The student Iker Legarda Gabiria obtained an OUTSTANDING CUM LAUDE qualification with 'International Doctorate' mention

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The student Iker Legarda Gabiria obtained an OUTSTANDING CUM LAUDE qualification with 'International Doctorate' mention

THESIS

The student Iker Legarda Gabiria obtained an OUTSTANDING CUM LAUDE qualification with 'International Doctorate' mention

2022·05·26

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Thesis title: Opening the black box: Developing service design capability in established organisations over time.

Court:

  • Chairmanship: Iván Lidón López (Universidad de Zaragoza)
  • Vocal: Pontus Wärnestål (Halmstad University)
  • Vocal: Iban Lizarralde Madina (ESTIA)
  • Vocal: Aiur Retegui Uria (Universidad de Deusto)
  • Secretary: Ester Val Jauregui (Mondragon Unibertsitatea)

Abstract:

Service organisations usually base their strengths on the efficient management of service operations. However, as markets become increasingly competitive, a growing number of organisations are seeking to develop innovative customer experiences as a source of competitive advantage. For that purpose, companies need to integrate new innovation capabilities such as service design (SD) through which to articulate new value propositions based on customer needs.

However, previous posed the development of SD capability as a complex process of organisational change that organisations struggle with. Implicit in SD are a number of practices and values—e.g., human-centredness, iteration, sequential and holistic thinking, etc.—that challenge traditional business logics established in the organisational culture. There is a need to further the understanding of the process of developing SD capability in established organisations in order for them to implement change effectively.

For that reason, this thesis adopts an exploratory qualitative approach to shed light on the development of SD capability in established service organisations. Firstly, through a systematic literature review, the key aspects of SD capability development are identified. In addition, the analysis served to point the knowledge gaps in the topic and define the two research questions addressed by the study: (1) How do external stakeholders influence the development of SD capability in established service organizations over time?; (2) How can managers evaluate the impact of SD on their organizations to inform decision making on the development of SD capability?

The first research question is addressed through a longitudinal study of the development of SD capability in a leading company in the food service sector. Research data was collected through participatory observations, semi-structured interviews, informal conversations, and documentary sources for four years. The data were analysed through a grounded constructivist approach and revealed a cyclical process of organisational transformation in which external actors catalyse changes through the provision of SD resources and SD legitimation mechanisms. Furthermore, external stakeholders are posed as potential de-legitimisers of SD in highly disruptive environments. In conclusion, a theoretical model for SD capability development is presented that, in contrast to previous research, assumes that organisational change is directly influenced by environmental dynamics. The results do not seek generalisation, but rather to move towards identifying patterns of organisational change that help to understand how to successfully develop SD capability in established service organisations.

On the other hand, the second research question of the study is addressed by developing a new model for assessing and managing the impact of SD in the organisation called DIMM. The model supports organisations in reviewing SD objectives, identifying SD impact at different levels of the organisation, and establishing an action plan to improve SD capabilities. The model was tested with four service organisations with emerging SD capabilities through semi-structured interviews using the model itself as an interview guide. As a result, the usefulness of the model was validated as an evaluation tool, a reflection tool, and a strategizing tool. Further testing is proposed for future research to validate the use of the model in organisations from other sectors and with greater SD maturity.

In conclusion, this study balances theoretical contributions to the process of SD capability development in established service organisations with contributions to practice through a new model for measuring and managing SD. The validity of the results of both the longitudinal study and the new model are supported by data triangulation, thick descriptions, the prolonged engagement of the researcher with the case studies, and member checking.