About the Book

The papers in this volume present state-of-the-art quantitative and qualitative research, empirical findings, best practices, and conceptual models to support better decision making throughout any service organization. Selected as the best work presented at the 2015 annual conference of the European regional subdivision of the Decision Sciences Institute (EDSI), they offer an invaluable cross-disciplinary perspective that will be relevant to all facets of service production, including organization, management, operations, information systems, marketing, HR, supply chains, and beyond.

Papers in this volume offer powerful new pathways for innovation and optimization in global service network structures and inter-organizational relationships. The contributors also illuminate the successful management of the complex combinations of both explicit and tacit knowledge involved in service creation, reflecting new insights into behaviors linked to customer attitudes and service perceptions.

The papers collected here will be valuable to wide audiences of faculty, researchers, and students in diverse programs covering operations and supply chain management of service industry companies, and/or the effective delivery of services; and for others interested in the frontiers of decision science.

About the Author: EDSI, a regional subdivision of the Decision Sciences Institute (DSI), is a nonprofit professional organization of European researchers, managers, educators, and students interested in decision-making techniques and processes in private and public organizations.

EDSI was founded in August 2009 by approval of the board of DSI under its President, Ram Narasimhan, and President-Elect, G. Keong Leong.

EDSI works toward accomplishing DSI's vision of becoming the premier society for decision-making professionals based on the following key principles:

Focus on Relevant Academic Research and Knowledge Dissemination

EDSI aims to promote research about business decisions in the European context. It endorses research that meets the requirements of academic rigor and business relevance. The institute disseminates research of its members within the academic and the business community by means of publications, conferences, and other services. Target audiences are the academic community--both graduate students and faculty--as well as business practitioners who are interested in cutting-edge research.

Use a Multidisciplinary Research Approach

For EDSI, business decisions are not restricted to the classical Decision Sciences, but are seen in a wider context, ranging from operations to marketing and finance, as well as other areas. EDSI provides a forum for research that approaches complex business-decision problems with a multidisciplinary perspective, using accepted, rigorous research methodologies.

Create a Truly European Network

EDSI wants to foster multinational research in Europe, giving the academic community from the Atlantic to the Urals, from the Polar Circle to the Mediterranean, a forum to network and engage in joint research projects. In doing so the network also aims to foster efforts of its members to obtain research funds from national and transnational institutions such as the European Commission. EDSI is also committed to linking the European community to its peers around the globe.

Emphasize Teaching and Research

EDSI sees excellence in teaching as a key enabler to disseminate its research and have impact in the business community. To achieve this objective, EDSI provides a platform for dissemination of research related to the pedagogical dimension of business-decision problems.

Collaborate with Established European Research Networks

EDSI defines itself as a complement to established European research networks and, as such, it supports and welcomes collaboration with different organizations.

Carmela Di Mauro is Associate Professor of Business and Management Engineering at University of Catania, Italy.

After graduating from the University of Catania, she earned a Graduate Diploma from the Johns Hopkins University and a M. Sc. in Project Analysis and Investment at York University in the U.K. She holds a D.Phil. in Economics from the University of York.

Her current research focuses on Health Care Management, Organization, Behavioral Operations Management, and Public Procurement. Her recent publications on these topics have appeared in Social Science and Medicine, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, European Journal of Operations Research, and International Journal of Production Economics. She has coordinated several research projects and received research grants from the Italian Ministry of Research (MIUR), the National Research Council (CNR), and Ente Luigi Einaudi. She is also involved in consultancy activity, mainly directed to hospitals and healthcare organizations but also to public administrations and local governments.

She was executive board member and member of the editorial committee of the Italian Evaluation Association from 2009 to 2011. She joined EDSI in 2010. In 2011, she served as Vice-President for Southern-Europe; since 2012, she has been a member of the Executive Board, first as Secretary General and Treasurer and currently as President Elect. She is Program Chair of EDSI 2015. She serves as a member of the DSI Global Activities committee.

Alessandro Ancarani is Associate Professor of Managerial Engineering at University of Catania, Italy.

After graduating from the University of Catania, he took a D.Phil. in Managerial Engineering from the University of Rome "Tor Vergata." He obtained the Italian National Qualification for Full Professorship in 2014.

His current research mainly focuses on Health Care Management, Behavioral Operations Management, Performance of Service Organizations, and Public Procurement. His recent publications on these topics have appeared in Social Science and Medicine, International Journal of Operations and Production Management, European Journal of Operational Research, Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, and International Journal of Production Economics.

He has participated in several research projects and received research grants from the Italian Ministry of Research (MIUR), the National Research Council (CNR), and European Commission. He is also involved in consultancy activity, mainly directed to hospitals and healthcare organizations but also to public administrations and local governments.

He joined the Executive Committee of the International Purchasing & Supply Education & Research Association (IPSERA) in 2008. In 2009, he served as Vice-President; and in 2010 he was nominated President of IPSERA until 2012.

Since 2009 he has served in the Editorial Board of the Journal of Public Procurement (JoPP). In 2006, he joined as Associate Editor of the Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management (JPSM).

He has been co-Editor-in-Chief of the JPSM since 2010.

He is a founding member of the European Decision Sciences Institute. He has been a chairman and an organizer of several conferences and he is Program co-Chair of EDSI 2015.

Gyula Vastag is Professor and Magyary Chair at the National University of Public Service (Budapest, Hungary) and Professor at Széchenyi University (Gyor, Hungary).

Born in Hungary, he earned his Ph.D. and Doctor of Sciences degrees from the predecessor of Corvinus University of Budapest and from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and he finished habilitation at Corvinus University.

From the late 1980s, he spent almost two decades in the United States on the faculties of the Kelley School of Business (Indiana University), the Eli Broad Graduate School of Management (Michigan State University), and the Kenan-Flagler Business School (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). Between 2005 and 2007, he was Visiting Professor (part-time) at the University of Groningen (The Netherlands). He spent the 2000-01 academic year in Stuttgart, where he was Professor and Dean of Supply Chain Management Programs and held a visiting professorship afterward. Dr. Vastag co-authored two books, wrote eight business cases, and has contributed chapters to 15 books. His papers (30+ refereed journal publications) were published in a variety of peer-reviewed academic and professional journals in the United States and in Europe and in numerous conference proceedings. Gyula received several research awards: New Central Europe Distinguished Senior Researcher Scholarship (2014), Best Applications Paper Award by Alpha Iota Delta-The International Honor Society in Decision Sciences and Information Systems (2012), and Award for Research Excellence from Corvinus University (2009). He was the Founding Editor of the Pannon Management Review, is the Associate Editor of the Decision Sciences Journal, and serves on the editorial boards of the Central European Business Review, Business Research, Logistics Research, International Journal of Quality Innovation, and Vezetestudomany. Dr. Vastag has worked with a number of organizations including the Aluminum Company of America (Alcoa), Carlson School of Management (University of Minnesota), International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in Switzerland, Global TransPark Authority of North Carolina, Knorr-Bremse Hungary, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, North Carolina State University, International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis (Austria), ESSEC-Mannheim Business School (Germany), OTP Bank, and the University of St. Gallen (Switzerland).

He is a founding member and member of the Executive Board of the European Decision Sciences Institute, Vice President for Global Activities, and member of the Executive Board of the Decision Sciences Institute, where he has also served as Program Chair and Track Chair of DSI conferences. He is a founding member and past Associate Director of the Global Manufacturing Research Group. He served on the Executive Committee of the International Society for Inventory Research (1998-2006); between 2006 and 2014 he was a member of the Auditing Committee.