Do task- and relation-oriented customers co-create a better quality of service?

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 179-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fung Yi Millissa Cheung ◽  
Wai Ming To
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Service Management ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Service Quality ◽  
Customer Involvement ◽  
Management Literature

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how task- and relation-oriented customers co-create high quality services with frontline employees from the perspective of customer-dominant (C-D) logic. Design/methodology/approach – The authors reviewed the service management literature and identified a number of critical components that help service providers understand the psychology and behaviour of their customers, and how their customers perceive service encounters. The authors tested the theoretical model using a random survey sample of 707 consumers in Hong Kong. Findings – The authors found that information sharing fully mediated the interactive effects of customer involvement and customer motivational orientation on customer perceived service quality and customer satisfaction. These findings support the C-D logic that customers as co-creators of value play a dominant role in service encounters. Research limitations/implications – The authors contribute to the existing management literature by identifying the importance of the C-D logic for service delivery and management. In particular, the involvement of customers with different motivational orientations through information sharing significantly affects customers’ perceived service quality and satisfaction. Originality/value – The paper enhances the understanding of customer’s logic by exploring the conditions and process between customer involvement and service delivery. Further directions for theoretical and empirical research are suggested.

Effect of multichannel service delivery quality on customers’ continued engagement intention

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 473-494
Author(s):  
Ja-Shen Chen ◽  
Hung-Tai Tsou ◽  
Cindy Yunhsin Chou ◽  
Ciou-Hua Ciou
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Information Transparency ◽  
Customer Involvement ◽  
Quality Literature ◽  
Shopping Experience ◽  
Multichannel Service

Purpose Drawing on the extant multichannel service quality literature and customer needs regarding the experiential value of online and offline shopping, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships among multichannel service delivery quality (MSDQ), customer experiences, continued engagement intentions and customer involvement. Design/methodology/approach A research model with five hypotheses was proposed. Data were collected from 911 Taiwanese consumers who had a minimum of two years of multichannel shopping experience. The consumers were asked to complete a survey about their experience with MSDQ. Structural equation modelling was adopted to analyse the data. Findings The results of the analysis suggest that MSDQ positively impacts customer experiences, which in turn influence their continued engagement intentions. Furthermore, the analysis found that customer involvement positively moderates the effects of MSDQ on customer experiences. Research limitations/implications This study adopts the customer experience view to examine the effect of a holistic MSDQ design (including information transparency and accessibility and channel integration) on continued engagement intentions. By integrating a different conceptual lens, this study investigates the relationships among multichannel service quality, customer experiences and customer involvement, which adds alternative insights to the existing findings. Practical implications Managers must provide approaches to enhance the customer experiential values of utilitarianism, aesthetic appeal and playfulness; facilitate the information flow to be transparent and easily accessible; and provide different degrees of service based on customers’ experiences with their multichannel services to satisfy all consumers’ shopping needs. Originality/value The literature has focussed primarily on service providers’ technology capabilities and resources to design multichannel delivery systems. However, this study develops an MSDQ model and investigates its effects on customers’ experiences and continued engagement intentions.

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.

scholarly journals A review of service quality and service delivery

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 295-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zyad M. Alzaydi ◽  
Ali Al-Hajla ◽  
Bang Nguyen ◽  
Chanaka Jayawardhena
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Quality Measurement ◽  
Quality Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Environment ◽  
Informal Controls ◽  
Customer Involvement ◽  
High Level

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide researchers with an overview of the service quality and delivery domain, focussing on the inclusion of customer co-production and customer integration. Specifically, this paper concentrates on service quality (including quality measurement), the service environment, controls and their consequences. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive review of the literature is conducted, analysed and presented. Findings The review shows that service delivery is both complex and challenging, particularly when considering the unique characteristics of services and the high level of customer involvement in their creation. The facilitation, transformation and usage framework identifies how failures can occur at each stage of service delivery, beginning with the characteristics of the service environment, while control theory offers insights into the formal and informal controls that may be applied in the facilitation and transformation stages, which may reduce the likelihood or extent of such failures. Originality/value Despite the fact that it is widely accepted that service quality is an antecedent to customer satisfaction, it is surprising that this customer co-creation aspect has been largely neglected in the extant literature. As such, the role that customer co-production plays in service quality performance has been examined in this paper. It is hoped that this examination will enhance both theoretical and practical understanding of service quality. It would be useful to find modern tools that can help in improving service quality performance.

Perceived cultural distance in intercultural service encounters: does customer participation matter?

