Academic+Writing Manuscript+Anonymous

8/2/2019 Academic+Writing Manuscript+Anonymous

1/40

Obstacles transforming service organisations

Abstract

In this research, we studied managers transforming their service organization and looked into the role

played by obstacles in the execution of their objectives. Using principal component analysis (PCA), we categorized

the obstacles on the basis of our review of the literature referring to our framework of obstacles faced by managers in

the context of a service change. Our research suggests four contributions to the domain of organizational change. Our

main finding, based on the conceptual framework of Kolb (1984), suggest the existence of 5 different categories of

obstacles in the strategy execution faced by managers in the context of a service change. Our hypothesis was

supported and suggests that the main obstacles faced by managers in a service context would be related to the

dimension of convergence with emotions with factors such as lack of commitment and resistance to change of

employees. The research highlights the critical role played by emotions in the context of a service change. However,

our observations suggest that four other categories of obstacles would also play a significant role.

INTRODUCTION

Among the topics for which research has developed an interest is the transformation in a service

management. The notion of transformation is defined in the Webster dictionary as a change of form and the word

transform is defined as a change of structure, appearance or character. A strategic transformation could be defined as

a transformation that is important for the organization. Some authors have mentioned that transformation and

restructuring in service organizations have become endemic such as public services (Pedersen and Hartley, 2008).

These transformations and restructuring cannot be fully implemented without a prior deep and comprehensive

knowledge of effective service delivery as it relates to customers. For a long time service had been perceived as a

category of market offering or as an intangible product offering (Ferguson, Paulin and Bergeron, 2009). In the

developed society for many years, during and immediately after the industrial revolution championed by scientists
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?RQT=572&VType=PQD&VName=PQD&VInst=PROD&pmid=11865&pcid=39340251&SrchMode=3http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?RQT=572&VType=PQD&VName=PQD&VInst=PROD&pmid=11865&pcid=39340251&SrchMode=3


2/40

like Adam Smith, Henry Fayol and Frederick Taylor, many organizations had been product-centric. Increased

consumer preferences, and the dynamic and competitive business environment have enforced the relevance of

service offering and its subsequent management (Lay, Copani, and Biege, (2010), (Lofberg, Witell and Gustafsson,

2010). As opposed to these perspectives on the definition and importance of service, Ferguson, Paulin and Bergeron

(2009) relate the assessments of service beneficiaries with the understanding of service. They describe it as a

perspective of value proposed by the beneficiary of a service which in most occasions are customers. Thus the need

to manage service is preceded by a holistic understanding of what service represents and how firms can go a long

way in understanding the need of beneficiaries in their service development process by adopting a contingency

approach (Storey and Hull, 2010). The literature on strategic transformation in service organizations for delivering

value to service beneficiaries has relied on concepts such as controlling resistance, building support for changes,

communication and the need to provide backups in situations of service failures. For instance, Rainey and Thompson

(2006) in their study of leadership and transformation of a major institution relied on such concepts. In their

commentary that summarizes research and practice on the topic of organizational change through service

management over the past 30 years, the authors have identified the relationship between change recipient

characteristics and reactions to organizational transformation as a key topic (Armenakis and Harris, 2009).

In the context of a service transformation through effective service management, one of the main

challenges, regarding service transformation has to do with obstacles impeding the execution of managerial

obstacles. The Webster dictionary defined obstacles as something that stands in the way or opposes or as an

obstruction. Managerial obstacles should refer therefore to the factors that are impeding the execution of the

objectives of a manager. For its part, service transformation could be defined as a change of form in the services

delivered by the organization. It has been associated with a fundamental change in organizational practices

(Dreachslin and Saunders, 1999). Further, the transformation of service organization has been associated with a shift

of paradigm from change management to change leadership (Karp and Helgo, 2008). Lofberg, Withell and

Gustafsson (2010) identify five strategic approaches to sustained service performance among manufacturing firms.

2
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=46596811&SrchMode=2&sid=5&Fmt=4&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&CSD=341978&RQT=590&VName=PQD&TS=1244563871&clientId=13816http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=46596811&SrchMode=2&sid=5&Fmt=4&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&CSD=341978&RQT=590&VName=PQD&TS=1244563871&clientId=13816


3/40

According to the authors these approaches are strategies that enable organizations to sustain the tempo of its

competitiveness through the commitment of its leadership. These strategies are customer service, after-sales service

provider, customer support service provider, development partner and outsourcing partner.

Why exactly is it important for the research in service managementto explore categories of

obstacles, as well as their relative importance, being faced by managers in a situation of service transformation

through effective service management? This topic is important since obstacles represent a key determinant of success

of a service organization facing a transformation. Several authors have highlighted the critical role of this topic to

better understand organizational change. For instance, Bruins and Bruns (2007) have mentioned the importance of

obstacles to better understand the various categories of underlying causes of resistance to change in organizations.

Kyong-Jee (2008) mentioned that organizations have found different set of obstacles in the implementation of their

organizational objectives and that they play an important role. Gebauer, Edvardsson and Jurko (2010) provide a

comprehensive explanation on the subject of service culture as a major source of resource advantages erosion and

internal resistance which may inhibit a companys exploitation of service benefits. Although these authors describe

the numerous advantages and opportunities that accrue to a firm when senior management and other categories of

employees execute business services with a service orientation, the authors still recommend a change management

perspective to the implementation of service culture across the length and breadth of a firm. Finally, Boyds (2009)

has indicated that success in large-scale change interventions is a function of overcoming several key obstacles that

lie in the path of change of different nature. These authors have mentioned that a better understanding of the role of

obstacle management could help us to better understand the dynamics of organizational change in implementing the

relevant strategies for service management and delivery among many firms. If literature has argued that obstacles

play a key role in service transformation, very few have studied empirically, the role of specific categories of

obstacles as impediments in the execution of managerial objectives in service organization.

3


4/40

Obstacles encountered by managers when changing a service organization could be examined

with several perspectives. The work of (Kolb, 1984) and subsequent research as described in the methodology

section of this article has led us to gather various perspectives corresponding to what we call transformation

strategies for service organizations. Based on the framework of Kolb (1984) we propose to divide the existing

literature into five perspectives: the assimilation transformation with rules, the convergent transformation with

emotions: the divergent transformation with projects, the accommodation transformation with immediate actions and

lastly the service integrity transformation. Let us examine briefly the contributions of the literature according to these

perspectives.

