Deviation from Standards and Performance in Knowledge-Intensive Processes: Evidence from the Process of Selling Customized IT Solutions
| Authors | |
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | 21th International Conference on Business Process Management |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-41620-0 |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-41620-0_25 |
| Keywords | Knowledge-Intensive Processes; Standardization; Communication |
| Attached files | |
| Description | Standardization has been shown to be a reliable method of reducing unpredictability and consequently improving the performance of routine processes. However, it is surprising that the literature on knowledge-intensive processes (KiPs) rarely discusses this option or portrays such processes as inherently unsuitable for standardization. This presents the question of whether and to what extent standardization and following standards benefit KiPs. In this paper, we report findings from a case study on the impact of deviations from standards on the sales process of an IT service provider. Each instance of the sales process is a new project which involves a series of tasks characterized by different degrees of knowledge intensity. The findings are based on two data sources: (i) process documentation, and (ii) semi-structured interviews with managers and process participants. We applied the constructivist grounded theory method in the analysis of these materials. Our analysis yielded a series of propositions that characterize the benefits and issues that deviations from standards may bring to KiPs and the circumstances under which they are likely to materialize. Our study implies that deviations from standards mostly undermine the performance of KiPs unless they are initiated internally by process actors when standards are not sufficiently robust. |
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