Continual quality improvement is crucial to competitive success. A systems approach is vital in encompassing every segment of the hospitality organization in striving for service…
Abstract
Continual quality improvement is crucial to competitive success. A systems approach is vital in encompassing every segment of the hospitality organization in striving for service quality. The focus of this article is on employees as internal customers and the critical role this group plays in the delivery of quality results. The article will discuss the theoretical foundations for the concept of “internal customers.” Research will be reviewed that has linked service quality between internal and external customers. The necessity of integrating service to “internal customers” into an organization’s culture is also explained. Examples from leading hospitality companies are presented that reinforce the concept of “internal customer” from the pre‐hire stage to other career stages.
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Rajshekhar (Raj) G. Javalgi, Thomas W. Whipple, Amit K. Ghosh and Robert B. Young
This article proposes investigating implications for service providers who adopt a market orientation. It hopes to extend current thinking by integrating market orientation and…
Abstract
Purpose
This article proposes investigating implications for service providers who adopt a market orientation. It hopes to extend current thinking by integrating market orientation and market‐focused strategic flexibility.
Design/methodology/approach
A model is extended to apply to services marketing. The “strategic wheel of service performance” provides a framework to discuss the managerial implications from integration of market orientation, strategic flexibility, competitive advantage, and service performance.
Findings
The impact of developing a market orientation should be higher levels of customer relationship marketing (CRM), retention, satisfaction, loyalty, and lifetime value (LTV). Increases in one or more of these interrelated variables should help service providers improve their judgmental and objective performance.
Research limitations/implications
More research needs to be conducted to expand the market orientation philosophy to the service provider. Subjecting the framework to analytic rigor would allow scholars and practitioners to understand more fully the inter‐relatedness of the service implications.
Practical implications
Practice implications of the paper are: the service economy is an opportunity to practice market orientation; investments in customer profitability, retention, and loyalty programs pay dividends; A market orientation enhances financial and strategic performance; integration of principles across organizational boundaries requires a long time; financial and strategic business performance criteria need to be quantified; cross‐functional customer feedback mechanisms need to be designed; and market orientation must be integrated across all service function providers.
Originality/value
The conceptual framework integrates market orientation, market‐focused strategic flexibility, strategic competitive advantage, and subjective and objective performance outcomes as applied to service providers. The discussion strengthens the strategic value of market orientation and provides managerial implications for the services sector.
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As a rule, business books published today are backing off from lectures and theories, and are instead featuring more situation‐oriented illustrations of the basic concepts…
Abstract
As a rule, business books published today are backing off from lectures and theories, and are instead featuring more situation‐oriented illustrations of the basic concepts everyone already recognizes as right. What better place to get these anecdotes than from the horses' mouths? This batch gathers together the personal stories of top American business leaders, circa the late‐1990s, as told by themselves—with a little help from professional writers. The autobiographies represent hardcore, old‐fashioned industry (Lockheed), innovative industry (Nucor), service (Marriott), retail (Starbucks), and real estate/empire building (Trump).
Examines how senior leaders in organizations can foster trustthrough business competence and people orientation. However, frontlineleaders need to apply five fundamental…
Abstract
Examines how senior leaders in organizations can foster trust through business competence and people orientation. However, frontline leaders need to apply five fundamental strategies consistently to prevent senior leader efforts from being wasted. Also examines the place of trust in teams and how trust can be gained once it is broken.
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Amanda Wheeler, Amary Mey, Fiona Kelly, Laetitia Hattingh and Andrew K. Davey
The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential approaches to continuing education and training delivery for community pharmacists to equip them to support mental health…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential approaches to continuing education and training delivery for community pharmacists to equip them to support mental health consumers and carers with illnesses such as depression and anxiety.
Design/methodology/approach
Review of national and international literature about community pharmacists’ roles, beliefs and attitudes towards mental health, continuing education delivery for the workforce and training recommendations to equip pharmacy workforce.
