Deviation from Standards and Performance in Knowledge-Intensive Processes: Evidence from the Process of Selling Customized IT Solutions

Authors

MONASHEV Mikhail KRČÁL Michal MENDLING Jan

Year of publication 2023
Type Article in Proceedings
Conference 21th International Conference on Business Process Management
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Economics and Administration

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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