Testing the four‐stage model of the strategic role of operations in a UK context

This paper reports on research aimed at operationalising the Hayes and Wheelwright four‐stage model describing the strategic role of operations. Although this model has classic status in operations management, it is little tested in practice. A questionnaire derived from the model was administered in a large‐scale postal survey of managers in a variety of UK manufacturing and service organisations. Analysis of the responses indicates that only a little over half of respondents were able to provide an assessment of their organisation's operations that fitted the logic of the four‐stage model. This seems to imply that managers have difficulty in assessing the strategic role played by their operations in an internally consistent and coherent manner. The results question the utility of the model and raise concerns about its validity.