The Influence of Internal Communities of Practice on Customer Perceived Value in Professional Service Relationships

Effective customer-related knowledge transfer can be seen as the cornerstone of customer value creation in collaborative relationships between professional service organisations and their customers. Our intention in this paper is to describe how different work groups within organisations (communities of practice) influence the perceived customer value. We approach this phenomenon from a relationship management perspective and use literature from relationship marketing, organisation research and knowledge management as a theoretical basis. Empirically the paper is based on an information-rich explorative case study of a professional service organisation, operating in the consultancy and training business, and its relationship with one of its customers.     

物流服务质量理论研究进展(1989-2020)--基于系统文献回顾法的研究述评

近年来,国内外物流产业发展迅速,有关物流服务质量的研究日益增多,但缺乏全面而系统地描述物流服务质量的比较普适的模型,物流服务质量应由哪些维度构成、研究中应如何在众多物流服务质量评价模型和评价方法中进行取舍成为困扰物流学术界的难题。为着力解决这些问题,弥补理论研究缺口,通过在国内外主要文献数据库中检索1989—2020年间关于物流服务质量的学术论文,并根据研究问题筛选确定67篇中文论文和73篇英文论文进行文献分析。借助系统文献回顾方法进行分析发现,最基础的物流服务质量评价维度主要包括时间性、可靠性、移情性、流程和误差;现有研究使用的物流服务质量评价模型及评价方法主要是SERVQUAL模型、LSQ模型、Kano模型和统计分析方法;对于物流服务质量的研究,国内外在研究内容、研究方法、研究主体等方面存在较大差异,国内研究尽管发展迅速,但与国际水平相比差距依然明显。鉴于此,为进一步提升未来物流服务质量理论研究水平,应注重从物流企业角度开展研究并提供令顾客满意的方案以改进服务质量,加强对冷链物流、众包物流、铁路物流等“小众”行业物流服务的研究以拓展物流服务质量的研究领域,注重结合不同情境对SERVQUAL模型、LSQ模型等基础物流服务质量模型加以改进,重视物流服务质量研究方法创新,通过对混合模型及多种实证方法的运用,提升研究结果的科学性和客观性。     

Small business survival and sample selection bias

Analyses of small business and the factors affecting their survival are fairly common in the research literature. The level of research interest may stem from the fact that in the US, only about half of all new small businesses survive after 4 years (Headd 2003). However, research attempting to understand the phenomenon that employs data using only information from and about surviving firms may lead to erroneous conclusions regarding the factors that influence firm survival and failure. In this paper, we provide evidence that omitted information about the firms that disappear from the research data over time leads to biased coefficient estimates. Comparing the Heckman two-step estimation approach of switching regression models to a semi-parametric Cox hazard model, the Accelerated Failure Time (AFT) model, we conclude that the Cox ATF approach is the most appropriate model for firm survival analysis.     

Minding the competition: The drivers for multichannel service quality in fashion retailing

PurposeConsumer purchasing behaviour has changed substantially in the light of recent developments in E-Commerce. So-called ‘multichannel customers’ tend to switch retail channels during the purchasing process. In order to address changing consumer behaviours, multichannel fashion retailing companies must continue to learn how to provide excellent service to such customers. Drawing on expectation confirmation theory, this paper investigates drivers for service quality from the perspective of multichannel fashion customers.Design/methodology: This paper approaches the topic of multichannel service quality by adopting a social constructionist research paradigm, utilising an abductive approach and an embedded case study research strategy. It aims to explore the lived experiences and perspectives of individuals in the context of an evolving complex and multidimensional phenomenon. The paper seeks information-rich cases and therefore views service quality through the eyes of experienced German multichannel customers. A customer perspective helps to explain the phenomenon of multichannel service quality and helps to disclose the meaning that these customers give to it. The sample size for this research consisted of 18 in-depth interviews and two focus groups including ten focus group participants. As such, a process of methodological triangulation was followed.FindingsIntegration quality is identified as the essence of competitive advantage for multichannel retailers. The paper conceptualises integration quality as a catalyst, which plays a supporting role in reinforcing the reactions of the physical and electronic service quality in order to provide an optimised service quality experience.Originality/valueThis paper looks at retailer/customer interactions in the context of purchases of a fashion product at a retailer using different retail channels. It highlights the distinctive requirements of multiple-channel systems within which the focus should not only be to enhance and improve physical and/or electronic service quality, but must also be about the integration of the service offers of each channel. The paper contributes to the interpretation of multichannel service quality with a new concept that explains the phenomenon from the perspective of customers.     

