Assessment of the quality of the service perceived in specific contexts of management of a family business

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla Martins Igreja ◽  
Bruno Barbosa Sousa ◽  
Tiago Silva ◽  
Cláudia Miranda Veloso
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Hotel Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wine Tourism

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to apply the SERVQUAL model to evaluate the quality perceived by customers in the context of family hotel management in Portugal. More specifically, to assess the influence of interpersonal relationships (service providers and customers) in family business services in the wine tourism segment (i.e. wine hotel and spa). In this way, it aims to provide data that can support this family hotel to reinforce the quality of the services provided to guests and therefore their satisfaction and loyalty.Design/methodology/approachThe statistical techniques, using Microsoft Excel 2016® and SPSS Statistics 25.0®, were multivariate for the analysis and validation of the results. In this analysis it can be seen that except the empathy dimension, in which the evaluation of perceived quality is positive, i.e. customer perceptions were higher than expectations, the remaining dimensions of the SERVQUAL model were negative. The safety dimension ranked second, followed by service delivery dimensions, problem solving and tangibility.FindingsThe results show that the empathy dimension positively influences the evaluation of the perceived quality and thus also the satisfaction and loyalty of guests to the family hotel in the wine tourism segment. So, it is recommended that the hotel management of this family hotel reinforces service quality by investing in the improvement of physical facilities, problem-solving capacity, and service delivery, to obtain higher levels of perceived quality service and hence customer satisfaction and loyalty and, simultaneously, increase its performance and organizational sustainability.Research limitations/implicationsIn addition to the direct contributions to the hotel management of this family business hotel, this study contributes to the development of the marketing scientific area, tourism and hospitality industry.Practical implicationsSeveral studies argue that the competitive advantage of the hotel business is based on the creation of value and of experiences for the customer, but in the context of family hotels, the creation of value for the customer is even more relevant, given the characteristics of this type of business, such as its small size and the reduced number of employees. Family hotels should invest in tools and techniques that allow them to create value for the customer through the quality of service offered to their guests.Originality/valueThis paper aimed to evaluate perceived quality in the context of family hotel management in Portugal. In particular, the contribution of interpersonal relationships (between service providers and guests), in hotel services in the wine tourism segment in Portugal. According to the analysis of the results of the exploratory study to Hotel context, it was concluded that there are differences between the perceptions and expectations of hotel guests.

Quality, satisfaction and loyalty indices

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 428-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Ma Castillo Canalejo ◽  
Juan Antonio Jimber del Río
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Perceived Value ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Large Set ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Tourism Services

Purpose The main purpose of this research was to develop a universal model to evaluate the perceived value of tourism services and satisfaction with, and loyalty to, destinations from the consumers’ perspective and demonstrated the model’s applicability in this context. Design/methodology/approach Using the structural equation model, cause and effect relationships were identified between the proposed model’s constructs, and indices of quality, satisfaction and loyalty among tourists were estimated. This system was applied to a large set of data collected with a structured questionnaire distributed to tourists visiting the city of Seville through a non-probabilistic sampling by intentional quotas method. In total, 922 valid surveys were obtained. Findings The indices show that tourists who visit Seville report a high level of loyalty to, and satisfaction with, this place because of the perceived quality of a variety of services. It is observed that the perceived quality index is much higher (17.95 per cent) than the expected quality index, so the quality of the service received by the tourist during his/her visit to Seville is described as excellent. Research limitations/implications Regarding this study’s limitations, other variables could have been included that influence tourist satisfaction, such as the climate, the effect of advertising medium, the prices and the emotional components. In addition, surveying tourists’ expectations before their visit is virtually impossible, as is surveying the same tourists again about their perceived value and satisfaction after their visit. Future lines of research could focus on the intersection of information between tourism offer and demand, providing information about an appropriate balance in specific markets. The proposed model can also be applied to other tourism places that are similar to Seville’s tourism offer, allowing useful comparisons and identification of critical points and ways to improve customer satisfaction continuously. Practical implications By establishing indices of expected and perceived quality and satisfaction and loyalty among tourists, tourism authorities and different economic agents involved in this sector can receive objective information about the results and quality of tourism services. Tourism managers, thus, can set objectives for improvements and competitiveness, as well as building and maintaining customer loyalty. At the same time, these indices allow comparisons with other organisations and places. By facilitating greater transparency in the measurement of quality and satisfaction, service providers connected to tourism can create a platform on which to articulate clearly their contributions to interested parties and local communities. Social implications These results constitute strategies and findings that any tourism place has to consider in the planning and development of its products. Therefore the model can help to encourage a long-term market perspective among tourism sector regulators, investors and agencies. With the information obtained with this model, areas needing improvement can be identified and the appropriate procedures can be put into practice to improve the tourism offer, adjusting it to meet travellers’ needs according to their motivations to travel to the destination. Residents also can benefit from these measures, as their quality of life will improve through upgrades of the city’s tourism facilities. Originality/value The unique contribution of the present study lies in how the indices or indicators of quality of, satisfaction with and loyalty to destinations among tourists are easily measured by applying structural equation modelling. A new approach to measure satisfaction, loyalty and quality is used based on a scale from 0 to 100, and the index results are very useful for comparing different tourist places.

