Search results
11 – 20 of 329Presents two fundamental arguments. First, it is proposed that most of the currently available systems development methodologies are founded on concepts which emerged in the…
Abstract
Presents two fundamental arguments. First, it is proposed that most of the currently available systems development methodologies are founded on concepts which emerged in the period from about 1967 to 1977. This argument is presented through the use of literature references. The second argument is that the profile of the development environment now faced in organizations is very different from that which prevailed in the period 1967 to 1977. This is illustrated through original empirical research which supports this argument, and by contrasting these findings with those of previous studies in the literature. It is therefore argued that there is a need to update “tenses” by deriving new methodological canons more appropriate to the needs of the current development environment. Some suggestions for new methodological canons appropriate to the current development environment are provided.
Details
Keywords
Zsuzsanna Tóth and Bálint Péter Bedzsula
The purpose of this paper is to identify and interpret the critical quality attributes of core educational services at the course level both with student and lecturer involvement…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify and interpret the critical quality attributes of core educational services at the course level both with student and lecturer involvement. Significant differences between the viewpoints of these two directly involved stakeholder groups are also demonstrated to provide a better understanding of student expectations.
Methodology
Students of quality management courses were invited to collect those attributes that could have an impact on their perceived educational service quality. The compiled list of 23 characteristics has been formed on the basis of a four-point Likert scale-based questionnaire. With approximately 360 responses, thorough statistical analyses have been executed to investigate whether any significant differences could be detected between the quality attributes perceived by the different student segments. A group of lecturers has also been invited to fulfil the same questionnaire to compare their viewpoints with those of the students.
Findings
The results allow us to identify critical quality attributes which may be used in all platforms and interactions with students. The conclusions can be implemented on the course level to adjust the plan-do-check-act-based improvement of courses in which lecturers are directly interested.
Originality
As the new generation of students increasingly regard themselves as customers, they have become more aware of how they are taught and how they participate in the learning process. Institutionalizing this approach may contribute to the shaping of the organizational quality culture by emphasizing student focus and may result in the identification of best practices and standardization of processes at the course level.
Details
Keywords
Organizations devote a great deal of attention to the cultivation and deployment of competencies which support their mission and vision. Of equal importance, but less‐attended to…
Abstract
Organizations devote a great deal of attention to the cultivation and deployment of competencies which support their mission and vision. Of equal importance, but less‐attended to, are core values ‐ for cultures and economies rise and fall on the basis of these foundations. One core value which is consistently included in the criteria of various international quality prizes is that of employee empowerment. Coupled with enabling competencies and profound trust, fully deployed core values allow empowerment to be taken to its extreme logical conclusion ‐ systemic leadership, wherein all members of an organization share the burdens, privileges, and rewards of leadership. Leadership is regarded as a key enabler of business excellence. Leadership as developed in this paper fuses ethical core values, competencies, and empowerment. Effective deployment results in systemic leadership that is marked by unity of purpose, which in turn facilitates the journey to business excellence.
Details
Keywords
In a fiercely competitive industry, credit card issuers need to develop a loyal customer base and motivate their card holders to use their cards at a sufficient level to assure…
Abstract
Purpose
In a fiercely competitive industry, credit card issuers need to develop a loyal customer base and motivate their card holders to use their cards at a sufficient level to assure profitability. The purpose of this article is to propose a consumer model of customer loyalty in the credit card industry.
Design/methodology/approach
A model of customer loyalty incorporating service quality, value and involvement is developed theoretically and validated empirically through SEM using data collected from a global sample of 114 credit card holders.
Findings
The loyalty model proposed was validated, showing that the independent variable, i.e. customer involvement, had path loadings of 0.32 and 0.26 on quality and value, respectively, while both service quality and value had direct effects on loyalty, with path loadings of 0.30 and 0.51, respectively.
Research limitations/implications
Customer involvement has been shown to directly influence both service quality and value, and it should be further investigated for its effect on sustaining relationships, as well as a variable for segmenting customers.
Practical implications
In order to develop sustainable relationships, marketers of credit cards should leverage involvement in their customers by employing strategies such as branding, positioning, and attractive and flexible frequent use benefits. Further, credit card customers desire high service quality, but at an affordable cost, therefore making value a prime consideration for achieving loyalty.
Originality/value
This study has identified “involvement” as an independent variable that provides stability and sustainability to the firm‐customer relationship. Despite its pertinence, this customer characteristic that may be also used to segment customers has not been investigated in prior quantitative studies.
