PROFESSIONAL SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS AND FOCUS

This paper suggests a framework for operations managers to use in making focus decisions in professional services. This framework is supported empirically from data from the health care industry using three types of data: (1) industry statistics, (2) case studies, and (3) questionnaire surveys. Our objective has been to: (1) gain a better understanding of the concept of focus as it applies to the health care sector, (2) develop a framework to assist service operations managers with focus decisions, and (3) develop a base from which to generalize about microfocusing decisions in professional services.