Há proposições teóricas que argumentam que a satisfação dos colaboradores com o trabalho tem influência sobre a qualidade percebida pelos clientes. Entre essas proposições, destaca-se o modelo conhecido como cadeia de lucro em serviços (Heskett, Sasser e Schlesinger, 1991), que vincula a satisfação dos colaboradores no trabalho com a satisfação dos clientes e o decorrente resultado financeiro das organizações de serviços. Esta pesquisa procura aumentar a compreensão da relação entre atitudes dos colaboradores e comportamentos orientados aos clientes, incorporando conceitos como troca social e suporte organizacional percebido. Para tanto, estabeleceu foco em onze lojas pertencentes a três empresas de serviços de grande porte que atuam na cidade de Brasília, Brasil. O método da pesquisa foi predominantemente qualitativo e utilizou diagramas para representar as relações entre os conceitos presentes no mapa cognitivo dos entrevistados e que se manifestaram com recorrência no processo de análise dos dados. Além disso, foram utilizadas técnicas de dimensionamento e utilização de matrizes de análise como evidências suplementares. Os resultados revelaram elementos que formam contexto favorável ao comportamento de cidadania organizacional orientado ao cliente. Empatia em relação ao cliente, trabalho caracterizado por interdependência, companheirismo, visão crítica e crença de influência (ambas em relação ao processo de trabalho), suporte material, alinhamento de informações e autonomia foram identificados como condicionantes relevantes de comportamentos orientados aos clientes. Foram encontradas evidências de relação entre (a) satisfação com o trabalho e esforço pela organização; (b) satisfação no trabalho e comportamento de cidadania organizacional orientado ao cliente; (c) suporte organizacional percebido e orgulho de pertencimento; (d) suporte organizacional percebido e comportamento orientado ao cliente; e (e) comportamento de cidadania orientado aos clientes e satisfação de clientes. A pesquisa indicou sobreposição entre as propriedades de troca social, satisfação com o trabalho e suporte organizacional percebido. Além disso, a possibilidade de melhor desempenho evidenciado pela percepção sobre a satisfação dos clientes - se caracteriza como antecedente de satisfação com o trabalho. / Theories argue that satisfaction at work influence quality of service. Among these theories is the service profit chain model (Heskett, Sasser e Schlesinger, 1991) which links employee job satisfaction with customer satisfaction and financial results of service organizations. This research aims to increase understanding of the relationship between employees attitudes and customer oriented behavior including concepts as social exchange and perceived organizational support. For this, the research focused on eleven stores belonging to three large service companies doing business in Brasilia, Brasil. The research method was predominantly qualitative and employed charts to represent the relationship between concepts present in workers´ cognitive maps and which occurred frequently in the data analysis process. The research also used dimensioning techniques and qualitative matrix analysis as supplementary evidences. The results revealed elements of context that favor customer oriented organizational citizenship behavior. Empathy toward the client, work characterized by interdependence, friendship, critical vision and belief of influence (both in relation to the work process), material support, information alignment, and autonomy were identified as relevant conditions to stimulate customer oriented behaviors. Evidence was found of relationship between (a) job satisfaction and effort in behalf of organization; (b) job satisfaction and customer oriented organizational citizenship behavior; (c) perceived organizational support and pride in belonging to an organization; (d) perceived organizational support and customer oriented behavior and (e) customer oriented organizational citizenship behavior and customer satisfaction. The research bore out an overlap between components of social exchange, job satisfaction and perceived organizational support. Besides this, the possibility of better performance evidenced by perception about customer satisfaction was characterized as an antecedent to job satisfaction.

