Search results

1 – 10 of over 114000
Article
Publication date: 1 March 1995

Martin Fojt

That someone can make us feel good is a quality in itself. There has been much talk within British government circles, for example, about “the feelgood” factor, which is…

2217

Abstract

That someone can make us feel good is a quality in itself. There has been much talk within British government circles, for example, about “the feelgood” factor, which is constantly reminding us that it is just around the corner! Whether or not we can believe in this is another matter but it certainly displays an awareness that making other people feel good can also have positive benefits for ourselves. How this can be achieved will differ depending on our particular line of business. Having a good‐quality product does not in itself guarantee success as service quality must also be taken into account. This is where the feel‐good factor comes into play. It is all very well, for example, going to a restaurant to have a top‐class meal (in that the food was good), only to have it thrown at you. Quality, therefore, must not be seen as a separate entity, but more as a package deal. Service quality is important if you wish to retain your customer base as acquiring new customers can be both time‐consuming and costly. It quite often takes very little apart from good manners to keep customer loyalty as in the case of the restaurant. Other factors can, however, start creeping into the framework such as efficiency, timeliness and good communication. Is there, for example, a time limit on how long you can reasonably be expected to wait for your meal before it arrives at the table, and if there is a delay is this communicated to you? In other words, we all have expectations as to what is acceptable and what is not. The clever part is for the organization to learn by what criteria the customer judges its service quality performance.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 9 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2009

Birdogan Baki, Cigdem Sahin Basfirinci, Ilker Murat AR and Zuhal Cilingir

This paper seeks to provide new solutions to cargo companies’ service quality efforts by integrating different scientific methodologies.

6098

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to provide new solutions to cargo companies’ service quality efforts by integrating different scientific methodologies.

Design/methodology/approach

Strengths and weaknesses of logistics services of a well known cargo company in Turkey are defined by using a service quality scale (SERVQUAL), service quality attributes are categorized using the Kano model in order to see how well these attributes are able to satisfy customer needs, and findings are transferred to quality function deployment (QFD).

Findings

The findings of the Kano model show that ten of the 27 service quality attributes can be categorized as “attractive”, implying the maximum effect on consumer satisfaction. Through the customer priority level of QFD, the three most important service quality attributes are found to be: VIP Service, informing customers about delivery time before sending, and taking deliveries from customers’ addresses. Also, strengthening information technology infrastructure is the most important technical requirement to focus with the highest technical importance level.

Research limitations/implications

The study involves only one cargo company, it concerns just Trabzon city center branch offices and its sample includes only individual customers instead of individual and institutional customers together.

Practical implications

Offering a case study, the paper presents a guide for cargo companies to employ different scientific methodologies in their service quality development efforts.

Originality/value

Intending to offer scientific approaches to cargo companies as a tool of development in their practical procedures, the paper tries to bridge the current gap between academicians and practitioners and adds to the relatively limited theoretical literature.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 21 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 4 September 2003

Stan Aungst, Russell R. Barton and David T. Wilson

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) proposes to take into account the “voice of the customer,” through a list of customer needs, which are (qualitatively) mapped to technical…

Abstract

Quality Function Deployment (QFD) proposes to take into account the “voice of the customer,” through a list of customer needs, which are (qualitatively) mapped to technical requirements in House One. But customers do not perceive products in this space, nor do they not make purchase decisions in this space. Marketing specialists use statistical models to map between a simpler space of customer perceptions and the long and detailed list of needs. For automobiles, for example, the main axes in perceptual space might be categories such as luxury, performance, sport, and utility. A product’s position on these few axes determines the detailed customer requirements consistent with the automobiles’ position such as interior volume, gauges and accessories, seating type, fuel economy, door height, horsepower, interior noise level, seating capacity, paint colors, trim, and so forth. Statistical models such as factor analysis and principal components analysis are used to describe the mapping between these spaces, which we call House Zero.

This paper focus on House One. Two important steps of the product development process using House One are: (1) setting technical targets; (2) identifying the inherent tradeoffs in a design including a position of merit. Utility functions are used to determine feature preferences for a product. Conjoint analysis is used to capture the product preference and potential market share. Linear interpolation and the slope point formula are used to determine other points of customer needs. This research draws from the formal mapping concepts developed by Nam Suh and the qualitative maps of quality function deployment, to present unified information and mapping paradigm for concurrent product/process design. This approach is the virtual integrated design method that is tested upon data from a business design problem.

