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1 – 10 of over 93000Michael D. Richard and Arthur W. Allaway
Addresses two shortcomings of service quality empirical research.Investigates the importance of service quality as a predictor of actualchoice behaviour and examines the…
Abstract
Addresses two shortcomings of service quality empirical research. Investigates the importance of service quality as a predictor of actual choice behaviour and examines the importance of process and outcome quality attributes as predictors of choice. Uses regression analysis to investigate the importance of service quality attributes on choice. Suggests that consumers utilise multiple process and outcome quality attributes in their choices.
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Jea-Il Sohn, Su-Han Woo and Taek-Won Kim
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate logistics service quality using the Kano’s service quality model in the logistics-triadic context.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate logistics service quality using the Kano’s service quality model in the logistics-triadic context.
Design/methodology/approach
This study undertakes a survey research in semiconductor manufacturing equipment (SME) industry. Logistics service quality is categorized using Kano’s classification and a comparison is made of the perception of three sample groups who are SME firms, semiconductor manufacturers (SMs) and third-party logistics (TPL) providers.
Findings
Several attributes of logistics service quality are evaluated as “Must-be” quality which does not contribute to customer satisfaction, indicating existence of the non-linear relationship between some logistics service quality attributes and customers’ satisfaction. The group comparison reveals that TPL firms perceive most quality attributes as “Attractive” and “One-dimensional” whereas SMs and SME firms perceive more attributes as “Must-be.”
Research limitations/implications
Logistics service quality elements should not be used in the same way assuming the same effect of logistics service elements on customer satisfaction. It should be also noted that logistics service quality attributes have different effect on satisfaction according to the positions in the logistics triad.
Practical implications
This paper provides SME firms with useful information on how to manage their logistics service quality to improve customer satisfaction. SME firms and TPL providers need to arrange a collaborative format where logistics service quality is regularly monitored and three members discuss solutions to improve their quality performance.
Originality/value
This study is a rare empirical investigation to actually assess and compare perception on logistics service quality among the entities in a logistics triad. This study applies the Kano model to the triadic relationship in logistics service provision, which may be the first attempt to the authors’ best knowledge.
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This paper reviews the results of an exploratory study designed to examine the perceptions of a random selection of Australian human resource professionals regarding the…
Abstract
This paper reviews the results of an exploratory study designed to examine the perceptions of a random selection of Australian human resource professionals regarding the attributes required of and the quality of service provided by executive search firms (ESFs) and advertised recruitment agencies (ARAs). A total of 109 useable responses were entered and a four‐factor solution was derived employing three factor extraction techniques (principal components analysis (PCA), principal axis factoring (PFA) and maximum likelihood (ML)) for both ESFs and ARAs. Some marginal differences between ESFs and ARAs were identified with respect to required attributes. More importantly the quality of service provided by both ESFs and ARAs was found to be below that required on all factorial attributes and on most individual attributes. Quality differences were found to be significant on all but one factor, and on most individual attributes. In short, the clients of both ESFs and ARAs did not believe the service they received met their requirements. Whilst results should be read with caution due to a relatively low response rate, factorial results do hold up across three factorial extraction techniques and a number of significant results (p<0.001) were derived on paired‐sample t‐tests associated with comparisons of attribute importance and service levels provided. Findings are discussed and the implications for professional practice and future research reviewed.
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Claes Högström, Marina Rosner and Anders Gustafsson
The aim of this paper is to understand the differences across various quality dimensions and how these contribute to experienced quality and satisfaction among users.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to understand the differences across various quality dimensions and how these contribute to experienced quality and satisfaction among users.
Design/methodology/approach
The study applies the Kano model of attractive quality to a destination (in this case a snowpark). The fact that the Kano model was used means that a quantitative approach was applied. In total 270 respondents responded to the survey instrument, which in turn was based on qualitative interviews.
Findings
The research shows the great importance of a destination that offers conditions that support specific goals or desired activities in order to achieve customer satisfaction. It also finds that the physical service environment has a major influence on customer satisfaction. Finally, the physical conditions seem to affect the destination's image to a greater degree than the interactions.
Practical implications
In order to create the most attractive offering, managers should focus primarily on the physical service environment.
