The interrelationships among organizational culture and service quality under different levels of competitive intensity

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Karakasnaki ◽  
Evangelos Psomas ◽  
Nancy Bouranta

Purpose This study aims to investigate the interrelationships among organizational culture and service quality by applying the SERVQUAL instrument under different levels of competitive intensity in the shipping industry context. Design/methodology/approach This study used the questionnaire investigation method to evaluate the hypothesized relationships. The authors utilized widely accepted and validated instruments as identified in the literature to measure the constructs under examination. The sample consisted of 684 shipping organizations located in Greece. The factorial structures of the constructs were identified through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, while the examined relationships were established through regression analyses. Findings The findings argue in favor of a parsimonious three-dimensional structure of the SERVQUAL instrument in the shipping industry context, illustrate the associations among the different types of organizational culture and the dimensions of service quality and explicate how the former impacts the latter. Moreover, the findings showed that the above-mentioned interrelationships are conditioned by the varying levels of competitive intensity. Originality/value Although much research and writing has occurred on the topics of service quality and organizational culture, relatively less is known about their interrelationships, that is how a company’s culture relates to the service quality offered especially under different levels of competitive intensity. Thus, the current study aims to fill in this gap in the literature and empirically address the need to look at the interrelationships among the theoretical constructs under examination.

Assessment ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 107319112095805
Author(s):  
Gregory D. Webster ◽  
Jennifer L. Howell ◽  
James A. Shepperd

With 20 items, the State Self-Esteem Scale (SSES) can be cumbersome in settings that demand efficiency. The present research created an efficient six-item version of the SSES that preserves score reliability and validity and its three-dimensional structure: social, appearance, and performance self-esteem. Item response theory and confirmatory factor analyses identified the “best” six items—two from each dimension (Study 1). Participants completed the SSES four times at 2-week intervals (Studies 2 and 3). The six-item SSES’ scores showed adequate test–retest reliability, explained substantial variance in trait-relevant measures, and showed convergent validity with related self-esteem measures. Participants completed the SSES and a laboratory experiment where they received negative feedback on an essay they had written and could retaliate against their evaluator by allocating hot sauce for them to consume (Study 4). The six-item SSES interacted with self-esteem instability in expected ways to predict hot sauce allocated.


Psicologia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-94
Author(s):  
Ronald R. Holden ◽  
Rui C. Campos ◽  
Christine E. Lambert ◽  
Ana Simões ◽  
Sara Costa ◽  
...  

The development of psychometrically sound measures to assess mental pain are important because research has consistently demonstrated a robust relationship to suicide risk. The current research evaluated the Three-Dimensional Psychological Pain Scale (TDPPS) structure, a suicide-relevant measure intended to articulate pain into affective, cognitive, and behavioral facets. As the first Western study to evaluate the TDPPS structure with non-Chinese respondents, six samples comprising 1,627 adults participated. Neither confirmatory factor analyses nor exploratory structural equation modeling supported the hypothesized three-dimensional structure of the TDPPS but, instead, identified two dimensions: pain escape and pain emotions. Scales based on these two dimensions demonstrated replicability in cross-validation and score internal consistency reliability. Furthermore, validity for scores on these two scales was confirmed through moderate associations with another pain measure and scales of suicidal behavior and depression. Findings extend knowledge of TDPPS’s structure of psychological pain and suggest a scale scoring revision.


