scholarly journals Corporate listening: unlocking insights from VOC, VOE and VOS for mutual benefits

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-393
Author(s):  
Jim Macnamara
Keyword(s):  
No Value ◽  
Multinational Corporation ◽  
Active Listening ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Multiple Stakeholders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Study ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Voice ◽  
Voice Of Customers

PurposeComparatively, while the voice of customers, employees, and other stakeholders have been identified as key components of corporate and marketing communication, little attention has been paid to how organizations listen to, make sense of, and use the information provided. The research reported in this article examined how a multinational corporation and its subsidiaries listen to their customers, employees, and other stakeholders and explored how corporate listening can be improved for mutual benefits.Design/methodology/approachThis article reports participatory action research within a multinational corporation operating in Europe, Canada and Australia, which set out to become a “listening organization” to improve its relationships and performance. The research was informed by interviews, observation, content analysis of relevant documents, and critical reflection.FindingsThis analysis illustrates the need for and benefits of looking beyond statistical data to analyze textual, aural and visual data available from call centers, open-end survey comments, complaints, correspondence, social media and other sources, and it identifies methods, tools and technologies for ethical insightful corporate listening.Research limitations/implicationsThis article advocates a “turn” from a focus on voice to focus on listening, noting that expression of the voice of customers, employees and other stakeholders has no value to them or organizations without active listening.Originality/valueThis paper reports an in-depth study of corporate listening to multiple stakeholders and identifies opportunities for increased insights and understanding that can lead to tangible benefits for both organizations and their stakeholders.

Intellectual capital and performance

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugénia Pedro ◽  
João Leitão ◽  
Helena Alves
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Depth Study ◽  
Global Vision ◽  
Customer Capital ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the predominant classification of intellectual capital (IC), in terms of components, using the literature of reference on the relationship between IC and performance and considering multi-dimensional analysis axes (MAAs): organisational, regional and national. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review (SLR) is presented focussing on empirical studies on IC published in the period 1960-2016. A protocol for action is defined and a research question is raised, gathering data from the databases of: Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar. A social network analysis is also provided to determine the type of networks embracing groups, IC individual components and performance type. Findings Of the 777 papers included in the SLR, 189 deal with the relationship between IC and performance. The paper highlights the greater development of empirical studies starting from 2004; the organisational MAA is the most studied. The most frequently used groups of components in studies dealing with IC’s influence on performance corresponds to a triad of human capital; structural (organisational or process) capital; and relational (social or customer) capital, which determine positively the performance of organisations/regions/countries, but their influence is not linear and depends on various factors associated with the context and surrounding environment. Practical implications This study has wide-ranging implications for politicians/governments, managers and academics, providing empirical evidence about the relationships between the components of IC and performance, by MAAs, and a global vision and better understanding of how those IC components have developed and how they are related to performance. Originality/value Due to the high number of references covering a wide range of disciplines and the various dimensions (e.g. organisational, regional and national) that form IC, it becomes fundamental to carry out an SRL and systematise its MAAs to deepen knowledge about what has been discovered/developed in this domain, in terms of empirical studies, in order to situate the topic in a wider theoretical-practical context. The paper is exceptionally wide-ranging, covering the period 1960-2016. It is one of the first clarifying studies on systemisation of the literature on IC, by MAA, and an in-depth study of IC’s impact on the performance of organisations/regions and countries which may serve as a guideline for future studies using the taxonomy proposed.

Developing House of Quality by integrating top roof and side roof matrices and service TRIZ with a case study in banking services

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 597-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arash Shahin ◽  
Elham Bagheri Iraj ◽  
Hossein Vaez Shahrestani
Keyword(s):  
House Of Quality ◽  
Customer Requirements ◽  
Correlation Matrices ◽  
Banking Services ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovative Solution ◽  
The Voice ◽  
Voice Of Customers

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose an innovative solution for prioritizing “Whats” and “Hows” and resolving contradictions among “Whats” in House of Quality (HoQ). Design/methodology/approach – Prioritization of the influence of the weights in correlation matrices of “Whats” and “Hows” (i.e. top roof and side roof) of HoQ and integration with TRIZ contradiction matrix have been studied. Explained through a case example of banking services, initially, contradictions among requirements of 180 customers have been identified by side roof matrix and then, the 12 by 12 non-technical contradictions matrix of service TRIZ have been used to suggest principles for resolving contradictions. Findings – Findings imply that the use of roof and side roof weights can influence the priorities of “Whats” and “Hows.” Research limitations/implications – Findings may assist researchers and practitioners in resolving ambiguity of the voice of customers, which in turn make the results of HoQ more accurate. Originality/value – A new approach has been proposed in this paper for resolving contradictions of customer requirements by service TRIZ and adjusting priorities of “Whats” and “Hows” in HoQ.

