Delivering warmth by hand: customer responses to different formats of written communication

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 223-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xingyao Ren ◽  
Lan Xia ◽  
Jiangang Du
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Relational Communication ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Written Communication ◽  
Message Delivery ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Effort

Purpose The effect of different formats of message delivery has received little theoretical and empirical examination. This research focuses on the effect of written relational communication formats used by service providers. This study aims to answer three questions: Do different formats of written communications (i.e. handwriting and print) influence customer perceptions (i.e. feelings of warmth) of service firms? What are the mediators of these influences (i.e. perceived effort and psychological closeness)? And under what conditions do they occur (i.e. what is the contextual factor)? Design/methodology/approach One field study and three laboratory studies were conducted to provide a comprehensive understanding of the role of format in written communication. Findings Handwritten messages are more effective than print messages in building relationships in a service context because they elicit stronger feelings of warmth because of both the perception of greater effort and feelings of greater psychological closeness to the service provider. However, the presence of handwriting fails to deliver feelings of warmth when the quality of core services is low. Practical implications Service providers can effectively use handwritten communication to signal effort and create psychological closeness for relationship building with their key customers only when the quality of core services meets customer expectations. Originality/value First, the research differentiates the formats of written relational communication (handwritten vs print), and links communication formats with feelings of warmth, which is an important factor for impression and relationship formation in the practice of services marketing. Second, based on cognitive-experiential self-theory, this research demonstrates the dual mediators underlying the effect of handwriting (vs print) on warmth: perceived effort and psychological closeness. Third, it identifies the quality of core service as a boundary condition for the effect of handwritten communication.

Factors affecting the development of e-government using a citizen-centric approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 206-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kanda Sorn-in ◽  
Kulthida Tuamsuk ◽  
Wasu Chaopanon
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Government Services ◽  
Government Sector ◽  
The Government

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the factors affecting the development of e-government by using a citizen-centric approach. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is a mixed-methods study consisting of qualitative and quantitative research. Data were collected from government agencies using a structured interview and questionnaire about e-government services. The research was collected from the people responsible for the management of an e-government project in 75 government agencies. In addition, the researcher collected data from 1,400 citizens by using an e-Survey questionnaire that grouped participants by age. Findings – By using a citizen-centric approach, the paper identified the factors affecting the development of e-government. There were five factors from the viewpoint of government agencies and citizen groups: quality of e-government services, policy and governance, information technology infrastructure, organization and economy and society. Research limitations/implications – The research covered the development patterns of e-government for services from government to citizens only. Practical implications – Seeing the importance of environmental factors for both service providers and service users would facilitate continuous improvement of e-government service provision by government agencies. Social implications – The results reflect citizens’ need for e-government services; quality is their priority. Hence, government agencies must consider the quality of the delivery of information and e-government services as they relate to the lifestyles and needs of citizens. Originality/value – The creation of knowledge from merging e-government concepts with citizen-centric principles is a modern government sector management theory. This research stresses the need for the government sector to see the need for e-government and to recognize the factors for its successful development. This means the design and development of e-government services should respond to the increasing needs of the citizens.

