Comparing the main effects and moderating effects of education among three models in IT service: a quantitative approach

This study examines the formation of relationship quality and loyalty for an ISP (Internet service provider). Three conceptual models are tested for comparison. In the models, relational selling behavior, network quality, and service recovery indirectly influence loyalty with an ISP through the mediation of relationship quality. That is, in model 1, relationship quality is examined as a single construct, rather than the second-order construct comprising satisfaction and trust in model 2. In model 3, satisfaction and trust are examined as two different constructs. Customer education moderates several paths of the three models. The moderating effects are simultaneously examined using data from customers of a Taiwan’s leading ISP. The test results indicate that the influence of satisfaction on loyalty and that of network quality on satisfaction are stronger for low education customers than high education customers, while the influence of trust on loyalty and that of network quality on trust are stronger for high education customers than low education customers. Furthermore, the influences of relational selling behavior and service recovery on satisfaction and trust are similar for both high education customers and low education customers. Implications of the empirical findings are also discussed.     

感知服务质量与顾客满意和顾客忠诚关系的实证研究

在实践中,中国服务业发展迅速,但营销水平有待提高,很多管理人员对营销以及服务管理的理解有限。在理论中,对感知服务质量各个维度、顾客满意和顾客忠诚之间的关系讨论很多,尚无定论。实证研究发现,是顾客满意正向影响感知服务质量各个因子,而不是相反,说明基于交易的顾客满意会影响对服务进行长期综合评价的感知服务质量。只有忠诚度一个因子影响顾客忠诚,因此企业在培养忠诚顾客上应该有所侧重。顾客满意和顾客忠诚的关系被验证并非线性关系,在线性方程模型中未能验证成功。     

Multi-stakeholders’ assessment of bike sharing service quality based on DEMATEL–VIKOR method

ABSTRACT

Bike sharing is a sustainable mode of urban transportation. Assessing the perceived service quality is essential to improve the development of bike sharing. Most of the existing research evaluates the service quality of bike sharing only from the perspective of its users. This study assesses the perceived quality gap among four different stakeholders including government regulators, platform operators, bike association and users. First, an evaluation criteria system consisting of sixteen criteria obtained from the five dimensions of tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy is constructed based on a revised service performance model. Thereafter, a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making model that combines Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) with VIsekriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) is proposed. Then, the model is applied to evaluate the service quality of bike sharing in Xi’an City. Finally, some useful suggestions are given to improve the bike sharing service quality from the perspective of multi-stakeholders.     

内部服务质量理论及其对服务性企业管理实践的启示

根据服务利润链理论,内部服务质量决定了员工的满意感,满意的员工能够为顾客提供高价值的服务,从而使顾客形成满意感和忠诚感,为企业赢得利润和发展。要激励全体员工做好服务工作,自觉地为顾客提供优质服务,服务性企业必须将广大员工当做内部顾客,尽力满足员工的需要和愿望,为员工提供优质的内部服务。     

移动设备在旅游移动信息服务中能用户接受行为实证研究

本文在理论分析和对特定游客群体（上海市大学生旅游者）进行深度访谈的基础上，构建了移动设备用户接受行为模型，通过实证调研的方法对所提出的结构方程模型进行了验证，并剖析了影响特定游客使用移动设备用于旅行的因素。结果表明，感知有用性、感知易用性、先前的旅游体验与游客满意度之间存在显著的正向影响，它们和使用意愿、使用行为等变量共同影响着游客忠诚度。最后，基于实证结果，对未来移动设备在旅游移动信息服务中的应用以及如何提升游客满意度与忠诚度提出了相关的建议。     

An application of six sigma methodology to enhance leisure service quality

Thanks to flourishing development of the service industry for the past few years, its GDP output value is over 73%, which accounts for 58% of the employment population. The leisure service industry, in particular grows by multiple revealing its significant importance. As there is a feature of high homogeneity and substitution in the same trade, the core issue lies on enhancement of service quality in an environment of keen competition. As a result, six sigma (6σ) is applied in this research to improve service quality and increase competitiveness of the leisure industry. First, the service quality model proposed by Parasuraman, A., V. A. Zeithaml, and L. L. Berry (PZB model for short) is utilized to design the items in the service quality questionnaire. Importance and satisfaction of each service item perceived by customers are based for the scale, whose means are further converted to indexes. Thus, a scale-based service performance evaluation matrix with indices of importance as the Y-axis and those of satisfaction as the X-axis is defined. Then, service factors of high importance and low satisfaction are located and defined for improvement in accordance with the index location of each service factor. A measurement model based on the difference between customers’ importance and satisfaction is proposed and a measurement index is defined for an objective evaluation method and procedures. Next, factors of customer dissatisfaction are analyzed and improvement methods are devised. Finally, leisure service quality is monitored by the performance control model.     