The effect of multi-channel service quality on mobile customer loyalty in an online-and-mobile retail context

The main purpose of this study is to explore the effects of multi-channel service quality on mobile customer loyalty in the context of online-and-mobile retailing. A research model is proposed based on previous service quality literature. Data collected from 102 respondents in Taiwan are tested against the research model using the partial least squares (PLS) approach. The results indicate that tangibility, responsiveness, and empathy in electronic service (e-service) affect mobile service (m-service) customer loyalty both directly and indirectly through their m-service counterparts. The findings of this study provide several important theoretical and practical implications for multi-channel retailing management.     

E-service quality: an internal,multichannel and pure service perspective

This article contributes to the emerging e-service quality literature by adopting a different approach to the dominant focus in previous research. The work centres on the internal perspective of organisation, studies the pure service sector and subjects the personal sales channel and the Internet channel to joint examination. A new conceptual framework is proposed via an adaptation of the service pyramid model [Parasuraman, A. (1996). Understanding and leveraging the role of customer service in external interactive and internal marketing. Paper presented at the 1996 Frontiers in Services Conference, Nashville, TN], and employee-orientated internal marketing and technology-orientated internal marketing are analysed as integrated drivers of commercial performance, within the context of retail banking in Spain. The results suggest that both marketing activities constitute part of a coherent strategy that is geared towards making and meeting service promises, within a multichannel perspective, and is associated with high commercial performance.     

Technological competence and team cohesiveness among travel agencies

From the perspective of collaboration, the independent travel agent has provided it makes appropriate investment in technology and creates competitive advantage. The research goals of this study were to investigate how strategic adaptation among the members of travel agent collaborations affects service performance. Data were obtained via a mailed questionnaire survey of a sample of travel agencies. The model and the hypotheses were tested using a structural equation modeling approach. The findings of this study provide interesting insights for travel agencies interested in service performance. Technological competence has emerged as an important asset in travel agent collaboration, which can be used to increase the productivity of knowledge works through the management of service performance, and different strategies are discussed in terms of different segments of partners within the collaboration.     

Congenital learning in the Spanish telecommunication industry

Knowledge provided by a firm's founder(s) is one of the most important success factors for SMEs. This paper aims to identify the impact of the founder's knowledge on business performance in today's organization. It is with this in mind that we propose a specialized organizational learning process, which we refer to as the congenital learning process, by which the firm transforms the tacit and explicit knowledge of the founder into knowledge which is available to the firm and its members. The research model and hypothesized relationships are empirically tested using the structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, validated by factor analysis of 130 SMEs in the Spanish telecommunications sector. Two structural equation models, derived from the literature, have been used, resulting in the conclusion that organizational performance is positively affected by the transfer and transformation of knowledge as long as the organization has implemented processes that lead to the creation of what we refer to as an open organizational context.     

Review and future directions of cross-cultural consumer services research

It is widely recognized that an increasing number of service firms are expanding into international markets. Many studies in the services marketing literature have focused on the identification and discussion of similarities and/or differences in consumer service experiences across nations and cultures. In this paper we review the relevant literature, address conceptual and methodological issues associated with extant cross-cultural consumer services research and suggest theories and approaches in regards to future research in the area. In addition, we introduce and discuss the concept of “cultural service personality” as a potential new theoretical perspective.     

