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Article
Publication date: 28 June 2018

Sadegh Aliakbarlou, Suzanne Wilkinson and Seosamh B. Costello

The purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of what clients value from contractors’ services. Understanding client values and the way by which clients perceive value

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of what clients value from contractors’ services. Understanding client values and the way by which clients perceive value will contribute to client-perceived value within contracting services.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review was conducted to understand how clients perceive value in the construction industry. In addition, conducting expert interviews and document analysis helped in achieving the research purpose.

Findings

The findings show that values associated with time, cost and quality can be considered as important client values, while they are not exclusive values for assessing contractor service anymore. Construction clients are concerned about health and safety, low rate of environmental impact, guarantees, creativity, technology transfer, value for money, reliability and tangibles of their contractors’ services. In addition, they value their contractors’ behaviour, attitude and professionalism.

Research limitations/implications

The study has disseminated different client values, through classified outcomes, to make the knowledge area more available to construction service providers. This study’s findings helped in understanding client values and how clients perceive value from contractors’ services. With this information, contractors are able to provide better services to clients. Satisfactory delivery of the values identified in this study is believed to have the greatest impact on client-perceived value within contracting services. Developing a management strategy that recognises, prioritises and satisfactorily delivers these values is essential to ensure that highest level of client-perceived value is achieved.

Originality/value

The construction literature is focussed on traditional values related to time, cost and quality, while this study highlighted the role of values such as trust, commitment, communication and other non-result-ordinated values essential for achieving client satisfaction. This study’s findings proposed a new practical assessment concept to value construction contractor services.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 11 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1999

Ray Murphy

For many small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), quality systems, and ISO 9000 (BS EN, ISO 9000‐1, 1994) in particular, are a fact of life. Quality systems are seen as a…

Abstract

For many small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), quality systems, and ISO 9000 (BS EN, ISO 9000‐1, 1994) in particular, are a fact of life. Quality systems are seen as a necessary qualification for trading in certain markets. This can encourage businesses to think of quality only in terms of the cheapest way to obtain a certificate, thereby failing to appreciate the organisational benefits which could be obtained if more resources were applied to the development of effective quality systems. The use of quality consultants is widespread as a means of implementing ISO 9000. The selection and use of consultants can have a major influence on the commercial impact of quality systems developed through their work. Clients do not always appreciate differences between consultants, who all promise registration. As a consequence, a client often places its trust in the cheapest consultant, the first one to come along, or a friend. This paper, which is based on a survey of SMEs registered to ISO 9000, and will be presented at the Small Business and Enterprise Development Conference, 22nd and 23rd March, 1999, explores clients’ perceptions of value through the development of a model of client‐consultant relationships. It is argued that both clients and consultants need to have awareness of these perceptions at different project stages in order to realise the benefits of consultancy relationships. Clients’ perceptions of value are identified in both the experience of the consultancy relationships as well as the outputs. By viewing client‐consultant relationship development as a process, key activities within a project can be investigated, such as initial contracting and ultimate project outputs. The paper concludes that ISO 9000 can act as a bureaucratic constraint on improvement activities, but can also provide an opportunity to develop structures and processes that help to achieve improvements in a controlled manner. It is argued that the achievement of third‐party registration is largely irrelevant to the effectiveness of a quality system in bringing about improvements, although the prospect of registration is often a necessary driver towards instigating a system. It is shown that quality consultancy relationships are perceived by clients as having widely differing outcomes. These can be both favourable and unfavourable, whilst still meeting the objective of registration.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 6 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 April 2017

Maja Arslanagic-Kalajdzic and Vesna Zabkar

Corporate communication practices are becoming ever more important for business service clients, as they signal quality and hence are related to client-perceived value. The…

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Abstract

Purpose

Corporate communication practices are becoming ever more important for business service clients, as they signal quality and hence are related to client-perceived value. The purpose of this paper is to examine the interplay between corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate reputation and client-perceived value, and to assess the moderating role of strategic orientation in business service relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual framework based on the corporate communication framework, signaling theory and relationship marketing theory has been tested on a survey sample of 228 client firms, using covariance-based SEM and additional procedures for assessment of mediation and moderated mediation.

Findings

This paper reveals that communication practices concerning CSR positively and significantly influence client-perceived value. The authors show that reputation fully mediates the effect of CSR on client-perceived value. Finally, the effect of CSR on value is stronger if the client firm has a short-term strategic orientation, while long-term strategic orientation boosts the effect of corporate reputation on customer-perceived value.

Research limitations/implications

Further research on the topic may involve developing links between other elements of the corporate communication framework and client-perceived value.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper lies in better understanding the effects of CSR and corporate reputation on client-perceived value. The authors provide empirical evidence of the mediating role of reputation between the CSR (seen as “actions”) and client-perceived value.

