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Article
Publication date: 25 July 2008

Xin Guo, Angus Duff and Mario Hair

The purpose of this paper is to construct a measurement instrument to capture service quality in the Chinese corporate banking market.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to construct a measurement instrument to capture service quality in the Chinese corporate banking market.

Design/methodology/approach

To create the measurement instrument, Chinese Banking Service Quality (CBSQ), constructs are utilised from the generic service quality literature and Chinese business culture. In addition, 18 financial managers were interviewed to identify how other aspects of the Chinese banking market could be included in the new instrument. CBSQ was administered to 259 corporate customers in China. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to assist data reduction, test hypothesised models and refine scales.

Findings

Factor analysis identifies that service quality in Chinese corporate banking is measured by a nested model, consisting of two higher‐order constructs (i.e. functional quality and technical quality) and four lower‐order dimensions (i.e. reliability, human capital, technology and communication).

Research limitations/implications

The data were collected from corporate customers in China, and hence the findings of this paper may not be generalisable to other contexts.

Practical implications

The presence of CBSQ is timely given the rapid development of the Chinese banking sector, allowing Chinese domestic banks and international banks to incorporate service quality issues into their strategic planning. Particularly, bank management could benefit from focusing their efforts on the four dimensions of CBSQ.

Originality/value

This research contributes to our understanding of service quality in the Chinese banking market by creating CBSQ – a model to capture the quality of service provision in corporate banking. The utility of CBSQ for academics and practitioners is discussed along with avenues for future research.

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 26 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 February 2022

Nilupulee Liyanagamage and Mario Fernando

How do females with multiple sources of identity deal with intersectional identity tensions and perceived lack of access to social power? The study focuses on how social…

Abstract

Purpose

How do females with multiple sources of identity deal with intersectional identity tensions and perceived lack of access to social power? The study focuses on how social relationships form and develop in masculinised settings between construction workers and a petite female researcher through perceived notions of equality and inequality. Through autoethnographic tales, the study examines how an academic home comer navigates between conflicting professional and cultural identities, in their native country.

Design/methodology/approach

Using collaborative autoethnography, the study examines how the intersections of being a young petite female and a “partial” insider in a male-dominated construction industry influences the researcher's identity work process and her quest for social power.

Findings

The findings suggest that to access referent social power, the researcher covers stigmatised intersectional attributes and reveals a more favourable identity. The fieldwork journey of the young petite female researcher highlights that identity work is a situational process that evolves with respondent relationships, respondent assigned roles, perceived notion of access to power and struggles of cultural versus professional identity. The reader is also taken through the collaborative autoethnographic journey of a female researcher and her doctoral studies supervisor.

Originality/value

This paper makes several contributions. First, it contributes to the academic literature on intersectionality of identity, especially concentrating on the intersectional attributes of petite physical stature, gender and perceived lack of access to social power. Second, this paper theorises identity work processes as an indirect strategy of social power in researcher-and-researched relationships. Last, through collaborative autoethnography of female researchers' fieldwork journey, this study contributes to the body of knowledge on academic home comers as “partial” insiders in their native country.

Details

Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5648

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 April 2017

Wallace Alexander Williams, Randolph-Seng Brandon, Mario Hayek, Stephanie Pane Haden and Guclu Atinc

The purpose of this paper is to examine how servant leadership and political skill combine to impact workplace spirituality and employee creativity.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how servant leadership and political skill combine to impact workplace spirituality and employee creativity.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants were working adults recruited by graduate and undergraduate students from a US public regional comprehensive university. Data were collected across three time periods, with a final sample size of 280 participants.

Findings

The authors’ findings suggest that servant leaders impact employee creativity by fostering an environment that promotes workplace spirituality. Furthermore, this relationship is strengthened to the extent that the servant leader possesses high levels of political skill.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides a foundation for the interplay between servant leadership and political skill. Therefore, the data collection procedures undertaken in this study (i.e. from sources in multiple organizations) are beneficial. A limitation to this study is the use of a single informant to measure all of the constructs, which may cause a bias in the results.

Practical implications

This study provides a foundation for the interplay between servant leadership and political skill. Therefore, the data collection procedures undertaken in this study (i.e. from sources in multiple organizations) are beneficial.

