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1 – 10 of over 2000Many veterans struggle with the civilian world and the loss of identity associated with leaving the service. This research investigates the Building Heroes Charity's role in…
Abstract
Purpose
Many veterans struggle with the civilian world and the loss of identity associated with leaving the service. This research investigates the Building Heroes Charity's role in assisting service leavers transitioning to civil employment, in the United Kingdom (UK) and what can be learnt from the training and support.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory case study design was chosen to investigate the transition from military to civilian employment. The case study consisted of 12 in-depth interviews consisting of nine veterans, who had attended the Building Heroes courses and three course tutors.
Findings
The Building Heroes Charity does have an important role to fulfill in the transition of military personnel from the service to civilian work. There are positive outcomes that complement the work done by the Career Transition Partnership (CTP), but there still needs to be recognition that the needs of veterans do differ by age, transferability of competencies and the financial resources available.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of this research are the sample size is small and the majority of the veterans are from the Army. This is mostly because the Army is the largest of the services.
Originality/value
Though there is limited research into the employment of veterans, there is evidence to demonstrate that veterans are more likely to suffer from depression and potential homelessness than nonservice personnel. This research is unique in investigating the role of a charity whose main purpose is to improve the employability of veterans by reducing the competency skills gap between the military and construction industry.
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Yi-Fen Wang, Ya-Hui Lee and Jing-Yi Lu
This qualitative study aims to explore the experiences of Taiwan’s community-based long-term care service stations.
Abstract
Purpose
This qualitative study aims to explore the experiences of Taiwan’s community-based long-term care service stations.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight managers selected from stations located in the counties with the highest proportion of elderly people.
Findings
The results are as follows: the main services offered by the stations include health promotion activities, congregate meal programs, respite care and making house calls; government subsidies constitute a major proportion of the service stations’ funds, followed by user payments and external donations; the adversities encountered include frequent policy revisions, the dwellers’ reluctance to participate in the activities, manpower shortages and subpar service quality; and the effects of the stations on the community include achieving aging in place, providing more options for life after retirement, mitigating caregivers’ burden, expanding the elderly’s social networks and strengthening their health literacy.
Originality/value
The results of this research can understand the benefits and difficulties of Tier C service centers in Taiwan. Also, the practical experiences provide some suggestions for policies and training. Future studies can focus on establishing systematized training programs and standardizing the service personnel’s competence.
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Thamaraiselvan Natarajan and Deepak Ramanan Veera Raghavan
The different dimensions of the online engagement behaviors exhibited by omnichannel shoppers, who mainly rely on the online channel for information search, are still…
Abstract
Purpose
The different dimensions of the online engagement behaviors exhibited by omnichannel shoppers, who mainly rely on the online channel for information search, are still understudied. This study aims to investigate how service journey quality (SJQ) has an impact on the overall omnichannel customer experience leading to customer identification (CI) with the store, subsequently leading to their exhibition of online engagement behaviors (writing online reviews, blogging, rating products and service online and indulging in customer-to-customer online interactions.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is cross-sectional, quantitative and descriptive. Purposive sampling was used to choose the research's participants. Data were collected from 591 Indian omnichannel customers who had previously made an omnichannel purchase that included the concurrent usage of various channels of a retailer using a verified self-administered survey. Using the Smart PLS 4.0 software, the proposed conceptual model has been evaluated.
Findings
The results indicate that omnichannel customer experience mediates the relationship between SJQ and CI with the store, subsequently leading to their exhibition of online engagement behaviors (writing online reviews, blogging, rating products and service online and indulging in customer-to-customer online interactions). The perceived customer gratitude toward the store significantly and positively moderated the direct relationship between SJQ and different online engagement behaviors (writing online reviews, blogging, rating products and service online and indulging in customer-to-customer online interactions).
Research limitations/implications
The study relied upon the omnichannel shoppers of only Indian population and relied on a cross-sectional data collection procedure for this research.