Com a globalização, pessoas, empresas, organizações e países estão cada vez mais interdependentes, dando origem a inúmeros conflitos de interesses. A negociação internacional ganha relevo como meio de solução dos conflitos gerados no processo de globalização. Torna-se ainda mais relevante no contexto da pequena empresa, em que a limitação de recursos e a escassez de conhecimentos podem funcionar como fatores limitantes do processo de internacionalização. Nesse sentido, o presente trabalho propõe desenvolver uma estrutura conceitual que ajude a sistematizar o planejamento da negociação internacional na pequena empresa, a fim de auxiliar os administradores dessas empresas a aperfeiçoar o processo de preparação para a negociação internacional, contribuindo, ainda que indiretamente, para a internacionalização de pequenas empresas, podendo gerar reflexos positivos para a economia brasileira. Para isso, foram estudadas as dificuldades enfrentadas pelas pequenas empresas na negociação internacional e a forma como costumam se preparar para essas situações. Os resultados da pesquisa empírica foram comparados aos modelos de planejamento da negociação encontrados na literatura, a fim de desenvolver uma estrutura conceitual para o planejamento da negociação adaptado ao contexto das pequenas empresas. Foi realizada uma pesquisa empírica, de natureza qualitativa, no setor médico-odontológico de Ribeirão Preto. A pesquisa empírica consistiu de uma fase preliminar, de caráter exploratório, em que se buscou conhecer melhor o setor escolhido como objeto de estudo, através do levantamento de dados secundários, complementados com a realização de entrevistas com as instituições de apoio ao setor ? Associação Brasileira da Indústria de Artigos e Equipamentos Médicos, Odontológicos, Hospitalares e de Laboratórios (ABIMO) e Serviço Brasileiro de Apoio às Micro e Pequenas Empresas (SEBRAE). A seguir, foi realizado um estudo de casos múltiplos (pesquisa qualitativa). As unidades de análise foram as pequenas empresas industriais do setor médicoodontológico da cidade de Ribeirão Preto. / With the globalization process, people, companies, organizations and countries have become more interconnected, fact that can result in several interest conflicts. Thus, international negotiation has been highlighted as a way to solve these conflicts created by the globalization process. It has also become more and more important for a small businesses environment due to the lack of resources and knowledge, factors that can work as a compass for an internationalization process. In this sense, the present study proposes to develop a conceptual structure which can help to systematize the planning of the international negotiation in a small business, in order to assist these businesses? managers to improve the preparation process to the international negotiation, contributing, even in an indirectly way, to the small businesses internationalization creating positive consequences to the Brazilian economy. To reach this the difficulties that small businesses had in the international negotiation and the way they used to get prepared to these situations were studied. The results of the empiric research were compared to the models of the planning of negotiation we have found in the literature in order to develop a conceptual structure to the planning of negotiation adapted to the context of the small businesses. An empiric research was carried out, with a qualitative nature, in the medical and odontologic sector of Ribeirão Preto town. The empiric research consisted of a preliminary phase of an exploratory nature. The research had the goal of knowing the best sector chosen as the object of the study, through the secondary data, complemented with the interviews carried out with the institutions of support to the sector ? Brazilian Medical, Odontologic and Hospital supplies and equipment?s Industry and Laboratory Brazilian Association (ABIMO) and Brazilian Service of Support to Micro and Small Businesses (SEBRAE). After that, a study of multiple cases (qualitative research) was carried out. The units were the industrial small businesses of the medical and odontologic sector of Ribeirão Preto town.