Originality/value

Although servant leadership research continues to receive increased attention in the extant literature, researchers have tended to focus on the relational aspects of servant leadership. Curiously, the “leader” side of servant leadership has been largely neglected. As a result, some have questioned the construct as a viable leadership model. Greenleaf (1977), however, noted that servant leaders also possess conceptual skills; yet, these skills are rarely included in servant leadership measurements or empirical studies. The authors argue that political skill captures the essence of these abilities, and that including it strengthens the servant leader’s impact on workplace spirituality, ultimately influencing employee creativity.

Details

Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 38 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7739

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 March 2021

Mario Fernando, Shahriar Akter and Ruwan J. Bandara

How employees connect with their work organisation and how it may play a role in their moral courage and ethical behaviour remain under-explored. This study, using Psychological…

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Abstract

Purpose

How employees connect with their work organisation and how it may play a role in their moral courage and ethical behaviour remain under-explored. This study, using Psychological Contract Theory, aims to explore how employee–organisation connectedness influences employees' moral courage and ethical behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

The hypotheses were tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) on data collected through a questionnaire survey from 212 Australian healthcare professionals.

Findings

Employee connectedness with their work organisations showed a significant and direct impact on ethical behaviour. Along with moral courage, connectedness explained over half of the variance in ethical behaviour. Furthermore, moral courage partially mediated the effect of employee connectedness on ethical behaviour.

Research limitations/implications

The overall theoretical implication of this study is that psychological contracts between employees and their organisations operationalised through employee–organisation connectedness can explain the role of moral courage in ethical behaviour.

Practical implications

With increasing borderless management of organisations, organisational connectedness can be a critical factor in developing employees' moral courage and ethical behaviour within organisations. Socialisation interventions can be useful to promote employee–organisation connectedness.

Originality/value

The study developed a higher-order connectedness model and validated it with PLS-SEM. The study provides novel empirical evidence on the relationships between employee–organisation connectedness, moral courage and ethical behaviour.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 71 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 May 2020

Mauro Sciarelli, Mohamed Hani Gheith and Mario Tani

This paper aims to investigate the effects of quality management practices (QMPs) on innovation in higher education (HE), and how organizational innovation (OI) may influence…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the effects of quality management practices (QMPs) on innovation in higher education (HE), and how organizational innovation (OI) may influence technical innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

The hypotheses were tested with partial least squares structural equation modeling on a sample of 449 valid responses by faculty members in Naples (Italy) public universities.

Findings

The findings support the interdependent relationships between QMPs and their positive impact on innovation. It was found that some QMPs impact on innovation through people and process management, and that OI predicts the technical one.

Practical implications

Directors should recognize the differences between QMPs to implement effective quality management (QM) strategy. Furthermore, they should combine technical and OIs.

Originality/value

Despite the existence of several studies on QM and innovation in manufacturing and services, there are only a few in HE. Based on a multi-dimensional QM approach, this paper investigates the different effects each QMP has on both the other QMPs and innovation in HE.

Details

Quality Assurance in Education, vol. 28 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0968-4883

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 August 2021

Mauro Sciarelli, Mario Tani, Anna Prisco and Francesco Caputo

The paper aims at investigating antecedents and predictors of consumers' buying and consumption processes within the Italian Solidarity Purchasing Groups (SPGs) to enrich current…

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims at investigating antecedents and predictors of consumers' buying and consumption processes within the Italian Solidarity Purchasing Groups (SPGs) to enrich current debate about drivers and levers on which act for fostering ethical consumption in food sector.

Design/methodology/approach

Building upon the theory of planned behavior (TPB) a theoretical model is proposed for depicting possible antecedents and predictors of consumers' buying and consumption processes in food sector. The validity of the model has been tested via partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS for analyzing primary data collected through a structured questionnaire from 354 consumers engaged in SPGs.

Findings

Within the domain of food buying and consumptions through SPGS, results show that consumers' behavior intention (BI) is influenced by consumers' attitude (ATT) and perceived behavioral control (PBC). Moreover, the research also demonstrates that consumers' ATT is influenced by consumers' ethical self-identity (ETH), consumers' willingness to support local economy (SLE), and food safety concern (FSC).

