Service quality, loyalty, and co-creation behaviour: a customer perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael P. Albuquerque ◽  
João J. Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Quantitative Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Perspective ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Customers Perspective

Purpose This paper aims to verify co-creation behavior and understand a relationship between perception of service quality, loyalty and co-creation, from Starbucks customers' perspective. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative methodology was carried out, operationalized by applying a questionnaire to a sample of 385 respondents. Findings The results showed that service quality has a positive impact on loyalty and co-creation behavior in all its aspects; loyalty can be considered an important attribute in the intention of co-creation by customers. Originality/value This research extends the current knowledge on the subject and examines the associations between other attributes discussed. The implications of the study suggest strategic directions for using the clients' co-creation as a competitive alternative and generating value.

Passion and compassion represent dualities for growth

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tove Brink
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Theoretical Understanding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Growth Policy ◽  
Firm Networks ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to enhance the understanding of the impact of passion and compassion on innovation and growth and, in this way, add to the current knowledge on organising growth in the context of networking small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach – The research was conducted in three networks with a sample of 55 separate SMEs. Through a quantitative study, the anticipated positive impact of passion and compassion on growth and on intermediate innovation issues were tested. Findings – The analyses reveal no direct significant impacts of passion (own-profitability and interest) and compassion (other-profitability and interest) on growth. However, compassion had a very significant positive impact on manager ideas, which in turn had a positive impact on growth. Passion also had a positive impact, but this was proportionally much smaller. Moreover, the ability to organise the dualities of passion and compassion made a contribution to growth. Research limitations/implications – The results of the research enhance the understanding of an integrative approach of passion and compassion to innovation in a network context. Practical implications – Networking SMEs can use the findings to better understand and organise own actions to pursue growth. Policy bodies can use the findings to motivate SMEs to pursue growth. Originality/value – The findings of this study enhance the theoretical understanding of passion and compassion and their integrated impact on growth. In firm networks, compassion and passion have a dual impact with compassion being most significant to enable innovation and growth. A contribution is hereby made to organise growth in firm networks.

Autonomous vehicles: a review of the ethical, social and economic implications of the AI revolution

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shweta Banerjee
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Autonomous Vehicles ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Economic Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Autonomous Cars ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThere are ethical, legal, social and economic arguments surrounding the subject of autonomous vehicles. This paper aims to discuss some of the arguments to communicate one of the current issues in the rising field of artificial intelligence.Design/methodology/approachMaking use of widely available literature that the author has read and summarised showcasing her viewpoints, the author shows that technology is progressing every day. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are at the forefront of technological advancement today. The manufacture and innovation of new machines have revolutionised our lives and resulted in a world where we are becoming increasingly dependent on artificial intelligence.FindingsTechnology might appear to be getting out of hand, but it can be effectively used to transform lives and convenience.Research limitations/implicationsFrom robotics to autonomous vehicles, countless technologies have and will continue to make the lives of individuals much easier. But, with these advancements also comes something called “future shock”.Practical implicationsFuture shock is the state of being unable to keep up with rapid social or technological change. As a result, the topic of artificial intelligence, and thus autonomous cars, is highly debated.Social implicationsThe study will be of interest to researchers, academics and the public in general. It will encourage further thinking.Originality/valueThis is an original piece of writing informed by reading several current pieces. The study has not been submitted elsewhere.

Customer satisfaction with sommelier services of upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 532-554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommy Lau ◽  
Man Lai Cheung ◽  
Guilherme D. Pires ◽  
Carol Chan
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The abolishment of the wine tax in Hong Kong has led to increased wine consumption and increased demand for wine-related professionals, such as sommeliers. Yet the importance of sommeliers’ value-adding performance in the context of upscale Chinese restaurants has not been examined. To address this gap, the SERVQUAL framework is adopted to examine the influence of sommeliers’ service quality (SQ) on customer satisfaction (CS) and loyalty in the context of upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach The survey method is used to collect data from 302 units of the population of interest, partial least square-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is used to test the links between constructs. Findings Four of the seven dimensions of sommeliers’ service quality, namely, empathy, tangibles, credibility and assurance, have a significant positive impact on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, whereas the impact of perceived value and responsiveness on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty is positive but only marginally significant. Reliability has a weak and non-significant impact on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Research limitations/implications Examining a small number of upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong limits generalisation of the findings to other contexts. Replication of the research in different contexts will enhance generalizability. In terms of implications, the discussion highlights the importance of sommeliers’ service performance on customers’ SQ perceptions SQ, CS and loyalty, all of which are important variables for restaurateurs. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study of the influence of the quality of sommelier’s SQ on CS and loyalty in upscale Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. Given the lack of attention to this service role in the literature, the study contributes theory from which further understanding can develop.

