Operational Impact of Service Innovations in Multi‐Step Service Systems

Service quality is an important attribute that is used to characterize many service systems. In this study, we examine a service system with two consecutive steps that have shared resources. The service process consists of a base service (first step in the process) followed by a second step that adds additional value. We first look at a social surplus maximizing service provider (SP) who decides the optimal service capacity and re‐optimizes in response to changes in the speed of service of the first step due to local innovations. Our main objective is to explore using simple and stylized models, the effect on the service system of local innovations in step 1 that decrease this step's service times. We find that the effect of such innovations can sometimes lead to the worsening of certain critical service quality measures when SPs are monopolists. Next, using a model of competition, we find that this effect continues to hold in settings where SPs compete for arrivals. Our results have interesting consequences for many service systems and may help explain some of the unintended effects of service innovations reported in the literature.     

制造企业潜在服务价值创造及其流程再造——东方汽轮机厂案例研究

制造企业存在潜在的服务价值流并与显性价值活动是相互交融的,为了实现服务价值制造企业需要进行服务流程再造。首先,在传统管理模式向服务的价值结构转变过程中,制造企业要注意"推"和"拉"流程的结合;其次,制造企业需要设计和构建面向顾客的服务价值链;第三,制造企业必须将各环节"链"起来形成一个有机整体,实现"服务化"。最后,以我国一家国有大型发电设备制造企业——东方汽轮机厂为例,阐述了制造企业服务创新过程,探讨了其如何构建和再造服务价值流程。     

Biogeographical Analysis of Chemical Co‐Occurrence Data to Identify Priorities for Mixtures Research

A challenge with multiple chemical risk assessment is the need to consider the joint behavior of chemicals in mixtures. To address this need, pharmacologists and toxicologists have developed methods over the years to evaluate and test chemical interaction. In practice, however, testing of chemical interaction more often comprises ad hoc binary combinations and rarely examines higher order combinations. One explanation for this practice is the belief that there are simply too many possible combinations of chemicals to consider. Indeed, under stochastic conditions the possible number of chemical combinations scales geometrically as the pool of chemicals increases. However, the occurrence of chemicals in the environment is determined by factors, economic in part, which favor some chemicals over others. We investigate methods from the field of biogeography, originally developed to study avian species co‐occurrence patterns, and adapt these approaches to examine chemical co‐occurrence. These methods were applied to a national survey of pesticide residues in 168 child care centers from across the country. Our findings show that pesticide co‐occurrence in the child care center was not random but highly structured, leading to the co‐occurrence of specific pesticide combinations. Thus, ecological studies of species co‐occurrence parallel the issue of chemical co‐occurrence at specific locations. Both are driven by processes that introduce structure in the pattern of co‐occurrence. We conclude that the biogeographical tools used to determine when this structure occurs in ecological studies are relevant to evaluations of pesticide mixtures for exposure and risk assessment.     

价值网络的价值创造、锁定效应及其关系研究综述

通过理论综述和演绎,本文归纳了价值网络的价值创造过程以及锁定效应的理论内涵;同时,通过归纳和提炼关系模式和网络定位两大权变要素,指出了价值创造与正负面锁定效应的权变关系,为价值网络的整体演进和衰亡以及网络内部成员的发展差异提供了系统的理论支撑。     

系统集成创新与知识的集成和生成

自主创新中的集成创新与引进吸收消化再创新都可以看作是系统集成创新。系统集成创新是把已有的知识、技术创造性地以系统集成的方式创造出前所未有的新产品、新工艺、新的服务方式或新的经营管理模式,其新颖性表现在系统的集成思想和方式上。系统集成创新具有成本低、时间短、风险小、灵活性大的特点,特别适用于我国当前的发展水平。从系统思想出发,探讨了系统集成创新的特点,并研究了创新过程中的知识集成与生成问题。指出基于二分法的知识转化与生成之思路的局限性,提出基于多阶段知识集成的知识转化与生成的思路与步骤。     

Self‐Service Operations at Retail Stores: The Role of Inter‐Customer Interactions