Originality/value

The study contributes to the ongoing debate on sustainable consumerism focusing the attention on SPGs as emerging social organizations inspired by ethical food consumption. Both theoretical development and empirical evidences enrich current knowledge about drivers and levers on which act for fostering ethical consumption in food sector.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 123 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 September 2020

Ciro Troise, Aidan O'Driscoll, Mario Tani and Anna Prisco

This research leverages an integrated framework that uses the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to analyse the main drivers of users'…

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Abstract

Purpose

This research leverages an integrated framework that uses the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to analyse the main drivers of users' intention to use food delivery apps. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the consumer's willingness to adopt online food delivery (OFD) using the models' constructs and extend them to consider food choices, convenience, trust and the effect of the perceived risks related to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as contextual factors.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts the partial least squares approach to structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to examine the data. The final sample consists of 425 people in Italy.

Findings

The authors have found that combining the TAM and the TPB provides a valid and significant model that can be used to understand OFD users' behavioural intentions. Moreover, the results show that subjective norms have a stronger effect on behavioural intentions than the personal attitude and that trustworthiness and the perception of risks related to COVID-19 have different effects. Accordingly, the authors derive several theoretical and managerial implications from these results.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the current debate on consumer behaviour in the OFD context. Only a few studies have integrated the TAM and TPB models in this context. This paper sheds light on the factors useful in predicting people's choice to buy food via OFD. Furthermore, it highlights the key role of some contextual factors and subjective norms over more technical ones.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 123 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 August 2020

Ruwan Bandara, Mario Fernando and Shahriar Akter

The purpose of this study is to examine privacy issues in the e-commerce context from a power-responsibility equilibrium theory (PRE) perspective.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine privacy issues in the e-commerce context from a power-responsibility equilibrium theory (PRE) perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The data was collected using an online survey (n = 335) from online shopping consumers. This study used partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) techniques to empirically examine the proposed relationships.

Findings

A lack of corporate privacy responsibility and regulatory protection can deprive consumers of privacy empowerment and damage consumer trust to trigger privacy concerns and subsequent defensive responses. Also, the fsQCA revealed five causal configurations to explain high consumer defensive behaviours.

Research limitations/implications

This study identifies the importance of PRE theory in the privacy context. Consumer privacy concerns, privacy empowerment and trust are established as strong mediators between corporate/regulatory privacy protection efforts and consumer backlash. The application of fsQCA verified that consumer privacy behaviour can be better explained by different configurations of the same causal antecedents.

Practical implications

The findings highlight the importance of increasing trust and privacy empowerment as mechanisms to manage privacy concerns and consumer backlash through responsible organisational and regulatory privacy protections. The importance of balancing power and responsibility dynamics for maintaining a healthy information exchange environment is identified.

Originality/value

This study extends the PRE framework of privacy to include corporate privacy responsibility, privacy empowerment and trust. This is one of the first studies to explore both antecedents and outcomes of privacy empowerment. Also, the application of complexity theory and fsQCA to explain consumers’ defensive responses is novel to the literature.

Article
Publication date: 18 October 2022

Orlando Lima Rua, Francisco Musiello-Neto and Mario Arias-Oliva

This study aims to analyse the effects of (1) open innovation on corporate risk management, organisational strategy and competitive advantage, (2) corporate risk management on…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to analyse the effects of (1) open innovation on corporate risk management, organisational strategy and competitive advantage, (2) corporate risk management on organisational strategy, and (3) organisational strategy on competitive advantage. In addition, it assesses (4) the mediating effects of corporate risk management on the relationship between open innovation and organisational strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory and transversal study takes a quantitative methodological approach based on survey data from 251 hotel executive directors from Portuguese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Findings

The results confirm relationships between open innovation and corporate risk management, organisational strategy, and competitive advantage. They also confirm the importance of corporate risk management for organisational strategy and organisational strategy for achieving competitive advantage. The research demonstrates that corporate risk management has a mediating effect between open innovation and organisational strategy.

Research limitations/implications

The present study proposes a model which provides better knowledge of the relationships between open innovation, corporate risk management, organisational strategy and competitive advantage. The model uses various scales to create a robust analytical measurement instrument. This research provides an in-depth analysis of the psychometric properties of the structural model’s latent variables through PLS-SEM and shows the differentiated paths of the endogenous and exogenous constructs. Finally, the importance of the role of open innovation in the process of attracting the resources necessary, that is, organisational and technological resources, to successfully operate in the hotel sector is highlighted. Thus, this research fills existing gaps in the literature.

