Albert Einstein inspires employee development at Stonegate

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-6
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Employee Turnover ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Employee Training ◽  
Albert Einstein ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Initial Research

Purpose – Describes how Stonegate Pub Company has introduced a career-development pathway with scientist Albert Einstein as its figurehead. Design/methodology/approach – Examines the reasons for the pathway and its associated training, the form it takes and the results it has achieved. Findings – Explains that the program has been successful in reducing employee turnover, increasing the number of vacancies filled from within the firm and improving customer service. Practical implications – Reveals that Stonegate Pub Company, which recently opened a dedicated training center in Birmingham, UK, won the Innovation in Training award at the Scottish Training Federation’s 2014 awards, in recognition for its successful Albert’s Apprenticeships. Social implications – Demonstrates that the design is fun, quirky, engaging and irreverent, with a desire to appeal to the disengaged learner, the gamer and the personalities who make up a large percentage of the company’s teams. Originality/value – Shows how initial research followed by continuous improvement has resulted in an exceptional employee training and development program that has outstripped the company’s expectations of it.

Looking after the pennies how to maximize returns on retail training

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 35-37
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Call Center ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Fair Share ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Negative Comments ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings What is the least glamorous role within the modern organization? Accountants are usually the butt of jokes about boring jobs and even more boring people who count the pennies. Receptionists also receive their fair share of flak, as does anyone working in office services or in a call center. However, one job above all others seems to garner more than its fair share of negative comments, and it is the position of the helpless training and development officer. Practical implications The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent, information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Ninety days convert recruits into hosts at Edwardian Group London

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-18
Keyword(s):  
Crucial Role ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Future ◽  
First 90 Days ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Describes the various approaches taken to training and development at Edwardian Group London, a group of hotels. Design/methodology/approach – Examines the reasons for the training, the form it takes and the results it has achieved. Findings – Emphasizes the importance the company attaches to training in the first 90 days of an employee's tenure, when recruits receive general induction training plus training specific to their area of operation. Practical implications – Outlines how the company spots and develops its managers of the future. Social implications – Highlights the crucial role of training in ensuring that hotel guests have the best possible stay. Originality/value – Provides a thorough examination of the various forms of training at Edwardian Group London.

Blinded by the light? Analyzing sustainability authenticity, customer service perceptions, and halo effects

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clinton Amos ◽  
Sebastian Brockhaus ◽  
Amydee M. Fawcett ◽  
Stanley E. Fawcett ◽  
A. Michael Knemeyer
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Corporate Sustainability ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Behavioral Experiments ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Initiatives ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate how service perceptions influence customer views of the authenticity of corporate sustainability claims. The goal of this paper is to help supply chain decision-makers better understand boundary conditions in order to design more enduring and impactful sustainability programs.Design/methodology/approachThe authors employ behavioral experiments, subjecting two theoretically derived hypotheses to verification across five diverse industries and two distinct sustainability vignettes.FindingsCustomer service perceptions emerge as a significant boundary condition to the perceived authenticity of sustainability efforts. Subjects attributed significantly higher authenticity toward sustainability efforts in above average vs below average service quality contexts. Further, respondents attributed deceptive motivations to sustainability efforts at companies with below average service.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors confirm the underlying tenet of social judgment theory, which suggests thata prioriperceptions create a zone of acceptability or rejection. Ultimately, investing in sustainability can lead to counterproductive cynicism.Practical implicationsThe authors infer that customers’ willingness to give companies credit for sustainability initiatives extends beyond service issues to any practice that influencesa prioriperceptions. Supply chain managers must rethink their role in designing both customer service and sustainability systems to achieve positive returns from sustainability investments.Originality/valueThe authors challenge the assumption that customers universally positively view sustainability efforts. If customers holda priorinegative service perceptions, otherwise well-designed sustainability programs may invoke cynical reactions. Thus, sustainability programs may not inoculate firm reputations from adverse incidents. Given they touch both service and sustainability systems, supply chain managers are positioned to holistically influence their design for competitive advantage.