Details

Evaluating Marketing Actions and Outcomes
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-76231-046-3

Article
Publication date: 1 May 1995

Martin Fojt

That someone can make you feel good is a quality in itself. There has been much talk within British government circles, for example, about “the feel‐goodfactor”, which is…

Abstract

That someone can make you feel good is a quality in itself. There has been much talk within British government circles, for example, about “the feel‐good factor”, which is constantly reminding us that it is just around the corner! Whether or not we can believe in this is another matter, but it certainly displays an awareness that making other people feel good can have positive benefits for you also. How this can be achieved will differ depending on your particular line of business. Having a good quality product does not in itself guarantee success as service quality must also be taken into account. This is where the feel‐good factor comes into play. It is all very well, for example, going to a restaurant to have a top‐class meal (in that the food was good), only to have it thrown at you. Quality, therefore, must not be seen as a separate entity, but more as a package deal.

Details

Library Review, vol. 44 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0024-2535

Article
Publication date: 1 April 1995

Martin Fojt

Recent years have highlighted the emphasis placed on quality. It is a word often heard around many an organization, but can mean different things to different people.The Japanese…

Abstract

Recent years have highlighted the emphasis placed on quality. It is a word often heard around many an organization, but can mean different things to different people.The Japanese have certainly jumped on the bandwagon with vigour, and have tried to include total quality in almost everything they do, looking increasingly to improve their processes at every conceivable stage. Recent emphasis has been heavily placed on product reliability, thus ensuring that the final product does not let the customer down. Quality in this instance quite simply refers to the processes leading up to the end product itself. This can throw up even more tantalizing questions, such as trying to decide what your actual product is. Am I, for example, selling you, the reader, the actual journal or the information contained within? Does quality mean to you, therefore, the quality of the cover, the paper, and the print, or is it the quality of the information, or indeed both. This issue of IJHCQA, will hopefully go some way towards answering these types of questions, and take a closer look at a number of “strategies for service quality”.

Details

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, vol. 8 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0952-6862

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 June 2021

Achmad Firdaus

The purpose of the study is twofold: first, it is to develop each aspect of maṣlaḥah ḍarūriyah (essential needs), i.e. dīn (faith/religion), nafs (soul), ʿaql (intellect), naṣl

2092

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is twofold: first, it is to develop each aspect of maṣlaḥah ḍarūriyah (essential needs), i.e. dīn (faith/religion), nafs (soul), ʿaql (intellect), naṣl (descendants) and mal (wealth), into various aspects of organisational essential needs; second, it is to formulate maṣlaḥah-based performance measurement.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is an exploratory study that uses a two-stage design: defining the research question and developing the research design. The research question is how each element of maṣlaḥah ḍarūriyah can become an element of organisational essential needs. The research design developed is to formulate maṣlaḥah-based performance measurement.

Findings

The study concludes that maṣlaḥah ḍarūriyah could be developed as a basis for identifying organisational essential needs. The five elements of maṣlaḥah ḍarūriyah are developed into the following organisational essential needs: worship orientation, internal process orientation, talent orientation, learning orientation, customer orientation and wealth orientation. Maṣlaḥah-based performance measurement uses five variables: strategic objective, measure, formula, target and strategic initiatives and applies the modified plan – do – check – action cycle: performance planning, performance implementation, performance evaluation and performance action.

Practical implications

Organisational essential needs can be developed by Islamic financial institutions (IFIs) into performance measurement. IFIs have six essential needs that can be developed into performance variables. Key performance indicators that can be developed for each need are worship orientation (social responsibility, regulatory compliance and Sharīʿah compliance); internal process orientation (innovation process, digital adaptation and employee satisfaction); talent orientation (career development, talent pool, compensation and benefits); learning orientation (training programme, training evaluation and return on training investment); customer orientation (customer engagement, customer satisfaction, customer survey and promotion programme); wealth orientation (profitability, cost-cutting, share prices, dividends, cost efficiency and financial sustainability).

Originality/value

This paper contributes to new knowledge. The study attempts to discuss the organisational essential needs based on the maṣlaḥah ḍarūriyah concept, while previous studies discussed organisational needs based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. In developing performance measurement, organisational performance is measured in a balanced manner. According to the concept of maṣlaḥah, not only financial factors but also worship, internal processes, talents, learning and customers define organisational needs. Thus, organisational needs are considered not only in terms of material factors but also in terms of spiritual (worship) factors.