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 547-558 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tyson Ang ◽  
Ru-Shiun Liou ◽  
Shuqin Wei
Keyword(s):  
Weight Loss ◽  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Cultural Distance ◽  
Customer Participation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Cultural Distance

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate if perceived cultural distance (PCD) negatively affects service quality and customer satisfaction through customers’ social judgements of the service providers’ warmth and competence in intercultural service encounters (ICSE), and if this negative effect can be mitigated through customer participation (CP).Design/methodology/approachA 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design with an online consumer panel was conducted using a series of intercultural service encounter scenarios (in the weight loss service context) to manipulate CP (high vs low) and pictures of service providers to induce PCD (high vs low).FindingsAs hypothesized, in the context of ICSE, PCD negatively impacts customers’ social judgements of the service providers’ warmth and competence, which in turn influence service quality and customer satisfaction. However, the negative impact of PCD is alleviated when the level of CP is high.Research limitations/implicationsUsing a single service context (weight loss services) may restrict the generalizability of findings. Future research may explore other service contexts.Practical implicationsTo improve customers’ experience, managers in service firms with multicultural customers may create more engagement opportunities by designing the service delivery process in ways in which more CP and involvement is allowed.Originality/valueThis research is among the first to highlight the importance of consumers’ social judgements about culturally dissimilar service providers, which at baseline come with disadvantages but that can be altered through marketing actions (e.g. enhanced CP).

Effects of outsourced service providers’ experiences on perceived service quality

2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (8) ◽  
pp. 1656-1677 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chien-Ta Ho ◽  
Chung-Lun Wei
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Signaling Theory ◽  
Information Asymmetries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Service Quality ◽  
Intention To Purchase ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
Is Outsourcing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework to examine experiences of an information technology/information systems (IS) outsourcing service supplier as a signal of perceived service quality and to consider the moderating effects of information asymmetries and signal credibility. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on signaling theory, the paper integrates past experiences of an outsourcing service supplier, information asymmetries, signal credibility, perceived service quality, and purchase intention into a model. Questionnaires were collected in Taiwan, and partial least-squares technique was employed to test the model. Findings The results indicate that past experiences of an IS outsourcing supplier affect perceived service quality, which subsequently influences positively the intention to purchase IS outsourcing services. In addition, signal credibility moderates the relationship between the provider’s past experiences and perceived service quality, though information asymmetries do not have significant effect on the hypothesized moderating relationship. Originality/value This research enriches the extant literatures in signaling theory by demonstrating the few-mentioned IS outsourced suppliers’ experiences as a quality signal as well as in outsourcing contexts with signaling perspectives. The empirical findings validate the importance of dissemination and investment of past experiences for IS provider companies and give a cue of utilizing providers’ experiences to alleviate uncertainty when assessing IS service quality and purchasing outsourcing services for client companies.

scholarly journals Managing Customer Participation and Customer Interactions in Service Delivery: the Case of Museums and Educational Services

Organizacija ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 166-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlene Amorim ◽  
Maria João Rosa ◽  
Sandra Santos
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Service Delivery ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Customer Participation ◽  
Customer Involvement ◽  
Quality Aspects ◽  
Service Production ◽  
Service Activities ◽  
Third Dimension

AbstractBackground and Purpose – In this study we investigate determinants of customers’ quality perceptions in service processes which involve customer participation and customer to customer interaction (CCI). Building on existing multidimensional approaches to service quality we explore relevant quality aspects for related to the performance customer participation and CCI.Design/Methodology/Approach – The study builds on focus groups conduct with employees and customers of a leading provider of educational and science services, which offered a portfolio of service activities requiring very diverse levels of customer participation and CCI, to characterize service quality dimensions.Results – The study distinguishes three dimensions of service delivery quality: a dimension related to the providers’ direct performance; a second dimension relative to the performance of customers’ own participation in service activities, and a third dimension relative to the interaction with other customers. The work extends service quality literature by identifying new dimensions which affect service quality in service settings with active customer involvement.Conclusion – Service providers have been developing very diverse delivery processes, frequently inviting customers to have active roles in service production. Often, customers also interact with other costumers in service delivery. The paper provides a contribution to foster the debate about service quality frameworks, and aims to inform the design and the management of services where customer participation and CCI have a key role.

scholarly journals Consumer ethnocentrism vs. intercultural competence as moderators in intercultural service encounters