Exploring the boundaries of rhetoric

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 793-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduard Bonet
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
The Self ◽  
History Of Rhetoric ◽  
Content Type ◽  
History Of ◽  
Practical Development ◽  
The Subject

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how the boundaries of rhetoric have excluded important theoretical and practical subjects and how these subjects are recuperated and extended since the twentieth century. Its purpose is to foster the awareness on emerging new trends of rhetoric. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology is based on an interpretation of the history of rhetoric and on the construction of a conceptual framework of the rhetoric of judgment, which is introduced in this paper. Findings – On the subject of the extension of rhetoric from public speeches to any kinds of persuasive situations, the paper emphasizes some stimulating relationships between the theory of communication and rhetoric. On the exclusion and recuperation of the subject of rhetorical arguments, it presents the changing relationships between rhetoric and dialectics and emphasizes the role of rhetoric in scientific research. On the introduction of rhetoric of judgment and meanings it creates a conceptual framework based on a re-examination of the concept of judgment and the phenomenological foundations of the interpretative methods of social sciences by Alfred Schutz, relating them to symbolic interactionism and theories of the self. Originality/value – The study on the changing boundaries of rhetoric and the introduction of the rhetoric of judgment offers a new view on the present theoretical and practical development of rhetoric, which opens new subjects of research and new fields of applications.

The strength of the board on sustainability assurance decisions

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 863-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Martinez-Ferrero ◽  
Lázaro Rodríguez-Ariza ◽  
Isabel María García-Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Random Effects ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Family Ownership ◽  
Logit Models ◽  
Board Size ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Reports

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze how family ownership influences the strength of the board’s monitoring function in companies’ decisions regarding the assurance of sustainability reports. Design/methodology/approach The international sample consists of 536 companies operating in more stakeholder-oriented countries during the period 2007-2014. The paper proposes alternative logit models of analysis using the random-effects estimator. Findings The results provide evidence that a firm’s sustainability assurance and its choice of accounting professionals as higher quality assurers are positively associated with board size and independence. The main result is the positive impact of family businesses on these assurance issues. The paper evidences the greater orientation toward sustainability issues of family businesses. Furthermore, it verifies the greater impact of board size on family firms’ assurance demand. Originality/value This study sheds some light on the unexplored topic of sustainability assurance in family firms. One of the differentiating aspects with respect to previous studies is the consideration of the moderating factor of family property. This study also contributes to the understanding of family firms’ demand for assurance and its practitioners, and the literature’s focus on its determinants.

Exploring the motivations of tourism social entrepreneurs

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 1137-1154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziene Mottiar
Keyword(s):  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
National Strategy ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Key Informant ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Tourism Destinations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the motivations of social entrepreneurs. It explores the case of the Gathering in Ireland in 2013, when against a backdrop of recession, the national Government encouraged individuals and communities to organize events and invite the Diaspora to visit Ireland as a way of helping the country to revitalize. Some 5,000 events took place across the country during the year, and this paper examines this in the context of social entrepreneurship. Three research questions are posed: Who were these tourism and social entrepreneurs who organized events as a result of the Gathering? What motivated them to engage in these activities? Will this social entrepreneurship activity be maintained beyond 2013 and how has it been impacted by the Gathering? Design/methodology/approach The empirical research was conducted in two counties in Ireland, Co. Kerry and Co. Westmeath. The research tools used were key informant interviews, a survey of event organizers and focus groups. Findings Key findings show that the Gathering has resulted in the emergence of new social entrepreneurs, but it has also had a positive impact on those who had run their events before, as it made them be more strategic in the way they planned and ran their event and also resulted in them thinking about these events in terms of tourists rather than just the local community. They also developed new skills which will aid their future development. It is clear that social entrepreneurs can play a fundamental role in the development of tourism destinations, and this is an important topic for researchers in tourism to be concerned about. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in the fact that it addresses the issue of motivation of social entrepreneurs and challenges us to think more about how these types of entrepreneurs identify the problem that they will address. Furthermore, this case shows that the motivation for such action can be prompted by a national strategy, rather than as the literature heretofore represented it as an innate motivation that materialized and developed within particular individuals.

