Exploring service needs in the Chinese manufacturing industry
Journal
Chinese management studies : CMS
ISSN
1750-614X
ISSN-Digital
1750-6158
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2009-02-25
Author(s)
Gebauer, Heiko
;
Fischer, Thomas
Abstract
Purpose
- The purpose of this paper is to attempt to explore service needs in the Chinese manufacturing industry and address the research question: what clusters of service needs exist in the Chinese manufacturing industry?
Design/methodology/approach
- The data on service needs were collected between 2006 and 2007. The data collection was done through personal interviews with senior manufacturing executives. The data are analysed through factor and cluster analysis.
Findings
- This paper explores five different clusters on service needs: highly price?sensitive on basic service needs; highly sensitive on logistic performance of basic service needs; preventing product breakdowns for very reasonable prices; knowledge seeking; and seeking for cost?efficient outsourcing partners.
Research limitations/implications
- The study is based on 172 companies, but the external validity (generalizability) of the findings could not be assessed accurately.
Practical implications
- The findings have important management implications in terms of aligning the service organisation with the Chinese service needs.
Originality/value
- The paper contributes to the existing research in two different ways. First, the study demonstrates the value of factor and cluster analysis as a segmentation approach in industrial markets even in the particular context of Chinese business culture. Second, the exploration of service needs describes idiosyncrasies of Chinese manufacturing industry from a complementary, service management perspective.
- The purpose of this paper is to attempt to explore service needs in the Chinese manufacturing industry and address the research question: what clusters of service needs exist in the Chinese manufacturing industry?
Design/methodology/approach
- The data on service needs were collected between 2006 and 2007. The data collection was done through personal interviews with senior manufacturing executives. The data are analysed through factor and cluster analysis.
Findings
- This paper explores five different clusters on service needs: highly price?sensitive on basic service needs; highly sensitive on logistic performance of basic service needs; preventing product breakdowns for very reasonable prices; knowledge seeking; and seeking for cost?efficient outsourcing partners.
Research limitations/implications
- The study is based on 172 companies, but the external validity (generalizability) of the findings could not be assessed accurately.
Practical implications
- The findings have important management implications in terms of aligning the service organisation with the Chinese service needs.
Originality/value
- The paper contributes to the existing research in two different ways. First, the study demonstrates the value of factor and cluster analysis as a segmentation approach in industrial markets even in the particular context of Chinese business culture. Second, the exploration of service needs describes idiosyncrasies of Chinese manufacturing industry from a complementary, service management perspective.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Emerald
Publisher place
Bingley
Volume
3
Number
2
Start page
143
End page
154
Pages
12
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
51804