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Piyush Sharma ◽  
Zhan Wu
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Intercultural Competence ◽  
Cultural Distance ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Perceived Service Quality ◽  
Consumer Ethnocentrism ◽  
Perceived Cultural Distance ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the moderating effects of consumer ethnocentrism and intercultural competence on the impact of service outcome and perceived cultural distance, respectively, on interaction comfort and perceived service quality in intercultural service encounters. Design/methodology/approach – A 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design with university students was used, using service encounter scenarios to manipulate service outcome (failure or success) and photos of service employees to manipulate perceived cultural distance (low vs high). Findings – As hypothesized, the impact of service outcome on interaction comfort and perceived service quality is moderated negatively by consumer ethnocentrism, whereas the impact of perceived cultural distance is moderated positively by intercultural competence. Research limitations/implications – An experimental design using imaginary service scenarios was used in a single service context (i.e. restaurant) with university students as participants, which may restrict the generalizability of our findings. Practical implications – Managers in service firms with multicultural customers should try to recruit service employees with high intercultural competence and low consumer ethnocentrism. They should also develop employee training programs that help minimize the adverse impact of these variables on interaction comfort and service quality in intercultural service encounters. Originality/value – This paper extends prior research by exploring the moderating effects of consumer ethnocentrism and intercultural competence on the direct and indirect effects of service outcome and perceived cultural distance on interaction comfort, service quality and satisfaction.

Examining consumer affective goal pursuit in services

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1177-1193
Author(s):  
Cheng Lu Wang ◽  
Ying Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Goal Pursuit ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Service Quality ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Consumption Goals ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how consumers’ affective goal pursuit influences the relationship between their affect and satisfaction in services. In particular, it examines when affect can directly influence satisfaction and when such an impact is mediated by perceived service quality. Design/methodology/approach This research explores consumers’ consumption goals in three different service contexts, i.e., a primarily pleasure-seeking hedonic service context, a primarily arousal-seeking hedonic service context and a utilitarian (non-affect-seeking) service context. Findings Results from two studies show that the primary affective consumption goal determines which specific affect can directly influence satisfaction. Other desirable non-primary affect influences satisfaction through the mediation of perceived service quality. Research limitations/implications This research focuses on the service contexts in which consumers’ primary consumption goals vary. Further research may focus on the priority and strength of a consumer’s various consumption goals in different services and study how the priority and strength of different consumption goals determine how affect influences quality and satisfaction. Practical implications The study provides several insights for service providers and retailers to recognize that consumers’ primary consumption goals may vary in different service contexts, for different consumers, and even at different usage situations. Accordingly, marketers need to develop different strategies for consumer with different goal pursuit in services. Originality/value While the literature has documented that consumer affect influences consumer satisfaction in general, it is unclear how different consumption goals influence the impact of affect on satisfaction. This research contributes to the consumer goal literature by demonstrating the importance of primary consumption goals in the post-consumption evaluation of services.

Relationship between perceived service quality and client satisfaction indicators of engineering consultancy services in building projects

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olusola Ralph Aluko ◽  
Godwin Iroroakpo Idoro ◽  
Modupe Cecilia Mewomo
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Client Satisfaction ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Professional Service ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Service Quality ◽  
Management Indicators ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Service quality is a major determinant of business performance. Empirical evidence from the literature indicates that, to attain a high level of customer satisfaction, a high standard of service quality should be provided by the service provider. This study aims to examine the relationship between the perceived service quality and the indicators of client satisfaction with particular reference to engineering consultancy services in building projects. Design/methodology/approach A survey research approach was adopted using a semi-structured questionnaire as an instrument of data collection. The questionnaire survey formed the basis for the descriptive and inferential (Pearson correlation and multiple regression) statistics that were used to evaluate the relationship between engineering consultants’ service quality and clients’ satisfaction indicators. Findings The study identified 10 key technical indicators and 10 key managerial indicators for measuring client satisfaction. Statistical analysis shows a positive significant relationship between the perceived service quality and all the indicators of client satisfaction. The positive correlation values show that as perceived service quality increases, both technical and management indicators of client satisfaction equally increase. Originality/value The results offer opportunity for professional service providers to continuously develop the technical and management indicators, embrace personnel training and key into continuous professional development for better service quality.

Customers’ value co-creation with healthcare service network partners

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 309-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiyoung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Healthcare Service ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Group Analysis ◽  
The Body ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Service Network ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Perceived Service Quality ◽  
Service Value

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify customers’ service network partners in medical encounters and demonstrate the extent to which customers’ evaluation of each co-creation practice with their service network partners affects their perceived service quality and satisfaction. In addition, the moderating effect of patient age is examined. Design/methodology/approach By using a field survey, data collected from 164 inpatients were examined through structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis. Findings The value-creating activities of customers with service providers, companions and other customers during healthcare service encounters have a positive effect on their perception of service quality and satisfaction related to behavioral intentions. Co-creating with service value network partners has a greater impact on perceived service quality and service satisfaction for patients aged 60 or older. Research limitations/implications By focusing on participants in customers’ service value co-creating networks, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by confirming the importance of each actor and analyzing customers’ value co-creating activities. Originality/value This is the first study to show that when customers’ level of involvement is high, such as in healthcare services, their value-creating activities when interacting with medical staff, companions and other patients positively affect perceived service quality and satisfaction.

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