Originality/value
Post-pandemic, with highly dynamic shifts in customer preferences, the need for channel-agnostic shopping leading to the unpredictability of purchase patterns has made SJQ the only dimension to achieve sustainable loyalty intentions through value co-creation in an omnichannel retail context. Emphasizing post-purchase behaviors like different online engagement behaviors (writing online reviews, blogging, rating products and services online and indulging in customer-to-customer online interactions), this study is the first to show that SJQ might affect four different online customer engagement behaviors through omnichannel shopping experience and CI with the store. The moderating effect of customer-perceived gratitude toward the retailer on a few proposed hypotheses was also tested to give managerial recommendations. The study also answers the call to investigate the moderating role of customer gratitude in determining service quality-driven engagement behaviors.
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Ricardo Santa, Orietha Eva Rodríguez Victoria and Thomas Tegethoff
Achieving better performance and a sustainable competitive advantage is essential for survival in the hotel industry. However, literature is scarce on which factors local hotel…
Abstract
Purpose
Achieving better performance and a sustainable competitive advantage is essential for survival in the hotel industry. However, literature is scarce on which factors local hotel businesses in developing countries should rely on to compete successfully. With an emerging economy and significant potential for growth in the travel and hospitality sectors, Colombia is seeking to improve the performance of its hotel industry. To achieve this goal, exploring and analyzing the effects of the strategies and practices implemented is essential. Accordingly, this study investigates the dynamics of the interactions between strategies, process innovations, outsourcing practices and operational quality in the hotel industry in Colombia.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology used in this research is quantitative, using structural equation modeling based on data collected from 150 valid questionnaires.
Findings
The strategies of the hotel sector have an impact on hotel performance. Although process innovation demonstrably affects quality and outsourcing, there is a low impact on the performance of the studied hotels. The hotel sector lacks strategy autonomy as strategies are not directed to the organization's overall improvement but only to satisfy stakeholders' requirements.
Research limitations/implications
This paper offers valuable insights for organizations when implementing strategic innovation initiatives. It provides information relevant to Colombian government entities on the creation of processes, economic policy plans and business assistance programs for boosting the financial and commercial sustainability of Colombian service sector businesses. The studied organizations need to redefine the role of their strategies, process innovation, outsourcing projects and quality standards to achieve adequate performance, as all four dimensions together are required to foster competitiveness.
Practical implications
This paper offers valuable insights for organizations when implementing strategic innovation initiatives. Additionally, it provides information relevant to Colombian government entities on the creation of processes, economic policy plans and business assistance programs for boosting the financial and commercial sustainability of Colombian service sector businesses. The studied organizations need to redefine the role of their strategies, process innovation, outsourcing projects and quality standards to achieve adequate performance, as all four dimensions together are required to foster competitiveness.
Originality/value
Developing successful strategies is vital to generating performance. Quality and safety are critical strategies to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. But literature is scarce on which factors local hotel businesses should rely on to compete successfully in developing countries. In particular, the concept of outsourcing in a highly distrusting developing country has not been addressed adequately. This research contributes to literature by evaluating quality as a competitive strategy in the hotel sector in a developing country to achieve a superior performance.
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Prince Yao Amu, Bedman Narteh and Prince Kodua
The purpose of this study is to identify which dimensions of perceived value best mediate football club branding and fan loyalty from a developing league perspective.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify which dimensions of perceived value best mediate football club branding and fan loyalty from a developing league perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a cross-sectional design, we collected data using questionnaires from football fans in Ghana (N = 700). The data were analysed using SmartPLS V3, applying structural equation modelling with bootstrapping procedure.
Findings
The results indicate that club branding is an effective precursor of fan loyalty. Moreover, the findings suggest that functional, social and emotional values mediated club branding and fan loyalty, whereas epistemic and economic values did not.
Originality/value
This study contributes to sports management literature by identifying the dimensions of perceived value that will be relevant in the development of club brands in the developing league context.