Originality/value
The Kano model is widely discussed and well known. There are, however, very few applications for which the Kano model has been used, especially with regard to hedonistic services, the motivation for this study. The theoretical contribution of this paper is an extension of Brady and Cronin's model of what creates service quality. In this model, the location or place is added as an important construct for explaining the experience.
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Mariam Shahzadi, Shahab Alam Malik, Mansoor Ahmad and Asma Shabbir
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between restaurant key attributes, customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The mediating role of customer…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between restaurant key attributes, customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The mediating role of customer satisfaction is assessed between restaurants’ key attributes of service quality and behavioral intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from a sample of 296 customers dining in the fine dining restaurants of Pakistan through a self-administered questionnaire. The data were then analyzed through regression analysis and gap analysis. Model fitness was checked in SPSS AMOS through CFA.
Findings
The findings suggest that the key restaurant attributes have a significant positive effect on behavioral intentions. Customer satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between key restaurant attributes and behavioral intentions. The findings also suggest that there is a significant gap between the perceptions of customers regarding the importance and performance of key restaurant attributes.
Practical implications
The result indicates that food taste and environmental cleanliness are the cornerstones of fine dining restaurants’ success in Pakistan and are among the strongest predictor of customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions; while improvement efforts should be made in four key areas, i.e., healthy food option, food freshness, food safety and fair price.
Originality/value
No comparative study has been directed in fine dining restaurants of Pakistan with respect to the key restaurants attributes, i.e., food quality attributes, service quality attributes, atmospheric quality attributes, and other attributes which have been analyzed in the current study. This research was conducted to investigate the perceptions of customers toward the fine dining restaurants of Pakistan to measure the key restaurants’ attributes that influence customers’ satisfaction and their post-dining behavioral intentions. This study will facilitate restaurants’ managers to understand the stronger and as well as the weaker aspects of service quality and permit them to investigate the factors which contribute toward customers’ satisfaction and their post-dining behavioral intentions in order to build and maintain long-term relationship between restaurants and customers.
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Paula Jach, Jiju Antony, Scott Paul Thomson, Beth Cudney and Sandra Furterer
The purpose of this paper is to explore the voice of the customer (VOC) of public transport (PT) users and non-users and to identify the role VOC plays in PT service quality…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the voice of the customer (VOC) of public transport (PT) users and non-users and to identify the role VOC plays in PT service quality analysis and improvement practices.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is based on quantitative and qualitative data collection. Quantitative data were collected through two questionnaires; the first is based on ranking data: 192 responses and the second on the Kano model: 46 responses. The qualitative data was obtained through 10 semi-structured interviews with senior management from seven bus companies in the UK.
Findings
Findings indicate that VOC differs between PT users and non-users and compared with the perspectives of PT Providers. The research also revealed that VOC plays a crucial role in PT service quality improvement (QI).
Practical implications
The findings can be used by PT service providers to better understand the VOC of PT users and non-users, which will assist in strategic and QI decision-making. Furthermore, an in-depth study of VOC in PT is provided, which progresses the academic field on this topic and advances research in this area.
Originality/value
This research brings new insight into the most important quality attributes for PT users and non-users. Moreover, the paper fundamentally contributes to the literature, which until now had severely limited input pertaining to the role of VOC in PT and little knowledge of service QI tools and practices in this sector.
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Natalia Amat-Lefort, Federico Barravecchia and Luca Mastrogiacomo
Quality 4.0 is a new paradigm of quality management, which emphasises the need to adapt to recent technological innovations by updating traditional quality approaches. Amongst the…
Abstract
Purpose
Quality 4.0 is a new paradigm of quality management, which emphasises the need to adapt to recent technological innovations by updating traditional quality approaches. Amongst the most important factors for adopting Quality 4.0 is the leveraging of big data to collect insights and quality perceptions from clients. Therefore, user reviews have emerged as a valuable source of information, which can be analysed through machine learning procedures to uncover latent quality dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applies a combination of text mining techniques to analyse Airbnb reviews, identifying service quality attributes and assessing their relation to the users' sentiment. More than two million reviews written by guests in four European cities are analysed. First, topic modelling is applied to find the quality attributes mentioned by reviewers. Then, sentiment analysis is used to assess the positiveness/negativeness of the users' feedback.