The Internationalization of Service Firms in China: A Comparative Analysis with Manufacturing Firms

In this article, we expand upon the springboard perspective of emerging markets in the service sector. We investigate the phenomenon of service firm internationalization in China and the distinct differences between service and manufacturing firms during international expansion. Using dynamic analysis of historical data for 363 service firms and 569 manufacturing firms from 2001 to 2007, we find that the internationalization of service firms in China is different from that of manufacturing firms in terms of resource requirement and experience exploitation. The internationalization of service firms relies more on international experience than corporate resources. Furthermore, we also identify the structural differences between hard and soft service industries. In China, identifiable intangible assets are found to be more important for the international expansion of hard service firms than they are for soft service firms. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Task‐Relationship‐Self: A Framework for Understanding Service Encounter Behaviors

Research conducted over past decades has investigated selected service encounter behaviors from either a customer or service provider perspective. However, a comprehensive, dual‐perspective framework is lacking. Such a framework is needed to organize knowledge of these behaviors, and thereby provide structure, clarity, and parsimony to the field. This paper describes a three‐tier framework of service encounter behavior that was developed by applying grounded theory principles to interviews with customers, service employees, and other stakeholders. These informants described many ways in which they behave when executing service exchanges, dealing with service difficulties, and managing themselves in the process. Using an iterative inductive approach, a conceptual framework was developed in which specific (Tier 1) behaviors were placed within broader (Tier 2) categories, and these lower classification levels were, in turn, interpreted within a conceptual space defined by the (Tier 3) dimensions of task, relationship, and self. This framework was then elaborated and refined by reference to the psychology and marketing literature, a set of 157 audio‐recorded service interactions, and an expert panel study. The paper includes comparisons between the framework and those previously proposed, propositions regarding service encounter processes and outcomes, and implications for future research and practice.     

Toward a deeper understanding of service marketing: The past, the present, and the future

The authors investigate the intellectual pillars of service marketing and its evolution through key subareas during 1992-2009 using a citation-based approach. They derive insights for the most promising research directions. The results reveal the dynamic influences of different research topics on service marketing. In a graphical representation, the authors further show that the main topics have changed their research orientations over time. For example, the literature on online service & technology infusion reveals an increasingly operational and customer-focused orientation. A citation-based measure of the significance of research opportunities and a comparison with the topics found in recent literature reviews indicate that research on managing business-to-business services & service infusion, complaint handling & service recovery, and enhancing and managing the service value chain are promising topics. These results assist academics and practitioners by revealing what we know about service research and what we need to know in the future.     

Perceptions on the Causes of Individual and Fraudulent Co-offending: Views of Forensic Accountants

In this paper, we review the literature on moderators and mediators in the corporate sustainability (CS)–corporate financial performance (CFP) relationship. We provide some clarity on what has been learned so far by taking a contingency perspective on this much-researched relationship. Overall, we find that this research has made some progress in the past. However, we also find this research stream to be characterized by three major shortcomings, namely low degree of novelty, missing investment in theory building, and a lack of research design and measurement options. To address these shortcomings, we suggest avenues for future research. Beyond that we also argue for a stronger emphasis on the strategic perspective of CS. In particular, we propose future research to take a step back and aim for an integration of the CS–CFP relationship into the strategic management literature.     

The dynamics and evolution of the service marketing literature: 1993–2003

This article analyzes service research published in marketing journals between 1993 and 2003. Two levels of analysis of the dynamics and evolution of the service marketing literature are distinguished: first, the dynamics of specific themes of the service marketing literature, and second, the structural evolution of these themes. Through a content analysis, we study the dynamics of individual themes in the service marketing literature as well as the relationships between these themes. Multiple correspondence analysis provides maps of themes and of the most frequent contributors, and a framework to track the structural dynamics and structural evolution of this literature over time. An evaluation of past predictions about the dynamics and evolution of service research is also provided with a discussion of its future.     

The study of service innovation for digiservice on loyalty

Advocates of management of service innovation see this area as a new and promising research field. As services are increasingly becoming driving forces of economies, the introduction of new services to satisfy customer needs is becoming a critical issue for managers. This research attempts to address the consumer issue of service innovation. The research entails a comprehensive study of the impacts of service innovation on consumer loyalty in the digiservice context. The study examines service innovation loyalty from the consumer perspective; namely, technology leadership, service leadership, switching cost, brand equity, and customization. Personal interview data from 475 consumers provides the data for empirical hypothesis testing of the relationships between variables. The conceptual model investigates the relevant relationships among the constructs by using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings from the research sample support the argument that technology leadership, service leadership, brand equity, and customization are the key determinants of loyalty. The paper also includes a discussion on the theoretical and managerial implications of the research findings.     

