The Evaluation of the IT Service Quality Measurement Framework in Industry

Abstract

[eng] The two objectives of this paper are: (a) to evaluate an IT service quality measurement framework, and (b) to refine the IT service quality measurement framework for the IT service industry. We explore the notion of IT service quality from a holistic point of view—we evaluate the IT service quality measures that could help IT service organizations to understand the quality of the IT services they offer and address the areas where provider-driven IT service improvement is needed. As an example of the interconnectivity between IT service quality measures, we take a closer look at how process performance relates to other IT service quality measures and to the overall IT service quality. To attain our research objectives, we evaluate the IT service quality measurement framework that we proposed earlier. The evaluation is done through semi-structured interviews with IT service providers. This study follows the design science research paradigm that is based on constructive research. The interviewed organizations collect and analyse data about various IT service quality measures from all the dimensions of the proposed framework without understanding the interdependencies between them. We use the systems thinking approach to interpret the results and to describe the importance of a holistic view in understanding the behaviour of a service system. Finally, we contextualize the IT service quality measurement framework that supports the provider-driven IT service improvement in the simple, complicated and complex contexts.