THE ASSIMILATION TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY WITH SERVICE RULES

A first set of obstacles has to do with the assimilation transformation strategy with

rules. In most services organization rules are objectives, policies or principles that are guiding the organization. If the

objectives, policies or guidelines are not clear, they could represent an obstacle for managers in the accomplishment

of their task and functions. The assimilation transformation with rules could be defined as a strategy based on a

factual analysis of the situations to set up a more coherent and more rational system. According to Kolb (1984) this

strategy has to do with the abstract conceptualization. This strategy leads to the forming of concepts and formulation

of generalizations which integrate the observations and the reflections. For instance, it leads to a business model

resulting from analysis and rational reflection. Economic planning and analysis prevail and there is often a

preference for figures and protocols. Decisions are usually made on the basis of facts and abstract principles, and

rationality (reason instead of emotions) dominates the process of decision-making. With this transformation strategy,

rules and principles are formed, and accommodated into a system. In this context, Amenakis et. al. (1979) has argued

that the planning for organizational intervention in the context of an organizational change should include the

importance of existing socio-psychological situations within the scope of organizational diagnosis. This is what some

researchers have described as a service logic model. Within the context of this perspective, George and Bowen

4


5/40

(1995) have demonstrated that rules are integrated within a system framework in service organizations. For example,

their study reveals that the real challenge of service management is the inter-functional coordination of operations,

marketing and finance to integrate into valuable service experience.

Several authors have mentioned the role of formal planning, and factors such as formal

objective, rules and guidelines and obstacles in organizational change. Nerina et al. (2007) argued that although

uncertainty has been identified as a major consequence of organizational change for employees, there still remains a

lack of understanding regarding the processes and guidelines through which employees address such perceptions.

The lack of rational understanding regarding the rules and system represents an obstacle in the context of an

organizational change in a service organization. For instance, it has been found that in healthcare organizations that

have used Enterprise Application Integration (EAI), the lack of structuring of rules represent an obstacle to strategic

transformation (Themistocleous,Mantzana and Morabito, 2009). These authors found that it was difficult to support

a transformation strategy and facilitate integration at different layers, such as connectivity, transportation,

transformation and process integration without clear structuring rules.

THE CONVERGENT TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY WITH EMOTIONS

A second set of obstacles has to do with the convergent transformation with emotions. This

strategy would include factors such as resistance to change, lack of convictions or lack of commitment of employees.

These factors are important, since they could represent an obstacle for managers in accomplishment of their task and

functions. The convergent transformation strategy has to do with commitment and the developing of convictions of

employees in the context of a service transformation. This is what Kolb (1984) has labeled as reflexive observation.

The objective of this strategy transformation is to get a commitment by reconciling the divergent points of view and

establishing consensus. In the context of this strategy, the divergent and conflicting points of view are comfortably

accepted. This strategy for service transformation places great importance on the meaning of the situations and the

5


6/40

emotions of persons. Decisions are made on the basis of long-term, matured observation and then reflected with the

individuals concerned.

For the most part, studies on change management have attempted to determine the factors that influence employee

resistance to change. In regard to the convergent transformation strategy, Markam (2000) describes the key role of

champions as having organizational political astuteness. Amenakis (2002) mentioned the importance of crafting a

change message to create transformational readiness. Justice, cynicism, and commitment have been identified as key

obstacles in managing organizational change (Berneth et.al, 2007). According to Lines (2007), the hypotheses that

were tested using data drawn from the transformation of a large, divisionalizedtelecommunications company facing

deregulation and global competition, highlighted the role of an agent power for getting a commitment. Findings also

indicate that the relationship between power and implementation success is partly mediated by differential use of

influence tactics (Lines, 2007). Chaiporn et al.(2008) found that results suggest that the level of job motivation is

negatively associated with the level of support for change, and that the level of self-confidence for learning and

development is not associated with the level of support for change. For instance, Friedman and Sebenius (2009) have

found that coalitional leadership and convergence play a key role in organizational transformation. Amenakis et al.

(2009) have highlighted the role of key beliefs underlying change recipient motivations.

More specifically, the studies on service transformation and change management have attempted to determine the

factors that influence employee resistance to change (Vithessonthi and Schwaninger, 2008). They have shown how

coalitional leadership functions - from crafting a strategic vision to building a supportive coalition and

institutionalizing the vision by critically examining three deep changes at Goldman Sachs during the eighties and

early nineties. In similar contexts, Stebbings and Braganza (2009) found that continuous transformation can be

explained through the concept of network interdependence.

THE DIVERGENT TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY WITH INITIATIVES

6


7/40

A third category of obstacles is the divergent transformation with initiatives. This set of obstacles has to do with the

lack of initiatives and the sense of responsibility of employees. When employees are not taking initiatives or do not

have a sufficient sense of responsibility, it might pose as an obstacle for managers in accomplishing their task and

functions. Further, the divergent transformation strategy relies on active experimentation of initiatives, realization of

projects and continuous improvement of the existing activities. This is what Kolb (1984) has called the process of

active experimentation. In this context, the hypotheses then generated in new situations are verified by making

projects. Results are obtained by an active experiment of new methods. This strategy involves creativity and ideas

supporting initiatives and its implementation. With such a strategy, decisions are made after feedback has been

obtained about the project. Amenakis et al. (2009) have mentioned that one of the important factors related to

organizational changes has been the active participation of the change recipient in the change effort.

This perspective on service transformation focuses on actively experimenting with new ways of doing things.

Pedersen and Hartley (2008) argued that there has been a weakening of the hierarchically organized state in favour of

more differentiated governance regimes and initiatives cutting across the public, private and voluntary sectors. They

found that managing the tensions and paradoxes of governance regimes has become a key responsibility for

managers in service organizations. This means that there are three sets of dynamics that need to be worked with.

Chrusciels (2008) viewpoint is how from a significant change champion perspective, it seeks to explore the

motivation behind an individuals willingness to take initiatives. In his research, he attempted to identify the key

motivational traits that inspire these early change adopters. By identifying and investigating the motivational factors

behind early acceptance, he has argued that an organization can begin to deal with change urgency and optimize the

benefits from change transformations.

THE ACCOMODATION TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY WITH IMMEDIATE ACTION

7
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?RQT=572&VType=PQD&VName=PQD&VInst=PROD&pmid=11865&pcid=39340251&SrchMode=3http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?RQT=572&VType=PQD&VName=PQD&VInst=PROD&pmid=11865&pcid=39340251&SrchMode=3


8/40

A fourth category of obstacles has to do with the transformation strategy and immediate action. This category of

obstacles deals with the number of immediate urgent matter that impedes to take action with long term results. Too

many administrative emergencies or actions with low value could represent an obstacle for managers in

accomplishing their tasks and functions. This dimension of accommodation transformation strategy is carried out

through immediate action and allows immediate implementation at a small scale level to obtain results quickly and

adjust according to the feedback. According to Kolb (1984), this dimension has to do with concrete actions.

However, there is an opportunity for fast decision-making without adhering to an established plan. Interaction with

the others is favored only as far as it gives quick results. This strategy is pragmatic and acts on the basis of the first

results obtained. For instance, Amenakis et al. (2009) mentioned that a relevant topic is the assessment of reactions

to organizational change. Thus, in the context of crisis management, a study on following concrete and immediate

actions, Moran (1998) has indicated that the ability of fire department personnel to respond to urgent situations in

disasters hinges on a complex relationship, as the link is not linear between experience and the efforts made. As

Moran states: the type of trauma that firemen experience in previous crisis situations plays a significant role in their

ability to respond effectively to emergency situations. The capacity to take immediate actions has been associated

with leveraging organizational transformation (Mnner, 2007).

