Describes research undertaken to evaluate the appropriateness of strategic performance measurement (PM) system development processes for small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). An evaluation is undertaken of ten PM approaches found in the literature. To facilitate this evaluation a typology is presented which synthesises current theory. This evaluation resulted in the identification of a process, based on its congruency to the theoretical model, which is used for an empirical investigation. Empirical data from SMEs is collected and analysed using the typology. This indicates a discontinuity between current theory and the requirements of practitioners in small companies. The paper concludes with a number of recommendations to facilitate the development of appropriate PM processes for SMEs.

This paper reports the results of a longitudinal study into the drivers of customer satisfaction in a large UK Bank. The findings confirm the significance of staff satisfaction and service quality, suggested by the service profit chain literature, but dispute that this comprises a simple linear relationship. The findings also question the pre-eminence afforded to the soft elements of the service encounter suggested by much of the Services Marketing literature. A five year study of the relationship between customer satisfaction and the technical and functional aspects of service quality suggests that technical service quality plays a critical role in determining customer satisfaction. Further analysis identifies Business Processes Management as a significant driver of technical service quality.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to set out to explore how cancer patients and their carers perceive and evaluate the healthcare experience in order to develop and validate a classification framework for experience quality in healthcare. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical work is centred on the systematic analysis of 200 cancer patient stories published on an independent healthcare feedback web site. Using the critical incident method, the authors captured 1,351 experience quality data items. Three judges independently sorted and classified these data items. Findings – The authors identify and describe 22 main categories and 51 sub-categories that underlie the experience quality concept in healthcare and present them in a classification framework. The framework is informed through the categorisation of direct, indirect, and independent interactions. It also suggests a relationship between experience quality and satisfaction and loyalty behaviours. Research limitations/implications – This study provides researchers with a foundation for the further development and validation of a measurement scale for experience quality in healthcare. Practical implications – The framework assists managers and healthcare professionals with the definition, evaluation, and improvement of the quality of the experience of patients and their carers. Originality/value – The main contributions of this study lie in: first, a comprehensive classification framework for experience quality in healthcare; second, dimensions that extend existing health service quality models; third, dimensions that contextualise the generic concept of customer experience quality to healthcare.

The purpose of this paper is to provide novel theoretical insight into service delivery system (SDS) design. To do so, this paper adopts a customer journey perspective, using it as a frame to explore dimensions of experience quality that inform design requirements. Methodology This study utilises UK Patient Opinion data to analyse the stories of 200 cancer patients. Using a critical incident technique, 1,207 attributes of experience quality are generated and classified into 17 quality dimensions across five stages of the customer (patient) journey. Findings Analysis reveals both similarity and difference in dimensions of experience quality across the patient journey: seven dimensions are common to all five journey stages, from receiving diagnosis to end of life care; ten dimensions were found to vary, present in one or several of the stages but not in all. Limitations Limitations include a lack of representativity of the story sample and the impossibility to verify the factual occurrence of the stories. Practical implications Adopting a patient journey perspective can improve practitioner understanding of the design requirements of SDS in healthcare. The results of the study can be applied by managers to configure SDS that achieve higher quality of patient care throughout the patient journey.

This paper explores the concept of strategic performance measurement in SMEs. To provide some depth and breadth for the investigation the research was structured into two phases. The fIrst phase of the research focused on identifying whether SMEs develop and use strategic performance measures. A survey of eight SMEs, in the south west of England, was undertaken using semi-structured interviews. The second phase involved a more in-depth study and was based on observing the introduction of a strategic performance measurement system in a small company. The results gained to date indicate that SMEs have a good understanding of fmancial measurement, and are moving towards customer focused measures. However, these measures typically lack strategic alignment and many may be questioned in regard of their value for business improvement. The observations made during phase two of the research, the development of a new strategic performance measurement system in an SME, indicated the potential planning and control benefIts from the design process that was utilised. However, particular diffIculties were evident in the development and implementation of the K. Mertins et al. (eds.), Global Production Management