Accommodating ethnic minority consumers during service encounters: the fine line

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Mady ◽  
John B. Ford ◽  
Tarek Mady
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Ethnic Minority ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Service Encounter ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quality Perceptions ◽  
Language And Ethnicity ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to examine the effect of intercultural accommodation efforts on service quality perceptions among ethnic minority consumers. Specifically, the paper postulates that during an intercultural service encounter, the impact of the service provider’s language and ethnicity on the consumer’s service quality perceptions is moderated by the level of service involvement, consumer acculturation and perceived discrimination, which, in turn, influence purchase intent. Design/methodology/approach A 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design with an online nationwide consumer panel of Hispanic consumers was conducted where 377 participants were randomly assigned to a series of service encounter scenarios in the banking service context to manipulate accommodation efforts (yes vs no) and the level of involvement with the service (high vs low). Findings When such language and ethnicity accommodations were offered, highly acculturated minority consumers regarded the service encounter less favorably than low acculturated minority consumers. Moreover, during low-involvement service encounters, intercultural accommodations positively impacted consumer’s service quality perceptions compared to situations involving high-involvement services. Also, minority consumers with perceptions of past discrimination had less favorable evaluations of the service quality than when such perceptions were nonexistent when intercultural accommodation efforts were made by the service provider. Research limitations/implications The findings add to the sparse literature that examines the effectiveness of intercultural accommodation and focuses on the combined use of service provider’s language and ethnicity as a means to enhance service quality. Practical implications The study delivers cautions for service firms not to generalize the receptivity of intercultural accommodation efforts. Given the increasingly sizable segments of minority customers, this study offers insights for service providers to develop suitable recruitment strategies and training programs when devising effective ethnic targeting strategies. Originality/value This research is among the first to explain why the effect of target marketing is not homogenous by expanding the research on intercultural accommodations toward a new context considering service involvement levels among varied minority consumer groups.

Competitive capabilities in knowledge-intensive services firms: strategic advantages of born globals in a peripheral region

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Muñoz Guarasa ◽  
Bruno Brandão Fischer
Keyword(s):  
Service Sector ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Peripheral Region ◽  
Quality Of Services ◽  
Service Firms ◽  
Born Global ◽  
Specific Domain ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge Intensive

Purpose While the born global (BG) phenomenon has been well established in the literature, studies on accelerated internationalization of firms in the service sector have been scarce, particularly for the specific case of knowledge-intensive services (KIS). The purpose of this paper is to explore which competitive characteristics differentiate KIS BGs from other KIS firms in the context of a peripheral region. Design/methodology/approach The empirical focus of this study comprehends primary survey data from 250 Spanish KIS firms (Andalusia) that have been internationalized and analyzed through ordinal and ordinary least squares regressions. The authors address the “born-global effect” on five features of interest, namely, entry mode, technological capabilities, qualification of staff, external resources and quality of services. Findings Results suggest that KIS BGs in Andalusia perceive exports as a more relevant form of internationalization than its non-BG peers. Also, KIS BGs in Andalusia present higher levels of technological intensity. Differences in terms of staff qualification, access to extramural R&D resources and the quality of services could not be identified. Research limitations/implications The main limitation of this research concerns its cross-sectional character, thus hindering the evaluation of developmental trajectories taking place in the cohort under scrutiny. Such an approach would allow a better comprehension of the competitiveness dynamics in internationalized KIS firms. Also, because this assessment is geographically restricted to Andalusia, Spain, the authors recommend caution in establishing direct comparisons and appropriation of results for other regional/national contexts. Practical implications Recommendations for public policy include establishing the necessary infrastructures to encourage the technological development of KIS companies and provide support – through export promotion agencies, for instance – for early approximation with foreign markets. Taking into account the contributions of KIS firms for the development of a peripheral economy, this involves the need to establish instruments that provide strategic information to internationalize, as well as lines of funding for these companies. Originality/value Empirical evidence on KIS BGs is needed to fully grasp its differences to other internationalized service firms. The analysis within this specific domain represents an advance in the literature on this subject. Also, the context of peripheral regions – considering their economic differences to core areas – has been understudied. The elaboration and application of the survey have allowed the authors to have access to primary in-depth data and, therefore, to build a better understanding of KIS BGs in Andalusia, Spain.

scholarly journals The determinants of customer loyalty in the Indonesian ride-sharing services: offline vs online

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adi Kuswanto ◽  
Sundari Sundari Sundari Sundari ◽  
Ashur Harmadi ◽  
Dwi Asih Hariyanti Dwi Asih Hariyanti
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Goodness Of Fit ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
High Reliability ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Private Company ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ride Sharing ◽  
Fit Index