Inter‐customer interactions are important to the operation of self‐services in retail settings. More specifically, when self‐service terminals are used as part of customers’ checkout processes in retail operations without the explicit involvement of retailers as the direct service providers, inter‐customer interactions become a significant managerial issue. In this article, we examine the impact of inter‐customer interactions at retail self‐service terminals on customers’ service quality perceptions and repeat purchase intentions at retail stores. We conduct a scenario‐based experimental design (N = 674) using a 2 × 2 factorial design in which inter‐customer interactions are divided into “positive” vs. “negative” and occur during the “waiting” or during the actual “transaction” stages of self‐services at a retail store. We use attribution theory to develop the hypotheses. The results demonstrate that, through their interactions, fellow customers can exert influences on a focal customer's quality perceptions and repeat purchasing intentions toward a retail store. Furthermore, these influences were impacted by how customers attribute blame or assign responsibility toward the retail store. Service operations managers should leverage these interactions by designing into self‐service settings the capacities and interfaces that are best suited for customers’ co‐production of their self‐service experiences.     

Bootstrap Determination of the Co‐Integration Rank in Vector Autoregressive Models

This paper discusses a consistent bootstrap implementation of the likelihood ratio (LR) co‐integration rank test and associated sequential rank determination procedure of Johansen (1996). The bootstrap samples are constructed using the restricted parameter estimates of the underlying vector autoregressive (VAR) model that obtain under the reduced rank null hypothesis. A full asymptotic theory is provided that shows that, unlike the bootstrap procedure in Swensen (2006) where a combination of unrestricted and restricted estimates from the VAR model is used, the resulting bootstrap data are I(1) and satisfy the null co‐integration rank, regardless of the true rank. This ensures that the bootstrap LR test is asymptotically correctly sized and that the probability that the bootstrap sequential procedure selects a rank smaller than the true rank converges to zero. Monte Carlo evidence suggests that our bootstrap procedures work very well in practice.     

价值创造结构、K-重划分与联盟稳定性变化研究

与传统以“价值增加”为核心的边际分析不同,强调价值创造“结构”本身的特性.认为联盟结构的特征函数集合描述了价值创造的力量结构和联盟是否稳定的内在属性.研究表明,价值创造的特征函数结构同联盟核存在的最小价值创造的值之间存在线性变换关系,联盟的最大的k-重划分值等于联盟核存在的最小值.在联盟稳定性变化的临界状态下,其划分点作为了联盟结构的“合并”和“分解”点,不能出现在交集为空的互补性集合之间,各子联盟集合满足价值创造非互补性和线性可加性.     

The Influence of Service Orientation on B2B e‐Service Capabilities: An Empirical Investigation

E‐Services, or the company's portfolio of service offerings available to its customers through the Internet, are an emerging area of interest to operations management. Yet little is known about the operations and capabilities needed for provision of business‐to‐business (B2B) e‐services. This paper aims to make a contribution toward closing this gap. First, we develop a new construct of B2B e‐service capability, a term that captures a generic set of five interrelated and complementary dimensions: (1) e‐service recovery, (2) e‐customization, (3) ease of navigation, (4) service portfolio comprehensiveness, and (5) information richness. These combined operational abilities are associated with B2B service delivery, including its portal design, technology architecture, and mix of product and service offerings. They are posited to be necessary for delivering effective B2B e‐services. We also argue that, both service orientation (SO) and customer receptivity to technology, influence B2B e‐service capability. We empirically test a path model using structural equation modeling on a sample of 181 businesses that have deployed B2B e‐services. We find that the influence of SO on performance is not direct but rather mediated by the e‐service capability, a finding that holds for both goods producers and service providers. We suggest that a firm's SO may mitigate industrial customers' resistance toward conducting business online.     

基于中国上市公司的实物期权价值创造的实证检验

以1998年以前上市的657家上市公司为样本,对实证检验实物期权的价值创造功能做了探索性研究。研究结论表明,内含有价值实物期权的上市公司,即具有高管理弹性(灵活性),同时又面临高度不确定性市场环境的上市公司,获得了显著高的收益率,为股东创造了更多的财富,从而证实了实物期权的价值创造功能。     