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Hasan Uvet, John Dickens, Jason Anderson, Aaron Glassburner and Christopher A. Boone
This research paper aims to examine two hybrid models of logistics service quality (LSQ) and its influence on satisfaction, loyalty and future purchase intention in a…
Abstract
Purpose
This research paper aims to examine two hybrid models of logistics service quality (LSQ) and its influence on satisfaction, loyalty and future purchase intention in a business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce context. This study extends the literature for LSQ by incorporating the second-order assurance quality construct, which comprises personnel contact quality, order discrepancy handling and order returns, into one of the hybrid models.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey-based approach is used to collect data. Participant responses to questions concerning multiple LSQ dimensions and behavioral perceptions from their most recent online shopping experience are measured using structural equation modeling.
Findings
Findings highlight the importance of including a second-order construct assurance quality as a more explanatory model. Results illustrate that online ordering procedures and assurance quality impact customer satisfaction more than other prominent LSQ dimensions. Furthermore, the findings revealed a customer loyalty is a partial mediator between customer satisfaction and future purchase intention. This underscores the significance of improved logistics services as a competitive edge for e-commerce retailers.
Research limitations/implications
Implications are limited to the e-commerce B2C domain.
Practical implications
The findings of this study underscore critical LSQ dimensions that garner greater satisfaction and retention in the online shopping experience. The results indicate that the effective and efficient handling of the initial order and any order problem significantly influences customer satisfaction and reaps the long-term benefits of customer retention.
Originality/value
The authors present and empirically test a hybrid model of LSQ in a B2C e-commerce domain that captures many of the important elements of the customer experience as espoused in the literature.
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Mehdi Khademi-Gerashi, Fatemeh Akhgari, Svenja Damberg and Fatemeh Moradi
In this study, the authors develop a path model and investigate the effect of pandemic-oriented customer mistreatment on service sabotage through the lens of self-presentation…
Abstract
Purpose
In this study, the authors develop a path model and investigate the effect of pandemic-oriented customer mistreatment on service sabotage through the lens of self-presentation theory. Moreover, the authors question the role of service climate as a moderator of the relationship between service sabotage and service performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected via a survey of 165 F&B frontline employees in restaurants in Iran. The hypotheses are examined using confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling and ordinary least squares regression.
Findings
The findings reveal that POCM has a substantial and positive effect on service sabotage, and service climate mitigates the effect of service sabotage on service performance.
Practical implications
The study introduces and conceptually defines the term POCM. Furthermore, the authors apply the self-presentation theory as the overarching theory to explain underlying conditions in customer mistreatment and service sabotage. Moreover, although prior literature has described the saboteur–customer relationship as a one-line interaction, this study contributes to employee sabotage as a multi-linear transaction.
Originality/value
In this study, the authors identify new perspectives on the dark side of hospitality services in crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors argue that pandemic-induced changes are essential not simply because they change customers’ moods and lower their patience threshold, but they further provoke ostentatious behaviors in saboteur–customer relations. These findings shed new light on the literature and provide managerial implications for enhancing hospitality performance.
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Peiyu Ou and Chenxi Zhang
Although the financial shared service (FSS) mode has become a well-established organizational arrangement, current information system (IS) research remains limited and mixed. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Although the financial shared service (FSS) mode has become a well-established organizational arrangement, current information system (IS) research remains limited and mixed. The purpose of this study is to narrow research gaps in the literature on shared services from an FSS practice perspective. The following research questions guide this study: (1) what are the important antecedents of FSS implementation? (2) what is the impact of FSS implementation on firm performance?
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework and previous innovation studies, this study explores the impact of FSS implementation on firm performance. A questionnaire survey was conducted on Chinese firms using partial least squares (PLS) for data analysis.
Findings
The authors find technological, organizational and environmental factors affect the extent and depth of FSS implementation. The empirical results show that relative advantage, compatibility, top management support, managerial obstacles and competitive pressure significantly affect FSS implementation, but bandwagon pressure does not have a direct impact on it. Top management support is the most important factor, and managerial obstacles and compatibility are controllable and manageable factors for firms. The study confirms that FSS improves the financial and non-financial performance of firms significantly, and the degree of improvement in non-financial is greater than that in financial performance.
