Improving service delivery Investigating the role of information sharing, job characteristics, and employee satisfaction

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to propose and test a model designed to investigate the impact of job characteristics, employee satisfaction, and information sharing on two key indicators of quality service delivery, such as worker perceptions of their efficiency and customer focus. Design/methodology/approach – During the project, 9,060 employees of a large national telecommunications organization in North America provided information in two surveys six months apart. The model was tested by using the PLS (Partial Least Squares) procedure. Findings – The results found support for the proposed model, indicating that autonomy and challenging work contribute to employee satisfaction, and that employee satisfaction and information sharing relate to greater reported efficiency and customer focus. The results and their implications are discussed. Research limitations/implications – The key limitation of this project is that the suggested model was tested in only one organization in one industry. In future, the nomological validity of the model should be confirmed in other settings. Practical implications – The findings suggest that HR departments should cooperate with IT departments to promote high-quality service delivery. Originality/value – Whereas HR is traditionally the domain of employee satisfaction initiatives, it is the IT department that typically spearheads knowledge management initiatives. By coordinating these two ventures together, and aligning their goals, senior managers will be able to realize more favorable outcomes.