The role of cultural diplomacy in nation branding

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian J. Hurn
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Cultural Diplomacy ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Nation Branding ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to emphasise the importance of effective cultural diplomacy in increasing influence abroad, both commercially and politically. It covers the institutions used to advance cultural diplomacy and focuses on their use in nation branding as a form of “soft power”. Design/methodology/approach – Review of the various key institutions involved, with examples. Findings – Increasing use of cultural diplomacy by companies and nations to enhance their profile to assist in gaining competitive advantage in exports, foreign trade, attracting inward investment and tourism. Emphasises its value and methods as an important part of training and development. Research limitations/implications – Selective review of recent good practice. Practical implications – Highlights key areas of success and also examines areas where success has been tempered by altered circumstances at a later date. Originality/value – The review is backed by critical examination and analysis of the recent use of institutions involved.

Gaining customer knowledge in low cost airlines through text mining

2014 ◽  
Vol 114 (9) ◽  
pp. 1344-1359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bee Yee Liau ◽  
Pei Pei Tan
Keyword(s):  
Text Mining ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Negative Polarity ◽  
Statistical Techniques ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Cost Carriers ◽  
Flight Cancellations ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the consumer opinion towards the low-cost airlines or low-cost carriers (LCCs) (these two terms are used interchangeably) industry in Malaysia to better understand consumers’ needs and to provide better services. Sentiment analysis is undertaken in revealing current customers’ satisfaction level towards low-cost airlines. Design/methodology/approach – About 10,895 tweets (data collected for two and a half months) are analysed. Text mining techniques are used during data pre-processing and a mixture of statistical techniques are used to segment the customers’ opinion. Findings – The results with two different sentiment algorithms show that there is more positive than negative polarity across the different algorithms. Clustering results show that both K-Means and spherical K-Means algorithms delivered similar results and the four main topics that are discussed by the consumers on Twitter are customer service, LCCs tickets promotions, flight cancellations and delays and post-booking management. Practical implications – Gaining knowledge of customer sentiments as well as improvements on the four main topics discussed in this study, i.e. customer service, LCCs tickets promotions, flight cancellations or delays and post-booking management will help LCCs to attract more customers and generate more profits. Originality/value – This paper provides useful insights on customers’ sentiments and opinions towards LCCs by utilizing social media information.

Fun in the workplace and employee turnover: is less managed fun better?

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Tews ◽  
Phillip M. Jolly ◽  
Kathryn Stafford
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Employee Turnover ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Direct Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Manager Support ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeDespite previous research indicating that fun in the workplace has favorable outcomes, the effect of fun on turnover has not been definitively determined. The present study analyzed the direct effects on turnover of three dimensions of fun: fun activities, coworker socializing and manager support for fun, and the moderating influence of managed fun (e.g. whether fun is perceived as contrived).Design/methodology/approachLogistic regression was used to analyze the fun in the workplace-turnover relationship with a sample of 491 hourly associates from 141 stores of a US national retailer. Data on the fun were obtained through surveys that were paired with turnover data collected six months afterward from corporate records.FindingsFun activities were only found to be associated with a lower turnover when employees perceived fun as less managed. When employees perceived fun as more managed, fun activities had no effect on turnover. Coworker socializing was associated with a lower turnover when fun was perceived as less managed and higher turnover when fun was perceived as more managed.Research limitations/implicationsAs the data were obtained from employees from one organization, further research would be valuable with additional samples to substantiate the generalizability of the results.Practical implicationsGiven the challenge of turnover and the increasing prevalence of efforts to promote fun in the workplace, organizations should allow fun activities to be less managed (and thus more organic) to help reduce turnover.Originality/valueWhile previous research has addressed managed/less managed fun in qualitative research, the present study represents the first investigation to examine this aspect of fun in the workplace from a quantitative perspective and to examine its relationship with employee turnover.

