2nd Edition

Improving Service Quality in the Global Economy Achieving High Performance in Public and Private Sectors, Second Edition

By Michael E. Milakovich Copyright 2005
    432 Pages 19 B/W Illustrations
    by Auerbach Publications

    Within American service sector organizations there exists a gap between understanding customer service quality improvement (QI) theories and applying them. Improving Service Quality in the Global Economy: Achieving High Performance in Public and Private Sectors, Second Edition fills that gap by presenting theory, application models, and cases of successful customer service QI efforts in both the public and private sectors. The book emphasizes the selection and development of strategies for quality improvement in regulated public non-market-driven services such as education, government, and healthcare.

    This revised edition promotes managerial thinking that integrates QI and Knowledge Management (KM) concepts with leadership principles that enable effective responses to the changing demands of the global economy. The text provides step-by-step guidelines, recommendations, and action plans for implementing quality improvements in service sector industries, which now generate two-thirds of America's GDP.

    Throughout this volume, cases of successful QI efforts in service industries complement major points in each chapter, offering profiles of global service quality leaders that serve as examples to organizations in the public sector. Current and future managers will gain insight into how the global service quality revolution effects their daily work environments, inspiring improvement in products, services, and support that American companies provide to markets worldwide.

    Introduction: The Need for Improved Global Service
    Quality
    From the Industrial to the Knowledge Revolution
    The Internet and Beyond: www.customerservice.com
    Demanding Total Quality Service (TQS)
    Learning Customer-Driven TQS
    Redefining TQS

    Applying Total Quality Service Concepts to Public
    and Nonprofit Organizations
    Origins and Evolution of TQS
    Changing Perspectives on Quality and Control
    Benchmarking for Service QI
    TQS: A Working Definition
    Summary and Conclusions

    From Quality Control to Continuous Improvement
    Evolution of Quality Control Concepts
    Masters of Total QI
    Selecting QI Strategies
    Summary and Conclusions

    People Power: Total Quality Human Resources,
    Participation, Training, and Empowerment
    Total Quality Human Resource Management
    Total QI Guidelines
    Human Resources Topics Offered under a TQS Perspective
    Summary

    Monitoring Process, Costs, Quality, and Productivity
    Measuring and Adding Value to Processes
    Understanding Process Variation and Control Techniques
    Variation Due to Common and Special Causes
    Statistical Process Control
    Six Sigma
    Reducing the Costs of Poor Quality
    Measuring Poor Quality: Getting Below the Surface
    Controlling Direct and Indirect Quality Costs
    Defining Improvement Opportunities and Raising the Productivity
    Ceiling
    Merging Costs, Quality, and Productivity Definitions
    Summary and Conclusions

    Rewarding Service Quality Improvement
    The Need to Improve Performance
    International Charters, Quality Awards, and Standards
    Florida Power and Light Company and the Deming Prize
    Encouraging Innovation and Rewarding Performance
    State and Local Quality Awards
    Conclusion: A 21st Century Trend or Passing Fad?

    Managing Performance in the Public Sector
    Assessing Alternative Performance Management Strategies
    Reinvention, Service Standards, and Results Orientation
    Restoring Faith and Trust in Public Service
    Alternatives to Public Management
    Balancing Public and Private Strategies
    Restoring Faith and Trust by Improving Service Quality

    Preserving the Future: Improving Quality in Education
    Defining Quality Education
    Improving Quality Processes and Outcomes
    Measuring Quality of Results in Education
    Rewarding Educational Quality Reform
    Summary and Conclusions

    Implementing Continuous Quality Healthcare
    Improvement
    Increasing Costs and Shifting Priorities for Healthcare
    What Is Total Quality Healthcare Improvement?
    Implementing Total Quality Healthcare Improvement
    Changing Attitudes, Globalization, and Managed Healthcare
    Competition
    Strategies for Measuring Patient Satisfaction
    Implementing Organizationwide Healthcare Quality
    Conclusions and Action Steps

    Leadership for Service Quality Improvement
    Implementing TQS for High Performance
    Barriers to Achieving TQS
    Action Strategies for Service Quality Improvement
    Leadership Challenges

    APPENDICES
    A The Eternally Successful Organization Grid
    B Deming's 14 Points
    C Crosby's 14 Steps
    D 2004 Criteria for Performance Excellence -
    Item Listing
    E Are We Making Progress?
    F State Quality Award Programs
    G Bibliography
    H Glossary and Acronyms

    Biography

    Michael Milakovich, Harvey W. Blanch