SERVICES MANAGEMENT IN HIGHLY COMPETITIVE CONTEXTS OF TUMULTUOUS CHANGE

摘要

Services constitute the major sector of the global economy and are characterised by contexts of unprecedented competition and tumultuous change. The objective in this paper is to explore alternative perspectives, as reflected within the literature, for managing services-based institutions within such turbulent contexts. A multi-disciplinary review of the literature is adopted, in determining how management theory and practice has evolved in response to increasing complexity and unpredictability within the services economy. It is suggested that traditional scientific management based strategic and operational management practice may no longer be effective, within turbulent contexts, and that a complex adaptive systems perspective may be more appropriate for managing institutions in the services economy. The value of the research study is vested in that the findings and insights gained from the literature could serve to inform contemporary management practice.