A busca pela superação de um modelo tradicional de ensino por um modelo educacional que faça frente aos desafios colocados no contexto atual do trabalho e sociedade tem sido tema cada vez mais freqüente no universo da educação. Em contraposição a este modelo tradicional de ensino, centrado predominantemente na transmissão de conhecimentos e na exposição, ganha importância um modelo educacional centrado no desenvolvimento de competências e na mediação da aprendizagem. Mas apesar das definições razoavelmente claras sobre este novo modelo educacional e sua relevância frente ao contexto atual, é possível verificar que a sua implantação, principalmente em larga escala, ainda é um desafio a ser superado pelas instituições brasileiras de ensino superior. Com o objetivo de compreender as influências desse novo modelo sobre a gestão e organização do trabalho, foi realizado um estudo de caso em uma instituição de ensino superior que tem se direcionado para este novo modelo em suas propostas estratégicas e pedagógicas. Com base em referências da educação, foram sistematizadas as características de cada um destes modelos educacionais, o ensino tradicional de um lado e o modelo de competências e de mediação da aprendizagem de outro. A partir dessas características e com base na literatura de serviços, avaliaram-se as contingências de gestão e organização do trabalho presentes em cada um destes modelos, relacionando o ensino tradicional à lógica de um serviço de massa e a mediação da aprendizagem à lógica de um serviço profissional. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que o direcionamento para competências e aprendizagem requer ajustes na forma de organizar o trabalho e a produção. Observamos que o modelo de aprendizagem exige uma maior integração entre os diferentes universos presentes na produção, e modifica significativamente a maneira como se estruturam as funções de design, planejamento e controle da produção, avaliação e melhoria. Conclui-se que a literatura de serviços e organização do trabalho são importantes referencias para que gestores de instituições de ensino superior consigam compreender as especificidades do modelo de aprendizagem e a extensão das mudanças que estas características demandam no próprio universo da gestão. / The search for a new educational model that could deal with the challenges of the present in the work and society has become frequent in the education universe. In opposition to a traditional educational model based on knowledge and on teaching, a new model centered in learning and in competence development is proposed. But despite the clear definitions on what consist this new educational model, its implementation is still a challenge for Brazilian Higher Education Institutions, specially in large scale. With the objective of understanding the influences that this new model has upon management and work organization, a case study in a institution that put learning and competences in the center of its strategic and pedagogical propositions. Based in educational references, the characterization of this new educational model was done. Based on the service management literature, the contingencies upon management and work organization was drawn, relating the traditional teaching model with the logic of a mass service and the learning based model with a professional service. The results suggest that this new educational model requires adjustments in the way an higher education institution organize the work and the production. It was observed that the learning model requires integration between the different universes present in the service production and changes significantly the way an organization thinks about design, production planning and control, evaluation and improvement. We concluded that the service management and work organization literature could provide some important references for educational managers deal with the specific needs and characteristics of the learning centered educational model.

A criação de uma gama nova de serviços eletrônicos baseados em tecnologia da informação é uma realidade para as empresas. Serviços deste tipo estão ganhando importância em diversas áreas como a de comércio eletrônico. Em função deste aumento de importância, as empresas vêm dedicando esforços para organizar o desenvolvimento de novos serviços desta natureza de maneira a estarem alinhados com a estratégia das organizações. Também no âmbito acadêmico, o interesse por estudar serviços eletrônicos vem crescendo desde 2004. As áreas de estudo são as mais diversas, sendo a questão do desenvolvimento destes serviços de forma alinhada ao processo de planejamento estratégico um dos principais. Diante deste contexto, prático e acadêmico, este trabalho tem por objetivo avalizar como as empresas brasileiras definem suas estratégias em relação à prestação de serviços eletrônicos. Em havendo a criação do serviço eletrônico, o trabalho também procura avaliar a integração deste serviço com os demais canais, eletrônicos, humanos ou misto entre os dois. Neste contexto, avaliar o papel da tecnologia da informação (TI), ou seja, como a TI participa da decisão e, se for o caso, qual a sua influência no processo de construção do serviço eletrônico. Finalmente, o trabalho procura avaliar também a influência do alinhamento estratégico entre a TI e o negócio no âmbito do processo de criação de novos serviços eletrônicos. De maneira a cumprir com estes objetivos, o trabalho buscou se basear nos construtos teóricos gestão de serviços, gestão de tecnologia da informação e serviços eletrônicos para elaboração de proposições que foram testadas frente a estudos de caso realizados em quatro empresas brasileiras, um banco, uma empresa de telecomunicações, uma empresa de aviação civil e uma