Author(s):  
Aneta Przepiorka ◽  
Tomasz Jankowski ◽  
Malgorzata Sobol

Abstract. The aim of this research was to verify the psychometric properties of scores of the Polish version of the Future Time Perspective Scale (FTPS), developed by Carstensen and Lang (1996) . In Study 1, the sample consisted of  N = 652 participants aged 18–79 years. We performed confirmatory factor analyses to verify the dimensional structure of future time perspective and obtained a three-factor solution. In Study 2, the sample consisted of 771 participants aged 18–75 years. The results confirmed that the scores of FTPS/PL are reliable and that the FTPS/PL has the three-dimensional structure of future time perspective. The following factors were extracted: Focus on Opportunity, Focus on Life, and Focus on Time. We also tested the measurement and structural invariance of the FTPS/PL in three age groups. The results showed the FTP scale after the removal of item 4 is a measure which can be used to compare individuals differing in age. Additionally, we examined the incremental validity of FTPS/PL for life satisfaction and positive and negative affect. In Study 3, the findings showed acceptable test–retest reliability what supports the possibility of using the Polish version of the FTPS in research.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory D. Webster ◽  
Jennifer Lee Howell ◽  
James A Shepperd

With 20 items, the State Self-Esteem Scale (SSES; Heatherton & Polivy, 1991) can be cumbersome in settings that demand efficiency. The present research created an efficient six-item version of the SSES that preserves score reliability and validity and its three-dimensional structure: social, appearance, and performance self-esteem. Item response theory and confirmatory factor analyses identified the “best” six items—two from each dimension (Study 1). Participants completed the SSES four times at two-week intervals (Studies 2 & 3). The six-item SSES’ scores showed adequate test–retest reliability, explained substantial variance in trait-relevant measures, and showed convergent validity with related self-esteem measures. Participants completed the SSES and a laboratory experiment where they received negative feedback on an essay they had written and could retaliate against their evaluator by allocating hot sauce for them to consume (Study 4). The six-item SSES interacted with self-esteem instability in expected ways to predict hot sauce allocated.


2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 54-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Achilleas Kontogeorgos ◽  
Dimitrios Tselempis ◽  
Stamatis Aggelopoulos

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is mainly to investigate how Greek Farmers perceive service quality provided by the Greek Ministry of Agriculture and secondly, to confirm the five quality dimensions proposed by the SERVQUAL instrument for the Ministry’s service. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire based on the SERVQUAL scale, was used to determine farmers’ perceptions of service quality in the area of central Macedonia in Greece. A total of 245 completed questionnaires were collected. Findings – The analysis has shed some light on the quality gaps for the services provided by the Greek Public sector, suggesting that there is scope for improvement strategies. The results revealed a three-dimensional structure instead of the five dimensions of the SERVQUAL instrument. “Social skills” of the human factor were revealed as being the most critical dimension of quality. Practical implications – This paper provides guidelines for policymakers to develop strategies to identify service quality gaps, while the decrease of such gaps could result in the public services’ improvement. Originality/value – The current study is the first attempt to measure farmers’ perceptions of the service provided by the Greece ministry of Rural Development and Food. Secondly, this study provides additional evidence that the modification of the SERVQUAL scale could be used in different service sectors and cultures.


2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 302-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Pedro Sobral ◽  
Maria Emília Costa

Abstract. We developed a new instrument designed to measure fear of intimacy in romantic relationships. We suggest assessing fear of intimacy through two dimensions: self-revelation and dependence. The Fear of Intimacy Components Questionnaire (FICQ) was validated across three studies in which a 10-item solution systematically emerged. Consistently with a two component perspective, a two-factor solution fitted data the best: fear of losing the self (FLS) and fear of losing the other (FLO). Qualitative analyses verified content validity. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses tested the factor structure. Multigroup analyses supported the structural invariance across gender, age, and relationship status. Both factors showed adequate discriminant validity and internal consistency, and good 3-week period test-retest reliability. Associations between the FICQ and insecure attachment orientations demonstrated convergent validity. The association between the FICQ and relationship satisfaction above and beyond a preexisting measure offered criterion validity. By going beyond traditional self-revelation-focused conception of fear of intimacy, that is, by proposing a bi-dimensional structure to fear of intimacy, we believe that this new measure will contribute to future research on fear of intimacy.