8


9/40

THE INTEGRITY TRANSFORMATION STRATEGY WITH SERVICE VALUES

A fifth category of obstacles has to do with the integrity transformation strategy with service values. This strategy

and its set of obstacles have to do with lack of integrity in service values: such as lack of ethics or inappropriate

behaviour that are not consistent with the value of the service organization. This fifth transformation strategy of

service integrity is a process that relies on a fifth transformation strategy that could be labeled as service integrity.

This process is carried out through the socialization of service values leading to a transformation of service

experiences. This transformation strategy relies on the capacity to transform the values of the organization and the

companys service mission. Ultimately, this transformational strategy instils the idea of working for a cause that goes

beyond earnings and company recognition (Fairholm, 1996). For instance, Pendleton (2001) identified the champion

as being someone who is recognized as part of the culture, an accepted member. This perspective deals with strategic

transformation as a change in values and companys mission practices (Dreachslin and Saunders, 1999). For

instance, these authors have found that diversity in leadership represents a change of values leading to organizational

transformation. They have found that services organizations can follow a process to re-position themselves and

integrate values of diversity leadership.

9


10/40

Table 1: Transformation strategies

Transformation strategies

transformation

Objectives Description

1. Assimilation

transformation with rules

Transformation of the system by

changing the rules (policies and

procedures) used within the

organization.

Investigations, inquiries, search for facts,

analyses and assessment of problems faced

in order to provide modifications and

adaptations throughout the system of the

organization.

2. Convergence

transformation with

Transformation through the

convergences implementation of

Questionings, identification of problems and

clarification of situations resulting in a

10


11/40

emotions experiences and development of a

common commitment in service

experiences.

commitment to lead a convergence

transformation.

3. Divergence

transformation with

projects


implementation of strong projects and

the promotion of active learning

patterns in order to facilitate

empowerment of employees.

Trials, investigations, best practices,

continuous improvement and creation of

new project platforms with the aim of

delivering a transformation through

deviation and improvement of traditional

working methods.

4. Accommodation

transformation with

immediate actions

Transformation within the

organization through the pragmatic

adaptation way of the particular

context.

Pragmatic modifications, compromises and

consensus on the ways of doing business

according to circumstances.

5. Integrity transformation

with service integrity


integration of the four dimensions

leading to service integrity.

Implementation throughout the organization

focusing on the operations and

administrative functions in order to deliver

valuable service experience through the

successive integration of the four modes

described earlier.

Objectives

If the review of the literature and the conceptual framework of Kolb (1984) have led us to classify literature and then

formulate hypotheses, this article intends to study empirically the role of these categories of obstacles in the context

of a service transformation. Thus, with our review of literature along with the formulation of our three hypotheses,

we will attempt to answer three questions: these questions should help us to understand better the role of categories

11


12/40

of obstacles and their relative importance in the context of a service transformation. More specifically, we intend to

pursue the three set of objectives:

1. What are the categories of obstacles faced by managers when transforming service organizations? This first

objective intends to better understand the various categories faced by a manager in the context of a service

transformation. Few researches have been completed on the topic of the role played by specific categories

of obstacles that encountered a manager in the context of a service transformation. This first objective

intends to better understand the role played by these factors.

2. What is the relative importance of these different categories of obstacles? The purpose of the second

objective is to rank the relative importance of these specific categories of obstacles. With the exception of

the category of obstacles dealing with emotions, a very limited of research has been completed to

understand better the relative importance of various categories of obstacles. A relevant question arises

however: do these obstacles have the same importance? Or does their different relative importance vary in

the context of a service transformation?

3. Does the convergence strategy with emotions, gather the most important set of obstacles faced by

managers? This third objective wishes to assess the importance of the specific dimension of emotions as a

category of obstacles faced by managers. The literature has put emphasis on the key role of the dimension

of emotion with factors such as resistance to change and lack of commitment as a key dimension to

understand the role played by obstacles encountered by a manager when implementing a change in the

context of a service transformation.

Methodology

12


13/40

In this section we present our methodology and explain its context and the various steps that were undertaken to

analyze our findings. This study is a part of a broader research on managerial strategy execution and organizational

transformation and was conducted in four major steps. We present briefly each of the major steps before examining

them in details:

Firstly, in a previous research and before undertaking the study of this article, we surveyed a sample of 168 managers

in service organizations. This first step was completed to empirically support the four dimensions of Kolb (1984)

using its measurement instrument. These four dimensions had a significant degree of variance explained and a

positive Cronbach Alpha.

Secondly, before undertaking this study, we developed a specific instrument capable of measuring management

leadership with managers going through a transformation in their service organization. To do so we completed a set

of 12 focus groups with managers working in service organizations to survey from a qualitative perspective, the set

obstacles that they faced. They were gathered under the 4 categories of the conceptual framework of Kolb (1984).

However, following this qualitative survey of obstacles faced by managers, a fifth category of obstacle that did not

fit within the conceptual framework of Kolb (1984) was added: that is the one of service integrity.

Thirdly, we used the qualitative survey of these 25 obstacles to develop a measurement instrument under the form of

a questionnaire to survey empirically the relative importance of the various categories of obstacles. This

questionnaire was previously validated with a sequential set of 5 small samples of managers to improve the

formulation of the various questions and insure its statistical reliability.

Finally, for the specific purpose of this study, a survey of 149 managers going through a service transformation was

completed and analysed using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for which 5 categories were identified

13


14/40

The following sections explain the details of each of these four methodological steps

Step 1: Empirical validation of the four dimensions of Kolb (1984)

The objective of this first step before undertaking our study was to validate empirically the four dimensions of the

conceptual framework of Kolb (1984). The validation was based on the Learning Style Inventory of Kolb (1984)

with some adjustments to the managerial context.

1. Data was collected by managers through structured training in the countries of the Organization for

Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Three regions of the world, namely, Europe, North

America and Australia, were randomly selected. 168 respondents completed the questionnaire.

2. The measuring instrument of (Kolb1984), which is the Learning Style Inventory, has been used since the

initial variables were related to the modes of learning. Our questionnaire was adapted to answer the

questions on the strategies of transformation, and we validated the questions during executive seminar with

the managers of the organization.

3. To make sure that each of the questions was understood, the validation was preceded by a pre-test

conducted on 15 referees of the Belgian Management Training Association. All questions were suitably

understood and adjustments were made with one to clarify its understanding from the respondents.

4. Descriptive analyses were completed to identify certain characteristics of the sample. Frequency analysis

and the test of Cronbach Alpha were completed. The results of R-square (degree of explained variance by

the model) and factorial analyses were used to verify the hypotheses. As shown in table 2, reference is made

to the Cronbach Alpha, an indicator of reliability with the measuring scale between 0 (not reliable of the

14


15/40

whole) and 1 (reliable).

