E‐service quality: comparing the perceptions of providers and customers

2009 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 410-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emmanouil Stiakakis ◽  
Christos K. Georgiadis
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Electronic Transactions ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Business To Consumer ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Business To Business ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis study aims to identify the similarities and differences between the perspectives of providers and customers regarding the important dimensions and attributes of e‐service quality (e‐SQ).Design/methodology/approachTen criteria are proposed for assessment of e‐SQ in both business‐to‐business (B2B) and business‐to‐consumer (B2C) transactions. Confirmatory factor analysis confirms the validity of grouping these criteria into five proposed dimensions. The e‐SQ dimensions and criteria are then ranked in terms of their importance by a survey of respondents from small and medium‐sized enterprises with experience in conducting e‐business in Greece. The results are compared with selected surveys of customers' perceptions from the literature.FindingsThe results indicate that the providers' perceptions are in agreement with customers' perceptions with regard to e‐SQ dimensions, but not with regard to specific criteria (items) within those dimensions. The study also finds that providers have similar perceptions of the importance of the suggested e‐SQ criteria in B2B and B2C electronic transactions.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings should be generalised with care if extrapolated to other socio‐cultural settings and specific industries.Practical implicationsManagers should recognise that there might be differences between their views of e‐SQ and those of their customers.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies to have focused on the perceptions of providers in assessing e‐SQ.

Examining the influences of perceived exclusivity and perceived rarity on consumers' perception of luxury

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xujia Wang ◽  
Billy Sung ◽  
Ian Phau
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Product Categories ◽  
Theoretical Support ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Luxury Market ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate how exclusivity and rarity (natural versus virtual) influence consumers' perceptions of luxury. Further, it examines whether exclusivity and rarity can function as distinct marketing strategies in today's luxury market environment.Design/methodology/approachOnline questionnaires were administered by adapting developed scales from prior research. Research stimuli were chosen from three luxury categories including bags, wine and cruise. Confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regressions were used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results confirmed that exclusivity, natural rarity and virtual rarity were perceived as relatively distinct constructs among our sample. Findings also highlighted that perceived natural rarity (PNR) has consistently emerged as a positive and significant contributor to consumers' perceptions of luxury across all three luxury categories. The influence of perceived exclusivity (PE) on perceptions of luxury has also shown to be significant for two product categories (luxury bag and luxury wine), whereas perceived virtual rarity (PVR) did not show any significant effects across all three categories.Practical implicationsThe results indicate that consumers perceive natural rarity, virtual rarity and exclusivity as relatively distinctive marketing strategies. This suggests that luxury businesses can adopt each strategy independently to achieve desired marketing outcomes.Originality/valueThis study offers theoretical support for the proposition that exclusivity and rarity may have different functions in luxury marketing implementations. It provides empirical evidence showing the distinctiveness of perceived exclusivity and perceived rarity, which have not be done in previous research.

Business models in the business-to-business and business-to-consumer worlds – what can each world learn from the other?

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 943-954 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Neill Stott ◽  
Merlin Stone ◽  
Jane Fae
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Business To Consumer ◽  
Business To Business ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Proper Analysis

Purpose The purpose of this research is to identify how managers can apply the results of academic research into the concept of business models for creating and evaluating possible models for their businesses. Design/methodology/approach A review of the literature is followed by two case studies, from the airline and logistics industries, followed by recommendations based on both. Findings The findings are that there is relatively weak consensus among academics as to the definition and meaning of a business model and its components, and that the notion of generic business model applies better within rather than between industries, but that the discussion is a very fertile one for developing recommendations for managers. Practical implications The managerial implications of the study are that in their planning and strategizing, managers should factor in a proper analysis of the business model they currently use and one that they could use. Originality/value The study provides a useful addition to the literature on the practical implications of business models.

LMX as a negative predictor of presenteeism climate

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 282-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aristides I Ferreira ◽  
Luis F. Martinez ◽  
Cary Cooper ◽  
Diana M. Gui
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Factor Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Member Exchange ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
Negative Predictor ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Some underlying mechanisms regarding presenteeism still remain unclear, namely, the construct of “presenteeism climate” and the importance of “leadership” Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) for presenteeism. In order to shed some light into this phenomenon, the purpose of this paper is to develop and apply a new scale of presenteeism climate. Design/methodology/approach – In Study 1, the authors identified a pool of items from the literature and, in Study 2 (n=147) the authors tested 26 items that were pilot studied with exploratory factor analysis. In Study 3 (n=293) the authors tested a three-factor model – extra-time valuation, supervision distrust and co-workers competitiveness – with confirmatory factor analysis. Findings – Results showed that LMX has a negative correlation with presenteeism climate. Study 3 also showed that this structure remained invariant with additional samples from employees working in hospitals from Ecuador (n=90) and China (n=237). Finally, the authors included suggestions for future studies to overcome the limitations of this research. Practical implications – This study has implications for managers and academics, as it emphasizes the importance of favorable behaviors between leaders and employees in order to decrease presenteeism and its adverse consequences. Originality/value – The main contribution consists of identifying dimensions of presenteeism climate and developing measures. Additionally, the authors contribute to the literature on leadership by studying the influence of LMX on presenteeism climate.