Identification and quantification of influent factors in perceived quality of the e-service provided by a university

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 438-457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liziane Silva Menezes ◽  
Miguel Afonso Sellitto ◽  
Tatiane Pereira Librelato ◽  
Miriam Borchardt ◽  
Giancarlo Medeiros Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Multiple Item ◽  
Degree Of Satisfaction ◽  
Confirmatory Analysis ◽  
Influent Factors ◽  
Qualitative Part

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a multiple item scale for measuring perceived quality in e-service provided by a university. Design/methodology/approach – The authors used a two-step methodology: a qualitative part to identify relevant dimensions and indicators in e-service and a numerical survey to assess preferences and evaluations of 252 users, regarding indicators of e-service quality, as well as a global degree of satisfaction with the overall e-service. Multivariate and structural techniques helped extracting guidelines for improving perceived quality. Findings – The authors refined a scale by factor analysis, remaining five dimensions and 15 items. The five dimensions are: trust, convenience, responsivity, empathy and personalization. The authors found out that trust, responsivity and empathy, at a 0.01 level, are directly related with the overall satisfaction with e-service. Research limitations/implications – Specific results are not generalizable to others universities, but the method can be replicated in others e-service providers. For continuity, the authors recommend multicriterial methods for prioritizing indicators. For confirmatory analysis, the authors suggest a new survey with a larger sample, aggregating new indicators by more qualitative research. Practical implications – The method can help universities to evaluate and eventually reformulate their strategies in dealing with e-services users. Originality/value – The paper helps clarify how to structure and organize indicators related to e-service perceived quality and how to identify those activities that can help managers to improve it.

scholarly journals Estimating PQoS of Video Streaming on Wi-Fi Networks Using Machine Learning

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 621
Author(s):  
Maghsoud Morshedi ◽  
Josef Noll
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Video Streaming ◽  
Network Performance ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Internet Service Providers ◽  
Performance Parameters ◽  
Internet Service ◽  
Access Points

Video on demand (VoD) services such as YouTube have generated considerable volumes of Internet traffic in homes and buildings in recent years. While Internet service providers deploy fiber and recent wireless technologies such as 802.11ax to support high bandwidth requirement, the best-effort nature of 802.11 networks and variable wireless medium conditions hinder users from experiencing maximum quality during video streaming. Hence, Internet service providers (ISPs) have an interest in monitoring the perceived quality of service (PQoS) in customer premises in order to avoid customer dissatisfaction and churn. Since existing approaches for estimating PQoS or quality of experience (QoE) requires external measurement of generic network performance parameters, this paper presents a novel approach to estimate the PQoS of video streaming using only 802.11 specific network performance parameters collected from wireless access points. This study produced datasets comprising 802.11n/ac/ax specific network performance parameters labelled with PQoS in the form of mean opinion scores (MOS) to train machine learning algorithms. As a result, we achieved as many as 93–99% classification accuracy in estimating PQoS by monitoring only 802.11 parameters on off-the-shelf Wi-Fi access points. Furthermore, the 802.11 parameters used in the machine learning model were analyzed to identify the cause of quality degradation detected on the Wi-Fi networks. Finally, ISPs can utilize the results of this study to provide predictable and measurable wireless quality by implementing non-intrusive monitoring of customers’ perceived quality. In addition, this approach reduces customers’ privacy concerns while reducing the operational cost of analytics for ISPs.

Patient satisfaction with the quality of care in Ghana’s health-care institutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 160-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron Asibi Abuosi ◽  
Mahama Braimah
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Patient Satisfaction ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care Facilities

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine patient satisfaction with the quality of care in Ghana’s health-care facilities using a disaggregated approach. Design/methodology/approach The study was a cross-sectional national survey. A sample of 4,079 males and females in the age group of 15-49 years were interviewed. Descriptive statistics, principal component analysis and t-tests were used in statistical analysis. Findings About 70 per cent of patients were satisfied with the quality of care provided in health-care facilities in Ghana, whereas about 30 per cent of patients were fairly satisfied. Females and insured patients were more likely to be satisfied with the quality of care, compared with males and uninsured patients. Research limitations/implications Because data were obtained from a national survey, the questionnaire did not include the type of facility patients attended to find out whether satisfaction with the quality of care varied by the type of health facility. Future studies may, therefore, include this. Practical implications The study contributes to the literature on patient satisfaction with the quality of care. It highlights that long waiting time remains an intractable problem at various service delivery units of health facilities and constitutes a major source of patient dissatisfaction with the quality of care. Innovative measures must, therefore, be adopted to address the problem. Originality/value There is a paucity of research that uses a disaggregated approach to examine patient satisfaction with the quality of care at various service delivery units of health facilities. This study is a modest contribution to this research gap.