5. Four of the five dimensions of our conceptual framework have been validated in previous research. The first

four dimensions had a positive Cronbach alpha and the fifth dimension (integrity) was added afterwards

following the qualitative research focus groups. Table 2 below presents the concept definition along with

the variance and reliability obtained as shown in the next table. Each dimension (with the exception of the

fifth one) was supported by a significant variance explained and a significant Cronbach alpha.

Table 2: Concept definition and measurement

Step 2: Focus groups with managers to identify managerial obstacles

In the second step, and before undertaking this specific study, we completed focus groups with managers to

15

Concept definition Variance and reliability

1Rules (abstract conceptualization): theoretical conceptualization by means of

rules postulates and models to systematize information.

Variance explained: 53.5 %

Alpha of Cronbach: 0.799.

2Emotions (reflexive observation): problem recognition and capacity to develop

convictions and to get a commitment.

Variance explained: 60 %

Alpha of Cronbach: 0.831.

3

Initiatives (active experimentation): select a model to test its possible

consequences. Learning by trying, finding new ways to put new ideas in

practice. Support initiative to responzabilize employees.

Variance explained: 53%

Alpha of Cronbach 0.8

4

Immediate actions: action oriented that is immediate and concrete. Oriented

towards direct contacts and apprehension rather than comprehension. Quickadjustments resulting from feedback.

Variance explained: 52.6%

Alpha of Cronbach: 0.740

5

Integrity: ability to meet organizational objectives respecting the integrity of its

mission. Active and deliberate construction of the organization values into the

structure of organizations everyday actions.

Not applicable


16/40

list the various obstacles they face for each of the dimensions previously identified. Twelve focus groups

were conducted with an average of 15 managers per group to identify obstacles faced by managers. We

identified 5 obstacles for each of the 5 dimensions for a total of 25 obstacles. The obstacles were selected

based on the frequency among the participants for each of the focus groups. The obstacles identified were

used as input to elaborate the measurement instrument related to obstacles.

Step 3: Development of a measurement instrument

We further developed an instrument tool to measure the role of the 25 obstacles that were identified with

managers in focus groups. We used the verbatim of the focus group to elaborate a survey to validate these

obstacles. A pre-test of questionnaire was administered and the questions were sequentially adjusted with

five groups of approximately 25 managers per group before being rolled out to a larger sample of managers.

Several adjustments were made in these 5 pre-test to insure the statistical behaviour of each questions. The

table below presents each of the 25 questions that were completed by the participants.

Table 3: Description of variables measured

Obstacles Dimensions and variables Measurement-Questions

Dimension of Rules

O1 V1 Lack of clarity in expected results

The actual results I am expected to achieve

with my manager and my organization are not

clear.

O2 V2 Too much emphasis financial and compliance rules.

We have goals to meet financial expectations

and establish rules to be followed, but we

have not established goals for better customer

service.

O3 V3 Lack of understanding of the results to be achieved

by employees.

Even though they were informed, my

employees do not clearly understand the

16


17/40

results to be achieved.

O4 V4 Lack of clear expectations of other departments.

The expectations of other departments are not

often clear.

O5V11 Lack of accountability from employees for their

actions.

My employees are not generally held

accountable for their actions.

Dimensions of Emotions

O6

V12 Lack of willingness and capability of employees

to take initiatives.

My employees are not entirely able and

willing to take initiatives.

O7 V13 Lack of autonomy from employees.

When I am absent, my team members are not

able to address problems on their own.

O8

V14 Lack of sense of initiative and improvements from

employees.

Initiatives are not often undertaken because

there is a tendency to leave things as they are.

O9V11 Lack of accountability from employees for their

actions.

My employees are not generally held


Q10 V10 Lack of equity There are team members who complain that

we are not fair sometimes.

Dimension of Initiatives

Q11

O12

V12 Lack of willingness and capability of employees

to take initiatives.

My employees are not entirely able and

willing to take initiatives.

O13 V13 Lack of autonomy from employees.

When I am absent, my team members are not


O14

V14 Lack of sense of initiative and improvements from

employees.

Initiatives are not often undertaken because


O15 v15 Lack of team work and common objectives We represent a group of individuals rather

than work as a team with clear, common

goals.

Dimension of Immediate action

O16

V16 Difficulty planning for and dealing with

emergencies.

We have difficulty planning for and dealing

with emergencies.

O17 V17 Too many emergencies and last-minute requests.We handle too many emergencies and last-

minute requests.

O18

V18 Urgent issues unresolved without finding durable

solutions.

Urgent issues go unresolved without ever

finding durable solutions.

17


18/40

O19V19 Difficulty creating profitable action plans with

long-term results.

We have difficulty creating profitable action

plans with long-term results.

O20V20 Too many meetings and non-productive activities

with no concrete action taken.

We hold too many meetings and non-

productive activities with no concrete action

taken.

Dimension of Integrity

O21 V21 Lack of shared organizational values.

At times, I dont think we all share the same

values in my organization.

Q22

O23 V23 Gap between personal and organizational values.

Sometimes, I notice differences between my

values and the values of the organization.

O24V24 Lack of focus on building the organizations

reputation.

Sometimes, in my work, I dont feel I am

actively working towards building the

organizations reputation.

O25 V25 Sense of obligation

All employees do not seem to have a sense of

obligation.

Step 4: Surveys of managers going through a service transformation for the specific purpose of this study

The step 4 consisted of surveying a group of 149 managers in a governmental Department of a Canadian

province. The participants were all managers and project managers with an information technology

background and were in charge of supervising information technology projects. The group was selected to

insure the homogeneity of the respondents in terms of origins, task and functions.

In the specific context of this research, we surveyed this specific group of managers in public services going

through the context of a service transformation to better understand obstacles facing managers in service

organizations. These managers were undertaking a service transformation of their administrative systems

with information technology activities in governmental services.

18


19/40

Regarding the homogeneity of this group, we insured that the respondents came from the same provincial

government and had similar tasks and responsibilities in the area of information technology in various

departments. More specifically, in our sample, an average of 36% of managers was responsible for 5 to 19

employees working under them. Median years of service at the current organization have been 5 to 10 years

of which a majority (76%) having spent less than 5 years at their current managerial position. Majority of the

respondents (80%) were 49 years old or younger. There were no significant differences between this sample

of 149 and the broader sample of managers (n=322) used in previous research.

The reliability of our findings was examined in details with a KMO and a Bartletts test. In the KMO and

Bartlett's sphericitys test results on the reliability of data set, the KMO value of 0.905 was close to 1.0 and

thus statistically very significant. This adds good confidence and weightage to our PCA analysis.

In the next section, we present our findings analysis for this sample of 149 managers.