empresa de internet. Optou-se pela escolha de quatro casos, de forma que uma quantidade razoável de informações em profundidade pudesse ser obtida sendo também possível o aumento do nível de generalização com o cruzamento dos casos. Ao se discutir os casos frente às proposições de pesquisa o estudo concluiu que: a) melhorar a experiência do cliente habilita a preocupação com novas tecnologias; b) melhorar a experiência do cliente habilita a participação da TI como idealizador do uso de novas tecnologias; c) o controle de custo desativa a preocupação com novas tecnologias e; d) a participação forte da TI habilita a visão estratégica de canais múltiplos, além de um conjunto de outros achados indiretos em função das discussões realizadas. / There is a new type of services based on information technology that is already a reality for companies. These services are gaining importance in several areas like electronic business that is the main focus of this work. Considering the relevance associated with those services, companies are dedicating strategic resources for planning and organizing the development of these new services aligned with corporate strategies. Also in the academic field, the interest for studying these electronic services is growing since 2004. There are several areas of interest, but one of the main ones is related to the alignment of the strategy to the development of such services. Taking this scenario into consideration, this work has the purpose to evaluate how Brazilian companies define their strategy, operates and manages the delivery of electronic services. When creating the electronic service, the work tries to understand the integration of this new service with the other customer contact channels and the related impact of IT organization. In this context, to evaluate the information technology (IT) role, or how IT participates the decision making process to build the electronic service. Finally, the work looks for understanding the influence of the strategic alignment between IT and business in the process of new electronic service development. To accomplish these objectives, it was used service management, information technology management and electronic service as theoretical constructs to build propositions that were tested against case studies conduced in four Brazilian companies from different industry segments: a bank, a telecommunication company, an aviation company and an internet company. Four cases where choose, a good amount of detailed information could be obtained promoting some level of generalization by crossing the cases analysis. While discussing the cases and the propositions the study concluded that: a) improve customer experience make companies concerned with new technologies; b) improve customer experience also makes IT more present on determining how to use new technologies; c) cost control diminishes the concern of the companies on using new technologies and; d) strong IT participation makes multiple channel vision possible. There are also other indirect findings got from the case study discussions.

IT Service Management (ITSM) is becoming a more relevant topic and the view of services is growing, therefore it is natural that new difficulties arise. When it comes to the manufacturing industry, it has not been seen as a difficult process to measure productivity. That is because it only refers to the ratio between output and input. However, when it comes to measuring the productivity of a service, many different factors have to be included. This is something several scientists agree to be a more difficult process. This difficulty is causing a lot of problems for businesses whose clients want to know if the service they are paying for is productive or not.   This study aimed at developing a simple prototype that makes it possible to measure the productivity of IT services. Based on previous research and the experience of another company from when they were measuring service productivity, a number of overall goals were set for the prototype. The objectives intended to counteract the problems identified in the previous research and thus the previous research served as a good starting point for the development of the prototype.   This study used design research to develop an innovative artifact, which got evalutated by experienced practitioners during two occasions. The purpose was to identify additional design principles that may be necessary in the development of this type of tool. The development and evaluation were conducted in two iterations. In the first iteration, there was a more informal discussion with an experienced ITSM practitioner about the artifact’s design, allowing for further development of the artifact. The evaluation conducted in the second iteration was more formal and was carried out using a focus group consisting of a number of practitioners with varied knowledge and experience relevant to the area. The obtained results were then compared to theory and previous research to contribute to the conclusions of the study.   The study resulted in two new design principles deemed necessary for this type of measurement tools. The informants and previous researchers’ thoughts about what they considered as important factors were the basis of the design principles. After the implementation of the prototype, there were problems that remained unsolved which were possible to present as future research opportunities. This study does not claim that its results make these kinds of tools complete. There needs to be more research on the subject to optimize the tool further and more design principles may be necessary. This study, on the other hand, may be the basis for future research or for practitioners who choose to implement or develop a similar tool.

