<p>Today, firms compete with services rather than goods. Large service organizations are beginning to use Six Sigma as continuous improvement tool. An important part of the Six Sigma methodology is the calculation of number of defects in the process, i.e. points outside the specification limits. Unlike goods quality, which can be measured objectively by number of defects, in service goods the setting up of specification limits is a complicated issue because it is marked by the use and expectations among the different customers. As Six Sigma was originally created for manufacturing, this crucial fact is not contemplated in the Six-Sigma roadmap Define- Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC).</p><p>The aim of this thesis is to develop a new model to help the Service Division, Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB to set the specification limits according to the customer expectations.</p><p>A review of relevant literature is used to develop a new integrated model with ideas from the Kano model, SERVQUAL, Taguchi loss function, Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) and a new model, the ”Trade-Off Importance”. A survey was carried out for 18 external customers and internal stakeholders.</p><p>The model has demonstrated its robustness and credibility to set the specification limits. Additionally it is a very powerful tool to set the strategic directions and for service quality measurement. As far as we know, this thesis is the first attempt to create a roadmap to set the specification limits in services. Researchers should find a proposed model to fill the research gap. From a managerial standpoint, the practical benefits in Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB, suggest a new way of communicating to customers.</p>

In explaining why service prices differ across countries (both developed and developing countries), most studies have paid attention to the role of structural variables such as population, trade balance, resource abundance etc., by using a full employment assumption. Due to the existence of high urban unemployment in developing countries, the assumption of full employment is not suitable. The objective of this study is to build general equilibrium models that can be used to explain the service price differences across developing countries by incorporating rural-urban migration and urban unemployment. Internal migration from rural to urban areas is allowed because of distortions in labor market. The current work includes structural variables that are used in the literature, such as agricultural land, mineral resources, labor endowment, trade deficit, population, and tourism, along with 2 new variables, manufacturing capital and services capital. This study also considers the effects of macroeconomic policies (fiscal and monetary policies) on service prices which are neglected in the literature. The theoretical models suggest that, ceteris paribus, larger land area, mineral resources, higher trade deficits, tourist receipts, and money supply increase service prices, but larger populations reduce service prices. The effects of services capital, labor force, the terms of trade, and government spending are ambiguous from the theoretical models. An empirical study is performed to test the theoretical implications. The empirical results suggest that larger endowments of land, mineral resources, manufacturing capital, labor force, and services capital, as well as higher trade deficits, tourist receipts, government spending, and money supply increase the service prices. Conversely, larger populations reduce service prices as predicted. / Graduation date: 1993