Based on the conceptual framework of Kolb (1984) and the preceding review of the literature, three hypotheses

could be formulated:

Hypothesis 1: In the context of a service transformation, there would exist five categories of obstacles faced by

managers while executing their objectives. This first hypothesis refers to the 5 categories of obstacle that we surveyed

in the literature and is based on the conceptual framework of Kolb (1984). Therefore according to Kolb (1984) and

the literature, we should find the existence of 5 distinct categories of obstacles: the assimilation transformation with

rules, the convergence transformation with emotions, the divergence transformation with initiatives, the

accommodation transformation with immediate actions, and the integrity transformation strategy with service

integrity. The first four dimensions have been identified and supported empirically by Kolb (1984), whereas the fifth

19


20/40

dimension of integral transformation with service integrity has been identified in our review of literature on services

(Fairholm, 1996; Dreachslin and Saunders, 1999; Pendleton (2001) as a relevant additional dimension of obstacles in

the case of service organization.

Hypothesis 2:In the context of a service transformation, the main category of obstacles faced by managers among the

five categories would be the convergence strategy with emotions and factors such as the lack of commitment and the

resistance to change from employees. According to several authors, the dimension of emotion is a critical dimension

and would represent a key obstacle in organizational transformation (Lines, 2007; Chaiporn et al., 2008, and

Sebenius, 2009), Amenakis et al. (2009). In the specific case of service organization, emotions with factors such as

resistance to change and lack of commitment have been identified in literature as a critical dimension and should

therefore represent one of the key dimension of obstacles faced by managers when undertaking an organizational

transformation (Vithessonthi and Schwaninger, 2008; Stebbings and Braganza, 2009).

Hypothesis 3: With the exception of the second category of obstacles dealing with the convergence strategy with

emotion, the other categories of obstacles would face equivalent importance in terms of obstacles faced by managers.

With the exception of the dimension of emotion, we found no specific indication in the literature or in previous

empirical work supporting differences in the relative importance of the various dimensions obstacles. We will

formulate the hypothesis that that the four other dimensions would have an equivalent empirical weight in terms of

obstacles faces by managers. This is a reasonable assumption since there is no significant contribution to rank the

categories of obstacles identified in order of relative importance.

We intend to test this hypothesis in our empirical research. The section on the methodology will present how we

intent to test these 3 hypotheses.

FINDINGS

20


21/40

In this section, we present our findings on the basis of the principal component analysis. The principal component

analysis (PCA) involves a mathematical procedure that transforms a number of possibly correlated variables into a

smaller number of uncorrelated variables called principal components. The first principal component accounts for as

much of the variability in the data as possible, and each succeeding component accounts for as much of the

remaining variability as possible.

On completion of the principal component analysis, 25 parameters obtained from the survey questionnaire were used

as variable inputs for the principal component analysis using SPSS package. To use this package, the raw scores/data

was standardized to allow uniform unbiased distribution of all variables. Covariance/ correlation matrix was derived

from the data. Eigen values of these variables from the matrix were used for multivariate principal components

extraction and the Eigen values were plotted on screen plot graph. The first 5 significant principal components with a

cut-off of >0.5 number were selected. More than 62 % of total variance was attributed to these five principal

components. Varimax rotation with Kaiser Normalization was used to obtain a simple obstacle model. Table 5 shows

the rotated component matrix of how each dimension variable loads onto each factor/component. For our study,

component loading cut-off of >0.5 was used/ component loading of >0.x was used.

The principal component analysis had led us to rank the relative importance for the 5 categories of obstacles earlier

identified in our conceptual framework. The dimensions were in order of importance: the dimension of emotion

(getting a commitment from the employees to the objectives), the dimension of integrity (executing the objectives

within the integrity of values and principles), the dimension of initiatives (translating the objectives into

projects/empowerment), the dimension of immediate action (value added actions and dealing with urgent matters)

and finally the dimension of rules (clarifying and aligning the objectives) the one with least importance.

Component 1: Obstacles: the convergent transformation strategy with emotions

21


22/40

The most important dimension in terms of categories of obstacles faced by managers found in our PCA was the

convergent transformation strategy with emotions. As mentioned in the review of the literature, the convergent

transformation strategy has to do with commitment and the developing of convictions of employees in the context of

a service transformation. This is what Kolb (1984) has labeled as reflexive observation. The variance explained

(Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings) by this first component was 16,164%. We found that 4 variables out of 5 from

our conceptual framework supported this dimension: variables 6, 7, 9, 10. The obstacles from the emotional

dimension that were supported in order of importance were the following:

V7. My employees are not fully aware of the importance of my objectives

V6. My employees do not contribute to my goals (do not buy-in)

V9. There is a lack of trust among my employees

V10. There are team members who complain that we are not fair sometimes.

However, variable 8 that was initially part of this first dimension was not supported.

Furthermore, two additional variables from other dimensions were found to be included in this dimension. The

variables v16 from dimension of immediate action, v15 from dimension of initiative and v2 from dimension of rules

are also supported in the first factor and were also part of this first component. The variable v16- we have difficulty in

planning for and dealing with emergencies, and v15 where we represent a group of individuals rather than work as a

team with clear, common goals was initially part of the initiatives dimension (translating objectives into concrete

projects.

22


23/40

To a lesser extent, the variable v2 of having goals to meet financial expectations and establish the rules to be

followed, but have not established goals for better customer service was initially identified with the first dimension,

that of rules (clarifying and aligning objectives).

In conclusion, this implies that the first component which is the most critical set of obstacles faced by managers in

the context of a service transformation has to do with obstacles related to the emotions. This includes factors such as

lack of commitment to establish goals from employees (buy-in), lack of awareness of the importance of objectives by

employees, lack of trust among employees, lack of equity among team members would be key variables of this first

dimension in terms of managerial obstacles.

Component 2: Obstacles with the dimension of service integrity

Our data indicate that the second most important dimension in terms of obstacles faced by managers in the context of

a service transformation was the transformation strategy of service integrity. As mentioned before, the fifth

transformation strategy of service integrity is a process that relies on a fifth transformation strategy that could be

labeled as service integrity. This process is carried out through the socialization of service values leading to a

transformation of service experiences. This transformation strategy relies on the capacity to transform the values of

the organization and the companys service mission.

This dimension was defined for executing within the integrity of values and principles of the organization. The

variance explained (Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings) by this component was 13, 85%. The obstacles from this

component that were supported are variables from the obstacles (the variable from 21 to v25. The 5 variables from

our conceptual framework were supported. They were in order of importance the following ones:

23


24/40

v23 Sometimes, I notice differences between my values and the values of the organization; v25 All employees

do not seem to have a sense of obligation;

v24 Sometimes, in my work, I dont feel I am actively working towards building the organizations reputation;

v22 When under pressure, we do not always follow the procedures and work methods;

v21 At times, I dont think we all share the same values in my organization.

All of the five variables were initially part of this first dimension were supported.

However another variable that was not initially included in this dimension is the variable v15 was found to be part of

this dimension: V15 We represent a group of individuals rather than work as a team with clear, common goals . This

statement was supposed to be in the dimension of the initiative dimension.