In this dissertation, we aim to investigate some delivery planning problems under different aspects of uncertain conditions in order to present some insights on how to develop more efficient and effective logistics solutions in the challenging, dynamic and competitive industry of express delivery nowadays. / Lastly, we introduce a travel time estimation method which can be considered as an upstream extension on the first delivery planning problem or any routing problems that require travel time in a road network as an input parameter. We realize that different trips may traverse on some links that are transited by other trips as well; and therefore linear and quadratic programming models can be developed to infer the travel time of any road segments which are traversed by more than one trip from the consideration of the common road segments of various trips. Bus routes information is proposed as the data source because of their coverage on the road network and their data available. Robustness of the proposed models is evaluated according to the deviation between the resultant inferences and the means of the segment travel times. It is found that the basic models suffer from a fundamental problem of underspecification issue if the number of observed trips (i.e. constraints) is fewer than the number of road segments (i.e. variables) to be estimated. Therefore, two additional types of constraints are introduced to address these issues. / The focus of the second delivery planning problem addressed in this dissertation is switched to the randomness of the demands at the delivery locations. We consider a single-depot problem in which a large volume of packages have to be delivered in a dense and small area with a lot of high-rise buildings within an extremely tight delivery commitment time window. At each vertex, the package volume (i.e. demand) is a highly stochastic variable and its service time is also dependent on the demand. This version of problem is typically faced by express service providers which offer premium express services to customers that are protected by the money back guarantee (MBG) condition. We name this version of problem as a time-constrained vehicle routing problem with stochastic demands and service times (SVRP-D). Since both the demand and service time of a vertex are stochastic, the vehicle capacity and the commitment-time (i.e. deadline) constraints may not be satisfied after the demands are realized, and recourse action is thus necessary to "rescue" the "infeasible" delivery plan through additional effort and cost. Three typical recourse actions are independently considered: (1) restocking; (2) outsourcing; and (3) reassignment. A two-stage stochastic integer programming is proposed such that the first-stage problem is to determine a set of a priori routes which minimize the vehicle travel cost and the cost for any known recourse actions. Dependent on a first-stage solution, the second-stage problem is to decide the optimal recourse plan with least cost according to the pre-determined recourse action. / Two delivery planning problems and one travel time estimation model under various aspects of randomness are addressed in this dissertation. The first delivery planning problem considers an extension on a well-known problem---the vehicle routing problem with time windows (VRPTW), where the travel time required between each delivery location is a stochastic variable, instead of a fixed value. We name this version of the VRPTW as a vehicle routing problem with time windows and stochastic travel times (VRPTWST). A two-stage stochastic integer programming with recourse model is developed and its objective is to minimize the vehicle travel cost together with the expected loss due to the violation of the delivery time windows. An exact branch-and-cut (B&C) algorithm is proposed. This algorithm is effective for small-size problems, e.g. instances with only 8 vertices. For larger-size problems, some modifications on the B&C algorithm are suggested to improve the solution time with only a small deviation from optimality. / Wong Chi Fat. / "May 2007." / Adviser: Janny Leung. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-01, Section: B, page: 0596. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 256-270). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-05T18:36:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 17 / Nenhuma / Esta Dissertação propõe o desenvolvimento de uma estrutura hierárquica de gestão que possa ser aplicada em organizações que têm como principal atividade a prestação de serviços em projetos complexos de tecnologia da informação. A proposta se baseia na tradução da literatura tradicional de operações com o detalhamento de uma Estrutura Hierárquica de Planejamento e Controle da Produção e com a consolidação de uma Estrutura Hierárquica de Gestão de Serviços.Para compor o modelo de gestão e por serem os projetos o objeto central da atividade das corporações, é compilada uma Estrutura Hierárquica de Gestão Corporativa de Projetos, que aborda Portfólio, Programas e Projetos com base nas publicações tradicionais dos institutos que contribuem com o desenvolvimento da teoria de gerenciamento de projetos.As características do ambiente de tecnologia da informação e a conceituação de projetos complexos são