Details
Keywords
Kongkiti Phusavat and Rapee Kanchana
This paper seeks to identify competitive priorities, based on the opinions of top executives of manufacturing firms belonging to the Federation of Thai Industry (FTI). It is also…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to identify competitive priorities, based on the opinions of top executives of manufacturing firms belonging to the Federation of Thai Industry (FTI). It is also to evaluate the implications and applicability of these findings for Thai manufacturers.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey is used as a data‐collection tool to gather the opinions of top executives. Its main contents are based on Takala (2002). Ten manufacturers from four industries have participated in the study. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is selected to analyze the survey responses. In addition, the comparison of competitive priorities among Thailand, China, and Taiwan is made. The follow‐up interviews and discussion are also conducted.
Findings
There are six criteria selected to reflect competitive priorities: quality, customer‐focus, delivery, flexibility, know‐how, and costs. The study reveals that the quality, customer‐focus and delivery criteria are recognized as important priorities in order to enhance manufacturing firms' competitiveness. The Taiwanese experiences possibly suggest more attention on innovation in order to sustain quality improvement.
Practical implications
The findings illustrate the shift in competitive priorities from cost into quality and customer‐focus. This shift reflects intense campaigns by relevant public agencies as well as the FTI. The awareness on these priorities is critical so that companies in the value chain can properly establish coherent manufacturing strategies and objectives.
Originality/value
The knowledge on competitive priorities leads to better understanding of manufacturing strategies in the future. This knowledge can serve as a reference during an assessment of the desirable impacts from programs and initiatives conducted by public agencies and the FTI.
Details
Keywords
Sheshadri Chatterjee, Soumya Kanti Ghosh and Ranjan Chaudhuri
The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) for AI-integrated CRM system for better knowledge management (KM) in organizations to improve business…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical success factors (CSFs) for AI-integrated CRM system for better knowledge management (KM) in organizations to improve business process.
Design/methodology/approach
The factors critical for adoption of AI-integrated CRM system for efficient knowledge management are innumerable. The salient factors may be identified by several means. Methods like brainstorming and Delphi have been applied here. Sixteen CSFs have been identified. Then the interrelationship among these 16 factors, levels of their importance and the principal driving factors have been established by interpretative structural modelling (ISM) methodology.
Findings
The results show that out of 16 CSFs, leadership support, adequate fund and support of functional area leads are the most important CSFs for AI–CRM–KM integration.
Practical implications
The results show that support of top management is essential for successful adoption of AI-integrated CRM system for better knowledge management to improve the business process.
Originality/value
This paper has taken a novel attempt to identify CSFs for AI-integrated CRM adoption for efficient knowledge management system in organizations for improvement of business process and to establish interrelationship among those CSFs with the help of ISM methodology.
Details
Keywords
Henry Lau, Dilupa Nakandala, Premaratne Samaranayake and Paul K. Shum
As a response to increasing global market competition, companies in various industries tend to identify and manage customer relationship to increase profit performance. Companies…
Abstract
Purpose
As a response to increasing global market competition, companies in various industries tend to identify and manage customer relationship to increase profit performance. Companies commit more resources to identify their VIP customers and retain them by all means. The purpose of this paper is to develop a customer relationship management (CRM) business process management (BPM) model to identify airline customers with different degree of relationship and profit potential, and select the highly profitable customers for developing retention strategy and processes, and convert the less profitable into profitable corporate accounts.
Design/methodology/approach
This study innovatively apply the well-known techniques including CRM and relationship marketing models, fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) in the BPM research. This novel approach analyzes longer term customer profit and value potential, and prioritizes corporate accounts as the basis for setting appropriate customer service levels and improving the CRM process. This hybrid model is able to capitalize on the benefits of these methods and offset their deficiencies. Most importantly, it can be customized to various industries without complex modification.
Findings
This study uses data of an airline company to validate feasibility of the proposed CRM BPM model. The results indicate that this model is able to classify the customers based on various criteria and sub-criteria, thus allowing companies to introduce appropriate service levels to deal with different categories of customers, and improve CRM process so as to maximize customer profit and value potential.
Practical implications
This CRM BPM model and analysis provide managers extensive customer knowledge, more analytical and fact-based decision-making support, and a stronger focus on return on investment in sales and marketing. Knowing the profit and value potential generated by individual corporate customer makes it easier to establish the link between the CRM and the profit outcome. This model also benefits the organization and its stakeholders by allocating more resources to the targeted customer relationships that are profitable or valuable, and makes marketing more accountable in its marketing programs.
Originality/value
This study makes the first move to innovatively apply the well-known techniques including CRM and relationship marketing models, FAHP, and TOPSIS in the BPM research.