An empirical investigation of tourist’s choice of service delivery options

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1892-1913 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arun Kumar Kaushik ◽  
Zillur Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Service Delivery ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Technology Readiness ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Perceived Ease Of Use ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Delivery Options

Purpose This paper aims to offer and examine a conceptual model of tourist innovativeness toward self-service technologies (SSTs) to confirm whether tourists prefer service delivery by SSTs over employees in an offline hospitality environment. Design/methodology/approach Tourists’ perceived usefulness (PU) of SSTs and need for interaction (NI) with service employees have been taken as crucial mediating variables to examine the effects of perceived ease of use and technology readiness index personality dimensions toward SST and employee-based service adoption. Findings Findings reveal that both “NI” and “PU” play significant roles in Technology Readiness and Acceptance Model (TRAM) when tourists select one of two service delivery options – SSTs and service employees. Research limitations/implications The foremost limitation of the study is its dependence on domestic tourist samples. However, such samples were chosen because tourists comprising these samples tend to use similar service delivery options more, in turn increasing their use of SSTs available in sample hotels. Practical implications The study gives a deeper understanding of TRAM with an extremely crucial mediating variable (NI) in an offline service context. It also provides useful insights to service providers and policy makers for developing new strategies and policies to enhance user experience. Social implications This study recommends the usage of numerous SSTs by tourists. Originality/value During extensive literature review carried out in this research, no study was found that proposed such an effective framework in an offline service context.

A comparison between economic and organic store brands

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (12) ◽  
pp. 1298-1316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magali Jara ◽  
Gérard Cliquet ◽  
Isabelle Robert
Keyword(s):  
Brand Equity ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Store Brand ◽  
Store Brands ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Further Development

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to tackle the issue of store brand equity by considering two store brand’s positioning strategies: those with high perceived added value (the organic store brands), as opposed to economic brands. It takes place in the current environmental considerations showing the important role played by the packaging in determining the store brand equity. Design/methodology/approach A PLS Path model divided into four sub-models enables the authors to make specific predictions about customers’ purchase intentions. It also provides a concise operational calculation of the brand equity of each studied store brand. Findings Results show that economic brands build their equity with reinforced packaging, and organic brands maximise their brand equity by using simple packaging. In general, reinforced packaging improves the perceived quality of economic store brands but destroys that of organic brands. The calculations of overall equity scores for each studied store brand reveal that economic brands could benefit from further development whilst organic brands already maximise their equity. Practical implications Results will enable large retailers to develop effective campaigns focussing on perceived quality and more specifically by designing packaging that are suitable for the positioning of their brands – a simple packaging for organic brands and a reinforced packaging for economic brands to maximise customers’ value. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to deepen the store brand equity, comparing two contrasting types of brands, by studying specifically variations of the levels of customers’ perceived quality depending of two types of packaging.

Service Delivery and Accountability of Urban Officials: Evidence from Urban-based Local Government in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
pp. 097152312110163
Author(s):  
A. H. M. Kamrul Ahsan ◽  
Peter Walters ◽  
Md. Adil Khan
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
City Government ◽  
Quality Monitoring ◽  
Government Service ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Similar Class ◽  
Rajshahi City

This study compares the state of city government service delivery for communities living in different areas with different level of affluence in Rajshahi City in Bangladesh. Based on the results of a qualitative study, we found a significant service disparity between the affluent and the poor communities. This disparity is due to the inability of the poor to hold service providers accountable, attributable to a lack of knowledge about services and a lack of social status. Lack of quality monitoring and a marked bias in the quality of interactions between the poor and the affluent contribute to the service disparity This disparity is largely invisible to the poor who, instead of comparing themselves with the affluent citizens, compare themselves with a similar class of people.