Under construction: action research in innovation measurement

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilse Svensson de Jong
Keyword(s):  
Group Dynamics ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
International Organization ◽  
Construction Process ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Multiple Stakeholders ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovation Measurement ◽  
Under Construction ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper has chosen a participatory action design (PAD) to approach the construction of KPIs in a novel way. A PAD will assist the researcher to encourage involvement, engagement of multiple stakeholders in the KPIs construction process.Design/methodology/approachA workshop series based on participatory action design was developed together with the researcher and stakeholders at the innovation department of a large international organization. PAD facilitated interaction between the researcher, stakeholders, and KPIs under construction.FindingsThe findings show that the PAD workshops created interlevel collaboration and group dynamics in constructing the KPI. The knowledge that was shared during the PAD workshops enabled an understanding of the process of constructing a KPI in innovation, where stakeholders design and implement simultaneously. In the end, it was a challenge to construct a KPI using the PAD, as certain conditions seemed not to be.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper enhances our empirical understanding of applying PAD to construct KPIs in innovation. This study adds to the growing interest in literature to implement novel methods such as PAD to construct a KPI in innovation.Practical implicationsPractically, the findings of this study will inform managers in innovation (projects) to use a method such as PAD to construct KPIs in innovation. This study shows the implication of using a PAD for a KPI and what opportunities and challenges it can bring.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the few papers that address using the participatory action design methodology for the construction of KPIs in innovation. To date, PAD is rarely used to construct KPIs in innovation.

The continuing search for the Holy Grail

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-106
Author(s):  
Robert M. Wiseman ◽  
Hadi Faqihi
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Multiple Stakeholders ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current State ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Ceo Pay ◽  
And Performance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to enrich the finding by Aguinis et al. (2018) that there is little overlap between the extremes of firm performance and the extremes of CEO pay using a novel approach to characterize the distribution of pay and performance. The authors aim to shift the focus of compensation researchers from fruitlessly trying to link pay to performance to theory-rich accounts of pay that take into consideration the idiosyncratically motivated and socially embedded nature of CEO compensation. Design/methodology/approach The authors’ approach in this commentary is conceptual. They synthesize compensation literature from different fields such as economics, finance, sociology, strategic management and corporate law, as well as the empirical findings from the focal paper to support their characterization of the current state of the literature and future directions it should take. Findings The authors synthesize discussion of CEO pay down to three dimensions of CEO responsibilities and motivations. They argue that a realistic pay design should take into account that CEOs have limited control over performance, they are accountable to multiple stakeholders and they are motivated by financial as well as nonfinancial incentives. Originality/value The commentary presents researchers with high-order framing of CEO pay that goes beyond debating over methodology or narrowly focusing on limited behavioral drivers of pay setting. Instead, the authors encourage researchers to take advantage of their three-legged framework to theorize about CEO pay.

Listening to the voice of students, developing a service quality measuring and evaluating framework for a special course

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 455-472
Author(s):  
Zsuzsanna Eszter Tóth ◽  
Vivien Surman
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Evaluation System ◽  
Course Evaluation ◽  
Project Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Decisions ◽  
First Results ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Measurement And Evaluation ◽  
The Voice