This thesis examines to what extent the firm size influences on firm growth and their behaviour of Spanish manufactures and service industries between 1994 and 2002 from the stochastic growth theory. The study has not only responded to the need of considering firm size as a key variable for future firm growth, but it has also examined the impacts of different industries for the development of firms, the learning process and the impact of internal and external firm characteristics. The firm growth is the process affecting firms while they remain active in the market. While some theories justify the firm growth as an adjustment of size due to internal or external environment, others have justified the change of size as a response to luck factors.To analyse it we have based on Gibrat's Law or Law of Proportionate Effects. Gibrat's Law suggests that all firms have the same probability to grow independently of their size. Although the researcher's interest to analyse it there are some mix results in the literature and there are still some lacks in the literature. According to the empirical review of the Gibrat's Law, several are the results to be stood out. Firstly, the firm growth is a complex process affected by internal and external characteristics which may be due to deterministic or random factors. Secondly, there appear some outstanding lacks of empirical studies. On the one hand, there are few empirical studies analysing the service industries. On the other hand, there is a scarcity of researchers incorporating the spatial dimension in their analysis.Our results refuse Gibrat's Law both for manufactures and service industries and, more interestingly, those results do not vary when introducing the firm learning process in the market. In reference to the differences between each individual sector, there appear different growth behaviours depending on the industry. It is well known that the firm growth pattern depends on the characteristics of industry and our results show a different behaviour depending on the industry. Therefore, if we consider different sectors, the firm growth pattern presents a heterogeneous trend. Each industry has quite different technologies and perhaps different growth processes, which might explain the mixed nature of the results.The persistence of firm growth offers a dynamic approach to the growth pattern. The relationship between past and current growth rates have been another aspect related with Gibrat's Law. The persistence of firm growth is highly important for policy-makers and managers, who should consider the pattern driving firm growth in order to increase the profitability of their investments, the job creation and the economic growth. As it was expected, the effect of the persistence depends on the proximity of the growth. In other words, a positive growth will have more impact on the following period than two periods later. Related to the analysis of the presence of different equilibria of firm growth, our results show that there is a significant difference in growth between manufacturing and service sector firms which persist when controlling for other firm specific characteristics. Nevertheless, the introduction of the location variables generates that those different trends are not significant. In order to know how important the differentiation between manufactures and service industries is, we estimate Gibrat's Law for manufactures and service industries in separate equations. When we separate the estimation of both industries, our results accept that the equilibria are different including the locational variables.In reference to the determinants of firm growth, variables such as the territorial R&D and the growth of GDP have positive externalities to firm growth. On the other hand, the industrial diversity or specialisation present different results depending on the sector. Finally, barriers to entry such as capital intensity and minimum efficient size behave as barriers to grow. That means that sectors which are highly capital intensive, they will prevent firms from growing. Conversely, sectors with low barriers to entry have low barriers to grow. However, those barriers to grow may be surpassed with internal characteristics such as innovation, cooperation, increase of human capital, etc. / Aquesta tesis examina la influència de la dimensió de l'empresa en el creixement empresarial, així com el comportament de les manufactures i els serveis d'Espanya entre 1994 i 2002 des d'una perspectiva estocàstica. Aquesta tesis no només respon a la necessitat de considerar el tamany de l'empresa com una variable crucial per al futur de l'empresa sinó també les característiques sectorials, el procés d'aprenentatge i les característiques internes i externes. El creixement empresarial és el procés que afecta a les empreses mentre estan actives en el mercat. Mentre que algunes teories justifiquen el creixement de l'empresa com un procés d'ajust cap al tamany òptim, altres teories justifiquen el creixement a un conjunt de factors aleatoris. Per tal d'analitzar el creixement empresarial, ens basem en la Llei de Gibrat o Llei dels Efectes Proporcionals. Llei de Gibrat suggereix que totes les empreses tenen la mateixa probabilitat per créixer independentment del seu tamany. Tot i l'interès del tema, els resultats en la literatura empírica són contradictoris i existeixen encara alguns buits. D'acord amb la revisió empírica de la Llei de Gibrat, diferents resultants poden ser destacats. En primer lloc, el creixement empresarial és un procés complex que depén de característiques internes i externes que poden afecten de forma determinística o aleatòria. En segon lloc, hi ha varies buits en la literatura. Per una banda, pocs estudis empírica analitzen els serveis. Per altra banda, hi ha una escassetat d'investigadors que incorporen la dimensió locacional.Els nostres resultats refusen la Llei de Gibrat per les manufactures I els serveis i, a més a més, aquests resultats no varien quan introduïm el procés d'aprenentatge de l'empresa en el mercat. Quant a les diferències entre cada sector individual, apareixen comportaments de creixement diferents en funció de la indústria. És un fet conegut que el creixement de l'empresa depèn de les característiques de la indústria i els nostres resultats mostren un comportament diferent en funció del sector industrial. Per tant, cada indústria té diferents característiques tecnològiques i diferent processos de creixement, els quals poden explicar els resultats contradictoris de la literatura.La persistència del creixement empresarial ofereix una perspectiva dinàmica del creixement de l'empresa. La relació entre creixement passat i actual és un alter aspecte relacionat amb la Llei de Gibrat. La persistència del creixement empresarial és molt important per als agents públics i directors, els quals hauries de tenen compte el comportament que dirigeix el creixement empresarial per tal d'incrementar els beneficis de les seves inversions, la creació de l'ocupació i el creixement econòmic. Com era d'esperar, l'efecte de la persistència depèn de la proximitat temporal del creixement. En altres paraules, un creixement positiu tindrà més impacte en el període següent que dos períodes després. Quant a l'anàlisi de la presència de diferents equilibris de creixement empresarial, els nostres resultats mostren que hi ha una diferència significativa en el creixement entre els sectors manufacturers i els serveis la qual persisteix quan controlem per altres característiques específiques de l'empresa. No obstant, la introducció de les variables locacionals generata que aquesta tendència sigui no significativa. Per tal de saber com d'important és la diferenciació entre manufactures i serveis s'estima la Llei de Gibrat per a les indústries manufactureres i els serveis en equacions separades. En separar les estimacions d'ambdues indústries, els nostres resultats accepten l'existència de diferents equilibris quan s'inclouen les variables locacionals. Quant als determinants dels creixement empresarial, variables com la intensitat tecnològica territorial i el creixement del PIB presenten externalitats positives sobre el creixement empresarial. Per altra banda, la diversitat o especialització industrial tenen impactes diferents en funció del sector a analitzar. Finalment, barreres d'entrada com la intensitat del capital i el tamany mínim eficient es comporten com barreres al creixement. Això vol dir que sectors que són intensiu en capital dificultaran el creixement de les empreses. Pel contrari, sectors amb baixes barreres d'entrada tenen baixes barreres al creixement. No obstant, aquestes barreres al creixement poden ser superades amb característiques internes com la innovació, la cooperació, l'increment del capital humà, etc.