Exploring advertiser's expectations of advertising agency services

Advertisers have expectations about what they will receive from an advertising agency. These expectations are about the future service they believe the agency will deliver and influence the satisfaction/dissatisfaction the advertiser has of agency performance. Using an expert sample and a native categories approach, the study explores advertiser's expectations of agency services at the selection stage. The paper makes three main contributions to our understanding of agency selection. First, we provide insight into what advertisers seek to gain from an agency in future service delivery. Second, we identify four categories of expectations: craft, affinity, functionality and perspective. Third, we illustrate the nature of these expectations and provide evidence that some expectations are less precise than others. We consider the implications of the findings for the agency selection literature and agency management.     

Rethinking flow: qualitative insights from Mexican cross-border shopping

The purpose of our study is twofold: (1) to conceptualize the flow construct in the offline retail environment not only as a psychological phenomenon but also as a sociocultural phenomenon by exploring related cultural variables and (2) to adopt a qualitative approach as a means to provide broader coverage of the likely factors associated with flow. We follow a grounded theory approach to formulate a conceptual model about the phenomenon of interest. Data collection includes semistructured in-depth interviews and a focus group. For data interpretation, we applied semiotic and narrative textual analyses. We propose a model of the antecedents leading to flow experience in the offline retail environment, introducing macro (sociocultural) factors and advancing micro (psychological) factors. Key elements of flow require a more refined definition in the offline retail environment. Several macro (cultural) attributes that influence Mexican shoppers' propensity to experience flow while either just browsing or fulfilling their shopping goals were identified. Retailers' efforts should be directed to providing opportunities for flow experience by articulating the right communication strategies. Qualitative methods uncovered a unique perspective exploring sociocultural characteristics and redefining individual characteristics of the offline retail shopping experience.     

Impact of service personal values on service value and customer loyalty: a cross-service industry study

This study investigates the customer’s perception of service value based on theory of personal values. A formative structural model is developed and tested using the data surveyed from three service industries in Vietnam. Results show a positive impact of service personal values on service value. Then, service value and satisfaction are proved as two mediating constructs in the impact of service personal values on customer loyalty. Satisfaction and loyalty are, thus, not only determined by the supplier’s service itself, but also the customer’s personal values. This consolidates the value co-creation perspective rather than the traditional value exchange in service research.     

基于主体可计算模型的服务外包生态系统研究综述

本文通过对国内外相关研究文献的梳理,发现从生态系统视角,采用ACM方法,研究服务外包产业发展的文献比较欠缺;文章在对服务外包理论基础、服务外包产业发展、ACM方法的应用和生态系统视角的研究4个方面综述的基础上,系统阐述了服务外包生态系统的主要观点,并从研究内容、研究视角和研究方法等方面进行评价;最后对研究前景进行展望。     

Emotions and consumer behaviour: A review and research agenda

Consumers' emotions play a salient role in consumers' buying process, their consumption behaviours, and their engagement with product/service offerings, owing to which, it has gained much attention in recent years as an area of inquiry. However, literature in this field/subject is theoretically fragmented. Therefore, to enhance the conceptual understanding, this study synthesizes extant literature, using a hybrid review approach. Herein, we attempt to integrate bibliometric analysis, along with the theories, contexts, characteristics, and methodology framework, while consolidating and classifying the domain knowledge, trends, and progress/citation analysis using the bibliometric approach. In the process, we reviewed 384 conceptual and empirical articles, published during the period 1967–2021. The idea was to identify key theories, constructs, research contexts, and methods, based on which, we propose a few potential research areas. Based on our thorough analysis, these areas include (1) consumer co-creation, (2) consumer engagement, (3) service employee interactions, (4) consumer decision making, and (5) consumption experience.