IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/servic/v33y2013i3-4p282-299.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The productivity challenge in services: measurement and strategic perspectives

Author

Listed:
  • 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.

Suggested Citation

  • 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
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/02642069.2013.747519
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/02642069.2013.747519?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vandermerwe, Sandra & Rada, Juan, 1988. "Servitization of business: Adding value by adding services," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 6(4), pages 314-324, December.
    2. Camal Gallouj & Faïz Gallouj, 1996. "L'innovation dans les services," Post-Print hal-01111983, HAL.
    3. Gallouj, Faiz & Weinstein, Olivier, 1997. "Innovation in services," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 26(4-5), pages 537-556, December.
    4. Zvi Griliches, 1992. "Output Measurement in the Service Sectors," NBER Books, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc, number gril92-1.
    5. Jean Gadrey & Edwige Ghillebaert & Faïz Gallouj, 1997. "Analyser les prestations de cohésion sociale « hors cadre » des services publics et leur coût. Le cas des relations de guichet à La Poste," Working Papers hal-01111932, HAL.
    6. repec:bla:revinw:v:46:y:2000:i:3:p:369-87 is not listed on IDEAS
    7. repec:bla:revinw:v:23:y:1977:i:4:p:315-38 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Heinz Handler & Bertrand Koebel & Philipp Reiss & Margit Schratzenstaller, 2005. "The size and performance of public sector activities in Europe," Public Economics 0507011, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Jean Gadrey, 2000. "The Characterization Of Goods And Services: An Alternative Approach," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 46(3), pages 369-387, September.
    10. Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2008. "Measuring and Improving Productivity in Services," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 12734.
    11. T. P. Hill, 1977. "On Goods And Services," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 23(4), pages 315-338, December.
    12. Faïz Gallouj, 1997. "Towards a neo-Schumpeterian theory of innovation in services?," Science and Public Policy, Oxford University Press, vol. 24(6), pages 405-420, December.
    13. Keh, Hean Tat & Chu, Singfat, 2003. "Retail productivity and scale economies at the firm level: a DEA approach," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 75-82, April.
    14. Faïz Gallouj, 1994. "Economie de l'innovation dans les services," Post-Print hal-01111989, HAL.
    15. Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2008. "Measuring and Improving Productivity in Services: Issues, Strategies and Challenges," Post-Print hal-01111758, HAL.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Johannes Hofmeister & Dominik K. Kanbach & Jens Hogreve, 2024. "Service productivity: a systematic review of a dispersed research area," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 74(3), pages 1249-1281, September.
    2. Luria Gil & Gal Iddo & Yagil Dana, 2015. "Spending more time with the customer: service-providers’ behavioral discretion and call-center operations," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 9(3), pages 427-443, September.
    3. Kirsi Hyttinen & Sampsa Ruutu & Mika Nieminen & Faiz Gallouj & Marja Toivonen, 2014. "A system dynamic and multi-criteria evaluation of innovations in environmental services," ECONOMICS AND POLICY OF ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2014(3), pages 29-52.
    4. 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.
    5. 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.
    6. 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.
    7. 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.
    8. 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.
    9. 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.
    10. 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.
    11. Larry Dwyer, 2022. "Productivity, Destination Performance, and Stakeholder Well-Being," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 3(3), pages 1-16, July.
    12. 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.
    13. 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.
    14. 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.
    15. World Bank Group, 2016. "Malaysia Economic Monitor, December 2016," World Bank Publications - Reports 25857, The World Bank Group.
    16. 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.
    17. 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.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2011. "Beyond Productivity Measurement and Strategies: Performance Evaluation and Strategies in Services," Post-Print halshs-01113986, HAL.
    2. Faïz Gallouj & Maria Savona, 2009. "Innovation in services: a review of the debate and a research agenda," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 149-172, April.
    3. Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2008. "Innovation in services and entrepreneurship: beyond industrialist and technologist concepts of sustainable development," Post-Print halshs-01113906, HAL.
    4. Djellal, Faridah & Gallouj, FaIz, 2005. "Mapping innovation dynamics in hospitals," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 34(6), pages 817-835, August.
    5. Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2010. "The Innovation Gap and the Performance Gap in the Service Economies: A Problem for Public Policy," Chapters, in: Faïz Gallouj & Faridah Djellal (ed.), The Handbook of Innovation and Services, chapter 27, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    6. Faridah Djellal & Camal Gallouj & Faïz Gallouj, 2002. "L’hôpital : de l’innovation médicale à l’innovation de service," Post-Print halshs-01113818, HAL.
    7. Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2008. "L'innovation gap et le performance gap dans les économies de services : un défi pour les politiques publiques," Post-Print halshs-01113900, HAL.
    8. repec:hal:cepnwp:hal-01111804 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Fourcroy, Charlotte & Gallouj, Faiz & Decellas, Fabrice, 2012. "Energy consumption in service industries: Challenging the myth of non-materiality," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 155-164.
    10. Djellal, Faridah & Gallouj, Faïz & Miles, Ian, 2013. "Two decades of research on innovation in services: Which place for public services?," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 98-117.
    11. Faïz Gallouj, 2012. "Service: innovation, performance and public policy," Working Papers hal-01111765, HAL.
    12. Faïz Gallouj & Maria Savona, 2010. "Towards a Theory of Innovation in Services: A State of the Art," Chapters, in: Faïz Gallouj & Faridah Djellal (ed.), The Handbook of Innovation and Services, chapter 1, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    13. Gallouj, Faiz, 2002. "Innovation in services and the attendant old and new myths," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 137-154.
    14. Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2015. "Service innovation for sustainability: paths for greening through service innovation," Working Papers halshs-01188530, HAL.
    15. Rabeh Morrar & Faïz Gallouj, 2016. "The growth of the service sector in Palestine: the productivity challenge," Journal of Innovation Economics, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(1), pages 179-204.
    16. Faridah Djellal & Camal Gallouj & Faïz Gallouj & Karim Gallouj, 2004. "L'innovation à l'hôpital : une grille d'analyse et des études de cas," Working Papers hal-01111804, HAL.
    17. Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2006. "Un modèle d’analyse de la dynamique de l’innovation dans les services : le cas des services de types architecturaux," Post-Print halshs-01114094, HAL.
    18. Faïz Gallouj, 2010. "Les services intensifs en connaissances : processeurs de connaissances et producteurs d’innovation," Post-Print halshs-01114097, HAL.
    19. Benoit Desmarchelier & Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2018. "L'innovation dans les services publics à la lumière des paradigmes de l'administration publique et des perspectives des Service Innovation Studies," Working Papers halshs-01934287, HAL.
    20. Faridah Djellal & Faïz Gallouj, 2009. "Innovation dans les services et entrepreneuriaT : au-delà des conceptions industrialistes et technologistes du développement durable," Innovations, De Boeck Université, vol. 0(1), pages 59-86.
    21. Youngjung Geum & Moon-Soo Kim & Sungjoo Lee, 2017. "Service Technology: Definition and Characteristics Based on a Patent Database," Service Science, INFORMS, vol. 9(2), pages 147-166, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:servic:v:33:y:2013:i:3-4:p:282-299. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/FSIJ20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.