apresentadas para delimitar a abrangência do estudo e apontar peculiaridades ao modelo proposto.O modelo teórico de / This paper proposes the development of an hierarchical structure of management that is able to be applied in organizations which have service as the main activity in complex projects of information technology.This paper proposes the development of an hierarchical structure of management that is able to be applied in organizations which have service as the main activity in complex projects of information technology.The proposal is based in the translation of traditional literature operations with the detailment of an Hierarchical Structure of Planning and Production Control and with a consolidation of an Hierarchical Structure of Service Management.To compose the management model, and projects being the core object of the corporations’ activity, an Hierarchical Structure of Corporative Project Management is compiled, which approaches Portfolio, Programs and Projects based in traditional publications of institutes that contribute to the development of project management theory.The features of information techno

Inom Service Management, dyker problematisering kring prissättning av tjänster upp. Likväl ses den problematiken inom den grafiska- och konstnärliga branschen, en bransch som allt för ofta glöms bort i det sammanhanget. Kreatörers arbeten syns överallt runtomkring oss och deras arbete är av stor betydelse i dagens samhälle där Design Management har kommit att bli allt viktigare.I den grafiska branschen finns ingen tydlig koppling som i den traditionella prissättningen där produktionskostnad och pris samspelar. Det är betydligt besvärligare att sätta ett pris på en kreatörs arbete då det innefattar långt mer än slutprodukten. Syftet med den här studien att ta reda på hur den problematiken ska kunna lösas för kreatörerna.Syskonen Brogren är en byrå inom grafisk designverksamhet och det allra största problemet de upplever är prissättningen. Det är svårt för dem att motivera den tid de lagt ned på en illustration med planering, research och idéer. Kunder kan ha dålig insikt i vad en kreativ process innebär och därför försvåra prissättningen.Studien tar upp problematiseringen genom att undersöka företag i Syskonen Brogrens bransch. Företagen har handplockats för att få ett så brett spektrum av utbildningsbakgrund, erfarenhet, omsättning och storlek som möjligt. Intervjuerna har tillsammans med befintlig litteratur utgjort grunden för en modell om vad kreatören bör räkna med i sin prissättning. Modellen innefattar: Material- och produktionskostnad, Idéarbete och analys, service och kundbemötande, användningsrättigheter, ”det lilla extra” samt kundnytta. / Program: Kandidatutbildning i företagsekonomi

O crescimento da participação de serviços no produto interno bruto para a maioria dos países vem chamando a atenção de diversos pesquisadores e de empresas há alguns anos. As firmas de bens de consumo duráveis que contam com um serviço pós-vendas para manutenção de seus produtos, por exemplo, começam a se aproveitar desse serviço visto inicialmente como um mal necessário com o intuito de se aproximarem de seus clientes e, com isso, identificar novos nichos de negócio que venham a diferenciá-la perante seus concorrentes, transformando sua imagem de empresa manufatureira em provedora de serviços. A adição de outros serviços além do simples pós-vendas passa a ser interessante devido, por exemplo, às margens de negócio geralmente mais atraentes, à adição de valor ao seu produto e à fidelização do cliente. Porém, torna-se importante compreender como a incorporação desses novos serviços requer uma correta alteração em sua estratégia. Diante desse contexto, este trabalho tem como principal objetivo propor um modelo de maturidade para empresas de bens manufaturados e que buscam adicionar a venda de serviços como parte de seu portfólio, readequando a forma como a organização interage com o meio externo (parceiros, mercado e clientes) e interno (seus próprios funcionários), por meio de um processo de servitização constituído de quatro fases. Para tal, precisam-se explorar previamente as diferenças entre a visão da empresa quando seu foco é o produto (lógica produto-dominante) e quando passa a ser o serviço (lógica serviço-dominante). Para isso, foram selecionadas quatro empresas para realização de estudos de caso e que permitem detalhar um pouco mais essas mudanças, construindo, aplicando e validando o modelo proposto, além de apontar possíveis lacunas existentes nesse processo para cada uma delas. Os estudos de caso foram guiados por meio de entrevistas com diversos profissionais de diferentes áreas de cada empresa e que foram, por sua vez, confrontadas com documentações e com processos existentes, a fim de triangular as informações. Por meio desse modelo, torna-se possível o entendimento das fases e dos recursos críticos que uma empresa de bens manufaturados em processo de servitização deve se atentar dentro desse modelo evolutivo. Este trabalho foi realizado no Depto. de Eng. Naval e Oceânica da USP em conjunto com o Depto. de Eng. de Produção também da USP. / The growth of services participation in the gross domestic product in most countries has been calling out the attention of many researchers and companies over the last years. Consumer