Practical implications

This research can contribute to the development of new instruments and programmes to improve the operational performance of SMEs in the hospitality sector. Understanding the relationship between the constructs will allow top managers to strengthen corporate resources, technologies and dynamic capabilities, and to promote entrepreneurial policies to enhance the relationship between open innovation and competitive advantage. Ultimately, the results of this study will allow governments, national, regional and local, to create policies, programmes and incentives to help firms adopt or extend the open innovation model, thus promoting the exchange of internal and external knowledge and strengthening the dynamics of the business ecosystem.

Originality/value

The paper discloses the relationships between open innovation, corporate risk management, organisational strategy, and competitive advantage, by identifying the main characteristics of the constructs and revealing the linkage between them. This pioneering study analyses the mediating effect of corporate risk management between open innovation and organisational strategy and those mentioned above.

Details

Baltic Journal of Management, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5265

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 March 2017

Arleen Hernández-Díaz, Theany Calderon-Abreu, Maria Amador-Dumois and Mario Córdova-Claudio

Higher education institutions, particularly in the case of public universities, face the challenge of creating more value in an environment of increasing requirements and…

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Abstract

Purpose

Higher education institutions, particularly in the case of public universities, face the challenge of creating more value in an environment of increasing requirements and limitations. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relation of internal marketing (IM) with employees’ attitudinal outcomes, which aim to stimulate and retain motivated and customer-conscious contact employees.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data of 94 customer-contact employees in a public higher education institution were analysed using partial least squares path modelling to explore and predict key target constructs.

Findings

The results demonstrate the relationship between customer-contact employees’ service empathy (SE), institutional IM initiatives and employees’ attitudinal outcomes in the public sector, specifically higher education institutions.

Research limitations/implications

The current study relies on self-reported data and a small sample of customer-contact employees working only on enrolment-related areas. Further studies should be designed for theory confirmation and generalizability of the results.

Practical implications

Top managers in public higher education institutions must encourage organizational identification through IM initiatives, such as well-established internal communication procedures. Academic management should continuously train and retain customer-contact employees that have developed SE and a sense of belonging to the organization. SE must be incorporated in the job descriptions and training of customer-contact employees.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the limited literature on the use of IM and SE in the public sector, specifically higher education institutions.

Propósito

Las instituciones de educación superior, en particular en el caso de las universidades públicas, se enfrentan al reto de crear más valor en un entorno de necesidades y limitaciones en aumento. El propósito de este estudio es explorar la relación entre el marketing interno y las resultantes actitudes laborales de los empleados. El objetivo del marketing interno es estimular y retener empleados de contacto que estén motivados y sean conscientes de la importancia de los clientes.

Diseño/metodología/enfoque

Se analizaron datos de 94 empleados de contacto de una institución pública de educación superior utilizando modelos de regresión de cuadrados mínimos parciales para explorar y predecir constructos claves.

Resultados

Los resultados demuestran la relación entre los siguientes constructos: niveles de empatía de los empleados de contacto, iniciativas institucionales de marketing interno, y las resultantes actitudes de los empleados del sector público, en particular organizaciones en el sector de la educación superior.

Limitaciones/implicaciones de la investigación

El presente estudio se basa en los datos auto informados de una pequeña muestra de empleados de contacto que trabajan sólo en áreas relacionadas con matrícula. Nuevos estudios deberían ser diseñados para la confirmación de la teoría y la generalización de los resultados.

Implicaciones prácticas

Los altos directivos de las instituciones públicas de educación superior deben fomentar la identificación con la organización a través de iniciativas de marketing interno, tales como procedimientos establecidos de comunicación interna. Los directivos académicos deben continuamente adiestrar y retener a los empleados de contacto que han desarrollado la capacidad de proveer servicios de manera empática y que tienen sentido de pertenencia a la organización. Proveer servicio de manera empática debe ser incorporado en las descripciones de empleo y formación de los empleados de contacto.

Originalidad/valor

El estudio contribuye a la literatura limitada sobre el uso de marketing interno y empatía en los servicios en el sector público, específicamente en las instituciones de educación superior.

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