In total our PCA analysis indicates that the second most important categories of obstacles faced by managers in the

context of a service transformation would have to do with a component of factors that are related to service integrity

(values). This implies that obstacles for managers regarding the second dimension are the following: lack of

compliance in service delivery under pressure, gap between personal and organizational values, and lack of sense of

obligation from employees.

Component 3: Obstacles with divergent transformation strategy and initiatives

The third most important dimension in terms of category of obstacles faced by managers in the context of a service

transformation was the divergent transformation strategy and initiatives. As mentioned in the literature,the divergent

transformation strategy relies on the active experimentation of initiatives, realization of projects and continuous

improvement of the existing activities. This is what Kolb (1984) has called the process of active experimentation. In

24


25/40

this context, the hypothesis then generated in new situations are verified by making projects. This dimension was

defined as translating your objectives into concrete projects and empowerment.

The variance explained (Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings) by this component was 12,397%. The variables that

were supported were 11, 12, 13, and 14. These variables in order of importance were as follows:

v12 My employees are not entirely able and willing to take the initiative;

v13 When I am absent, my team members are not able to address problems on their own ; v11 My employees

are not generally held accountable for their actions;

v14Initiatives are not often undertaken because there is a tendency to leave things as they are.

However we found that the variable v8 my employees are not very motivated to overcome themselves in achieving

my goals was part of the second dimension of emotions in our conceptual framework but was empirically found to be

part of this third factor.

Furthermore, as mentioned previously, the variable V15 we represent a group of individuals rather than work as a

team with clear, common goalswas not empirically found to be part of this dimension and did not support the factor.

In conclusion, the main categories of obstacles faced by managers regarding this third component dealing with the

dimension of initiatives gathered therefore the following variables: lack of accountability from employees for their

actions, lack of willingness and capability of employees to take initiatives, lack of sense of initiative and improvements

from employees.

Component 4: Obstacles related to the accommodation transformation strategy from immediate action

25


26/40

The fourth component of obstacles faced by managers in the context of a service transformation was the

accommodation transformation strategy from the immediate action. The accommodation transformation strategy is

carried out through immediate action and allows immediate implementation at a small scale level to obtain results

quickly and adjust according to the feedback. According to Kolb (1984), results are obtained by means of concrete

actions. There is an opportunity for fast decision-making without adhering to an established plan. Lets examine the

variables for this dimension.

This is defined as taking immediate action to respond to urgent matters or to take value added actions. The variance

explained (Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings) by this component was 11,212%. Obstacles of the component of

immediate action that were supported were the variables 17 to 20. These variables in order of importance were as

follows:

v18. Urgent issues go unresolved without ever finding durable solutions;

v17. We handle too many emergencies and last-minute requests;

v19 We have difficulty creating profitable action plans with long-term results;

v20. We hold too many meetings and non-productive activities with no concrete action taken.

However we found that the variable v16 we have difficulty planning for and dealing with emergencies initially

planned to be part of the immediate action dimension was found to be in this dimension.

The variable v16- we have difficulty planning for and dealing with emergenciesthat were supposed to be part of this

dimension was not supported.

In conclusion, our findings suggest that the following variables are therefore obstacles of this fourth dimension of

immediate action were the following ones: too many emergencies and last-minute requests, urgent issues unresolved

26


27/40

without finding durable solutions, difficulty creating profitable action plans with long-term results, too many meetings

and non-productive activities with no concrete action taken.

Component 5: Obstacles related to the assimilation transformation strategy with rules

This fifth component and the last one in order of importance was the dimension of rules. This fifth dimension of

assimilation transformation with service rules could be defined as a strategy, based on a factual analysis of the

situations to set up a more coherent and more rational system. According to Kolb (1984) this strategy has to do with

the abstract conceptualization. This strategy leads to the forming of concepts and formulation of generalizations

which integrate the observations and the reflections. Five variables were surveyed for this fifth dimension.

This component was defined as clarifying and aligning objectives. It was the least important among the various

factors. This component gathers 4 out of the 5 variables of our first dimension of variables 1, 3, 4, and 5. The

variables that were supported are the following ones in order of importance:

v2. We have goals to meet financial expectations and establish the rules to be followed, but we have not

established goals for better customer service;

v1. The actual results I am expected to achieve with my boss and my organization are not clear;

v3.Even though they were informed, my employees do not clearly understand the results to be achieved;

v5.I notice that many issues I deal with involve costs that the organization pays little attention to;

v4. The expectations of other departments are not often clear.

All the variable of our conceptual framework were supported empirically. For this component, no variables were part

of another dimension.

27


28/40

In conclusion, the least important category of obstacles faced by managers when executing their objectives in a

service context was the assimilation transformation strategy with rules. The obstacles that relate to this component

were the following ones: we found that the lack of clarity in expected results from managers bosses, the lack of

understanding of results to be achieved by employees, the lack of clear expectation from other departments and the

lack of attention of problems faced by managers represented variables that were part of this component.

The following table 4 illustrate our findings and the table 5 summarizes the rotated component matrix.

Table 4: Total variance explained

Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.

Compon

ent

Initial Eigenvalues

Extraction Sums of Squared

Loadings

Rotation Sums of Squared

Loadings

Total

% of

Variance

Cumulative

% Total

% of

Variance

Cumulati

ve % Total

% of

Variance

Cumulativ

e %

1 8,408 33,630 33,630 8,408 33,630 33,630 4,041 16,164 16,164

2 2,498 9,992 43,622 2,498 9,992 43,622 3,463 13,852 30,016

3 1,849 7,395 51,017 1,849 7,395 51,017 3,099 12,397 42,413

4 1,709 6,835 57,853 1,709 6,835 57,853 2,803 11,212 53,625

5 1,232 4,928 62,780 1,232 4,928 62,780 2,289 9,155 62,780

28


29/40

Table 5: Rotated Component Matrix

Component

1

2 3 4 5

v7 My employees are not fully aware of the

importance of my objectives.

,825

v6 My employees do not contribute to my goals

(do not buy-in).

,771

v9 There is a lack of trust among my employees. ,708

v10 There are team members who complain that

we are not fair sometimes.

,604

v16 We have difficulty planning for and dealing

with emergencies.

,553 ,469

v15 We represent a group of individuals rather

than work as a team with clear, common goals.

,549 ,481

v2 We have goals to meet financial expectations

and establish the rules to be followed, but we have

not established goals for better customer service.

,469 ,442

v23 Sometimes, I notice differences between my

values and the values of the organization.

,757

v25 All employees do not seem to have a sense of

obligation.

,733

v24 Sometimes, in my work, I dont feel I am

actively working towards building the

,695

29


30/40

organizations reputation.

v22 When under pressure, we do not always

follow the procedures and work methods.

,688

v21 At times, I dont think we all share the same

values in my organization.

,651

v12 My employees are not entirely able and

willing to take the initiative.