Author(s):  
Annamaria Kubovcikova

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to test the properties of the well-known three-dimensional adjustment scale, established by Black et al. (1988, 1989), namely, its dimensionality and internal consistency. The theoretical basis of the construct is discussed in relation to formative and reflective measurement approaches. Design/methodology/approach – Two different ways of organizing the adjustment items (random/non-random) were used to assess the internal consistency of the three-dimensional adjustment scale. The quantitative analysis presented is based on survey data from 468 assigned expatriates in Asia that were subjected to an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis as well as a structural equation modeling – more specifically the multiple indicators multiple causes model (MIMIC). Findings – The study revealed that the adjustment construct is possibly misspecified, especially the general adjustment dimension, that was tested as a formative, not a reflective scale. There is further evidence that the wrong measurement approach skewed the coefficient that connects adjustment to performance, which is the key construct in its nomological network. Moreover, the dimensionality and the internal consistency of the scale are deteriorated to a large extent by randomization of the items. The findings highlight the need for a clear concept definition that would lead to an appropriate operationalization of the construct. Originality/value – The study is one of the few rigorously testing the properties of a construct that has been used for almost 30 years, thus yielding some novel conclusions about its stability and consistency.


2017 ◽  
Vol 83 (20) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabino Pacheco ◽  
Isabel Gómez ◽  
Jorge Sánchez ◽  
Blanca-Ines García-Gómez ◽  
Mario Soberón ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Bacillus thuringiensis three-domain Cry toxins kill insects by forming pores in the apical membrane of larval midgut cells. Oligomerization of the toxin is an important step for pore formation. Domain I helix α-3 participates in toxin oligomerization. Here we identify an intramolecular salt bridge within helix α-3 of Cry4Ba (D111-K115) that is conserved in many members of the family of three-domain Cry toxins. Single point mutations such as D111K or K115D resulted in proteins severely affected in toxicity. These mutants were also altered in oligomerization, and the mutant K115D was more sensitive to protease digestion. The double point mutant with reversed charges, D111K-K115D, recovered both oligomerization and toxicity, suggesting that this salt bridge is highly important for conservation of the structure of helix α-3 and necessary to promote the correct oligomerization of the toxin. IMPORTANCE Domain I has been shown to be involved in oligomerization through helix α-3 in different Cry toxins, and mutations affecting oligomerization also elicit changes in toxicity. The three-dimensional structure of the Cry4Ba toxin reveals an intramolecular salt bridge in helix α-3 of domain I. Mutations that disrupt this salt bridge resulted in changes in Cry4Ba oligomerization and toxicity, while a double point reciprocal mutation that restored the salt bridge resulted in recovery of toxin oligomerization and toxicity. These data highlight the role of oligomer formation as a key step in Cry4Ba toxicity.


2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 400-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goudarz Azar

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which managers’ perceptions of cultural distance – one of the most important explanatory factors in the field of international business – are congruent with objective reality. Design/methodology/approach – By subjecting a sample of 242 export ventures to correlation and confirmatory factor analyses, managers’ perceptions of the cultural distance (i.e. perceived cultural distance) between 29 international markets and Sweden (the home market) were compared, with “objective” cultural distance gauged using Hofstede's (1980) scores for dimensions of national culture. Findings – A statistically significant correlation was found between managers’ perceptions of cultural distance and “objective” cultural distance. Originality/value – Despite the importance of perceptual data in many theoretical and practical domains, few studies analyze the validity of such data. The present findings validate the congruence of perceptual data regarding cultural distance with “objective” cultural distance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Usep Suhud ◽  
Sheila Maryam Bajunaid

This research aimed to investigate consumers’ intention to repurchase jamu at Jamu Café. Service quality, customer satisfaction, and Word-of-Mouth (WOM) were selected as the predictor variables. In total, 200 participants who purchased jamu at the café were selected conveniently. Data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses as well as Structural Equation Model (SEM). As a result, service quality influences customer satisfaction significantly. As customers are satisfied, they do word-of-mouth and repurchase. On the other hand, WOM has an insignificant impact on repurchase intention.


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