Practical implications
A comprehension of the key factors influencing FSS implementation will help companies predict weaknesses in their implementation plan and design suitable strategies to handle deployment to achieve these benefits. Managers can make a comprehensive decision regarding the long-term development of combining FSS and the suitability of companies.
Originality/value
The findings contribute to the shared services implementation theory by identifying a set of theoretical factors that shape a firm's shared service implementation. This study provides empirical support to gauge the impact of FSS implementation on firm performance and provides new evidence for a shared-service payoff study. Moreover, the study extends the applicability of the TOE framework and the balanced scorecard (BSC) viewpoint to the FSS implementation field.
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Ian R. Hodgkinson, Paul Hughes, Higor Leite and Younggeun Lee
Public service organizations (PSOs) face a critical dilemma: how to generate more value for society but with a much-reduced resource base. The article advances the strategy axis…
Abstract
Purpose
Public service organizations (PSOs) face a critical dilemma: how to generate more value for society but with a much-reduced resource base. The article advances the strategy axis of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) research by examining EO and proactive market orientation (PMO) as joint-strategic approaches to this end, and how the characteristics of public managers may moderate the paths to value creation.
Design/methodology/approach
The article draws on a unique survey-based dataset developed from Brazilian PSOs and employs structural equation modelling for hypotheses testing. Post-hoc analysis, by way of analysis of variance, demonstrates the joint impact of the two strategic approaches on public service performance level.
Findings
Entrepreneurial and PMOs are revealed as routes to enhanced service performance, but managers’ domain expertise negatively moderates these relationships. Post-hoc analysis reveals how organizations displaying higher levels of both orientations realize superior performance, relative to those favouring either/or.
Originality/value
The study contributes new evidence for EO model specificity by examining a narrowly bounded sample of PSOs; addresses the neglect of other outcome variables beyond traditional performance, showing the value of EO for society and offers new insights to the managerial conditions that moderate the positive synergies between EO, PMO and service performance.
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Sobah Abbas Petersen, Tor Åsmund Evjen and John Krogstie
The main aim of this paper is to describe the potential benefits of enterprise building information models (EBIMs) for health-care institutions. The main research question…
Abstract
Purpose
The main aim of this paper is to describe the potential benefits of enterprise building information models (EBIMs) for health-care institutions. The main research question addressed is how data from EBIM could be leveraged to create value for hospitals beyond design, construction and traditional facility management.
Design/methodology/approach
Three different prototypes, which use different technologies in combination with EBIM, are described to illustrate different uses of EBIM within the context of a hospital and health-care operations. The case study approach has been used to present the prototypes.
Findings
EBIM data, in combination with other data sources, increases the potential benefits of the data with respect to many health-care-related processes, during the operation of a health-care institution. The benefits of EBIM span beyond the design and construction life cycle phases of a hospital and provide value to a variety of stakeholders in multiple health-care-related processes.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of this work is the limited sources of data and information such as the specific methods that were used in the design and development of each of the prototypes and a deeper insight into the design rationale and decisions. Another limitation of this paper is that the findings have not been validated.
Practical implications
This study demonstrates the value of convergence of a number of technologies such as EBIM, data and different types of technologies, throughout the life cycle of a building. This study also highlights the value of building information models (BIMs) data for supporting the design of novel educational and other types of application areas. The practical implications include the value for multiple stakeholders, such as resources planning, fleet and equipment management and contract negotiation. Benefits identified for resource planning can have strategic and financial implications at the management level. For patients, visitors and health-care personnel, there may be reduced infections, cleaner and pleasant facilities as well as a reduction of time to find relevant resources.
Social implications
Social implications" could be replaced by "For patients, visitors and health-care personnel, there may be cleaner and pleasant facilities and easy navigation support through the hospital. Furthermore, enhanced access to knowledge and information about the artefact and assets in the hospital can enhance learning and knowledge sharing.
Originality/value
This study identifies the lack of research in using BIM with other data for value-added services for multiple stakeholders in the operations phase of a hospital and addresses that research gap.
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