Bus stops are interwoven into the urban landscape, providing direct access to the transit system and offering upfront information to users. This contact creates an ever-present opportunity for transit agencies to market their services to the public and attract ridership. The purpose of this thesis is to help transit agencies exploit this opportunity through the development and deployment of user information. The thesis examines how agencies are leveraging bus stop infrastructure in the United States and Canada. Site visits were conducted at twenty-nine transit agencies across the continent with observations photographed and processed into matrices. The photographs provide examples of innovative ways in which agencies have employed elements, while the matrices reveal the current state of the practice. The thesis concludes with recommendations for the conceptualization and development of bus stop signage that integrate many of these innovative elements as well as ADA regulations to improve user information at transit agencies. The findings of this thesis may be of interest to transit agencies that are seeking to construct a new or improve upon an existing user information system as well as to those interested in or studying public transit, wayfinding, or environmental graphic design. While there exists a large degree of difference as to the level of information that is made available to users in different transit agencies, all agencies have room to improve.

Today, firms compete with services rather than goods. Large service organizations are beginning to use Six Sigma as continuous improvement tool. An important part of the Six Sigma methodology is the calculation of number of defects in the process, i.e. points outside the specification limits. Unlike goods quality, which can be measured objectively by number of defects, in service goods the setting up of specification limits is a complicated issue because it is marked by the use and expectations among the different customers. As Six Sigma was originally created for manufacturing, this crucial fact is not contemplated in the Six-Sigma roadmap Define- Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control (DMAIC). The aim of this thesis is to develop a new model to help the Service Division, Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB to set the specification limits according to the customer expectations. A review of relevant literature is used to develop a new integrated model with ideas from the Kano model, SERVQUAL, Taguchi loss function, Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) and a new model, the ”Trade-Off Importance”. A survey was carried out for 18 external customers and internal stakeholders. The model has demonstrated its robustness and credibility to set the specification limits. Additionally it is a very powerful tool to set the strategic directions and for service quality measurement. As far as we know, this thesis is the first attempt to create a roadmap to set the specification limits in services. Researchers should find a proposed model to fill the research gap. From a managerial standpoint, the practical benefits in Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery AB, suggest a new way of communicating to customers.

