scholarly journals Joint Product Improvement by Client and Customer Support Center: The Role of Gain-Share Contracts in Coordination

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shantanu Bhattacharya ◽  
Alok Gupta ◽  
Sameer Hasija
2021 ◽  
pp. 089331892110120
Author(s):  
Heewon Kim ◽  
Rebecca B. Leach

Employee burnout is a critical organizational concern that can be prevalent among customer support workers whose day-to-day tasks inherently include emotional labor. This study examines emotional labor and burnout among call center workers in customer service industries, specifically focusing on the influences of injustices from customers and supervisors. The findings demonstrate that: (a) customer injustice was associated with an increase in emotional labor, which in turn exacerbated customer support workers’ disengagement and exhaustion; (b) interpersonal justice perceived in the interactions with supervisors was negatively associated with disengagement; and (c) procedural justice perceived in supervisors’ decision-making processes was also negatively associated with disengagement. The findings indicate the mitigating role of interpersonal and procedural justice in reducing burnout among customer support workers.


2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Wuyts ◽  
Aric Rindfleisch ◽  
Alka Citrin

Author(s):  
Dr. Shilpa Rathi

E-commerce consists of buying and selling of products and services over electronic systems such as the internet and other computer networks. E-commerce is a commercial activity dealing directly with the trading of goods and services and with other related business activities, in which the electronic communication medium plays a central role. These activities include the communication of information, the management of payment, the negotiating and trading of financial instruments and the management of transport. The e-business can be used for three primary processes which help to enhance the business and they are; • The Production Process • Customer Centric Process • Employee Centric Process The production processes is the first which include procurement, ordering and replenishment of stocks; processing of payments; electronic links with suppliers; and production control processes, among others. The second is customer-focused processes, which include promotional and marketing efforts, selling over the Internet, processing of customers purchase orders and payments, and customer support, among others. An internal management process The third includes employee services, training, internal information-sharing, video-conferencing, and recruiting. Generally electronic applications enhance information flow between production and sales forces to improve sales force productivity. The purpose of this paper is to find the benefits, challenges and success of e-commerce with special reference to Life Insurance Corporation of India.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mornay Roberts-Lombard ◽  
Daniël Johannes Petzer

PurposeUsing the stimulus–organism–response (S–O–R) framework, this study investigates the role of trust (organism) in influencing the behavioural intentions (response) of emerging market retail banking customers, based on the banks' selected customer-focused efforts (stimuli) to influence behavioural intentions. The study also looks at the moderating effects of customers' perceived value and the duration of their support on these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe data analysed were collected from 599 retail banking customers in an emerging market via a self-administered questionnaire.FindingsCustomer-focused efforts, except for expertise, significantly and positively influence trust. Trust partially mediates the relationships between the remaining customer-focused efforts and behavioural intentions. Furthermore, perceived value moderates the relationships between these stimuli and trust, excluding information sharing. The duration of customer support for the bank also moderates the relationships between these stimuli and trust, bar customer orientation.Research limitations/implicationsThe study augments the understanding of trust's role as the organism from an S–O–R framework perspective.Practical implicationsThe study assists banks in emerging markets in understanding trust's role in influencing customers' behavioural intentions, given the application of selected customer-focused efforts. It highlights the significance of perceived value and duration of customer support in the relationships between these customer-focused efforts and trust.Originality/valueUsing a single S–O–R framework, the role of trust in mediating the relationships between retail banks' selected customer-focused efforts and customers' behavioural intentions is uncovered.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 657-672 ◽  
Author(s):  
Graeme J. McLean

Purpose This paper explores the online customer experience (OCE) within business-to-business (B2B) websites. The purpose of this paper is to understand the influence of website credibility and information quality on the OCE during search for information and services. In addition, this paper acknowledges the role of customer support within the offline environment and thus explores the potential role of online customer support during a customer’s online experience. Design/methodology/approach An online experiment was conducted with 195 participants along with an associated questionnaire for data capture. Three tasks were developed for participants which they had to complete on three different business advisory websites. The online experiment gave all participants the experience of using a business advisory website. In order to analyse the hypothesised relationships, structural equation modelling was used. Findings The results outlined that the credibility of the website and the quality of the information on the website have a significant effect on the OCE in a B2B context. The research highlights the need for online customer support with a service representative during search on a B2B website. The credibility of the website as well as the success of the search drives the need for online customer support. The lack of online customer support will result in customers becoming dissatisfied with their experience if they have an unsuccessful search. Practical implications Managers of B2B websites should acknowledge the importance of website credibility cues and information quality cues. Each of these variables drive the success of a customer’s search and in turn the customer’s impression of the experience. Additionally, managers ought to provide customers online support, through functions such as an online help desk or a live chat function, as those who have an unsuccessful search expect to be able to seek online support from a company representative, the same way as they would do in the offline environment. Online customer support can act as a service recovery tool for website providers. Originality/value Empirical research on the OCE within B2B websites is limited and somewhat out-dated. Due to technological advancements and changing customer expectations, this research has filled a knowledge gap on the OCE in a B2B perspective. Website credibility and information quality have been overlooked in previous research in relation to the OCE. In addition, this study outlines the need for online customer support resulting from the need to clarify information and the success of the search.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 13-26
Author(s):  
Aki Jääskeläinen ◽  
Jussi Heikkilä ◽  
Anna Hiidensalo ◽  
Otto Thitz

AbstractThere is already a wide acceptance on the importance of involving supplier and customer companies in product development. Decent understanding prevails on the relationship-oriented approach to product development including various collaboration forms. However, there is less research on the factors explaining the decision of attending to joint product development. In addition, less studies have examined the integrated role of both suppliers and customers in product development initiatives. This study searches answers to the following research questions: 1. What is the role of different actors in product development initiatives? 2. What factors motivate suppliers and customers to participate in product development? The research is carried out as an in-depth qualitative single case study in a large project manufacturing company. It takes the perspective of a focal company striving for product improvements. The first part of the empirical study consists of 15 semi-structured interviews. The second part includes two discursive workshops and builds upon the results of the interviews. This study contributes to the existing research by explaining the challenges and conditions facilitating joint product development with supplier and purchaser companies. The results highlight the role of customers in improving the effectiveness of product development. As a practical contribution, the paper reports the application of workshop method as a facilitator of collaboration between supplier, purchaser (focal company) and customer companies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kunter Gunasti ◽  
Selcan Kara ◽  
William T. Ross, Jr

Purpose This research aims to examine how credence, search and experience attributes compete with suggestive brand names that are incongruent with the attributes they cue (e.g. expensive EconoLodge Motel, short-lasting Duracell battery and joint-stiffening JointFlex pill). Design/methodology/approach This study relies on experimental studies, together with analyses of variance, t-tests and logistic regressions. Findings Incongruent suggestive brand names can distort product evaluations and alter perceptions of product performance in joint product judgments involving contradictory credence attributes; they can misdirect product evaluations even if the search attributes conflict with competitor brands. Furthermore, they are more likely to backfire if contradictory experience attributes are readily available to consumers. Research limitations/implications This test of the role of incongruence between suggestive brand names and actual product features includes key concepts that can inform continued studies, such as search attributes that consumers can readily observe, experience attributes that can be observed only after product use and credence attributes that might not be observed even after use. Practical implications This study provides applicable guidelines for managers, consumers and policymakers. Originality/value The findings expand beyond prior literature that focuses on memory-based, separate evaluations of advertised benefits and inferences or expectations of unavailable attributes. Specifically, this study details the implications of congruence between the suggestive brand names and different types of attributes observable at different consumption stages.


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