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Article
Publication date: 15 December 2020

Yu-Hsiang Hsiao and Yu-Ting Hsiao

This study was to develop a methodology of online review analytics for hotel quality management at macro and micro levels. The macro level was for understanding the service…

Abstract

Purpose

This study was to develop a methodology of online review analytics for hotel quality management at macro and micro levels. The macro level was for understanding the service properties critical to quality and future development. The micro level was for personalized quality diagnosis for individual hotels.

Design/methodology/approach

Textual reviews of superior hotels were studied using latent semantic analysis and Kano model to understand what service properties customers concern and expect. Taguchi's quality engineering was applied to establish a quality reference base using superior hotels for evaluating other hotels in the same semantic space. A decision tree algorithm was then used to identify the properties critical to quality discrimination, and the decision rules were used to diagnose individual hotels.

Findings

The service properties concerned by customers for superior hotels were identified. The market positioning and value of each property to customers were clarified. For individual hotels, the deficiencies of service properties were diagnosed. With reference to market positioning, deficient properties of priority in improvement and the strategies for enhancing competitiveness were suggested.

Originality/value

The proposed methodology demonstrated the potential value that review analysis can achieve a new and deeper understanding of customer voices and transform it into more specific business operation requirements. The research and application gap that most previous studies only stayed at the macro-level analytics was filled. Moreover, this study effectively applied the diagnostic techniques derived from quality engineering to online review analytics.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 121 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 June 2012

Oscar E. Firbank

This article aims to discuss the relevancy of different instruments used to gather information on homecare service quality from multiple stakeholders and the challenges…

Abstract

Purpose

This article aims to discuss the relevancy of different instruments used to gather information on homecare service quality from multiple stakeholders and the challenges encountered when trying to blend their views for prioritizing areas needing improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

The study centers on four homecare agencies: one public, one private for‐profit and two not‐for‐profit services, implementing continuous quality improvement (CQI) programs. Various instruments were tested with random and convenience elderly service user, family caregiver and front‐line worker samples. Instrument evaluation included operational effectiveness and agency manageability.

Findings

A qualitative approach, centered on small stakeholder samples, is fairly effective at assessing service quality, yet demands a strong commitment from agencies in personnel time and resources, as well as the necessary skills. Small‐size, private homecare providers seem less‐well equipped to handle comprehensive assessments without external support. More importantly, assessments have to be done strategically, such that timing and work needed does not undermine program viability.

Practical implications

The approach and instruments tested have practical implications for decision makers and homecare organization managers interested in CQI.

Originality/value

The article systematically evaluates quality assessment and priority‐setting instruments applied to various stakeholders and homecare settings.

Details

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, vol. 25 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0952-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 March 2023

Tong Yang, Yanzhong Dang and Jiangning Wu

This paper aims to propose a method for dynamic product perceived quality analysis using social media data and to achieve a macro–micro combination analysis. The method enables…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a method for dynamic product perceived quality analysis using social media data and to achieve a macro–micro combination analysis. The method enables the prioritization of perceived quality attributes and provides perception causes.

Design/methodology/approach

To rationalize the macro–micro combination, ANOVA and multiple linear regression were used to identify the main factors affecting perceived quality which served as the combination basis; by using the combination basis for consumer segmentation, macro-knowledge (i.e. attribute importance and quality category of the attribute) is achieved by term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF)-based attribute importance calculation and KANO-based attribute classification, which is combined with micro-quality diagnostic information (i.e. perceived quality, perception causes and quality parameters). Further, dynamic perception Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) is built to present the attribute priority and perception causes.