The high flexibility, autonomy as well as profitability of information service industries have been playing an important role in Taiwan industry and economy transformation. While information service businesses in Taiwan tend to be small scale and have limited funds, a range of industries, such as semiconductor and communication industry, have relied on powerful software to enhance the value added. In effect, information service industry also has become the leading industry in the knowledge-based economy. More specifically, its market size and growth rate of global software industry have exceeded hardware industry. As a result, we expect that the Taiwan information service industry which is based on co-opetition business model can enhance the industrial upgrades and further lead to economic growth in Taiwan. There is some superiority of Taiwan in terms of information industry developments, including well-developed information infrastructure, superior global logistic ability and geographical position, highly qualified and experienced human resources and so on. Furthermore, the information digitalization, economy globalization as well as the rising of Asia Pacific region also provide Taiwan with a great deal of new business models and opportunities for its information industry developments. Due to small market size and the decreasing growth rate of GDP in Taiwan, near half of the information service firms have experienced decline in profitability. However, many of the information service companies reinforce their ability to make a profit by adjusting operation models as well as constructing value net. For instance, according to MIC (2006), the exportation of system integration will grow over 30% by 2009, and 70% of the growth will come from China. Therefore, the information service firms in Taiwan should carefully analyze their internal core resources and uniqueness to develop core competency which can sustain their competitive advantages. Based on resource based theory, game theory, and the value net concept proposed by Brandenburger & Nalebuff (1955), this research used case studies and secondary data which collected from some professional institutions to analyze how do firms take the interactions between customers, suppliers, and substitutes into account when they are making strategies, changing or expanding value net as well as innovating operation models to create uncontested market space. Our research suggest that as the investments of Taiwan information service industry are more likely to be firm specific, due to their products and services characteristic. Consequently, the information service firms in Taiwan need to ally themselves with hardware manufacture industry to obtain competitive advantages in the global market. Specifically, we need to gain resources through constructing dynamic value net which in turn increase productivity, and adjust strategies flexibly to create more preferable business environment. By outsourcing and strategic alliance, companies are able to obtain partners¡¦ competitive advantages, and create a win-win business environment. Also, those companies that adopt the concept of game theory to build vale nets can create a win-win strategy that is beneficial for companies and industry¡¦s future developments. Key workds¡GInformation service industries in Taiwan, Resource based theory, Game theory, Value net

A survey was undertaken for a contract cleaning company in Durban. In order to preserve the confidentiality of the information contained in this dissertation, a fictitious name, Kleen Co, has been used. The aim of the survey was to find further similarities within the existing segments. At present, the traditional geographic and industry-type bases of segmentation (namely healthcare, hospitality, offices and shopping centres in various regions) are used. Recent literature suggests that similarities can be sought in three areas: 1. expectations of service; 2. perceptions of service; 3. unique benefits of the service. In the survey, clients were asked to rate their expectations and perceptions for six attributes (price of the cleaning service, customer service, quality of cleaning, innovativeness of cleaning methods, assessment of cleaning requirements, and consistency of the cleaning service) . They were also asked to rate the relevance of four reasons for outsourcing (cheaper to outsource, need for specialised cleaning, company policy to outsource, and labour problems). The results indicate that price and innovation can be used as further bases for segmentation for the following segments: • offices and healthcare have the same high expectation for price; healthcare and hospitality have the same high expectation for innovation; • shopping centres and hospitality have the same low expectation for price; • offices and shopping centres have the same low expectation for innovativeness; • healthcare and hospitality have the same high perceptions for price and innovation; • offices and shopping centres have the same low perceptions for price and innovation. For outsourcing are concerned, the following reasons were found: • offices: all reasons are relevant except for price of service. • healthcare: need for specialised cleaning and labour problems are relevant; price of service and company policy are irrelevant; • shopping centres: price of service and company policy are relevant; need for specialised cleaning and labour problems are irrelevant. • hospitals: all reasons are relevant except company policy to outsource. Although the main aim of the survey was to identify new segments, client satisfaction was also measured. Clients were asked whether they had raised a complaint with the company and, if so, how satisfied they were with the outcome. This was done in order to test the loyalty of clients, the hypothesis being that the longer the client had been with Kleen Co, the more satisfied they would be with the outcome of their complaints - and more loyal. However, the data reflect that clients who have been with the company for more than four years are no more satisfied in this regard than clients who have been with the company for shorter periods of time. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2001.

South Africa's re-integration into the global economy and the international political arena has brought about an active growth of business locally and internationally. Local companies are expanding into new markets and regions which require them to follow internationally acceptable and approved waste disposal policies in their production of goods and services. To achieve compliance, it is necessary that companies have the appropriate support and backup from waste disposal companies. Also, increasing pressure from environmental groups and government agencies makes it a prerequisite that a company's waste is properly disposed of in the most efficient, lawful and economical way. This research dissertation is aimed at identifying the key factors that impact on the levels of service in the waste industry and an attempt at evaluating the effects of the service levels to determine what actions are necessary to improve the levels of service in the waste industry. As a result, this research was carried out amongst producers of waste in certain areas of KwaZulu-Natal. Various techniques were evaluated in researching how to measure service quality. The most reliable measuring instrument to gauge service quality was found to be the SERVQUAL system. This measuring instrument was evaluated and then modified to suit the particular needs of the waste industry. The SERVQUAL system is a multi-item scale for measuring consumers perceptions of service quality. A sample of 75 companies was selected and senior management was interviewed. Based on the statistical analysis, the discrepancy between service expectations and service delivery in the waste industry is wide. Urgent attention needs to be focused on service delivery, especially reliability, assurance and responsiveness by waste disposal companies. / Thesis (MBA)-University of Natal, Durban, 2003.