Details

ISRA International Journal of Islamic Finance, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0128-1976

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 January 2012

Tore Strandvik, Maria Holmlund and Bo Edvardsson

The present increasingly tough economic climate has uncovered the need to go beyond the prevailing seller‐oriented models and company practices in order to capture the factors…

3871

Abstract

Purpose

The present increasingly tough economic climate has uncovered the need to go beyond the prevailing seller‐oriented models and company practices in order to capture the factors that essentially drive buyer companies. What is needed is a genuinely customer‐side concept that corresponds to offering. The purpose of this study is to develop a new concept labeled “customer needing” which emerged from the material collected in an industrial service setting.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports a case study of a typical high‐technology industrial service with a strong outsourcing trend. The empirical data consist of interviews with eight representatives from the seller company and 16 interviews from different customer companies.

Findings

A needing is based on the customers' mental models of their business and business strategies that affect their priorities, decisions, and actions. It is itself a mental model of how the customer conceives the fulfillment of a specific task. In this paper the needing is operationalized as a profile of three dimensions containing six functions that represent desired value in use for the customer: the doing dimension comprises a relieving and an enabling function; the experiencing dimension has an energizing and a sheltering function; and the scheduling dimension contains a time‐framing and a timing function. Empirical data are presented to illustrate the new concept.

Research limitations/implications

This is a case study but the ensuing concept provides a framework for further research on value in use and mental models in an industrial service setting. The studied offering was a complex business service representing an outsourced function and the buyers were functional experts and higher‐level executives, all of them experts in the service in question.

Practical implications

The concept of customer needing extends knowledge of value in use and consequently represents an important tool in developing successful seller offerings. The shift of focus from offering to needing can explain why some sales attempts fail and can thus reveal new business opportunities.

Originality/value

In addition to highlighting the mental models driving companies' priorities and behavior, the study offers insights into value in use in an industrial service setting. The concept customer needing helps to analyze and describe value in use and provides a new buyer‐side concept corresponding to the offering concept.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 27 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 1995

Martin Fojt

That someone can make you feel good is a quality in itself. There has been much talk within British government circles for example, about the feel‐good factor, which is constantly…

Abstract

That someone can make you feel good is a quality in itself. There has been much talk within British government circles for example, about the feel‐good factor, which is constantly reminding us that it is just around the corner! Whether or not we can believe in this is another matter, but it certainly displays an awareness that making other people feel good can also have positive benefits for you. How this can be achieved will differ depending on your particular line of business. Having a good quality product does not in itself guarantee success as service quality must also be taken into account. This is where the feel‐good factor comes into play. It is all very well, for example, going to a restaurant to have a top class meal, in that the food was good, only to have it thrown at you. Quality, therefore, must not be seen as a separate entity, but more as a package deal.

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 13 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1991

Stuart Reynolds

The UK Government′s White Paper on the National Health Service, 1989, defined a programme of action aimed at achieving two objectives: give patients, wherever they live, better…

Abstract

The UK Government′s White Paper on the National Health Service, 1989, defined a programme of action aimed at achieving two objectives: give patients, wherever they live, better health care and greater choice of the services available; and produce greater satisfaction and rewards for NHS staff who successfully respond to local needs and preferences. The Paper defines seven key measures, each designed to make its own vital contribution to those objectives. One of these was the introduction of self‐governing hospital trusts, and one of the primary concerns of the Boards of Directors set up to run each of the new Trusts will be the development of a clear customer service strategy; one which combines clinical excellence with the highest standards of customer care. The customer care element of that strategy must combine the best of tried and tested management and organisation theory, with common sense, realism and pragmatism.

Details

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, vol. 4 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0952-6862

Keywords

Abstract

Understanding when entrants might have an advantage over an industry’s incumbent firms in developing and adopting new technologies is a question which several scholars have explained in terms of technological capabilities or organizational dynamics. This paper proposes that the value network—the context within which a firm competes and solves customers’ problems—is an important factor affecting whether incumbent or entrant firms will most successfully innovate. In a study of technology development in the disk drive industry, the authors found that incumbents led the industry in developing and adopting new technologies of every sort identified by earlier scholars—at component and architectural levels; competency-enhancing and competency-destroying; incremental and radical—as long as the technology addressed customersneeds within the value network in which the incumbents competed. Entrants led in developing and adopting technologies which addressed user needs in different, emerging value networks. It is in these innovations, which disrupted established trajectories of technological progress in established markets, that attackers proved to have an advantage. The rate of improvement in product performance which technologists provide may exceed the rate of improvement demanded in established markets. This mismatch between trajectories enables firms entering emerging value networks subsequently to attack the industry’s established markets as well.

Details

Collaboration and Competition in Business Ecosystems
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-826-6

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 114000