Social capital in the theory and research of LIS professionals in the light of the literature on the subject. Review of current knowledge

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Dorota Wojciechowska
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Social Capital ◽  
Rural Libraries ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to present the latest scholarly trends in the field of social capital in libraries, to review research concepts published by LIS professionals and to suggest further research possibilities in this area. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a review and critical analysis of literature associated with research on social capital in libraries to highlight its importance for the development of LIS and its impact on the functioning of environments linked with various types of libraries. The goal of literature analysis was to determine the current condition of research on social capital in libraries. The main trends were identified and the need for further qualitative analyses, which are missing at the moment, was confirmed. Findings It was determined that, so far, LIS professionals have focussed mainly on the role of municipal libraries in developing social capital, the problem of building trust, especially in immigrant circles and the impact of libraries on promoting a civil society. Academic libraries, rural libraries, organisational capital in libraries and individual social capital of librarians were a much less frequent subject of research. The role of libraries in developing social capital in educational (primary and secondary education) and professional (non-university professionals) circles is practically non-existent in research, and it will require in-depth studies and analyses in the coming years. Originality/value This paper constitutes a synthetic review of the latest research concepts concerning social capital in libraries. It identifies the most important research trends and areas that so far have not been explored and suggests research methods to help LIS professionals design future research in this area more effectively.

How preferences for types of appreciation differ across employee age groups

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul White ◽  
Gene George
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Organizational Leaders ◽  
Human Resource Professionals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Older Employees ◽  
Post Hoc ◽  
Employee Age

Purpose Organizational leaders and human resource professionals affirm that to have (and keep) an effective workforce, understanding one’s employees is critical. Thus, understanding the differences between employees of different age groups is important. Simultaneously, studies have demonstrated the significant positive impact appreciation has on the functioning of organizations. When team members feel truly valued, numerous positive benefits result, including lower staff turnover, less absenteeism, higher customer ratings and greater profitability. Design/methodology/approach Because individuals prefer to be shown appreciation in different ways and prior research has shown some age differences, this study examined how appreciation preferences differ across seven employee age groups. Over 190,000 individuals completed an online assessment based on the five languages of appreciation, which identifies employees’ preferred ways of receiving appreciation. The respondents were separated into seven age groups, from 19 years old and younger to 70 years old and above. Findings The results of an analysis of variance found that there were significant differences across groups. Although the patterns of preferences were largely the same across many groups, post hoc analyses found both the youngest and oldest age groups differed from employees in their 30s with regards to their desire for quality time. Additionally, older employees were extremely low in their desire for tangible gifts. Originality/value As the proportion of employees shifts from older to younger groups of employees, these results raise important implications for organizations’ approaches regarding how appreciation and other motivators should be adjusted for different groups of employees.

Sustaining corporate culture in a world of hybrid work

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Buell Hirsch
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
White Collar ◽  
Subjective Assessment ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to examine the challenges to sustaining corporate culture in a world of hybrid working. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a review of current literature on the impact of remote and hybrid working on white-collar employees. Findings There is little consensus on whether remote/hybrid working will harm or strengthen corporate culture. Research limitations/implications The viewpoint is a subjective assessment of a limited number of articles on the subject Practical implications It is not entirely clear how those responsible for corporate culture can act on the findings. Social implications In a world in which corporations are experiencing a shortage of talent, how they handle corporate culture will be increasingly important. Originality/value While much has been written on the impact of remote working, this viewpoint takes the original view that strong corporate cultures rely more on the attitudes and actions of individual employees that company programs or initiatives.

Analysis of sustainability insertion in materials selection courses of engineering undergraduate programmes

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeniffer Fonseca Zanitt ◽  
Izabela Simon Rampasso ◽  
Osvaldo Luiz Gonçalves Quelhas ◽  
Milena Pavan Serafim ◽  
Walter Leal Filho ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Delphi Method ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Sustainable Development Goals ◽  
Materials Selection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Subject

Purpose This study aims to analyse how the materials selection courses of engineering undergraduate programmes can be better aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach Initially, a content analysis was performed in 39 materials selection course descriptions from 40 engineering undergraduate programmes of Brazilian higher education institutions, and subsequently, Delphi method procedures were conducted with professors that teach or have taught the course and are knowledgeable in the subject of sustainability. Findings Considering the analysed course descriptions, it was shown that most of the materials selection courses do not consider or present little emphasis on sustainability aspects. Regarding the Delphi method, eight items were evidenced to consider sustainability aspects in the analysed courses. Originality/value This study contributes to the debates about sustainability insertion in engineering undergraduate programmes. More specifically, the findings presented consolidated information that professors and coordinators can use to align materials selection courses with the SDGs better.

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