Co-creation: a B2C and B2B comparative analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 674-688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Antonio Monteiro Christoph D’Andrea ◽  
Filipe Rigon ◽  
Ana Carolina Lopes de Almeida ◽  
Bertran da Silveira Filomena ◽  
Luiz Antonio Slongo
Keyword(s):  
Selection Criteria ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Consumer Market ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Creation Process ◽  
Business To Consumer ◽  
Qualitative Technique ◽  
Business To Business ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to qualitatively analyze and compare people’s objectives when participating in two sets of co-creation initiatives – business-to-consumer (B2C) and business-to-business (B2B) – to what the theory in the field states about that participation. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach has been adopted; it uses laddering, a qualitative technique, in a novel manner through the analysis of an abstract product: the co-creation process. Findings Results in B2C point to a disconnection between the motivation of participants and what the theory suggests that should be expected from a co-creation agenda. In the B2B setting, the disconnections are much smaller. Research limitations/implications The research used small and narrow samples. Additionally, the research considers only the consumers’ perspective. Practical implications Considering the context in which they compete (industrial or consumer market), companies must come up with better selection criteria for co-creators and must be more specific in setting and pursuing the goals of the co-creation projects. By doing so, organizations can achieve more fruitful results in those innovation initiatives. Originality/value The present study is innovative in the use of laddering to understand not a product nor a service, but a process: co-creation. The study reveals that, despite the buzz about co-creation, practical examples suggest that this process may not be as fruitful or satisfying as the theories suggest.

Generalizing motivation measurement indexes: the case of Midi Music Festival volunteers

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-287
Author(s):  
Thea Vinnicombe ◽  
Yu Chen Wu
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Factor Structure ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Sporting Events ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Music Festival ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Motivation Scale ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Psychology Literature

PurposeTo date, researchers examining the motivations of volunteers at festivals and events have used a range of measurement indexes, most of which appear to have common antecedents in the psychology literature. It is not clear if different events actually require different scales, or if individual scales are more generalizable than is currently recognized so that the proliferation of scales is largely an academic exercise. The current study takes a preliminary step in exploring this issue by using an existing scale developed to measure the motivations of volunteers at western sporting events to examine the motivations of volunteers at a music festival in China.Design/methodology/approachThe Volunteer Motivation Scale for International Sporting Events (VMS-ISE) is administered to volunteers at the Midi Music Festival in China. The 467 respondents are divided into two subgroups. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is applied to the first subsample to explore the factor structure of the index. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is then applied to the second subsample to test the factor structure of the resolved scale.FindingsThe results of the EFA are promising, yielding a resolved factor structure, which is very close to the hypothesized index. The resolved scale is reasonably well supported by the subsequent CFA.Originality/valueThe findings suggest it may be possible for researchers to use a smaller number of scales on a larger range of festivals leading to a better understanding of similarities and differences in motivations across event volunteers. The results should also be helpful to festival organizers in their continuing efforts to recruit volunteers.

Transformational leadership and employee efficiency: knowledge sharing as mediator

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 1571-1590
Author(s):  
Preeti Dwivedi ◽  
Vijit Chaturvedi ◽  
Jugal Kishore Vashist
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Blue Collar ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis research aims to examine the influence of transformational leadership on employee efficiency. The research also examines the role of knowledge sharing as a mediator between transformational leadership and employee efficiency.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on the survey conducted among 200 employees of logistics firms. Exploratory Factor analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) approaches are used for the evaluation.FindingsThe study found that transformational leadership has positive and significant influence on employee efficiency. The research also demonstrates that after introducing knowledge sharing, it fully mediated the influence of transformational leadership on employee efficiency. The study suggests that, if leaders share their knowledge and expertise among the team, employees have a propensity to be highly effective and efficient than without knowledge sharing.Research limitations/implicationsBlue collar staff and unskilled labors of the firms are not included in the study. So, the study is limited to white collar staff only which can further be expanded by considering other ground staff. Also few or no such researches have been conducted in logistics firms, particularly in Indian logistics firms. So, the result of this study can be used as reference to explore the area. This study can be replicated in the logistics firms of other regions also.Practical implicationsThe finding of the study will help the top management of the organizations to formulate strategies to enhance its senior-subordinate relationship through knowledge sharing. The study also suggests that regular dissemination of knowledge among the team improves the efficiency of the team members and hence the performance of the organization.Originality/valueThis research examines the degree to which knowledge sharing acts as a mediator between transformational leadership and employee efficiency, which has not been found in previous studies.