基于价值创造视角的互联网企业核心资源及能力研究

尽管网络经济已经成为国民经济的重要组成部分,但至今尚未形成一套适用于网络经济特征的体系化的竞争战略理论。为了弥补这一不足,本文通过对网络经济理论和战略管理理论的整合,借鉴AMIT&ZOTT提出的虚拟交易的四维价值空间理论框架,并将其推广应用到WEB2.0企业,从价值创造的角度揭示了网络企业的"3+1"核心资源和能力的构成体系。理论研究表明3种核心资源--原创内容资源、匹配数据资源、关系网络资源和1种核心能力--汇聚资源能力,对企业核心价值和竞争优势的形成具有正向的影响作用。为了检验假设,本文以北京市海淀区的248家网络企业为样本,采用结构方程模型分析方法进行分析。实证结果表明:原创内容资源、匹配数据资源和关系网络资源对核心价值和竞争优势的产生具有显著作用;而汇聚资源能力对原创内容资源、匹配数据资源和关系网络资源的形成具有显著的正效应。实证数据部分支持了本文的原始假设。     

面向顾客模糊性要求的服务交互价值共创研究

服务接触中顾客所提出的模糊性要求,为服务交互管理带来诸多挑战。动态刻画面向模糊性要求的服务交互价值共创过程为理解和应对模糊性要求提供了具体的视角。本研究通过构建服务交互价值共创模型,模拟面向模糊性要求情景的单人单次和单人多次服务交互的价值共创过程。结果表明,三个核心判断条件识别出价值共创的四种典型情形;多次交互情境下,员工自由应对时平均能力提升方向不定,员工间个体能力差异也较大,而企业对员工的干预能有效提升员工能力和服务质量。该研究首次动态阐释了非常规波动下顾企价值共创的具体过程,也明确了企业对员工应对模糊性要求干预的必要性和有效性。     

组合与单一治理对供应链信息系统价值创造的影响

针对供应链中契约与信任、权威与信任之间的治理作用是互补还是替代关系的争论,对不同治理机制选择与供应链信息系统价值创造的关系进行梳理,运用博弈分析方法探讨组合与单一治理机制选择对供应链信息系统价值创造的影响,通过25家企业的实地调查对博弈分析结论进行讨论.研究表明,当环境不确定性较高时,采用契约与信任、权威与信任组合治理比采用单一契约或权威治理对供应链信息系统价值创造的促进作用更大;当环境不确定性较低时,采用契约与信任、权威与信任组合治理比采用单一信任治理的促进作用更大;当环境不确定性处于中间状态时,难以确定上述组合与单一治理两者的优劣.     

服务业中顾客参与对顾客价值创造影响的实证研究

本文从顾客与企业交互层面构建了包含影响顾客参与前因要素和顾客参与结果的整合模型,考察顾客参与活动对顾客价值创造的影响。在此基础上,以个人培训行业为背景,通过对484名中国消费者的问卷调查,运用结构方程模型开展实证研究。结果表明,顾客参与行为显著影响了顾客对实用价值的创造,顾客在参与活动中对实用价值感知与享乐价值感知正相关,实用价值在顾客参与和享乐价值之间起到了完全中介作用。同时,信息交换、情感承诺、交互公平作为顾客参与前因要素效应得到了证实。最后讨论了该研究的管理意义与未来研究方向。     

服务供应链战略互动与协同价值对合法性的影响

基于能力观和制度合法性等理论,运用实证研究的方法验证服务供应链中服务集成商与客户企业之间的战略互动关系以及集成服务和产品服务价值实现对伙伴关系合法性的作用.基于资源依赖理论和服务供应链理论阐述服务集成商与客户企业的战略互动、协同价值实现和伙伴关系合法性,并在此基础上提出三者之间的关系,即战略互动对伙伴关系合法性的影响以及协同价值实现的不同表现,特别是集成服务对以上路径的中介作用.研究结果表明,服务集成商与客户企业之间的战略互动是影响服务供应链上下游企业产生伙伴关系合法性的显著因素,尤其是服务集成商的集成服务价值实现是伙伴关系合法性形成的关键中介变量,而产品服务的价值实现并不能推动服务集成商与客户企业之间的关系合法性.     

Bootstrap Testing of Hypotheses on Co‐Integration Relations in Vector Autoregressive Models

It is well known that the finite‐sample properties of tests of hypotheses on the co‐integrating vectors in vector autoregressive models can be quite poor, and that current solutions based on Bartlett‐type corrections or bootstrap based on unrestricted parameter estimators are unsatisfactory, in particular in those cases where also asymptotic χ² tests fail most severely. In this paper, we solve this inference problem by showing the novel result that a bootstrap test where the null hypothesis is imposed on the bootstrap sample is asymptotically valid. That is, not only does it have asymptotically correct size, but, in contrast to what is claimed in existing literature, it is consistent under the alternative. Compared to the theory for bootstrap tests on the co‐integration rank (Cavaliere, Rahbek, and Taylor, 2012), establishing the validity of the bootstrap in the framework of hypotheses on the co‐integrating vectors requires new theoretical developments, including the introduction of multivariate Ornstein–Uhlenbeck processes with random (reduced rank) drift parameters. Finally, as documented by Monte Carlo simulations, the bootstrap test outperforms existing methods.     

