Ilias Santouridis, Panagiotis Trivellas and Georgios Tsimonis
The purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability of the electronic service quality measurement instrument E‐S‐QUAL and its factor structure in the context of e‐commerce…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability of the electronic service quality measurement instrument E‐S‐QUAL and its factor structure in the context of e‐commerce in Greece. Also, to investigates the effects of E‐S‐QUAL factors on customer perceived overall quality, value and loyalty.
Design/methodology/approach
Field research was conducted by using a structured questionnaire, utilizing the E‐S‐QUAL model and replicating the work of the model's developers. Principal component analysis, reliability tests and multiple regression analyses were performed to both confirm the scale factor structure and answer the research questions.
Findings
The analysis of the research data confirmed the four factor structure of E‐S‐QUAL in the context of e‐commerce in Greece and produced similar results to those of the initial research. Efficiency was proved to be the highest ranked dimension since it has a significant positive effect on all three dependent variables, namely perceived overall quality, value and loyalty. Privacy has a positive significant effect on both perceived overall quality and value. Fulfillment was found to have a significant positive effect only on perceived overall quality, while service availability affects positively only perceived value.
Originality/value
The present study contributes to the examination of E‐S‐QUAL's applicability in different settings and to the verification of its factor structure. Moreover, the study provides useful insight into the effect of electronic service quality on customer perceived value and loyalty.
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Ilias Santouridis and Panagiotis Trivellas
The purpose of this paper is to investigate crucial factors that lead to customer loyalty in the mobile telephony sector in Greece, namely service quality and customer…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate crucial factors that lead to customer loyalty in the mobile telephony sector in Greece, namely service quality and customer satisfaction. Furthermore, the mediation effect of customer satisfaction on the service quality and customer loyalty relationship is also to be examined.
Design/methodology/approach
Field research was conducted. The questionnaire was formed by a synthesis of existing constructs in relevant literature. The main research target sample consisted of residential non‐business mobile phone users in Greece. Reliability tests and statistical analyses were performed to both confirm scale validity and reliability and answer the research questions.
Findings
Customer service, pricing structure and billing system are the service quality dimensions that have the more significant positive influence on customer satisfaction, which in turn has a significant positive impact on customer loyalty. The mediation role of customer satisfaction on the service quality and customer loyalty relationship has also been confirmed.
Research limitations/implications
For a more holistic investigation approach of customer loyalty, a future study could examine other antecedents such as trust, inertia and attractiveness of alternatives. Moreover, the investigation of the mediation role of switching costs on the link between satisfaction and loyalty could enhance the research model.
Originality/value
It is of great importance for mobile operators in a mature market such as that of Greece, to understand what the drivers of customer loyalty are. The present study produced useful findings, which can be utilized by mobile telephony provider managers, in their effort to develop and implement successful customer loyalty strategies.
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Helen M. Dah, Robert J. Blomme, Arie Kil and Ben Q. Honyenuga
This chapter investigates the effect of customer orientation and CRM organization on hotel financial performance. A model of enhancing hotel financial performance through customer…
Abstract
This chapter investigates the effect of customer orientation and CRM organization on hotel financial performance. A model of enhancing hotel financial performance through customer satisfaction practices was tested. Customer satisfaction was hypothesized to be a mediator in the relationships between customer orientation and CRM organization and the result being financial performance. The sample consisted of 54 hotels that was made up of three 5-star, fifteen 4-star, and thirty-six 3-star hotels in Ghana. A quantitative deductive approach was employed to gather data using cross-sectional survey, which was analyzed using PLS-SEM to check the validity, reliability and factor loading of the data. The findings revealed that, CRM organization enhances customer satisfaction and financial performance of hotels. Also, customer orientation showed significant positively related to customer satisfaction in the hotels. Surprisingly, the effects of CRM organization and customer orientation on financial performance through customer satisfaction were insignificant. Thus, customer satisfaction failed to mediate the effect of CRM organization and customer orientation on the financial performance of hotels. This suggests that though an effective CRM organization enhances customer satisfaction, it directly affects the financial performance of hotels. The outcomes have useful implications for CRM implementation on hotel financial performance in Ghana.
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Nahariah Jaffar, Abdul Aziz Aziz Ahmad and Noor Adwa Sulaiman
The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of technology readiness (TR) of the Muslim and non-Muslim external auditors and its effect on their data analytics…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate the level of technology readiness (TR) of the Muslim and non-Muslim external auditors and its effect on their data analytics competencies (DACs). Literature is insufficient in addressing the comparative analysis of these constructs among these auditing professionals.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was conducted on 201 external auditors. Questionnaire was developed based on TR and DAC literature. Pilot testing was conducted on 50 respondents, who were drawn from the sample.
Findings
Non-Muslim external auditors were found to be more technology ready than Muslim external auditors. The optimum dimension of TR was significantly different between Muslim and non-Muslim external auditors. Significant mean difference was found only for personal capabilities dimension of DAC between Muslim and non-Muslim external auditors. TR had a significant effect on Muslim external auditors’ personal capabilities dimension of DAC; however, there was insignificant effect on all DAC dimensions for non-Muslim external auditors. The highest DAC score of the external auditors were only at the beginner level for technical skills and technologies and tools expertise dimensions.
Research limitations/implications
Using students as proxies for external auditors could lead to concerns with generalisability. Nonetheless, these students were competent to act as proxies as they had completed a six-month internship at an accounting firm.
Practical implications
The findings manifested the need for Muslim external auditors to be more technology ready. External auditors need to enhance their DAC to meet digital economic needs.
Originality/value
This study advocated the importance for auditing professionals to acknowledge the new data analytics challenges.
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The purpose of this paper is to review the service quality (SQ) literature in order to understand issues involved in its conceptualization and operationalization.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the service quality (SQ) literature in order to understand issues involved in its conceptualization and operationalization.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses systematic literature review method. The unit of analysis is peer-reviewed journal articles published during 1984 to 2017.
Findings
Findings suggest manufacturing, banking, information technology, higher education, healthcare are the top sectors contributing to the SQ literature. More than 60 models of the SQ have been identified. Service-driven capabilities may be structured along adaptation with strategic drivers and imperatives, learning and alignment, and problem structuring. In doing so the SQ literature is evolving across overlapping phases of conceptualization, expansion, re-conceptualization and integration.
Research limitations/implications
The paper contributes to the body of knowledge by presenting a unified synthesis of more than 814 articles published in the last three decades.
Practical implications
Insights from the paper will help practitioners in understanding customers’ expectations and accordingly configuring effective service delivery systems, setting standards and communicating value to end-customers. This in turn helps them in developing service-based competencies and achievement of competitive advantage.
Social implications
Insights from the paper may help in conceptualizing and delivering SQ-driven public services.
Originality/value
The paper synthesizes and presents various facets of the SQ as a unified body of knowledge.