Details

Corporate Communications: An International Journal, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1356-3289

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2000

Michèle Paulin, Ronald J. Ferguson and Marielle Payaud

This paper has four purposes. First, it points out and explains why the Market‐type culture, is not the culture type most conducive to business performance. This Market‐type…

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Abstract

This paper has four purposes. First, it points out and explains why the Market‐type culture, is not the culture type most conducive to business performance. This Market‐type culture reflects mainly a Transactional approach to the market rather than a longer term Relational approach to clients. Second, a modification of the CVM is presented which forces the respondents to weigh the value their firm places on the client or customer compared with the other competing values in the model. This modified version can be used to describe organizational cultures which are more Relational or Transactional in nature. Third, an empirical study of commercial banking relationships in France indicated that business effectiveness was greater when both parties in the exchange (account manager and business client) perceived their respective organizations to be Relational‐type cultures. Conversely, the worst business performance was found when both organizations had Transactional‐type cultures. Fourth, the managerial implications of the paper are discussed in the context of commercial banking.

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 18 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1989

James J. Chrisman and Alan L. Carsrud

How pre‐venture and established business clients perceived thevalue of the strategic, administrative and operating assistance providedby the Small Business Development Centre…

Abstract

How pre‐venture and established business clients perceived the value of the strategic, administrative and operating assistance provided by the Small Business Development Centre (SBDC) is investigated. For both groups the results suggest that clients who received strategic assistance perceived the value of SBDC consulting to be greater than those who did not.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 2 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

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Article
Publication date: 1 December 1999

Michèle Paulin, Ronald J. Ferguson and Ana Maria Alvarez Salazar

The purpose of the present study was to determine, across three distinct national contexts, to what extent the creation of customer‐perceived value, as determined by the measure…

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Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to determine, across three distinct national contexts, to what extent the creation of customer‐perceived value, as determined by the measure of the firm’s external effectiveness, was deemed important and implemented within a professional business‐to‐business service industry (commercial banking). External effectiveness is a measure of business performance reflecting the client’s judgement of satisfaction, service quality, future purchase intentions and willingness to recommend the service firm to others. It was postulated that strong relationships would contribute to external effectiveness and that, in order to be effective, a service firm needs to be client‐oriented and develop managerial processes and an organizational culture compatible with the creation of client‐perceived value, the driver of longer‐term profitability. In all three countries, the higher the business client rated the strength of the relationship with their bank, the higher was their assessment of external effectiveness. However, the banks’ service management processes supporting the work of the account manager and the dominant organizational culture were not congruent with the bankers’ perception that their organizations were client‐oriented. Important differences were found in the banking relationships and managerial processes in Mexico as compared to Canada and the USA.

Details

International Journal of Service Industry Management, vol. 10 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0956-4233

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2000

Michèle Paulin, Ronald J. Ferguson and Marielle Payaud

This empirical study of commercial banking relationships in France demonstrates that, despite the current emphasis on new technology, contact personnel remain important for the…

2274

Abstract

This empirical study of commercial banking relationships in France demonstrates that, despite the current emphasis on new technology, contact personnel remain important for the success of professional business‐to‐business services. When account managers are changed, the business clients feel that their relationship with the bank is weaker and they judge the bank to be less client oriented. More important for the bank’s future profitability is the finding that changing account managers is negatively associated with the bank’s external effectiveness, as measured by the client’s judgement of satisfaction and service quality, by their purchase intentions and by their willingness to recommend the bank. Also, the business clients who change account managers express a greater likelihood of switching banks. In addition, the study points out the divergence between the transactional sales approach of the bank and the relational perspective of the business client. Commercial banks tend to overestimate both the degree to which they are client oriented and the benefits of technology as a substitute for human interactions with their business clients.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 34 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2023

Awni Rawashdeh

The advent of technology has propelled audit firms to incorporate AI-based audit services, bringing the relationship between audit clients and firms into sharper focus…

Abstract

Purpose

The advent of technology has propelled audit firms to incorporate AI-based audit services, bringing the relationship between audit clients and firms into sharper focus. Nonetheless, the understanding of how AI-based audit services affect this relationship remains sparse. This study strives to probe how an audit client's satisfaction with AI-based audit services influences their trust in audit firms. Identifying the variables affecting this trust, the research aspires to gain a deeper comprehension of the implications of AI-based audit services on the auditor-client relationship, ultimately aiming to boost client satisfaction and cultivate trust.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual framework has been devised, grounded in the client-company relationship model, to delineate the relationship between perceived quality, perceived value, attitude and satisfaction with AI-based audit services and their subsequent impact on trust in audit firms. The research entailed an empirical investigation employing Facebook ads, gathering 288 valid responses for evaluation. The structural equation method, utilized in conjunction with SPSS and Amos statistical applications, verified the reliability and overarching structure of the scales employed to measure these elements. A hybrid multi-analytical technique of structural equation modeling and artificial neural networks (SEM-ANN) was deployed to empirically validate the collated data.