Adoption of e‐Processes by Service Firms: An Empirical Study of Antecedents

This paper investigates empirically antecedents of the adoption of web‐based processes (e‐processes) by service providers. We examine whether rational efficiency (expressed by expected performance benefits and access to new markets), the bandwagon effect (expressed by external pressure), and barriers (both internal and customer related) influence Internet use for transactions (e‐transactions) and/or to extend the relationships between service providers and their customers (e‐CRM). The findings, based on a sample of 338 service firms, show that rational efficiency and the bandwagon effect drive both types of e‐processes. Conversely, only internal barriers have a negative impact on adoption of e‐processes, while barriers related to customers do not have a significant impact. These findings have important academic and managerial implications, given the limited evidence regarding the implementation of e‐processes in services.     

Managing Quality in the E‐Service System: Development and Application of a Process Model

In this paper, we develop a process model for assessing and managing e‐service quality based on the underlying components of the e‐service system and, in turn, address the growing need to look in more detail at the system component level for sources of poor quality. The proposed process model is comprised of a set of entities representing the e‐service system, a network defining the linking between all pairs of entities via transactions and product flows, and a set of outcomes of the processes in terms of quality dimensions. The process model is developed using Unified Modeling Language (UML), a pictorial language for specifying service designs that has achieved widespread acceptance among e‐service designers. Examples of applications of the process model are presented to illustrate how the model can be use to identify operational levers for managing and improving e‐service quality.     

Quality of Service Based Pricing Schemes for Content Sharing in Peer‐to‐Peer Networks

In this paper, we study quality‐of‐service (QoS) based pricing schemes that serve as incentive mechanisms to induce sharing behaviors in Peer‐to‐Peer (P2P) networks. We incorporate operational QoS metrics into users’ utility functions and demonstrate how they affect individual users’ content sharing decisions. Using a game‐theoretic model, our study reveals how organizations respond to the changes of operational QoS metrics in their design of pricing schemes for various business objectives at different stages of network evolution. Our results show that a higher upload capacity can foster rational sharing to start when the network is small; however, it also discourages sharing behaviors when the network becomes large. In order to induce a socially optimal behavior, a pricing scheme will not charge users for requesting content while compensating them for sharing content. Such compensation is found to increase faster with the network size when the network is large. In order to maximize the profit of a monopolistic provider, however, a pricing scheme will charge content requests with a positive price while providing less compensation to sharing users compared to the socially optimal scheme. When the network size is small, such compensation can be even negative, which implies that a monopolistic provider discourages content sharing when the network is small, but encourages it when the network becomes larger. In addition, we find that more information about peer upload capacity discourages peers to share.     

网络环境下的服务创新与价值共创:携程案例研究

“携程旅行网”作为在线旅游服务业的代表引来了无数效仿者,但其成功地位始终未被撼动.在看似简单的商业模式背后蕴含的是难以模仿的价值共创与服务创新理念及能力,而网络环境下的价值共创与服务创新仍是一黑箱.本研究采用个案研究方法分析了携程的商业模式;并结合服务创新与价值共创理论,解析了网络环境下服务创新与价值共创的机制及要素,剖析了携程成功的奥秘,并进一步为服务型企业构建高效的服务价值网络提供了系统的范式,为其树立供应链管理战略提供了理论支持和政策建议.研究发现:①服务供应链上中下游间的两两互动及服务集成商的内外部整合是价值共创的重要组成,可分为三大模块十九个维度;②服务创新系统与价值共创系统是相互渗透紧密联系的整体,整个系统中必有一个扮演整合者角色的核心集成商存在;③价值共创过程中服务集成商与供应商的互动为服务创新创造了物质基础,服务集成商与顾客的互动为服务创新提供了动机和来源,而服务集成商内外部的整合则是服务创新产出的保障机制.