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a service quality measuring and evaluating framework for courses that are not part of the regular end-of-semester course evaluation system because of their special characteristics. The results of an academic year-long application are also to be demonstrated. Design/methodology/approach Based on the SERVQUAL methodology and specific models proposed in the literature, altogether 26 statements related to project works were formulated, in case of which, students rated both the importance and performance addressed in each statement on a seven-point Likert scale. With an average 68 per cent response rate and more than 500 filled out questionnaires, importance-performance analyses complemented with statistical analysis were executed to investigate whether there are any differences between the different levels of project work courses, programmes, levels of studies and sub-departments. These results were then followed by focus group interviews by further addressing the importance issues. Findings Based on the joint conclusions drawn from the statistical analyses and extracted from focus groups, those statements were highlighted that can be considered as dealing with critical to quality issues. The results have been utilized to adjust the questionnaire according to the “voice of students”. Research limitations/implications A complex approach is adopted to measure and evaluate service quality on a course level in the form of a post-course questionnaire. The first results lay the foundation for managerial decisions related to project work courses and supervising processes according to the plan–do–check–act philosophy. Originality/value During project works, students can master the necessary professional knowledge and those inevitable soft skills that are needed to be successful in the labour market. Therefore, the measurement and evaluation of project work courses may provide new information on course-level service quality and may be linked to total student experience results.

Analysing the voice of customers by a hybrid fuzzy decision-making approach in a developing country's automotive market

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannan Amoozad Mahdiraji ◽  
Khalid Hafeez ◽  
Hamidreza Kord ◽  
AliAsghar Abbasi Kamardi
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Automotive Sector ◽  
Price Variation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Complaints ◽  
Fuzzy Delphi ◽  
The Voice ◽  
Voice Of Customers

PurposeThis paper analyses the voice of customers (VoCs) using a hybrid clustering multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach. The proposed method serves as an efficient tool for how to approach multiple decision-making involving a large set of countrywide customer complaints in the Iranian automotive sector.Design/methodology/approachThe countrywide data comprising 3,342 customer complaints (VoCs) were gathered. A total of seven determinant complaint criteria were identified in brainstorming sessions with three groups (six each) of experts employing the fuzzy Delphi method. The weights of these criteria were assigned by applying the fuzzy best–worst method (FBWM) to identify the severity of the complaints. Subsequently, the complaints were clustered into five categories with respective customer locations (province), car type and manufacturer using the K-mean method and further prioritised and ranked employing the fuzzy complex proportional assessment of alternatives (FCOPRAS) method.FindingsThe results indicated that the majority of complaints (1,027) from the various regions of the country belonged to one specific model of car made by a particular producer. The analyses revealed that only a few complaints were related to product quality, with the majority related to service and financial processes including delays in automobile delivery, delays in calculating monthly instalments, price variation, failure to provide a registration ( licence) and failure to supply the agreed product. The proposed method is an efficient way to solve large-scale multidimensional problems and provide a robust and reliable set of results.Practical implicationsThe proposed method makes it much easier for management to deal with complaints by significantly reducing their number. The highest-ranked complaints from customers of the car industry in Iran are those related to delivery time, price alternations, customer service support and quality issues. Surveying the list of complaints shows that paying attention to the four most voiced complaints can reduce them more than 54%. Management can make appropriate strategies to improve the production quality as well as business processes, thus producing a significant number of customer complaints.Originality/valueThis paper proposes a comprehensive approach to critically analyse the VoCs by combining qualitative and decision-making approaches including K-mean, FCOPRAS, fuzzy Delphi and FBWM. This is the first paper that analyses the VoCs in the automotive sector in a developing country’s context involving large-scale decision-making problem-solving.

scholarly journals A virtual tutor for children with autism

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Herring ◽  
Karen Kear ◽  
Kieron Sheehy ◽  
Roger Jones
Keyword(s):  
Learning Experience ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Picture Exchange Communication System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Voice ◽  
Children’S Participation ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Children's Participation ◽  
The Voice

Purpose The picture exchange communication system (PECS) is an established communication intervention for non-verbal children with autism. The purpose of this paper is to present an evaluation of a computer-based PECS approach, in which young non-verbal children with autism respond to an on-screen “virtual tutor” through the manipulation of picture/symbol cards. The paper presents research to investigate how the virtual tutor’s voice influences the children’s participation and performance. Design/methodology/approach Eight non-verbal children between six and nine years old and with a diagnosis of autism were presented with a series of computer-based activities, using a virtual tutor with either a natural or synthetic voice, in two separate sessions. Data were gathered using a within-participants counterbalanced design to control against variations between individuals and effects of presentation order. Findings Analysis of the children’s responses suggest that they were able to use the system more effectively when the virtual tutor had a synthetic voice, rather than a human voice. The findings demonstrate that a computer-based virtual tutor can provide an engaging method of supporting symbol-based communication for non-verbal children with autism, and that a synthetic voice type was preferable for the sessions undertaken. Originality/value Investigations of voice type and its influence on non-verbal children’s participation and performance have so far provided inconclusive results (Ramdoss, 2013). This research suggests that the voice type is an important feature of the learning experience of non-verbal children with autism, and can have a significant influence on their participation and performance in virtual tutor-led learning.