Service journey quality: conceptualization, measurement and customer outcomes

2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Elina Jaakkola ◽  
Harri Terho
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Customer Loyalty ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Critical Determinant ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe quality of the customer journey has become a critical determinant of successful service delivery in contemporary business. Extant journey research focuses on the customer path to purchase, but pays less attention to the touchpoints related to service delivery and consumption that are key for understanding customer experiences in service-intensive contexts. The purpose of this study is to conceptualize service journey quality (SJQ), develop measures for the construct and study its key outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a discovery-oriented research approach to conceptualize SJQ by synthesizing theory and field-based insights from customer focus group discussions. Next, using consumer survey data (N = 278) from the financial services context, the authors develop measures for the SJQ. Finally, based on an additional survey dataset (N = 239), the authors test the nomological validity and predictive relevance of the SJQ.FindingsSJQ comprises of three dimensions: (1) journey seamlessness, (2) journey personalization and (3) journey coherence. This study demonstrates that SJQ is a critical driver of service quality and customer loyalty in contemporary business. This study finds that the loyalty link is partially mediated through service quality, indicating that SJQ explains loyalty above and beyond service quality.Research limitations/implicationsSince service quality only partially mediates the link between service journey quality and customer loyalty, future studies should examine alternative mediators, such as customer experience, for a more comprehensive understanding of the performance effects.Practical implicationsThe study offers concrete tools for service managers who wish to understand and develop the quality of service journeys.Originality/valueThis study advances the service journey concept, demonstrates that the quality of the service journey is a critical driver of customer performance and provides rigorous journey constructs for future service research.

The role of transformative healthcare technology on quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Asif Salam ◽  
Saleh Bajaba
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Service System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Care System

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of the COVID-19 health-care system quality (HSQ) and its impact on the individual (satisfaction) and social (quality of life [QOL]) outcomes in the context of a transformative health-care delivery system using service-dominant logic (SDL). Design/methodology/approach A sample consisting of 1,008 individuals who have experienced the COVID-19 health-care system was drawn from four different regions of Saudi Arabia using the simple random sampling technique. The survey was conducted using an online survey and 1,008 respondents answered, based on their experience and knowledge of the COVID-19 health-care system. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was applied to test the proposed research model. Findings The study findings suggest that service system satisfaction (SAT) significantly mediates the role of the HSQ in delivering and enhancing the QOL. HSQ also has a significant role to play on the SAT as well as the QOL. These findings contribute to the body of knowledge on SDL in the context of HSQ in understanding the significant role of technologies can play in enhancing service satisfaction and better QOL during a crisis such as COVID-19. This study also improves the understanding of the importance of customer-centricity, real-time visibility through tracking and tracing of service flow, agile decision-making, fewer but better-defined service objectives, and finally shaping mindsets and behaviors of all the relevant parties involved in the HSQ service delivery process. Research limitations/implications One of the major limitations of this study is that, although COVID-19 is an ongoing global pandemic, cross-sectional data were collected in only one country. The findings may not be generalizable across subsequent waves of the pandemic. The best practices of HSQ could be studied around the globe and the results used to support continuous improvement. Originality/value This study advances the understanding of the SDL in the context of a transformative health-care system for a transitional economy by focusing on individual and social well-being during an unexpected crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study also contributes toward the understanding of the roles of enabling technologies to improve the service delivery system which results in an improved SAT, as well as better QOL for the society at large. Based on SDL this research validates the HSQ model, relevant measures and its overall impact on SAT and QOL in the context of a transformative health-care service system in Saudi Arabia.

Tourism public-private partnership (PPP) projects: an exploratory-sequential approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marwa Ghanem ◽  
Ibrahim Elshaer ◽  
Samar Saad
Keyword(s):  
Interpersonal Relationships ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Stakeholder Management ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Sequential Approach ◽  
Essential Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This study aims to address the absence of a thorough understanding of commitment in tourism public-private partnerships (PPP) by exploring antecedents of PPP commitment and their underpinning relationships in regard to the destination management system (DMS). Design/methodology/approach An empirical investigation of the case of the Egyptian DMS, a PPP which was forsaken by the government partner and which subsequently failed. Qualitative and quantitative approaches are used for a comprehensive overview of the researched phenomena pertaining to external and internal stakeholders. Findings The results indicated that stakeholder management, relational capital, perceived benefits and stakeholder capabilities could influence intentions to commit to a tourism PPP project. Also, the latter three factors were found to mediate the relationship between stakeholder management and long-term PPP commitment. The results also shed light on the important aspects of non-contractual, interpersonal relationships between internal and external PPP stakeholders. Originality/value This research pioneers inquiries on the commitment of Tourism PPP/DMS projects and its possible drivers in a non-Western context. Also, this study contributes to knowledge by exploring the relationship within and between internal (partners) and external (e.g. local service providers) stakeholder groups and provided evidence on the crucial role of both on long-term PPP commitment and success. The current study has a few significant contributions to the PPP literature regarding the commitment and success of PPP in the complicated environments in which tourism PPP projects are operated. Moreover, this study offers essential information and practices for improving partner relationships with external stakeholders.

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