基于KPI的第三方物流客户服务质量评价模型

从影响第三方物流客户服务质量的企业内部和外部出发,基于KPI和感知服务质量模型,以顾客满意为评价准则,建立第三方物流客户服务质量概念模型和理论模型。通过该模型,改进和提高第三方物流企业客户服务质量,赢得客户满意。     

Exploring a possible route through which training affects organizational performance: the case of a Greek bank

Despite the dithyramb on training found throughout the literature, its impact on organizational performance still remains a ‘black box’ yet to be unlocked. Indeed, neither the intervening process nor the factors that mediate training effectiveness have been substantively explored or linked together in a framework. In this paper, gaining insights from the concept of the balanced scorecard and using the service profit chain as a strategy map, an attempt is made to formulate a casual linkage value chain that highlights one possible route through which training can impact organizational performance. Using a predictive design, data were collected from multiple sources (employees, customers, and the bank's financial records) and raters from a sample of 30 branches of a Greek bank. The findings confirmed a framework illuminating a value exchange process ignited by training. More precisely, the results suggested that a formal, structured, and long-term approach to training, as well as certain pre- and post-training conditions and activities, improve training effectiveness by creating positive perceptions about the training's value. The generated for employees value results to higher levels of job satisfaction which boosts employee loyalty, creating in this sense value for the organization. This value is reflected to customers, in terms of better service quality, and reciprocated to the organization through higher customer satisfaction and branch loyalty leading to improved profitability at the branch level.     

An integrated model of the effects of service evaluation,corporate image,and switching barriers on customer loyalty

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between service evaluation, corporate image, switching barriers, and customers’ intentional loyalty. The proposed model was tested and valuated in the mobile services context. A field survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire about the investigated concepts. To test the proposed hypotheses, a model was constructed and estimated using the method of partial least squares. Findings indicate that service evaluation constructs have both direct and indirect effects, through customer satisfaction and corporate image, on customers’ intentional loyalty. The outcomes suggest that marketers, in their effort to develop more customer-oriented marketing plans, should consider both the pool-in factors, reflecting the value of the provided services, customer satisfaction, and corporate image, and the interactions among them, as well as the push-back factors, as they all impact on customers’ behavioral intentions. The research was limited to one service setting and the proposed model should be cross-validated in other service settings before the relationships among its components are fully clarified. Also, the use of cross-section design reduces inference ability regarding temporal changes in research constructs. This article contributes in adding to the body of the existing knowledge by considering both corporate image and switching barriers, along with service evaluation constructs, as antecedents of consumer’s intentions determination, resulting in a model that has not been investigated thus far.     

Service Guarantee Strength: The key to service quality

While most authors describe a service guarantee as a “zero-one variable” indicating the presence or absence of an explicit written service guarantee, this paper develops a construct called “Service Guarantee Strength” (SGS) that is a continuous variable. This construct measures the degree to which a firm sets clear service quality standards for itself on dimensions that customers care about, and has an formal policy for quickly giving meaningful compensation to customers when these standards are not met.The paper builds upon established micro-level behavioral theory to develop the “Service Guarantee Strength Framework”. This framework posits that high Service Guarantee Strength leads to improved service quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty through three intervening variables—marketing communications impact, employee motivation and vision, and learning through service failure.An empirical investigation was conducted to test the SGS Framework using both employee and customer data from three pairs of firms, with each pair in a different industry. None of these firms had an explicit service guarantee. Unlike many behavioral research studies, this study measured both employee and customer perceptual data and compared the two. The research finds that Service Guarantee Strength is positively related to customer perceptions of service quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty.     

Prosocial customer in the public sector: A PLS-SEM analysis applied to blood donation (active donors)

The act of donating blood creates social and public value (as a transformative service), but donors do not always repeat, so this study analyses the antecedents of attitudinal loyalty in donors. In addition, this research identifies active donor profiles to design personalised strategies to increase customers’ attitudinal loyalty. An online survey was conducted with 30,619 active donors who have donated blood at least once over the past two years. The study applies a quantitative modelling model called Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). Analyses confirmed that motivations, obstacles and service quality influence satisfaction and donor attitudinal loyalty. Also, three active donor clusters were identified, as donation centres must adjust to each cluster to create value for society. This research contributes to understanding the factors that increase donor loyalty and closing a gap in the literature on prosocial consumer behaviour, and thereby other public services that depend upon the willingness of the individual. Furthermore, this approach enables the design of a more effective policy agenda and helps to focus public investment on developing strategies to engage willing and experienced donors.     

基于顾客感知价值的卷烟产品品牌忠诚模型构建及实证研究

基于我国卷烟行业存在的现实问题和理论研究方面的不足,本文探索了品牌信任和顾客感知价值(健康价值、经济价值和社会情感价值)、顾客满意等对消费者忠诚的影响情况,进而构建了卷烟产品品牌忠诚模型并进行了实证分析,初步理清了变量间的复杂因果关系链。最后,对卷烟企业提高顾客品牌忠诚度提出了相应的对策和建议。     

Value-creating functions,satisfaction and loyalty in business markets: a categorical variable approach using a robust methodology under structural equation modeling