Details
Keywords
Emanuel Fernando Samasseca Zeferino, Olasumbo Ayodeji Makinde, Khumbulani Mpofu, Boitumelo Innocent Ramatsetse and Ilesanmi Afolabi Daniyan
Selection of a suitable location for a quarantine infrastructure represents a complex decision problem, which requires a systematic appraisal of myriads of factors. Quarantine…
Abstract
Purpose
Selection of a suitable location for a quarantine infrastructure represents a complex decision problem, which requires a systematic appraisal of myriads of factors. Quarantine facility in this study is a facility that intends to harbour and treat individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 to prevent the widespread of the virus. COVID-19 is a very contagious pandemic disease, hence, the establishment of critical factors that will embrace the selection of a suitable quarantine facility is of high importance. This paper aims to ascertain the vital few factors that must be considered by decision makers in selecting a suitable quarantine facility.
Design/methodology/approach
The aim of this study was achieved through the numerical assessment of identified quarantine location selection factors using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and Pareto techniques. The factors, which influences the selection of a suitable quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients were first identified from the literature followed by the pairwise comparison of the factors and random consistency analyses, as well as the ranking of the alternatives based on facility location experts’ opinions.
Findings
The study revealed that security, skills availability, cost, readiness, proximity to necessary medical facilities and distance to border, with percentage weight scores of 18%, 16.7%, 15.6%, 10.3%, 9.8% and 6.6% were the critical factors that must be considered during the selection of a quarantine facility for COVID-19 patients.
Practical implications
The results of this paper will help the government and decision makers in locating the quarantine sites for people who tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
Originality/value
The present study focuses on the application of the decision technique to ascertain critical factors that embrace suitable quarantine facility selection. Combination of AHP and Pareto techniques for prioritization of conflicting factors to be considered in selecting the most suitable location for a quarantine facility has not been reported by existing literature.
Details
Keywords
Peter Trkman, Willem Mertens, Stijn Viaene and Paul Gemmel
The purpose of this paper is to argue that in order to achieve customer centricity through business process management (BPM), companies have to obtain the profound understanding…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to argue that in order to achieve customer centricity through business process management (BPM), companies have to obtain the profound understanding of customers’ processes and when necessary change not only the interactions with but also the processes of their customers. A method is presented that allows doing this in a systematic manner.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study of a large multinational company was conducted. Several different sources and methods were used, including document analysis, interviews and a qualitative analysis of responses to open-ended questions. Data were gathered at three points in time: before, during and after the implementation of the presented approach.
Findings
The method that was successfully employed by the case organisation consisted of combining BPM with service blueprinting, and of extending these efforts by integrating the customers’ internal processes into the scope of improvement.
Research limitations/implications
The paper does not thoroughly evaluate the long-term effects of the proposed approach. Some results of the case study analysis had to be excluded from this paper due to reasons of confidentiality.
Practical implications
The paper presents an approach for organisations to not only understand the needs of their customers but also the way in which their product is used in customers’ processes. In this way BPM can be implemented in a truly customer-oriented way.
Originality/value
This paper extends previous work by presenting one way in which BPM can follow up on its promise of increasing an organisations customer orientation. While servitisation has received a lot of attention in various disciplines, its application within BPM research and practice has been scarce.
Details
Keywords
Mahmoud Sabry Shided Keniwe, Ali Hassan Ali, Mostafa Ali Abdelaal, Ahmed Mohamed Yassin, Ahmed Farouk Kineber, Ibrahim Abdel-Rashid Nosier, Ola Diaa El Monayeri and Mohamed Ashraf Elsayad
This study focused on exploring the performance factors (PFs) that impact Infrastructure Sanitation Projects (ISSPs) in the construction sector. The aim was twofold: firstly, to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study focused on exploring the performance factors (PFs) that impact Infrastructure Sanitation Projects (ISSPs) in the construction sector. The aim was twofold: firstly, to identify these crucial PFs and secondly, to develop a robust performance model capable of effectively measuring and assessing the intricate interdependencies and correlations within ISSPs. By achieving these objectives, the study aimed to provide valuable insights into and tools for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of sanitation projects in the construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve the study's aim, the methodology for identifying the PFs for ISSPs involved several steps: extensive literature review, interviews with Egyptian industry experts, a questionnaire survey targeting industry practitioners and an analysis using the Relative Importance Index (RII), Pareto principle and analytic network process (ANP). The RII ranked factor importance, and Pareto identified the top 20% for ANP, which determined connections and interdependencies among these factors.
Findings
The literature review identified 36 PFs, and an additional 13 were uncovered during interviews. The highest-ranked PF is PF5, while PF19 is the lowest-ranked. Pareto principle selected 11 PFs, representing the top 20% of factors. The ANP model produced an application for measuring ISSP effectiveness, validated through two case studies. Application results were 92.25% and 91.48%, compared to actual results of 95.77% and 97.37%, indicating its effectiveness and accuracy, respectively.
Originality/value
This study addresses a significant knowledge gap by identifying the critical PFs that influence ISSPs within the construction industry. Subsequently, it constructs a novel performance model, resulting in the development of a practical computer application aimed at measuring and evaluating the performance of these projects.
Details