Purpose This study aims to analyze the effect of service quality on trust, satisfaction and loyalty by adopting two models, namely, conventional service quality model from Parasuraman and information systems (IS) success model from Delone and McLean. Design/methodology/approach Respondents of this study were users of shared-motorcycle services who filled out a complete questionnaire totaling 507. This research used a second-order structural equation model. All question items had quite high reliability and validity based on the result of confirmatory factor analysis with a value of average variance extracted and composite reliability which was higher than 0.70. The goodness of fit was quite good with the values x2/df = 2.493, incremental fit index = 0.921, Tucker-Lewis index = 0.917, comparative fit index = 0.921 and root-mean-square error of approximation = 0.054. Findings Online and offline ride-sharing services reveal a strong and positive influence on trust and satisfaction. Trust reveals a strong and positive influence on satisfaction and loyalty. Finally, satisfaction reveals a strong and positive influence on loyalty. The research in general shows that the quality of offline service is more influential than the quality of online service in the case of ride-sharing service provided by two companies in Indonesia. Research limitations/implications The sampling frame of the research was diverse, including students of various collages and junior high schools, various private company workers and government employees. So, the results cannot be generalized to all populations especially to all Indonesian customers. It is recommended to increase the number of samples by focusing on the community groups of customers of public motorbikes, so that these groups can be compared. Next, the research finds that both service quality based on IS and service quality models reveal a strong and positive influence on loyalty both directly and indirectly. Originality/value The research uses respondents who use motorcycle services both online and offline. The findings of the research are important for online and offline ride-sharing motorbike service providers. They have to maintain their excellent services to the customers.

Factors influencing the choice of financial advisor by women stock investors in Punjab

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-201
Author(s):  
Mandeep Kaur ◽  
Tina Vohra
Keyword(s):  
Service Providers ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Financial Advisors ◽  
Women Clients ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Advisor ◽  
Investment Advisor ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Purpose The paper aims to attempt to identify the attributes that women look for in their financial advisor and to examine if the choice of attributes of a financial advisor among women investors in Punjab is the same across demographics. The understanding of the attributes that women want in their financial advisor will help the financial advisors to be mindful of the opportunities and the challenges they have to face while working with women investors. Studying the impact of demographics on the choice of the investment advisor would enable the service providers to provide women with services relevant to their unique and individual situations. Design/methodology/approach A pre-tested, well-structured questionnaire was constructed and administered personally, and the responses of 200 women investors were analyzed. The sum of the ranks assigned by women to various attributes determining the choice of a financial advisor was used to find out the most preferred attribute on the basis of which women choose their financial advisor. The Kruskal Wallis test was used to analyze the impact of demographics on the choice of the respondents. Findings The results of the study brought out that the friendliness of the financial advisor, and the quality of advice provided by them are preferred attributes determining the choice of a financial advisor. Along with this, the results also state that the preference for the attribute friendliness and quality of advice is not the same across age groups. The choice of attributes also varies according to the marital status of the respondents. Practical implications The current study will contribute toward a greater understanding of the attributes which are considered important by women while choosing their financial advisor. The study will help the financial advisors to cater to the needs of their women clients. Moreover, the study will also benefit women by bringing about a positive change in the attitude of the financial advisors in favor of them. The greater sensitization of the financial advisors toward their women clients would lead to greater stock market participation among women, thereby benefitting the society. Originality/value The paper is an attempt to identify the attributes that women look for in their financial advisor and to examine if the choice of attributes of a financial advisor among women investors in Punjab is the same across demographics or not. Therefore, the study contributes to the understanding of the investment behavior of women.

scholarly journals Commissioning personalised care in the English adult social care sector: an action research model to support leadership development