Findings

The framework was validated by the new energy vehicle (NEV) data of Autohome. The results show that price and purchase purpose are the most influential factors of perceived quality and that dynamic perception IPA can effectively prioritize attributes and mine perception causes.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies to analyze dynamic perceived quality using social media data, which contributes to the research on perceived quality. The paper also contributes by achieving a combined macro–micro analysis of perceived quality. The method rationalizes the macro–micro combination by identifying the factors influencing perceived quality, which provides ideas for other studies using social media data.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 123 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 October 2011

Paul Chapman, Michael Bernon and Paul Haggett

This research seeks to identify and apply techniques that can be used in a supply chain context to diagnose the causes of variability in delivery lead time.

2105

Abstract

Purpose

This research seeks to identify and apply techniques that can be used in a supply chain context to diagnose the causes of variability in delivery lead time.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review was conducted and a number of quality management (QM), techniques were selected as candidates for diagnosing delivery time variability. A case study of the application of these techniques is provided on the UK‐based defence supply chain that supported UK operations in the Iraq war of 2003.

Findings

Candidate QM techniques for diagnosing delivery time variability were identified, namely: Process Chart; Histogram; Failure Mode and Effect Analysis; and Cause and Effect Analysis. These techniques were successful in enabling the diagnosis of the causes of delivery time variability in the context of the case study investigated.

Practical implications

The work illustrates how QM techniques can be employed to address issues with supply chains, not least with regard to the important problem of variability in delivery leadtime. In practice, this highlights benefits that result to practitioners in order to improve the performance of operations in a dynamic setting, such as the defence supply chain studied here.

Originality/value

This work has value in presenting the findings of an in‐depth case study on the application of QM techniques in a multi‐echelon supply chain setting. It is also original in employing the FMEA technique together with an end‐customer perspective to assess the effect of failure modes in operations across a supply chain. FMEA also provided the means to examine supply chain risk, thus providing a research instrument for deploying risk as a lens. The application of QM techniques in this novel setting provides support for their application beyond the conventional setting of internal operations.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 28 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2005

Teck‐Yong Eng and Outi Niininen

Aims to examine the services and facilities provided by public parks revealing that the attributes corresponding to performance of service delivery involve the interaction between…

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Abstract

Purpose

Aims to examine the services and facilities provided by public parks revealing that the attributes corresponding to performance of service delivery involve the interaction between non‐human aspects of physical environment and emotional experience of users which differ from common human aspects of service quality. Also, a service quality programme without reference to other service providers can easily lead to misguided or counterproductive service improvement strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study suggests an integrative approach to diagnosing service quality of public parks that comprises an assessment of performance outcomes and desires to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of service quality and visitor satisfaction as regards frequent users and low users of public parks. Measures pertaining to this approach were examined by a survey of nine public parks in the county of Derbyshire in the UK.

Findings

The results show the effect of individual attributes on visitor satisfaction and their diagnostic value for service improvements. The analysis of desires highlights the differences of pre‐visit (prepurchase) evaluation variables between frequent users and low users.

Research limitations/implications

The integrative approach of service quality analysis proposed by this study accounts for the limitations of relying on a single conventional measure of service quality.

Originality/value

The differences may help identify new dimensions for further research and suggest future behavioural intentions such as loyalty and repeat visits. With the knowledge of individual service components that affect overall visitor satisfaction, managers can pin‐point areas for improvement to overcome service shortcomings, and allocate scarce resources more effectively.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 19 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 May 2024

Noor Fadzlina Mohd Fadhil, Say Yen Teoh, Leslie W. Young and Nilmini Wickramasinghe

This study investigated two key aspects: (1) how a hospital bundles limited resources for preventive care performance and (2) how to develop IS capabilities to enhance preventive…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study investigated two key aspects: (1) how a hospital bundles limited resources for preventive care performance and (2) how to develop IS capabilities to enhance preventive care performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study method was adopted to examine how a hospital integrates its limited resources which leads to the need for resource bundles and an understanding of IS capabilities development to understand how they contribute to the delivery of preventive care in a Malaysian hospital.

Findings

This research proposes a comprehensive framework outlining resource-bundling and IS capabilities development to improve preventive care.