Findings

The research unveiled a significant and positive relationship between perceived value and client satisfaction, trust and attitude towards AI-based audit services, along with the link between perceived quality and client satisfaction. The findings suggest that a favorable attitude and perceived quality of AI-based audit services could enhance satisfaction, subsequently augmenting perceived value and client trust. By focusing on the delivery of superior-quality services that fulfill clients' value expectations, firms may amplify client satisfaction and trust.

Research limitations/implications

Further inquiries are required to appraise the influence of advanced technology adoption within audit firms on client trust-building mechanisms. Moreover, an understanding of why the impact of perceived quality on perceived value proves ineffectual in the context of audit client trust-building warrants further exploration. In interpreting the findings of this study, one should consider the inherent limitations of the empirical analysis, inclusive of the utilization of Facebook ads as a data-gathering tool.

Practical implications

The research yielded insightful theoretical and practical implications that can bolster audit clients' trust in audit firms amid technological advancements within the audit landscape. The results imply that audit firms should contemplate implementing trust-building mechanisms by creating value and influencing clients' stance towards AI-based audit services to establish trust, particularly when vying with competing firms. As technological evolutions impinge on trustworthiness, audit firms must prioritize clients' perceived value and satisfaction.

Originality/value

To the researcher's best knowledge, no previous study has scrutinized the impact of satisfaction with AI-based audit services on cultivating audit client trust in audit firms, in contrast to past research that has focused on the auditors' trust in the audit client. To bridge these gaps, this study employs a comprehensive and integrative theoretical model.

Details

Journal of Applied Accounting Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0967-5426

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 March 2016

Elizabeth Levin, Paramaporn Thaichon and Thu Nguyen Quach

– The study aims to consider the overall impact of the service encounters and projects undertaken on the long-term relationship between the agency and its clients.

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Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to consider the overall impact of the service encounters and projects undertaken on the long-term relationship between the agency and its clients.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a parallel mixed-method design incorporating quantitative and qualitative elements in the client–advertising agency context. Data obtain via an online survey in Study 1 were analysed using structural equation modelling and bias-corrected bootstrapping technique. Study 2 featured 15 in-depth interviews with marketing managers and project leaders.

Findings

The findings revealed that advertising agencies deliver value and create trust through creativity aspects as well as project management processes. In addition, both perceived value and trust have crucial roles in fostering client–agency relationships and the continuance of business relationships. Value has a stronger direct effect on loyalty when compared with trust, confirmed by the results of Study 2. Several respondents pointed out the influence of client characteristics on both evaluation of creativity as well as loyalty.

Practical implications

The results highlight the importance of project management and planning which should be seen as an investment by both parties. Moreover, agencies need to involve clients in the creative process and focus on marketing themselves and the value they add to enhance client loyalty.

Originality/value

This study was the first to develop a model for the drivers of loyalty, drawing from literature in three key areas: service quality, relationship marketing and project management. An additional contribution of the study stems from the incorporation of an integrated parallel mixed-methods approach.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 31 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2010

Pierre Chenet, Tracey S. Dagger and Don O'Sullivan

While service quality, trust and commitment are frequently cited as critical to achieving important firm outcomes, the role of service differentiation in this framework is largely…

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Abstract

Purpose

While service quality, trust and commitment are frequently cited as critical to achieving important firm outcomes, the role of service differentiation in this framework is largely unknown. Yet, differentiation is important because a firm's distinctiveness is linked to client‐perceived value, competitive advantage, and a target market focus. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine the role of service differentiation in business‐to‐business relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Hypotheses were tested using a sample of business clients from a large European financial services firm. The senior primary contact in each client firm was contacted by phone/e‐mail to arrange for completion of the survey. Using the survey instrument, respondents provided information on their relationship with the provider organization.

Findings

Results indicated that service quality had an impact on trust, differentiation and relationship outcomes. Trust was found to drive service differentiation. Differentiation, in turn, drove commitment which ultimately had an impact on both satisfaction and word‐of‐mouth. Importantly, it was found that service differentiation is a full mediator of the impact that service quality and trust have on client commitment towards the firm.

Originality/value

The findings clearly show the importance of service differentiation in achieving high levels of relationship commitment and ultimately satisfaction and positive word‐of‐mouth. As the role of differentiation in business‐to‐business relationships has received limited research focus, this paper offers managers new insights into relationship development. Importantly, differentiation is a managerially controlled variable that firms can use to influence relationship outcomes.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 24 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

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