,779

v13 When I am absent, my team members are not


,692

v11 My employees are not generally held


,691

v14 Initiatives are not often undertaken because


,659

v8 My employees are not very motivated to

overcome themselves in achieving my goals.

,547 ,613

v18 Urgent issues go unresolved without ever

finding durable solutions.

,855

v17 We handle too many emergencies and last-

minute requests.

,819

v19 We have difficulty creating profitable action

plans with long-term results.

,618

v20 We hold too many meetings and non-

productive activities with no concrete action taken.

,608

v1 The actual results I am expected to achieve with ,730

30


31/40

my boss and my organization are not clear.

v3 Even though they were informed, my

employees do not clearly understand the results to

be achieved.

,451 ,588

v5 I notice that many issues I deal with involve

costs that the organization pays little attention to.

,518

v4 The expectations of other work units are not

often clear.

,469

Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis. Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization.

a Rotation converged in 8 iterations.

DISCUSSION

In this section, we wish to discuss our three hypotheses in regard to our findings on the subject of service

transformation by the application of appropriate service management strategies. We intend to examine to what extent

each of our hypothesis was supported. We also wish to highlight potential contributions of our research to existing

literature on service transformation

Hypothesis 1:In the context of a service transformation, there exist 5 categories of obstacles faced by managers.

This first hypothesis is referring to the 5 categories of obstacle surveyed in the literature and inspired by the

conceptual framework of Kolb (1984) and our review of the literature on service transformation through effective

service management practices as discussed by various academic journals on service management. Our empirical

analysis supported our hypothesis. Therefore it suggests five dimensions of obstacles encountered by managers in the

31


32/40

context of a service transformation. Our PCA indicates that five dimensions would gather the various variables of

our conceptual framework. The total variance explained by these 5 factors was 62,78%.

According to our data analysis, the five dimensions, in order of importance would be: the convergent transformation

strategy with emotions, the strategy of service integrity with values, the divergent transformation strategy with

initiatives, the accommodation transformation strategy with the immediate action and finally the accommodation

strategy with service rules dimension.

This is consistent with our conceptual framework. However additional facts will be necessary to support the external

validity and generalize these categories in various sectors of services with larger samples. These would provide more

triangulated evidences in this research (Pettigrew, 1988)

Hypothesis 2:In the context of a service transformation for effective service management processes, the main category

of obstacles faced by managers among the fifth perspective found in the literature has to do with the convergence

strategy with emotions and factors such as the lack of commitment of employees and the resistance to change.

Our second hypothesis is that in the context of a service transformation, the main category of obstacles faced by

managers among the fifth perspective found in the literature has to do with the convergence strategy with emotions,

and factors such as the lack of commitment of employees and the resistance to change was supported. For instance,

we found that the emotional dimension in the literature with factors such as change resistance and the lack of

commitment from employees to the objectives was the most important component with 16.16% of the variance

explained. This is consistent with most studies on change management, identified in our review of the literature and

we haveattempted to put emphasis on resistance to change and the factors that influence employee resistance to

change (Chaiporn Vithessonthiand Markus Schwaninger, 2008). The main set of obstacles faced by managers in the

context of a service transformation would therefore be factors that are related with the convergence strategy and

emotions. These obstacles would therefore impede the process of creating and implementing appropriate service

management strategies.

32


33/40

Our findings would suggest in accordance to the review of the literature that the resistance to change and the lack of

commitment would be the critical dimension that impedes organizational change in the context of a service

transformation. Factors such as v7. My employees are not fully aware of the importance of my objectives; v6. My

employees do not contribute to my goals (do not buy-in ;v9. There is a lack of trust among my employees; v10.

There are team members who complain that we are not fair sometimes would be variables that play a role in this

dimension representing a significant set of obstacles faced by managers regarding this first dimension.

Hypothesis 3: With the exception of the second category of obstacles dealing with the convergence strategy with

emotions, the other factors face equivalent importance in terms of obstacles faced by managers.

Our third hypothesis was not supported. In contrast to literature and our conceptual framework, we found that the

four other dimensions rather than the convergence with emotions did not have an equal weight in their relative

importance. For instance, we found that the relative importance of the various dimensions examined was much less

significant in the case of the assimilation transformation strategy with rules. Our findings suggest the relative

importance of these 4 other dimensions than the dimension of convergence and emotions. Our findings suggest the

followings.

Implication for Research

Our findings highlight the existence of various set of obstacles in terms of service transformation and its ranking of

importance for managers. They suggest that the topic of resistance to change and lack of commitment of employees

that are part of the convergence strategy with emotions faced by managers would be the most important categories of

33


34/40

obstacles faced by managers. Because business unit managers are often faced with the responsibility of developing

and implementing service management strategies. These obstacles and resistance to change among employees

therefore create a hostile environment for managers and other categories of senior managementin their quest to

implementing value adding service delivery initiatives.

In terms of implication this research also suggests that, obstacles encountered by managers in the context of a service

transformation would have different facets that would require specific investigations not only to comprehendtheir

specific roles but also to understand their complementary nature. For instance the inter-relationships among these

categories of obstacles could be the subject of additional research.

Practical Implications for Management

Our findings have some practical implications for management. To facilitate change and to remove obstacles and

impediments to service transformation through the development and implementation of result oriented service

management strategies, organizational change facilitators and specialists would have to put attention not only on the

obstacles of factors related to emotions but also on dimensions such as integrity of service values, initiatives and

empowerment from employees and immediate action in the delivery of services. The lack of commitment from

employees would be the main category of obstacles in terms of importance for achieving a service transformation.

However the lack of service integrity with values, the lack of empowerment and initiatives from employees, factors

related with immediate action such as the number of last minute requests and shortly term actions with no long term

value in regard for service transformation would also represent impediments faced by managers in the context of a

service transformation.

34


35/40

Another practical implication is to highlight the fact that obstacles faced by managers in the context of a service

transformation would gather different dimensions that are different in nature. It suggests that the set of obstacles

faced by manager would require different strategies to address a set of specific obstacles under the same dimension.

Therefore, the most important critical implication is to show that the resistance to change represent clearly a

significant dimension, but also put in perspective the role played by other dimensions.

Limitations

Further research will be necessary to support these findings with large samples, specifically in the context of service

transformation. Moreover, additional work will be necessary to generalize these findings to a larger number of

contexts related to service transformation. Additional work will have to be undertaken to determine if these five

categories of obstacles that were identified could generalize to other sectors of activity than services. Additional

research will have to be pursued to determine if the categories are exhaustive and overlapping. More specifically,

since the convergent transformation strategy with emotions turned out to be one of the main categories, a more

critical evaluation of this dimension and the ways in which it was measured in your study should be the focus of

supplementary work on this specific categories of obstacles.

A specific methodological limitation might also come from the definition of the dimension of emotion. Since the

topic of emotions has somewhat become a field of its own in the organizational change literature in the last decade

and there are probably some researchers in this field who will argue that emotions are not necessarily equivalent to

concepts such as commitment, resistance and motivation and that you therefore have not measured emotions as such.

