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1 – 10 of 32Purpose: Different approaches have been applied to define and measure service quality as both a process and a performance-intensive presentation. The literature agreed that…
Abstract
Purpose: Different approaches have been applied to define and measure service quality as both a process and a performance-intensive presentation. The literature agreed that service quality assessments are essential in measuring performance, however they could only reach a partial consensus. Although the Servqual scale is the most widely known and used tool in measuring service quality, it has received various criticisms. This study presents the difficulties encountered in measuring service quality and an evaluation of the Servqual scale.
Methodology: The study provides a conceptual framework, examining the research on the subject in the literature and the criticisms of the Servqual scale. It is designed as a compilation/assessment to improve the perspectives of the interested parties by bringing together evaluations about the pros and cons of the most well-known service quality scale.
Findings: Measurement of service quality is a complex business. Although it has received various criticisms, the Servqual scale which enables the measurement of quality in the services sector is still the most frequently used measurement tool.
Practical Implications: The difficulty of defining the service and its quality, which arises from the characteristics of the services, does not eliminate the necessity of measuring the quality of the service. With this study, a conceptual framework has been provided on the subject, a collective evaluation has been made for the most widely used scale, and the ground has been prepared for improvement and development in the criticisms of the scale.
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Atanu Bhattacharyya, Avinash Rana and Mohd Imran Khan
Improving health outcomes requires a robust health-care service model that delivers cost-efficient services and increase customer patronage. The purpose of this study is to…
Abstract
Purpose
Improving health outcomes requires a robust health-care service model that delivers cost-efficient services and increase customer patronage. The purpose of this study is to examine how service quality and convenience influence perceived value, satisfaction and customer patronage of health insurance policyholders. Based on contemporary research, this study further investigates the moderating role of trust, inertia, insurer type and word-of-mouth (WOM) on relationship between satisfaction and customer patronage.
Design/methodology/approach
This study conceptualized the dimensions of SERVQUAL and SERVCON as drivers of perceived value leading to satisfaction and finally customer patronage in presence of four moderators. To test the hypotheses, data from 500 consumers who had a running health insurance policy was collected and analyzed using partial least square path modeling.
Findings
The results of this study showed service quality and convenience dimensions significantly affected perceived value. Perceived value strongly influenced satisfaction and customer patronage intentions. Satisfaction had a significant positive effect on patronage. WOM and trust moderated the satisfaction–patronage relationship for recommendation intention but not repurchase intention. The moderators had an indirect bearing on customer patronage.
Social implications
Such an engagement ecosystem can be considered to be a revolution, as it will change the way businesses are conducted and how stakeholders interact with one another.
Originality/value
This study adapts and integrates the SERVQUAL and SERVCON models to health insurance domain. Second, this study conceptualizes a modified view of post-benefit convenience relevant for health insurance as policy renewal intention rather than returns/exchanges. This addresses a gap in the SERVCON scale's applicability to insurance services. This study also makes a novel attempt of examining implication of WOM and trust in health insurance domain.
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Tiago Savi Mondo, Sandro Medeiros, Erose Sthapit, Lara Brunelle Almeida Freitas Almeida Freitas and Peter Björk
This study aims to focus on assessing the psychometric properties necessary to validate the internal structure of the TOURQUAL scale.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to focus on assessing the psychometric properties necessary to validate the internal structure of the TOURQUAL scale.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research study was conducted in collaboration with the Brazilian Network of Tourism Observatories, comprising 927 respondents surveyed between October 2021 and May 2022. The data analysis involved the application of descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis, in alignment with the principles outlined in the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing 2014 to validate the scale.
Findings
The findings of this study validate the TOURQUAL scale as a robust tool for assessing the perceived quality of tourist services, with results demonstrating one-dimensionality and replicability.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to assess the psychometric properties for validating the internal structure of the TOURQUAL scale.
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Forbes Makudza, Divaries C. Jaravaza, Godfrey Makandwa and Paul Mukucha
This research sought to examine the differential effect of chatbot banking artificial intelligence (AI) on consumer experience in the banking industry. A positivist paradigm was…
Abstract
This research sought to examine the differential effect of chatbot banking artificial intelligence (AI) on consumer experience in the banking industry. A positivist paradigm was adopted to sample 389 consumers who were previously exposed to chatbot banking in Zimbabwe. A causal research design was employed whilst a quantitative approach was followed. In analysing data, the research study applied the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique. The authors found that chatbot banking significantly improves customer experience (CX) in the banking industry. Reliability and responsiveness of the chatbot need to be enhanced for effective improvements in CX. A need was also identified to enhance CX through the development of an ease-to-use chatbot which is embedded in everyday messaging applications of consumers. A significant association was also found between perceived benefits of chatbot banking and CX. This study informs the development of competitive advantage by banks and other related companies through AI-based CX management strategies. In times of pandemics and beyond, chatbot banking can be very instrumental in improving CX.
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Rami Zeitun and Ousama Abdulrahman Anam
This paper aims to investigate the effect of product offering and other service quality (SQ) dimensions on the satisfaction of the customers of both Islamic and conventional…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the effect of product offering and other service quality (SQ) dimensions on the satisfaction of the customers of both Islamic and conventional banks, using evidence from an oil-based economy that is based on a prolonged SERVQUAL model with 11 dimensions and other statistical analysis methods.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected from 461 Islamic and conventional bank customers in Qatar via a survey and several tests were used to test certain hypotheses. Component analysis, factor analysis and gap and ascendency analysis were used in this study. Afterward, a correlation analysis and regression model were used to examine the hypotheses and validate the instruments used.