Findings
Training involving consumer educators was effective in reducing stigma and negative attitudes. Interactive and contextually relevant training appeared to be more effective than didactic strategies. Narratives and role-plays (from the perspective of consumers, carers and health professionals) are effective in promoting more positive attitudes and reduce stigma. Flexible on-line delivery methods with video footage of expert and consumer narratives were preferable for a cost-effective programme accessible to a wide community pharmacy workforce.
Originality/value
There is a clear need for mental health education for community pharmacists and support staff in Australia. Training should target reducing stigma and negative attitudes, improving knowledge and building confidence and skills to improve pharmacy staff's perceived value of working with mental health consumers. The delivery mode should maximise uptake.
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Md Mostain Belal, Vinaya Shukla, Salman Ahmad and Sreejith Balasubramanian
The pharmaceutical industry is facing significant pressure to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Other ecological, societal and regulatory pressures are also driving the…
Abstract
Purpose
The pharmaceutical industry is facing significant pressure to tackle antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Other ecological, societal and regulatory pressures are also driving the industry to “go green”. While such a (green) transition could be possible through appropriate green practices’ implementation, the present understanding about it is superficial and vague. A key reason is the lack of green practices’-related studies on pharmaceuticals, which are also insufficiently comprehensive. This knowledge gap is sought to be addressed.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted with 73 carefully selected articles, then subjected to thematic content analyses for synthesising the relevant themes and sub-themes.
Findings
Around 76 operational-level green practices covering all key stakeholders across the drug lifecycle were identified. It was revealed that designing drugs having accelerated environmental degradability is important to combat AMR. Also, redesigning existing drugs is environmentally more resource-intensive than developing new ones with significant cost-saving potential in solvent recycling and flexible manufacturing, both of which are not common at present. With regards to green-related barriers, stringent quality requirements on drugs (and therefore risks in making relevant green-oriented modifications) and time-consuming and costly regulatory approvals were found to be the key ones.
Practical implications
The operational green practices’ framework developed for individual pharmaceutical supply chain stakeholders could help practitioners in benchmarking, modifying and ultimately, adopting green practices. The findings could also assist policymakers in reframing existing regulations, such as Good Manufacturing Practices or GMP-related, to promote greener drug development.
Originality/value
This work is the first systematic attempt to identify and categorise operational-level green supply chain practices across stakeholders in the pharmaceutical sector.
Highlights
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Biodegradability of drugs is more important than environmental degradability.
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Flexible manufacturing process design (or quality by design) reduces resource wastage.
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Ecopharmacovigilance is effective in combating PIE and AMR-related issues.
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Upstream and downstream coordination is key to greening pharma operations.
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Costly and time-consuming regulatory approval is a key barrier to greening pharma processes.
Biodegradability of drugs is more important than environmental degradability.
Flexible manufacturing process design (or quality by design) reduces resource wastage.
Ecopharmacovigilance is effective in combating PIE and AMR-related issues.
Upstream and downstream coordination is key to greening pharma operations.
Costly and time-consuming regulatory approval is a key barrier to greening pharma processes.
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Hernan Eduardo Riquelme, Rosa E. Rios and Akram S. Gadallah
The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to test the direct influence of servant leadership (SL) on an organization’s serving-driven capabilities (S-DC). Second, to test the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to test the direct influence of servant leadership (SL) on an organization’s serving-driven capabilities (S-DC). Second, to test the indirect effect of SL on employee customer-service behaviors and identification with their branch. Third, to determine the direct effect of an organization’s S-DC on employee customer-service behaviors and identification with the branch. Thus, the authors provide evidence of how SL influence serving-driven interaction capabilities that are later deployed to execute customer-oriented behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data were obtained from a sample of 36 bank branches of one bank in the Middle East. Employees evaluated their manager’s SL behaviors, the six S-DC and their identification with the organization. In turn, managers assessed their employees on customer-service behaviors. Partial least squares path analysis was used to model the relationships.
Findings
Results indicate servant leaders’ behaviors are example, motivator and determinant of an organization’s S-DC. Employees not only adopt the S-DC by imitation but also as a mean to reciprocate the leader: serve your customers like the leader serves you. Other results and implications for managers are presented.
