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The productivity challenge in services: measurement and strategic perspectives

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  • Faridah Djellal
  • Faïz Gallouj

Abstract

The concept of productivity is at the heart of economic theory, management science and operational management of firms and organizations. Despite the theoretical and operational importance of this concept, in recent years, its absolutism has been challenged. Services are often at the heart of this critical debate. Both conceptually and methodologically, services are indeed a major challenge to the concept of productivity. The objective of this paper is to review issues raised by services and their relationships with productivity, from two different but related perspectives: (1) a theoretical and methodological perspective focused on the problems involved in defining and measuring productivity, and (2) a strategic perspective focused on identifying generic productivity and performance strategies in service firms and organizations.

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  • Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2013. "The productivity challenge in services: measurement and strategic perspectives," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 33(3-4), pages 282-299, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:servic:v:33:y:2013:i:3-4:p:282-299
    DOI: 10.1080/02642069.2013.747519
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    Cited by:

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    3. Helmi Hentati & Neila Boulila Taktak, 2023. "Unlocking Technological Capabilities to Boost the Performance of Accounting Firms," Journal of Accounting and Management Information Systems, Faculty of Accounting and Management Information Systems, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, vol. 22(4), pages 631-656, December.
    4. Oscar Montes Pineda & Luis Rubalcaba, 2015. "Human or technological resources? A dilemma in education provision," Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación volume 10, in: Marta Rahona López & Jennifer Graves (ed.), Investigaciones de Economía de la Educación 10, edition 1, volume 10, chapter 24, pages 469-490, Asociación de Economía de la Educación.
    5. Di Meglio, Gisela & Gallego, Jorge, 2022. "Disentangling services in developing regions: A test of Kaldor's first and second laws," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 221-229.
    6. Harjit Sekhon & Andrews Agya Yalley & Sanjit Kumar Roy & Gurvinder Singh Shergill, 2016. "A cross-country study of service productivity," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(5-6), pages 223-238, April.
    7. Silvia Cruz & Sonia Paulino & Faiz Gallouj, 2014. "Innovation in brazilian landfills: a servppin perspective," ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2014(3), pages 79-100.
    8. Rafael Marques & Rafael Teixeira & Daniel P. Lacerda & Fabio S. Piran, 2023. "Exploring outsourcing service productivity from the buyer and supplier perspective: A case analysis in the fleet maintenance industry," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 16(2), pages 853-867, June.
    9. Öhman, Mikael & Finne, Max & Holmström, Jan, 2015. "Measuring service outcomes for adaptive preventive maintenance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 170(PB), pages 457-467.
    10. Larry Dwyer, 2022. "Productivity, Destination Performance, and Stakeholder Well-Being," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 3(3), pages 1-16, July.
    11. Sharifah Rahama Amirul & Khairul Hanim Pazim & Sharifah Milda Amirul & Rasid Mail & Jakaria Dasan, 2022. "Developing and validating the qualitative labour productivity measurement in service industry," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 2853-2874, August.
    12. Leonel Corona-Treviño, 2016. "Entrepreneurship in an open national innovation system (ONIS): a proposal for Mexico," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 5(1), pages 1-13, December.
    13. Peter Bauer & Igor Fedotenkov & Aurelien Genty & Issam Hallak & Peter Harasztosi & David Martinez Turegano & David Nguyen & Nadir Preziosi & Ana Rincon-Aznar & Miguel Sanchez Martinez, 2020. "Productivity in Europe: Trends and drivers in a service-based economy," JRC Research Reports JRC119785, Joint Research Centre.
    14. World Bank Group, 2016. "Malaysia Economic Monitor, December 2016," World Bank Publications - Reports 25857, The World Bank Group.
    15. Maria Merisalo & Kirsi Hyytinen & Juha Oksanen & Matti Pihlajamaa & Elvira Uyarra, 2024. "Navigating the multiple views of value in assessing public procurement," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 51(3), pages 463-476.
    16. Robert Frost & Kelly Lyons, 2017. "Service Systems Analysis Methods and Components: A Systematic Literature Review," Service Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(3), pages 219-234, September.

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