Research limitations/implications

We acknowledge that the problem of transferring and generalizing results has been a common criticism of a single case study. However, our objective was to enhance the reader’s understanding by including compelling, detailed narratives demonstrating how our research results offer practical examples that can be generalized theoretically. The findings also apply to similar-sized public hospitals in Malaysia and other developing countries, facing challenges like resource constraints, HIS adoption levels, healthcare workforce shortages, cultural and linguistic diversity, bureaucratic hurdles, and specific patient demographics and health issues. Further, lessons from this context can be usefully applied to non-healthcare service sector domains.

Practical implications

This study provides a succinct strategy for enhancing preventive care in Malaysian public hospitals, focusing on system integration and alignment with hospital strategy, workforce diversity through recruitment and mentorship, and continuous training for health equity and inclusivity. This approach aims to improve resource efficiency, communication, cultural competence, and healthcare outcomes.

Social implications

Efficiently using limited resources through HIS investment is essential to improve preventive care and reduce chronic diseases, which cause approximately nine million deaths annually in Southeast Asia, according to WHO. This issue has significantly impacted the socioeconomic development of developing countries.

Originality/value

This research refines resource orchestration theory with new mechanisms for resource mobilization, extends IS literature by identifying how strategic bundling forms specialized healthcare IS capabilities, enriches preventive care literature through actionable resource-bundling activities, and adds to HIS literature by advocating for an integrated, preventive care focus from the alignment of HIS design, people and institutional policies to address concerns raised by other research regarding the utilization of HIS in improving the quality of preventive care.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 November 2021

Pei-Ju Wu, Liang-Tay Lin and Chi-Chang Huang

High-quality cold-chain logistics are key to effectively managing the quality of temperature-sensitive foods. Hence, this study investigates the service quality of such logistics…

Abstract

Purpose

High-quality cold-chain logistics are key to effectively managing the quality of temperature-sensitive foods. Hence, this study investigates the service quality of such logistics, using a real-life case of temperature-sensitive milk delivery.

Design/methodology/approach

This study focuses on developing business analytics for quality control in cold-chain perishable-food logistics, grounded in normal accident theory and stakeholder theory, and tests them using real-world data.

Findings

The empirical business-analytics results indicate that cargo locations, logistics status and delivery times are the essential factors that influence the quality of temperature-sensitive milk.

Research limitations/implications

This study confirms that a combination of normal accident theory and stakeholder theory can be usefully applied to the development of strategies for managing perishable-food logistics. As such, its proposed business analytics provide a fresh foundation for research on logistics quality management.

Practical implications

The balance between efficiency and service quality in a logistics system should be assessed carefully, and logistics companies should collaborate with their stakeholders and can help to mitigate potential cold-chain risks.

Originality/value

This pioneering analytical study explores the essential quality issues that confront cold chains and demonstrates how to extract vital insights from temperature-sensitive food logistics monitoring data. As such, it represents a noteworthy contribution to the field of logistics quality management.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 34 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 June 2022

Jorge Iván Pérez Rave, Génesis Angélica Sánchez Figueroa and Favián González Echavarría

Recent developments in healthcare contexts increasingly emphasize patient-centred approaches to service quality measures; however, few studies consider this dimension explicitly…

Abstract

Purpose

Recent developments in healthcare contexts increasingly emphasize patient-centred approaches to service quality measures; however, few studies consider this dimension explicitly. The present study develops and psychometrically validates a scale of healthcare service quality explicitly incorporating a patient-centred care dimension from a communicational perspective. The paper also enriches the traditional content of service quality by including equity items and presents the underlying structure of service quality in an emerging country.

Design/methodology/approach

The final sample consisted of 869 healthcare users (complete cases in the service quality items derived from 917 surveys received) from Colombia. The authors used a psychometric analytics framework comprising seven processes incorporating exploratory factor analysis, structural equation modelling, and machine learning methods to examine construct plausibility, reliability, construct validity, equity, and criterion/predictive validity (e.g. explaining/predicting subjective well-being and behavioural intentions).