Managing project scope creep in construction industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mian M. Ajmal ◽  
Mehmood Khan ◽  
Angappa Gunasekaran ◽  
Petri T. Helo
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Construction Industry ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Construction Projects ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Project Managers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeProject scope creep is a nightmare and nearly intolerable task. Most project managers struggle to curtail the expanse and degree of scope creep. This study examines different likely project scope creep factors associated with the construction industry projects.Design/methodology/approachAfter many brainstorming sessions with construction stakeholders, several project scope creep factors were identified. Then, a detailed survey was executed in big construction projects of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).FindingsThe results derived and validated five conspicuous factors leading to project scope creep. Respectively, the highest and the lowest impact on project scope appears to be imposed by tasks/specifications and complexity/uncertainty.Practical implicationsIt offers crucial support to the project stakeholders in scrutinizing different factors that stand as hurdles to project success and allows them to seek remedies to resolve them.Originality/valueIt is among the first study in the region that identifies and validates the factors that hinder construction project success.

Biases in construction project dispute resolution

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-348 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sai On Cheung ◽  
Keyao Li
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Dispute Resolution ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Principal Component Factor Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Research Gap ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis study aims to propose a framework of bias in construction project dispute resolution (CPDR hereafter).Design/methodology/approachWith reference to the literatures on effects of bias, manifestations of bias in CPDR were developed. Based on data obtained from construction professionals about their frequency of having these bias manifestations, the underlying constructs of biased behaviors were explored by a principal component factor analysis. A confirmatory factor analysis was further conducted to validate the framework of bias in CPDR.FindingsFour types of bias were identified as the constructs that underlie biased behaviors in CPDR. These four biases were included in the bias framework proposed: preconception, self-affirmation, optimism and interest-oriented. The potency of these types of bias was also evaluated.Practical implicationsFirst, the findings inform that the existence of bias in CPDR is real. Early detection allows management to intervene and steer CPDR team back to rational courses. Second, this study suggests optimizing CPDR procedures to diminish the chance of bias occurring.Originality/valueBias is almost an uncharted area in CPDR. The study fills this research gap by conceptualizing the underlying constructs of biased behaviors. The findings inform construction professionals of the likelihood of practicing biased behaviors in CPDR. Repeated dispute decisions in the commonly used multi-tiered dispute resolution process would enable the creeping in of biases.

The place sustainability scale: measuring residents’ perceptions of the sustainability of a town

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 370-390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viriya Taecharungroj ◽  
Thunwadee Tachapattaworakul Suksaroj ◽  
Cheerawit Rattanapan
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Equity ◽  
Alternative Measure ◽  
Chief Executives ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
The Town ◽  
Central Thailand ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to develop a scale that assesses place sustainability from the perspectives of residents, who are the main stakeholders. The resulting place sustainability scale (PSS) is a practical and useful tool for place administrators to measure place sustainability at all scales.Design/methodology/approachThis research analyses the data collected from 636 residents in the town of Salaya in Central Thailand. To develop the scale, the authors randomise 318 samples to conduct an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and analyse the rest with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).FindingsA total of 11 factors of place sustainability were generated with 33 questionnaire items. Those factors were natural environment, social equity, economic growth, built environment, landscape, liveability, conviviality, transport, energy, water and waste management and governance.Practical implicationsThe PSS can help place administrators, such as chief executives of sub-districts, mayors of town municipalities or governors of provinces, assess perceived sustainability from the perspectives of their residents. They can use this scale in conjunction with other sustainability indicators that calculate data from real variables and values to develop a comprehensive view of sustainability that includes both real and perceptual dimensions.Originality/valueNumerous available indices and indicators use real variables and values to measure place sustainability. However, they have limitations: they can be complex and incomprehensible to outsiders or they might not support participative processes and policymaking. This research develops an alternative measure of place sustainability that assesses the perceptions of residents.

Homesickness: a comparative study of defense and civilian employees and individual differences

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naval Garg ◽  
B.K. Punia ◽  
Vanshikha Kakkar ◽  
Sarika Kumari
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Nuclear Family ◽  
Family Type ◽  
Adjustment Problems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Civilian Employees

Purpose Most of the studies in the field of homesickness are confined to students; this study aims to explore the feeling of homesickness among working professionals. Also, it tends to examine individual differences in the experience of homesickness across employees of different gender, ages, experience, family type, etc. The study also aspires to compare homesickness among military and civil employees. Design/methodology/approach The study explores five dimensions of homesickness, namely, missing family, missing friend, rumination about home, feeling lonely and adjustment problems. The collected data is subjected to reliability, validity and confirmatory factor analysis. Further, t-test and analysis of variance are used to explore homesickness differences across soldiers and corporate employees. Findings The study reveals that homesickness is significantly higher for employees in the male, unmarried, nuclear family, above the age of 45 years, and below the graduation category. Also, defense people experience more homesickness than civilian employees. Originality/value This study is one of the pioneer studies that compare homesickness among defense and civilian employees. Also, variables such as type of family, the experience of employees and marital status have hardly been explored in the literature of homesickness.

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