This paper studies the effect of the value-creating functions on satisfaction and loyalty in business markets. The conceptual framework that depicts a direct effect of the manufacturer’s value-creating functions on the distributor’s satisfaction and loyalty also considers the existence of quadratic effects between satisfaction and loyalty. We used polychoric correlations (Br J Math Stat Psychol 48:339–358, 1995), together with a robust methodological approach, to analyze categorical variables under structural equation modeling (SEM) in EQS. The empirical results are based on a sample of 181 manufacturing companies located in Spain. By using the aforementioned efficient analytical procedure, the results provide strong empirical support that value creation, understood from a functionalist perspective, is an antecedent of satisfaction and loyalty in business-to-business contexts. Distributor satisfaction is significantly affected by the benefit, volume, and safeguard functions, and the indirect value-creating functions performed by the manufacturer. Distributor loyalty is directly influenced by the indirect value-creating functions, but there is no confirmation that the benefit, volume, and safeguard functions do so. Finally, distributor satisfaction does not exert any significant quadratic effect on distributor loyalty but it has a direct linear effect on that variable.     

Customer Environmental Values and Their Contribution to Loyalty in Industrial Markets

Concern over the effect of industries on the natural environment is growing on a multitude of levels. This study examines the effects of how perceptions of (a) environmental values, (b) green image and (c) perceived value of industrial customers influence their loyalty towards suppliers in existing relationships, and how the length of B2B relationships may moderate these linkages. A conceptual framework is developed and data are collected from a global sample (N =121) of B2B customers. We find that both green image and perceived value have a direct positive link with customer loyalty and that environmental values are positively linked to the green image of the supplier. Moreover, the effect of green image on loyalty is mediated by perceived value, with environmental values only indirectly linked with perceived value of the supplier. As the length of relationship increases, on one hand the positive relationship between green image and customer loyalty is strengthened, while on the other the positive relationship between environmental value and green image is weakened. Regardless of how environmentally aware the customer is, green image is a strong predictor of both perceived value and loyalty. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment     

冷漠顾客满意形成机理探究——基于中国电信行业调查数据

满意的顾客不一定是忠诚的顾客,感受满意的顾客仍有可能流失,顾客满意与顾客忠诚之间存在一个"冷漠满意区域"。企业仅仅满足顾客期望还远远不够,应通过提供超越期望的服务来达到顾客感动,将顾客拖离冷漠区间,是赢取忠诚顾客的有力手段。     

服务补救满意研究

回顾了现有服务补救满意前置因素特别是感知公平的研究成果,进一步推断出应如何感知公平,并借鉴预期失验范式和公平理论建立服务补救顾客满意模型。通过模拟情景问卷数据对模型进行实证检验,结果表明,分配公平和过程公平是服务补救满意的直接前置因素,顾客很可能通过补救结果和过程方面的预期表现失验形成感知公平。     

Modeling Educational Quality and Student Loyalty: A Quantitative Approach Based on the Theory of Information Cascades

Customer loyalty is widely accepted as a critical factor in the long-term success of a service organization. This study develops a model of information cascades-based student loyalty (ICSL) by embedding information cascades in the context of educational services with insight from more traditional educational research. In the ICSL model, student loyalty is influenced directly by the perceived quality of teaching services (QTS), the perceived signal of retention (PSR), and the perceived quality of administrative services (QAS), while also being influenced indirectly by QTS, QAS, and perceived others’ retention via the mediation of PSR. This study tests the ICSL model using the structural equation modeling approach, implementing empirical data from a survey done on a large private university in Taiwan. The test results reveal that PSR is significantly influenced by QTS, QAS, and perceived others’ retention. Accordingly, the influence of QAS on student loyalty is insignificant, while the influences of QTS and PSR on student loyalty are conversely significant. Finally, implications are also discussed.     

中国零售业服务链战略模型的理论及实证分析

中国零售业在国际化的竞争下,面临着生存和发展的威胁。本文通过对零售业服务链内涵及组成结构的理论分析和实证检验,探讨了中国零售业服务链模型,以期实现顾客价值增值为最终驱动力。该模型以核心业务流程为中心,可以降低顾客成本,培养顾客忠诚度,提高顾客满意度,最终达到提高中国零售企业核心竞争力,获得长期竞争优势的目的。     

乡村徒步旅游游客感知价值对游客忠诚的影响研究——游客满意的中介作用

通过线性回归分析了乡村徒步旅游游客感知价值对游客满意及游客忠诚的影响,研究发现,乡村徒步旅游游客感知价值的四个维度价格价值、功能价值、社会价值及情感价值对游客满意和游客忠诚都呈显著性的正相关;其中情感价值的影响最大也最显著,其次是功能价值;同时游客满意对游客忠诚也呈显著性正相关;通过中介效应的分析发现,游客感知价值是通过游客满意来影响游客忠诚的,即游客满意起到了部分中介的作用。     

中国零售业服务质量研究对比分析:2005─2010

零售业服务质量不仅影响顾客满意度,还会影响顾客忠诚度。目前,国内对零售业服务质量的研究不仅限于服务质量量表的探索性研究,还涉及到对顾客满意度和忠诚度影响的实证研究。未来的零售业服务质量研究除了在多个业态方向继续深入外,服务质量量表的探索性研究也会加大力度,而服务质量与顾客满意度及忠诚度的关系会是研究的重点。