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet McCray ◽  
Adam Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Brain Injury ◽  
Action Research ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
The South ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the perspectives of English adult social care sector partners on the qualifications and standards required for leaders as they prepare to meet the demands of commissioning personalised care. Continuing an action research cycle guided by Coghlan and Brannicks (2010, p. 4) organisational centred model (McCray and Palmer, 2009) it benefits from the previous experience and reflection in action of the partners and researchers. Set in a general social care context, lessons learned from the study outcomes will be of interest to both commissioners of services and service users with acquired brain injury. Design/methodology/approach – A model of action research informed by Coghlan and Brannicks’ (2010, p. 4) organisational centred model focused on context, quality of relationships, quality of the research process and its’ outcomes was used. The role of the authors was to facilitate diagnosis of the leadership issues arising from the implementation of personalised care in the English adult social care sector and in collaboration with sector partners seek resolutions. Six focus groups comprising two commissioners, service providers, user group and care manager/social work leads were facilitated at two separate events in the south of England. Findings – Findings presented are derived from focus group discussions with strategic and organisational leaders and service user partners from the English adult social care sectors. Analysis of focus group data identified a number of themes. The overarching themes of human resource management, gaps in industry standards and leadership are discussed here. Whilst industry sector standard qualifications and frameworks may be at the centre of strategic planning for transformation, findings here have identified that additional support will be required to create leaders who can commission successfully to create cultural change. New approaches to leadership development may be needed to facilitate this process. Research limitations/implications – The study offers a single method qualitative research approach based on two local authorities in the south of England. It presents a localised and particular view of leadership development needs. Practical implications – The paper shows how action research can make a contribution to knowledge and practice. Originality/value – The paper provides interesting new insights into the skills for commissioning in a changing public and third sector environment with reference to commissioning personalised support for people with brain injury.

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.

What makes a glamping experience great?

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Brochado ◽  
Fernando Brochado
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Quality Of Experience ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
User Generated Content ◽  
Niche Markets ◽  
Market Segments ◽  
Food Ingredients ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Methods

PurposeThe concept of camping has changed over time, with new niche markets appealing to sustainable tourists. Glamping – short for “glamorous camping” – offers a way to experience the positive aspects of camping while minimising the negatives. This paper aims to present the empirical findings of an exploratory study that examined tourists’ Web-reviews to identify the expressive dimensions that describe these travellers’ experience.Design/methodology/approachA content analysis of Web reviews provided by tourists on glamping booking websites produced a battery of concepts used to assess glamping experiences from the guests’ perspective. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used.FindingsThe analysis identified 11 themes: experience, hotel, learn, host, camping, nature, food, ingredients, different, eco and yoga. The results reveal that, when quality of experience is evaluated through user-generated content, two attributes appear to be involved – functional elements offered by service providers and consumers’ emotional elements.Originality/valueWeb-reviews clearly offer important information to managers in the glamping sector. The present study’s analysis revealed that different market segments (i.e. couples, visitors with families or friends and those travelling alone) share certain aspects of glamping experiences.

Service quality evaluation of automobile garages using a structural approach

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ajith Tom James ◽  
Jasmin James
Keyword(s):  
Graph Theory ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Service Industry ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Business Environment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Quality Evaluation ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the service quality automobile garages through development of a service quality index based on the factors influencing service quality.Design/methodology/approachA structural methodology of graph theory and matrix approach is applied for developing the service quality index.FindingsThe automobile maintenance can be considered as a service industry and in order to sustain in the competitive business environment, the service providers must ensure quality in their services. There are several factors that influence the service quality. Each factor is comprised of several sub-factors. Moreover, the factors are interrelated with each other. Modelling of these factors and their interrelations with due consideration of their structure is accomplished through the graph theory. The directed graph (digraph) of the service quality is defined; the nodes of this symbolize the quality influencing factors, while the edges represent their degrees of interrelationships. An equivalent matrix developed from the digraph establishes a service quality function which leads to evaluation of service quality index (SQI). A greater value of the service quality index displays that the organization and functioning of the garage is adequate.Practical implicationsThe methodology can be applied for evaluating as well as comparing service quality of different garages. The observations would be helpful to the managers the garages to make strategies for improving their service quality.Originality/valueThe paper establishes the interrelations among various factors that influence the service quality at automobile garages and develop a numeric index for the evaluation of the same.

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.

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