Research limitations/implications
The study is of a cross-sectional nature therefore a causal effect of SL on S-DC cannot be determined. Second, the study is limited to one bank although several branches were randomly sampled. Third, the evaluations of the S-DC have been done by the employees rather than customers.
Practical implications
The S-DC concept provides ample opportunities for managers to enhance their interactions with employees and customers to improve their performance by identifying which capabilities to develop. Specifically, interactions that promote ethical, empowering, developmental relationships and that encourage genuine two-way communication and responds to individual needs.
Originality/value
The study is original in testing the mediating effect of a S-DC. The focus on individual and organizational capabilities is relevant because they have been touted as among the most important factors to explain the differences of company performances and competitive advantages
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Muhammad Hamid Murtza, Hafiz Muhammad Usman Khizar, Shahzad Ali Gill, Syed Muhammad Javed Iqbal and Saba Javaid
This qualitative study deals with the career longevity phenomenon in the hospitality sector of Pakistan and aimed at exploring the factors which become the reason for continuing…
Abstract
Purpose
This qualitative study deals with the career longevity phenomenon in the hospitality sector of Pakistan and aimed at exploring the factors which become the reason for continuing services in this sector for a longer period despite the prevailing perception of the short-term and unsatisfactory hospitality careers.
Design/methodology/approach
The study has taken up an interpretive social constructivism approach to carry out the research. The purposive sampling technique is used to solicit expert insights into the dynamics of the hospitality career. A thematic analysis was employed to identify the common themes, extract the meaning from the discussion patterns of the respondents, and outline viewpoints and ideas of the respondents.
Findings
The findings of the study are discussed at three levels of career, i.e. entry level, development level, and consolidation level. Long careers in the hospitality sector are a product of dedication and commitment to the job, professionalism, variety, complexity of the job, and healthy relationship with coworkers, supervisors, and guests.
Originality/value
The study links the belief of belonging and socialization attributes to the retention of employees in the hospitality sector jobs. Secondly, the study uses a qualitative approach to provide a diverse perspective of employee–industry loyalty rather than employee–organization loyalty. Thirdly, the study brings forth practical implications for personnel managers in the hospitality sector and proposes that the management should systematically stimulate the socialization of the workers to hold the talent despite providing workers with the opportunity to join another sector. Finally, the study informs about research limitations and directions for future research.
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The purpose of this paper is to theorise, and demonstrate empirically, how regulation generates indirect impacts on small companies that arise through the medium of relationships…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to theorise, and demonstrate empirically, how regulation generates indirect impacts on small companies that arise through the medium of relationships with stakeholders whose actions affect them. Specifically, the paper explores how relations with stakeholders shape the process of small company adaptation to statutory financial reporting obligations.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis draws principally on qualitative interview data from small company preparers of abbreviated accounts and their accountants, but also uses survey data to demonstrate the prevalence of the account filing and advisory practices reported in interview.
Findings
Small companies’ relations with accountants mediate the influence of financial reporting regulation by shaping how firms discover, interpret and adapt to their statutory obligations. Where accountants inform small companies of the option to file abbreviated accounts, or advise them to file such accounts, and clients act on that advice, then relations with accountants mediate the impact of regulation on that business. Accountants typically advise small company clients to file abbreviated accounts as the “default position”, one departed from only in very specific circumstances. Accountants are complicit, therefore, inadvertently or otherwise, in the production of the effects of clients’ filing decisions.
Originality/value
The study expands the conception of how regulation contributes to entrepreneurial action by focusing on the indirect effects arising for small firms via their relations with the stakeholders with whom they interact. Regulatory regimes are a condition of all forms of entrepreneurial action and the ensuing performance outcomes. Regulation therefore exerts a ubiquitous influence on entrepreneurial action that is substantial, pervasive and enduring. Without reference to the necessary enabling functions of regulation, explanations of entrepreneurial processes remain incomplete.