durable companies that have an after-sales service for repairing and do maintenance of their own products, for example, start using this type of service, initially recognized as a \"necessary evil\", to be closer to the final customer and thereby identify new business niches that will differentiate them from the competitors, becoming a business solution provider instead of holding a manufacturing image. The sale of services other than just a simple after-sales becomes interesting due to some factors such as generally allow a more attractive business gross margin, by adding value to the product and keeping customer loyalty. However, the inclusion of new services requires a correct understanding of companys own strategy. Based on this context, this work aims to propose a maturity model for companies of consumer durables which desire to add services to their portfolio, readjusting the way the firm interacts with external (partners, market and customers) and internal (employees) environments by servitizing in a four-phased approach. With that in mind, it is important to previously explore the differences between their vision when the main focus is product sale (product-dominant logic) and when service becomes more important (service-dominant logic). In this way, four different companies have been selected in order to conduct case studies that allow a more detailed comprehension of these changes, developing, applying and validating the proposed model, besides pointing out potential gaps that might exist in this process for each of them. The case studies have been conducted by interviewing a variety of professionals from different areas in each company and that were compared later with documents and existing processes, in order to have information triangulated. By making use of this model, it becomes possible to understand steps to be taken and critical resources that need to be developed by each manufacturing company under a servitization process, as a way of highlighting the path over this evolutionary model. This work was conducted at the Department of Naval and Ocean Engineering of the University of São Paulo (USP), Brazil, in conjunction with the Department of Industrial Engineering also from USP.

IT service management is becoming more and more important in the current business environment. Especially the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a widely adopted and accepted IT service management framework (Wagner 2006). Organizations that adopt one of the IT service management frameworks expect to achieve a large range of benefits through the use of the frameworks. The major benefits that are expected to be realised include reduced costs, IT services that are tailored to the business needs, a higher quality of IT services, and improved customer satisfaction (OGC 2007a). Despite the growing importance and acceptance of IT service management and ITIL, there is not much literature that is concerned with the benefits that can be realised when one of the relevant IT service management frameworks is in place. Only a few studies were published in conference proceedings (e.g. Hochstein et al. 2005, Potgieter et al. 2005, Cater-Steel et al. 2006). Even though these studies were able to confirm some of the claims made by the Office of Government Commerce (OGC), the publisher of the ITIL series, there are still a lot of claims that are not evaluated to date. This thesis is taking a Monte-Carlo method based simulation approach to identify some of the benefits of the ITIL for customer service. To achieve this, an initial research model was developed that represents the four most likely benefits for customer service of the use of ITIL and their relationship with customer service and the generation of business value. Subsequently the different path ways for the relationships were explored and models for each of the possible paths were designed. These models include a mediated model, an unmediated model and a partially mediated model. After defining the estimates and constraints for the simulation, the simulation was executed using a MS Excel spreadsheet. The simulation results presented a large amount of data for each of the models and their relationships. The models produced normal distributions and showed stability for changed input and throughput parameters. The analysis of the findings showed that the changes in estimates for each of the models and the associated results of the simulation followed a linear pattern. The linearity of the models combined with the normal distribution of the results offers a lot of opportunities for the use of the developed models. A further enhancement through a test with real-life data could provide the basis for a tool to quantitatively predict the impact of an ITIL implementation on customer service and the creation of value for the business. In addition the four most likely contributors to improved customer service based on the use of ITIL have been identified from a literature review. The identified contribution towards improved customer service of these four beneficiary factors is supported by the results of the simulation. Therefore the results of this thesis provide the research community with a model that could provide the basis for further exploration of the beneficiary effects of ITIL on customer service.