Findings
The results show that regardless of the type of bank, customers always have greater expectations of the services than they had perceived. A customer’s expectation of the product on offer is the only dimension that is significantly different in relation to the two types of banks. However, reliability, competence, responsiveness, credibility and empathy dimensions are significantly different of the two types of banks in customers’ perception of quality. In addition, the results suggest that both types of banks need to concentrate their efforts on the product offering, competence and courtesy dimensions.
Research limitations/implications
The size of our sample of Islamic and conventional banks is unequally balanced. Future studies might therefore choose an equally balanced sample.
Practical implications
Bank managers in both types of banks need to continue improving the quality of their service including product offering and to adopt advanced methods to enhance customer satisfaction (CS) and reduce the gaps in quality in the dimensions used. Furthermore, managers in both types of banks need to put more emphasis on product offering, competence, courtesy and communication if they wish to improve SQ. Moreover, Islamic banks must guarantee that they possess competent, highly trained personnel who are familiar with Islamic finance products, so as to enhance the quality of service and attract customers.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the effect of product offering and other dimensions of SQ on CS in both Islamic and conventional banks by using 11 dimensions of SQ. In addition, it provides evidence of gaps in SQ, at the dimensions level, for both types of banks in an oil-based economy. The results of this study are valuable in helping decision-makers and bank managers who wish to raise the level of SQ and improve CS and in validating the results from other countries with a dual financial system.
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ShabbirHusain R.V., Balamurugan Annamalai and Shabana Chandrasekaran
This study aims to conduct a systematic literature review on consumer behavior (CB) in Islamic banking (IB), encompassing an overview of researched contexts and topics…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to conduct a systematic literature review on consumer behavior (CB) in Islamic banking (IB), encompassing an overview of researched contexts and topics, identifying literature gaps and proposing a comprehensive future research agenda.
Design/methodology/approach
By using bibliometric citation and content analysis, this study investigates 135 documents sourced from Scopus indexed publications.
Findings
This study delves into the growing field of CB in IB, offering a comprehensive understanding that encompasses influential journals, theories, research context, characteristics and methods used in IB research.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to provide a comprehensive review of CB studies in the IB domain detailing research topics, prevailing theories, research settings, important variables and research methods.
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Mushtaq Ahmad Darzi, Sheikh Basharul Islam, Suhail Ahmad Bhat and Syed Owais Khursheed
The current study is aimed at identifying the prominent influencers that affect the response behaviour of patients in a hospital environment.
Abstract
Purpose
The current study is aimed at identifying the prominent influencers that affect the response behaviour of patients in a hospital environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on the data collected through the participant observation method while interviewing patients about the quality of healthcare services in nine community health centres of the Kashmir division. Thematic analysis was performed on the information collected from patients admitted to various hospital sections.
Findings
The analysis of the qualitative data revealed that the presence of hospital staff near respondents, perceived risk of maltreatment, social desirability, the sensitivity of the topic, risk of information sharing and attitude towards surveys are the most frequently observed factors that modulate the patient's tendency to truthfully report critical facts about the problem understudy.
Originality/value
These results can help researchers to exercise caution while communicating with respondents and collecting data related to serious issues in a natural setting.
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Puneett Bhatnagr and Anupama Rajesh
This study aims to conceptualise a customer-centric model based on an online customer experience (OCE) construct, mediated by e-loyalty (EL) and e-trust (ET), to improve the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to conceptualise a customer-centric model based on an online customer experience (OCE) construct, mediated by e-loyalty (EL) and e-trust (ET), to improve the continuous usage intention (CUI) of Indian digital banks from Generation Y and Z perspectives.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used an online survey method to gather data from a sample of 466 digital banking users, from which usable questionnaires were obtained. The obtained data were subjected to thorough analysis using PLS-SEM to further study the research hypotheses.
Findings
The main factors that determine digital banks’ OCE are perceived enjoyment, e-service quality, information quality and e-convenience. Additionally, relevant constructs were evaluated using an importance-performance map analysis.
Research limitations/implications
This study used convenience sampling for the urban population using digital banking; therefore, the outcome may be generalised to a limited extent. It would be valuable to imitate studies in other countries to strengthen digital banking further.
Originality/value
There is a lack of research on digital banking and OCE in India; thus, this study helps rectify this issue while providing valuable insights. This study differs from others in that it examines the connections between OCE, EL, ET and the bottom line of financial institutions, using these factors as dependent variables instead of traditional measures.
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Hai Thi Thanh Nguyen, Tommi Tapanainen and Geoffrey Hubona
The advancement of technologies has made it possible for health-care organizations to provide convenient online services that enable people to manage their health conditions…
Abstract
Purpose
The advancement of technologies has made it possible for health-care organizations to provide convenient online services that enable people to manage their health conditions. Although many studies have investigated the adoption and benefits of e-health services, there has been little focus on health-oriented behaviors after adoption, particularly in relation to service quality and user satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on the SOR model and service quality theories to investigate behavioral responses, including word-of-mouth, intention to use and intention to act. The authors use a partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis with 194 participants and the diabetes risk test survey in Finland.
Findings
The results show that people are willing to engage in health self-management behaviors if they intend to use the e-health service and are satisfied with it. User satisfaction can be enhanced by improving the visual appeal of the website presentation, the quality of the presented information, as well as the usability of the website, all as components of e-health services.
Originality/value
The authors contribute by creating a construct “intention to act,” referring to health-oriented behaviors resulting from e-health service use. In addition, this study is among the first to apply the SOR model to investigate how user satisfaction leads to intention to use, intention to act and word-of-mouth.
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