on only the operational performance, they interacted with the social bundles to improve both the operational and financial performance. The findings suggest that service managers must follow a systematic approach when implementing lean service practices without focusing on one side of the system at the expense of the other.
Practical implications – The paper highlights the importance of implementing lean service as a socio-technical system (STS) if service firms are to achieve the best possible benefits from their implementation. The motivation factor (social side) and the customer value factor (technical side) are capable of improving all operational performance dimensions and profit margin even if implemented alone. Therefore, service managers with limited resources are encouraged to start lean service implementation with practices within these factors. However, they can also expect improved operational and financial performance from implementing other factors as they positively interact to further improve performance.
Originality/value – Viewing lean service as a STS, this paper incorporates a larger set of lean practices than previous studies and demonstrates empirically their capability of improving service firms’ operational and financial performance. It contributes significantly to the emerging literature on lean service by empirically testing the mechanism through which lean service affects firm performance.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2016 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. This is an author produced version of a paper subsequently published in International Journal of Operations and Production Management. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | Lean service technical practices; Lean service social practices; Socio-technical systems theory; Firm performance; Partial least squares (PLS-SEM) |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Management School (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 01 Apr 2016 11:01 |
Last Modified: | 12 Oct 2017 19:29 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-01-2015-0008 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Emerald |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1108/IJOPM-01-2015-0008 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:97559 |