Improving service performance by placing the customer second

A new empirical study links human resource management and employee satisfaction to increased service quality and customer satisfaction. Findings indicate that an emphasis of procedural over human factors is central to understanding why public services trail those of the private sector.

A new empirical study outlines the reasons why public services trail those of the private sector. Analyzing a large sample of public and private sector organizations, an international research group finds that public sector organizations focus too much on standardized procedures, underestimating the value of employee satisfaction. Challenging the widely held view that poor service in the public sector is due to lack of customer focus, the work proposes that adopting more progressive human resource management practices is the key to eliminating service pitfalls.

Ben Funk, a scholar and consultant dedicated to uncovering methods of increasing organizational performance, was central to this study. He can be reached at London Business School for further comment. Please email queries to bfunk@london.edu. These views reflect Ben Funks beliefs and not necessarily those of the London Business School.