Under-over benefitting perceptions and evaluation of services

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 430-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vicente Martínez-Tur ◽  
Yolanda Estreder ◽  
Carolina Moliner ◽  
Rosa María Sánchez-Hernández ◽  
José Mª Peiró
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Curvilinear Relationship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nonlinear Relationships ◽  
Linear Relationships ◽  
Linear And Nonlinear ◽  
Competing Hypotheses ◽  
Curvilinear Relationships ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – In the context of service exchanges, the purpose of this paper is to examine the form of the link from under-benefitting (customers receive less than they invest) vs over-benefitting (customers receive more than they invest) perceptions to customer service evaluations. The authors assess three competing hypotheses: maximization, fairness, and the asymmetric hypotheses. Design/methodology/approach – Linear and nonlinear relationships between under-over benefitting perceptions and service evaluations are examined following a test-retest approach. These relationships are investigated in four samples from two survey studies: hotels (Time 1, n=591; Time 2, n=512) and restaurants (Time 1, n=536; Time 2, n=473). Findings – Results confirmed the existence of asymmetrical curvilinear relationships. Service evaluations improve sharply when perceptions move from under-benefitting perceptions to balanced situations. However, service evaluations do not improve in high over-benefitting situations. Practical implications – The design of employee tasks and services should avoid both under-benefitting perceptions and a disproportionate maximization of customer benefits. Originality/value – Previous research studies have investigated these types of relationships by computing linear relationships or comparing different groups of customers. The current research tests the link from under-over benefitting perceptions to customer service evaluations by also considering nonlinear relationships. This approach supports an asymmetrical curvilinear relationship that captures the complexity of service exchanges.

Authentic appreciation creates a winning workforce

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-27
Author(s):  
Paul White
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Staff Turnover ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Emphasizes the importance of keeping staff happy and feeling appreciated and reveals how best to do this. Design/methodology/approach – Shows what happens when employees do not feel valued and explains how best to correct this. Findings – Claims that when employees do not feel valued, staff dissatisfaction, tension in the office, more errors, poor customer service and higher staff turnover may follow. Practical implications – Describes how team members feel appreciated when appreciation is: communicated regularly; in the language and actions important to the recipient; delivered individually and is about him or her personally; and when the appreciation is viewed as being authentic. Social implications – Reveals that almost 80 per cent of people who quit their jobs cite not feeling valued as a key reason. Originality/value – Shows how communicating appreciation effectively can help to transform the workplace.

Simply the best … customer service

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 41-42
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Customer Service ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Service Industry ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Delight ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings The customer has not been coming first for decades, but a new pressure to create customer delight is changing the service industry. This review looks at how customer delight can benefit employees as well as customers. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Strategic communication practices by consultants in Colombia

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-242
Author(s):  
Angela Preciado-Hoyos
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Strategic Communication ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Knowledge ◽  
Provision Of Services ◽  
Communication Practices ◽  
Communication Sector ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Initial Research

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to determine the perception of communication and PR agency directors in Colombia regarding strategic communication and its relationship with consultancy when involved with three types of activities: bringing the context close to the organization, providing new knowledge and facilitating change.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides an exploratory study based on semi-structured interviews of a sample of 55 communication and PR agency directors.FindingsAmong the directors interviewed, there are different criteria concerning strategic communication and the services this entails. Although the literature mentions that consultancy should focus on counseling, accompanying, advising and orienting without making decisions for the client or performing any operative activities, many Colombian agencies offer these services, in addition to other technical ones. This is because these are the most requested ones by their clients and so are important in acquiring contracts in the country's communication sector.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation of this study is the absence of a regularly and systematically updated directory and database with the current size of the communications sector and its yearly revenue in Colombia.Practical implicationsLack of consensus regarding strategic communication consultancy may lead to unfair competition on prices and confounding strategic and nonstrategic services in the market.Social implicationsNew academic knowledge for the communication practices in communication agencies in Colombia and Latin America.Originality/valueThis article arises from initial research done in Colombia on the perceptions of the communication sector's directors regarding the meaning of strategic communication and key capacities in the provision of services under that remit.

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