The Department of Health adopted the District Health System as a means to unify South Africa's fragmented health services into a comprehensive, integrated National Health System (NHS). The Primary Health Care (PHC) approach is the driving force in promoting equity and accessibility to essential PHC services. Successful implementation of the PHC approach is in part, dependent on the availability of essential drugs, which impacts on patient quality of care and well-being. According to a report compiled by Pillay, McCoy and Asia in 2001 , the pharmaceutical component of the health sector reflected deficiencies in terms of the lack of equity in access to essential drugs, irrational use of drugs, poor security and cost-ineffective procurement and logistic practices. This study utilised a case study approach to examine the suitability, acceptability and feasibility of implementing a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) between the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health (KZNDOH) the private provider, to improve pharmaceutical service delivery at provincial PHC clinics in the Ethekwini South Sub-District (ESSD). Participative observations and semistructured interviews conducted at PHC clinics in the target area provided valuable insight into problems of drug management supply, adherence to effective and rational prescribing and dispensing practices and additional training needs of the nurses. This study found the proposed PPP complementary to the mission and objectives of the Provincial DOH and suitable within the socio-political environment, in which the private provider operates. Recommendations were made to improve upon weaknesses inherent in the value chain and address deficient resources, capabilities and competences necessary to attain the PPP's critical success factors. The implementation of the proposed PPP rests on the ability of the private provider, to prove to the Provincial DOH and the National Treasury that the PPP is affordable, represents value for money and is in keeping with the goals of the NHS. Therefore, recommendations for management of these and other key stakeholders were made. On completion of all necessary modifications to the proposed model, the revised PPP to improve pharmaceutical service delivery at PHC clinics in the ESSD was found to be suitable, acceptable and feasible to both the KZN DOH and the private provider. / Thesis (MBA)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

The contact lens market in the United States is a multi-billion dollar market and data indicates that almost 13% of all Americans wear contact lenses (Beales, 2003:paragraph 3). Beales (2003: paragraph 3) states that there are four major manufacturers of contact lenses (e.g., Johnson & Johnson, Bausch & Lomb, CIBA Vision and Cooper Vision) and their channel of distribution is through eye care practitioners (optometrists). Since contact lens companies offer similar products their differentiating characteristic is their service element, service quality in the contact lens industry is important as Wong (2001: paragraph 3) mentions that the contact lens market is about a $2.8 billion industry, with an annual growth of about 6%. Wong (2001: paragraph 4) further states that there is a large international opportunity for contact lens companies and that penetration into this market is much less overseas than it is in the U.S. It is estimated that about one in 5 vision-corrected Americans are wearing contact lenses, in Japan it is about one in 8, in Europe it is roughly one in 15 and in developing countries it is estimated to be one in 100 (Wong, 2001: paragraph 8). Coo ley (2001 paragraph 3) claims that the eye-care industry offers a significant market opportunity as roughly 60% of the American population (164.2 million people) requires vision correction at present and it is estimated that in the longer term virtually everyone will require some form of vision care. The key in this market would be to provide the appropriate product that creates value and addresses the consumer's needs. Weinstein and Johnson (1999:4) mention that "great" companies do not just satisfy the needs of their customers but instead strive to delight and "wow" them by continually creating business experiences that exceed customer expectations. Hence contact lens companies need to find ways to adequately assess customer service perceptions and expectations in order to be competitive. This research sets out to measure service expectations of optometrists with regards to the service that they receive from contact lens suppliers as well as measure service perceptions of optometrists with regards to Ciba Vision. The study also set out to establish the SERVQUAL gap, which causes unsuccessful service delivery (Gap 5) and examine the dimensions i.e. the tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy which contribute to Gap 5. The study found that on average customers have their high expectations in the responsiveness dimension and their highest perceptions in the assurance dimension. The study also found that gaps resulted in all five of the SERVQUAL dimensions with reliability contributing the most to gap 5. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2006.