Social impact and performance measurement systems in an Italian social enterprise: a participatory action research project

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ericka Costa ◽  
Michele Andreaus
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Measurement Systems ◽  
Nonprofit Organisations ◽  
Performance Measurement Systems ◽  
And Performance

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the multidimensional nature of social and nonprofit organisations' accountability and performance measurement systems (PMSs). It further considers how these systems help in defining outcome performance indicators downward to beneficiariesDesign/methodology/approachThe paper discusses participatory action research (PAR) within an Italian social enterprise. In order to increase dialogue, participation and engagement, the researchers adopted focus groups as a preferred method of investigation and conducted a broad documental analysis from July 2016 to March 2018. The paper discusses the gathered data in light of the social impact value chain as well as the multiple-constituency approach.FindingsThe findings support the idea that social and nonprofit organisations lack the expertise and resources to evaluate outcomes and impact; however, through PAR, the organisation defined their desired outcomes and ascertained which internal output measures were most likely to be correlated with these outcomes. Moreover, the findings highlight that nonprofits develop outcome measurements less frequently because they have more control over their immediate activities and outputs.Practical implicationsThis research suggests the need to reinforce lateral and downward accountability based on mission and mission-based activities in order to make the performance management system of social and nonprofit organisation linked to the organisational strategies.Originality/valueThis paper innovates methodologically in two directions: 1) it adopts action research as a qualitative method, allowing the researcher to generate solutions to collectively-identified problems and 2) the paper's arguments are strongly supported by rich empirical exploration that occurred over a period of 20 months in an Italian social enterprise.

Festival as methodology: the African cultural youth arts festival

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-227
Author(s):  
Peter R. Wright ◽  
Peter M. Wakholi
Keyword(s):  
Research Approach ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Identity Exploration ◽  
Arts Based Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
African Heritage ◽  
The Arts ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Aesthetic ◽  
Performance As Research

Purpose – The purpose this paper is to consider festivals as sites for inquiry and learning. Design/methodology/approach – The research employed a pluralistic approach to the inquiry drawing on critical African-centred pedagogy, participatory action research, and performance as research inquiry. These arts-based research methods allowed insights to be gained in ways that were congruent to the arts and participants who enacted them. In total, 12 young people and six elders of diverse African heritage as well as two artists were participants in the research. Findings – The research revealed that the festival as a research methodology was both dialogic and performative and a rich site for the exploration of identity negotiation. Through these arts-based approaches the aesthetic elements often missed by traditional social science methods were highlighted as key in exploring acculturation socialistaion experiences and deconstructing exclusionist discourses emanating from the dominant culture. Research limitations/implications – The research affirmed the power of multi-modal approaches to research and the importance of evocative discourses in identity exploration and development. Originality/value – This research is the first known attempt to theorise an arts-based festival as a research approach in reference to enculturation and cultural memory.

An Analytical Transient Tire Model

2001 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 108-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Ghazi Zadeh ◽  
A. Fahim
Keyword(s):  
Transient Behavior ◽  
Stability Control ◽  
Vehicle Stability ◽  
Tire Model ◽  
Steering Angle ◽  
First Order ◽  
Vehicle Stability Control ◽  
Proposed Model ◽  
Depth Study ◽  
And Performance

Abstract The dynamics of a vehicle's tires is a major contributor to the vehicle stability, control, and performance. A better understanding of the handling performance and lateral stability of the vehicle can be achieved by an in-depth study of the transient behavior of the tire. In this article, the transient response of the tire to a steering angle input is examined and an analytical second order tire model is proposed. This model provides a means for a better understanding of the transient behavior of the tire. The proposed model is also applied to a vehicle model and its performance is compared with a first order tire model.

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