Findings

The final scale consists of 17 items and satisfies all psychometric properties. Its validation allows for the discovery and psychometrical confirmation of two essential dimensions: patient-centred communication (eight items) and process quality (nine items).

Practical implications

The authors illustrate three practical uses of the scale: the possibility for diagnoses; hypothesis contrast based on confidence intervals; and estimation of the capacity of the service to satisfy specifications.

Originality/value

Both dimensions reveal users' relevant needs and complement previous studies that have focused on process aspects of healthcare service quality.

Details

Journal of Health Organization and Management, vol. 36 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7266

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 April 2008

Halil Nadiri, Kashif Hussain, Erdoğan Haktan Ekiz and Şamil Erdoğan

The aim of this study is twofold: first to diagnose service quality perceptions of airline passengers and then links these perceptions to their satisfaction and repurchase…

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is twofold: first to diagnose service quality perceptions of airline passengers and then links these perceptions to their satisfaction and repurchase intentions, specifically in a new emerging market in the Mediterranean region, North Cyprus. Airline transportation is a major and the most extensively used way to reach North Cyprus, as it is an island state; thus it is important to know passengers' quality perception regarding any quality improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

A recently developed, industry‐specific, 43‐item scale (AIRQUAL) based on eight distinct dimensions: airline tangibles, terminal tangibles, personnel, empathy, image, customer satisfaction, repurchase intention, and word‐of‐mouth communication fit well in this study, maintaining its reliability, validity and dimensionality issues. The sample of the study consisted of customers using the national airline company of North Cyprus, who were selected through the non‐probability judgmental sampling technique. A total of 583 questionnaires were found to be useful and data from these questionnaires were tested through SPSS and LISREL statistical software.

Findings

A rigorous statistical test indicates a reasonable fit of the eight‐factor model to the data on the basis of a number of fit statistics. Results revealed that, among the quality dimensions, “airline tangibles” was found to be the most significant to affect both customer satisfaction and repurchase intention. Findings also showed that customer satisfaction is positively related to repurchase and word‐of‐mouth intensions.

Originality/value

Since airline transportation is a major and the most important way of reaching North Cyprus, the results of this study provide important insights to practitioners and the tourism ministry about how marketing strategies can be designed to manage service quality perceptions and how the airline industry can use the service quality concept to formulate marketing strategies effectively.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 20 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 February 2018

Jörg Markowitsch

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the concept of “school quality management culture” in relation to the general notion of “school organizational culture” and to review…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the concept of “school quality management culture” in relation to the general notion of “school organizational culture” and to review empirical studies that scrutinised the relation between organisational culture and quality management practices in education and business.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper builds on an extensive literature review that was conducted as part of a project, which intends to develop an instrument to diagnose schools’ quality management culture in initial vocational education.

Findings

The paper demonstrates that school quality (management) culture exists and differs from school (organisational) culture. A pluralist view of culture and a differentiation perspective are more appropriate to explain the complex relationship between culture and quality practices than unified or integrated approaches. However, they also pose a challenge to empirical studies because they call for longitudinal and multi-method research designs.

Research limitations/implications

The reciprocal relation between quality practices and school culture asks for a longitudinal and comparative research design. The findings also suggest using multi-perspective and multi-method approaches, and recommend cooperation between different but comparable fields such as education, health or social work.

Practical implications

This paper offers a literature base and a theoretical model to improve existing data collection tools to support quality management in vocational and other educational institutions.

Originality/value

Apart from the ideological question on whether “culture” is something an organisation is or an organisation has, the paper examines the question as to whether more “quality”-conducive cultures can be discerned from less conducive ones in schools. Furthermore, it deliberates on whether an organisation’s quality management culture is part of, or different from, an organisation’s overall culture and presents models to guide empirical analyses.

Details

Quality Assurance in Education, vol. 26 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0968-4883

Keywords

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