Exploring the Role of Internal Service Quality in a Manufacturing Context

Abstract

In this paper, we identify several important constructs (e.g., employee satisfaction, commitment, subjective health and performance) that may influence internal service quality (ISQ) in the manufacturing context and develop a conceptual framework and hypotheses linking these constructs with each other. We then use a survey with 250 employees in an Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) company in Guangdong, China, to test all our hypotheses. Our findings provide evidence about the relevance of internal service quality in the manufacturing context and highlight its importance in improving employee satisfaction, commitment and performance. Finally, we discuss some limitations of our study and directions for future research in this area of growing importance.