CONCLUSION

35


36/40

In this article, by referring to previous literature on service management and the perceptions on the values of service-

centricity we discussed the need to understand the role and the beneficiaries of service. A prior misconception on the

advantages of products over services was also discussed. By making reference to a manufacturing organization we

discussed some of the limitations of running an organization with a service orientation and some of the setbacks and

limitations that reduce the ability of managers and other categories of leaders in executing their corporate functions

as effectively as possible. By using the PCA analysis, we studied the role of obstacles that impede the organizational

change faced by managers in a service context when executing their objectives. Our study proves the existence of

five different obstacles to service transformation. Our main hypothesis in accordance with the review of the literature

was confirmed. In this regard, our findings suggest that factors such a lack of commitment and resistance to change

would be the main category of obstacles that would play the role of obstacles when managers execute their

objectives. Our findings supported our hypothesis that the main obstacles faced by managers in a service context are

related to the dimension of convergence with emotions. Our research would therefore suggest that variables related

to the convergent strategy with emotions would be the main dimension that would explain the obstacles faced by

managers in the context of a service transformation.

This study also indicates that the values with the obstacles in the category of service integrity would represent a

significant category of obstacles for managers when executing their objectives also with the category of initiatives

such as the lack of initiative from employees and the category of immediate action such as too many urgent matters.

Our study suggests that these dimensions would represent significant categories of managerial obstacles impeding

the execution of objectives in a service context.

Our study has supported our conceptual framework and suggests the existence of five different categories of

obstacles that impede managerial execution. As mentioned before, these five categories of obstacles for each

transformation strategies would include the convergent transformation strategy with emotions, service integrity with

values, divergent transformation with initiatives, and accommodation transformation with immediate action.

36


37/40

In contrast with literature, we found that the dimension of rules with variables related to formal planning would not

play a key role as a category of obstacles faced by managers. It also indicates that obstacles related to formal

planning and formal objectives, rules and guidelines would be the least important part among the five categories

identified. This category in contrast with the review of the literature would play a much more minimal role than

expected when an organization face a transformation. Our data suggest that the assimilation with rules to play would

be therefore the least significant in the set of obstacles faced by managers in the context of a service transformation.

This might introduce a different perspective since the literature has generally put emphasis on formal planning as a

way to succeed in organizational change in a service context.

If our findings suggest that the relative importance of each of these dimensions would not be the same, it also opens

the door to a much complex research question on the interdependence among these categories of factors. Our

research highlights that the study of managerial obstacles in a service context could not be understood with a single

dimension and is more complex than apprehended in the literature. Additional studies will be necessary to assess and

better understand the specifications that would play an important role in each of these dimensions, especially in the

context of a service transformation and generally in the context of an organizational change.

Further in this regard, a relevant question could be raised: what are the correspondent managerial obstacles that could

be put in place to overcome these obstacles? If these categories of obstacles are significant in impeding managerial

actions, what are the management practices available to overcome these obstacles? This should lead to several

interesting and stimulating research work on the topic of organizational change managemt for the development of

service management as a subjectREFERENCES

Armenakis, A. A. & Harris, S.G. (2009). Reflections: Our journey in organizational change research and

practice.Journal of Change Management., 9 (2), 127.

37


38/40

Chrusciel, D. (2008). What motivates the significant/strategic change champion(s)?Journal of

Organizational Change Management. 21 (2), 148-160.

Chris Storey, Frank M. Hull, (2010) "Service development success: a contingent approach by knowledge

strategy", Journal of Service Management, Vol. 21 Iss: 2, pp.140 161

Dreachslin, J. & SaundersJ. J. Jr. (1999). Diversity leadership and organizational transformation: Performance

indicators for health services organizations/practitioner application.Journal of Healthcare Management.

44 (6), 427-439.

Fairholm, G. W. (1996), Spiritual leadership: fulfilling whole-self needs at work,Leadership & Organization

Development Journal, Vol. 17 No. 5, pp.11.

Friedman, S. & Sebenius, J. K. (2009) Organizational transformation: the quiet role of coalitional

leadership.Ivey Business Journal.

Gunter Lay, Giacomo Copani, Angela Jger, Sabine Biege, (2010) "The relevance of service in European

manufacturing industries", Journal of Service Management, Vol. 21 Iss: 5, pp.715 726

Heiko Gebauer, Bo Edvardsson, Margareta Bjurko, (2010) "The impact of service orientation in corporate

culture on business performance in manufacturing companies", Journal of Service Management, Vol. 21 Iss: 2,

pp.237 - 259

38


39/40

Karp, T. & Helg T. (2008), From change management to change leadership: embracing chaotic change in

public service organizations,Journal of Change Management., Vol. 8No. 1, pp. 85.

Kolb, D.A. (1984).Experiential Learning: Experience as The Source of Learning and Development. New Jersey,

Prentice-Hall.

Moran, C. (1998), Stress and emergency work experience: a non-linear relationship, Journal of Disaster

Prevention and Management, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 3846.

Mnner, M. G. (2007), Personal transformation as a leverage for organizational transformation: The TEA

Program as a facilitator of cultural change management, Organization Development Journal. Vol.25No. 4,

pp. 49-54.

Nina Lfberg, Lars Witell, Anders Gustafsson, (2010) "Service strategies in a supply chain", Journal of Service

Management, Vol. 21 Iss: 4, pp.427 - 440

Pedersen, D. & Hartley, J. (2008), The changing context of public leadership and management: implications

for roles and dynamics, The International Journal of Public Sector Management. Vol.21 No.4, pp. 327-339.

Pettigrew A. (1988), Longitudinal field research on change: Theory and practice. Paper presented at the

National Science Foundation Conference on Longitudinal Research Methods in Organizations, Austin

Rainey, H. G. & Thompson, J. (2006), Leadership and the transformation of a major institution: Charles

Rossotti and the Internal Revenue Service,Public Administration Review. Vol.66, No.4, pp. 596-604.

39


40/40

Ronald J. Ferguson, Michle Paulin, Jasmin Bergeron, (2010) "Customer sociability and the total service

experience: Antecedents of positive word-of-mouth intentions", Journal of Service Management, Vol. 21 Iss: 1,

pp.25 - 44

Stebbings, H. & Braganza, A. (2009). Exploring continuous organizational transformation: Morphing through

network interdependence.Journal of Change Management. Vol. 9 No.1, pp.27.

Themistocleous, M., Mantzana, V., & Morabito, V. (2009). Achieving knowledge management integration

through EAI: a case study from healthcare sector.International Journal of Technology Management. Vol. 47 No.

(1-3), pp. 114.

Schwaninger, M. & Vithessonthi, C. (2008). Job motivation and self-confidence for learning and development

as predictors of support for change. Organisational Transformation and Social Change. Vol.5 No. 2, pp. 141.

40

Academic+Writing Manuscript+Anonymous

Documents

Transcript of Academic+Writing Manuscript+Anonymous