The Impacts of Team Management on Customer Service: The Mediating Role of Operation Flexibility

The study aims to determine the impact of team management and service operations flexibility on customer service. Service operations flexibility is divided into external flexibility and internal robustness. A mediation model is proposed that links team management to customer service via operation flexibility. Drawing on a sample of 475 of operations managers of various service sectors in Malaysia and South Africa, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the relationship using SMART-PLS procedures. It was found that a significant relationship was established between team management to customer service via both operations flexibility dimensions. Theoretical and managerial implications are offered to explain the results.