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Resource dynamics on service effectiveness: Evidence from the small business service industry in the United States

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Journal of Service Science Research

Abstract

How can small business specialty service operations achieve service effectiveness without compromising customer satisfaction and revenue maximization? Empirically grounded in the operations of a two-physician specialty healthcare clinic in the mid-western part of United States, this paper simulates workflow efficiencies to surface resource use and operational limitations germane to similar small business service operations and discusses the impact of resource dynamics on service effectiveness in small business specialty service operations with appointment-driven deterministic throughput. By integrating design of experiments (DoE) with traditional simulation modeling, our study supports the fact that resources in throughput-constrained service settings suffer from the law of diminishing returns and we contend that the mix of resources in small business specialty service operations is constrained by a culture of specificity. Small business specialty service operations with controlled customer flow and facing constant resource constraints must scrutinize their resource selection and allocation carefully to achieve a desired level of service effectiveness.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Scott College of Business, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, 47803, USA

    Kuntal Bhattacharyya

  2. Kent State University, Kent, OH, 44242, USA

    Pratim Datta

  3. Renal Consultants, Inc., Canton, OH, 44708, USA

    Arup Maitra

Authors
  1. Kuntal Bhattacharyya
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  2. Pratim Datta
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  3. Arup Maitra
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Correspondence to Kuntal Bhattacharyya.

Additional information

Dr. Kuntal Bhattacharyya enriches his current association in academe with more than five years of corporate experience in strategic sourcing, supply chain management, and financial economics. Kuntal holds a Ph.D. in Operations Management from Kent State University and an M.B.A. in Management from the University of Akron. In addition, he is also a certified risk manager (CRM). In his current role as an Assistant Professor in Supply Chain Management at Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana; Dr. Bhattacharyya strives to bridge the gap between academia and the industry by providing an experiential learning experience to future business leaders, while contributing towards academic literature-especially from a practitioner’s viewpoint. Kuntal’s research has been published in esteemed outlets like the Journal of Supply Chain Management, Strategic Outsourcing, and America’s Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS), among others.

Dr. Pratim Datta is an Associate Professor of MIS and global supply chains at Kent State University, Ken, USA; and a 2-time recipient of the Farris Family Research Innovation Fellowship. With over 55 publications in journals and conferences with more than 3 best papers in top international meetings, Dr. Datta has been consistently placed among the top 50 researchers publishing in top Information Systems journals, internationally for the past three years. His research looks at global technology and supply chain management in areas of user experience, design, security, and deployment. Pratim has over 7 patent applications in the areas of biometrics authentication, military solutions, electronic voting, and green recycling. Prior to joining academia, Dr. Datta held consulting and project management positions for 8 years in multinational companies including IBM Global Solutions and SAP Consulting. He has been a key speaker for the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Dr. Arup Maitra MD, FACP is a Nephrologist in private practice in Canton, OH, USA (Renal Consultants Inc.). He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center, Bronx, NY. This was followed by a Fellowship in Nephrology at New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. His practice is affiliated with five local hospitals. Dr. Maitra is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and holds the rank of Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at North East Ohio Universities College of Medicine. His areas of special interest include hypertension, dialysis, kidney transplants and preventive health care.

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Bhattacharyya, K., Datta, P. & Maitra, A. Resource dynamics on service effectiveness: Evidence from the small business service industry in the United States. J Serv Sci Res 5, 1–33 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12927-013-0001-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12927-013-0001-1

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