Landy, M F B (2022) Integrating quality and innovation in services in dynamic and turbulent environments. PhD thesis, Universidade do Minho, Portugal.
Abstract
Organizations seek internally to develop adaptation and resilience processes in the face of context variables that change noticeably. Customers’ needs are dynamic, and organizations must also respond in a dynamic way. The aim of the research, based on quality, innovation, and complexity theories, is to analyse how organizations facing dynamic and turbulent environments develop Adaptation Mechanisms and internal change, supported by internal organizational Dynamic Capabilities, oriented to guarantee Service Quality in the Construction Sector, adapted to the specific context of Ecuador. This work emphasized an exploratory and a descriptive study. Twenty-four case studies in the Construction Sector were conducted. Information was collected from customers and managers through semi-structured interviews, and a survey that involved 273 customers and 230 managers was implemented. A model, entitled Service Quality and Innovation Model (SQiM), which proposes an explanation of the patterns of interaction between organization and their environment, was developed. The model and its components were validated through a survey and a discussion panel with managers. The results suggest that there are new Service Quality dimensions in the Construction Sector. From the customers’ perspective: requirements management and process optimization, emotional intelligence, ergonomic analysis, permanent training of the bricklayers, and bonus items. From the managers’ perspective: waste reduction planning, project monitoring and deeper socialization of technical aspects. On the other hand, the main Adaptation Mechanisms are integral training, budget savings management, paradigm change, management system improvement, teamwork empowerment, permanent feedback, versatile construction project, innovation, service approach and formal approbation. In addition, there are benefits arising from the performance measurement process, to identify improvement opportunities. The study may be generalised to other contexts, and the model and its components could be used or adapted to other contexts and economic activities, which need adaptation processes and resilient management.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Sousa, S D and Romero, F |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Ecuador; case studies; complexity; dynamic capabilities; feedback; innovation; measurement; monitoring; optimization; service quality; teamwork; training |
| Index terms: | face, bricklayer, survey, manager, empowerment, interview, Ecuador, management system, guarantee, waste reduction, construction sector, project monitoring, complexity, dynamic capability, construction project, service quality, adaptation, savings, performance measurement, teamwork, case study, interaction, dimension, economic activity, paradigm, requirements management, monitoring, emotional intelligence |
| Subjects: | health monitoring assessment and metrics, data collection methods, control systems, systems engineering, industry analysis, management, education and knowledge transfer, contract structure, performance measurement, professional development, psychology, economic analysis, user focus, practitioner, behavioral psychology, sustainability assessment, production management, Geography |
| Topics: | Quality Management, Procurement, Sustainability, Health and Safety, Geographical Context, Project Management, Engineering Principles, Site Management, Organizational Design, Design Practice, Human Resources, Roles and Professions, Business Strategy, Research Practice, Information Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTE |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here