Findings
A total of 37 quality attributes are identified. Four of them show a significant positive relation to the guest's sentiment: apartment views, host tips and advice, location and host friendliness. On the other hand, the following attributes are negatively correlated with user sentiment: sleep disturbance, website responsiveness, thermal management and hygiene issues.
Originality/value
This paper provides a practical example of how Quality 4.0 can be implemented, proposing a data-driven methodology to extract service quality attributes from user-generated content. Additionally, several attributes that had not appeared in existing Airbnb studies are identified, which can serve as a reference to extend previous quality assessment scales.
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Ru-xin Nie, Kwai-sang Chin, Zhang-peng Tian, Jian-qiang Wang and Hong-yu Zhang
The purpose of this paper is exploring the effects of segment dynamic and temporal dynamic triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic on classifying service quality attributes, thereby…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is exploring the effects of segment dynamic and temporal dynamic triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic on classifying service quality attributes, thereby formulating improvement strategies to satisfy customers and respond to threats.
Design/methodology/approach
Given the dynamics of the attractive quality theory, this paper designs a framework with four phases by embedding techniques of text mining and deep learning based on evidence from online reviews.
Findings
This paper figures out dynamics of service quality attributes for distinct segments and their dynamic proportion along with different stages of the pandemic. Another finding demonstrates segment dynamic and temporal dynamic effects of sentiments toward service quality attributes on customer satisfaction under the impacts of pandemic. Classification results and improvement strategies are derived for varying segments at different pandemic situations.
Practical implications
This paper reveals dynamic effects on classifying service quality attributes, which contributes to assisting hospitality practitioners from different segments in improving service quality when facing with the challenges of crisis and potential risks.
Originality/value
Given hospitality industry is time- and segment-sensitive, the authors achieve the quantification of dynamics of attractive quality theory and extend it into hospitality marketing and crisis management from the perspective of dynamics with evidence from online reviews.
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Kym Boon, Jill McKinnon and Philip Ross
The paper aims to analyse audit service quality attributes that were perceived to be important in compulsory audit tendering (CAT) in local councils in New South Wales (NSW). It…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to analyse audit service quality attributes that were perceived to be important in compulsory audit tendering (CAT) in local councils in New South Wales (NSW). It focuses principally on whether CAT leads to an impairment of auditor independence and audit quality.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire survey was conducted of 235 NSW local council finance professionals and 35 local council internal auditors in May 2006.
Findings
The most important attributes in evaluating audit service quality were industry expertise, audit firm experience with a council, technical competence, independence, ethical standards and due care. The least important attributes were scepticism, freshness of perspective, audit firm size, and non‐audit services. There is considerable consistency in the findings with those in non‐CAT contexts.
Research limitations/implications
The paper is subject to the general limitations of the survey questionnaire method. A further limitation is that audit quality was assessed using perceptions of audit service quality by preparers of local council financial statements, rather than by users of those statements.
Practical implications
Audit firms will be better able to understand the audit service quality attributes valued by local council clients, to differentiate their promotional and service‐provision strategies, improve their audit quality, and better satisfy local council clients. Concerns that CAT may impair audit independence and audit quality do not appear to be founded.
Originality/value
Because the results are generally consistent with findings in non‐CAT contexts, there can be more confidence in CAT as a regulatory form of audit procurement.
The improvement of service quality has become a major strategy for improving competitiveness. The identification of customers’ requirements and the measurement of satisfaction…
Abstract
The improvement of service quality has become a major strategy for improving competitiveness. The identification of customers’ requirements and the measurement of satisfaction levels are therefore two crucial activities for enterprises. However, firms frequently fail to understand customer requirements, and the usual methods for measuring customer satisfaction are incomplete. The present research establishes an integrated model for achieving multiple targets in measuring service quality, i.e. to identify the important quality attributes that are identified by customers; to understand customer satisfaction levels with respect to these quality attributes; to discover the difference between employees’ perceptions and the customers’ perceptions of these quality attributes; to use the analytic results to improve service quality; and to identify the categories of Kano’s model of each quality attribute that can be used as critical reference on quality decisions. This integrated model is valuable for practical implementation in industries, and as an important reference for academic research on service quality.
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