María Begoña Peña-Lang, Jose M. Barrutia and Carmen Echebarria
This paper aims to propose and examine the relationship between students’ perception of service quality and dimensions and their academic achievement.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose and examine the relationship between students’ perception of service quality and dimensions and their academic achievement.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the resource-based view, a conceptual relationship between service quality and dimensions and academic achievement is proposed and tested with a sample of 380 STEM university students who attended secondary schools in a region of Spain.
Findings
Service quality and four of its dimensions (i.e. empathy, reliability, responsiveness and assurance/confidence) could contribute to students’ academic achievement. The expected effect of tangible elements on academic achievement was not supported by the data. Results were controlled for student’s personal factors that have proven important in explaining academic achievement in previous studies (i.e. need for cognition, need for emotion and self-efficacy).
Originality/value
Previous research has extensively studied factors affecting students’ academic achievement. However, the direct relationship between service quality and student’s academic achievement has been rarely proposed and examined. Service quality has been mostly viewed as a precursor of student satisfaction and loyalty. This research views service quality as a school higher-order capability that supplements students’ capabilities.
Details
Keywords
Jose M. Barrutia and Carmen Echebarria
Intellectual capital creation (ICC) in networks has been considered as central to the processes for responding to wicked problems. However, knowledge on the factors that explain…
Abstract
Purpose
Intellectual capital creation (ICC) in networks has been considered as central to the processes for responding to wicked problems. However, knowledge on the factors that explain ICC in networks is limited. We take a step toward filling this research gap by drawing on an extended view of social capital to identify specific network features that should explain ICC heterogeneity in engineered intergovernmental networks.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 655 local authorities participating in 8 networks was used to test the framework proposed. Data analysis followed a three-step approach. Firstly, confirmatory factor analysis was applied to assess the convergent and discriminant validity of the measures. Secondly, a non-parametric median test was conducted to determine whether the variables under study were statistically different for the eight networks. Lastly, the structural model underlying the conceptual framework was tested.
Findings
The authors found that the eight intergovernmental networks studied differed significantly in their levels of social interaction and ICC. At a structural level, three variables usually considered representative of social capital (social interaction, trust and shared vision) and two supplementary variables (shared resources and shared decisions) were proven to have significant direct and/or indirect effects on ICC.
Originality/value
No previous cross-sectional research has studied the link between the creation of social capital and intellectual capital in engineered intergovernmental networks. As this research focuses on networks and climate change, it contributes to the fourth and fifth stages of intellectual capital research.
Details
Keywords
Jose M. Barrutia, Mario R. Paredes and Carmen Echebarria
Based on service-dominant logic (SDL) and related perspectives, which suggest that value is co-created through the integration of resources, the purpose of this study is to…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on service-dominant logic (SDL) and related perspectives, which suggest that value is co-created through the integration of resources, the purpose of this study is to propose a model which considers two value co-creation sources: firm resources, in the form of process electronic-service quality (ESQ) and outcome ESQ, and consumer resources, as represented by consumer expertise and its antecedents (i.e. social expertise and Internet skills). The effect of product type on the relationship between both co-creation sources, and the value is analyzed.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts a post-positivist approach. The study begins with cause and effect thinking to build a literature-driven model. Subsequently, pre-existent measures are adapted to the research context, and a Web-based questionnaire is built. The survey administration process yields 1,024 usable responses from Spanish Internet shoppers. To analyze the validity and reliability of the proposed scales and test the relationships hypothesized, the multivariate statistical techniques confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling are used.
Findings
For low-outlay/high-frequency (LO/HF) products, consumers rely more on their own resources, and expertise is more important than process and outcome quality. For high-outlay/low-frequency (HO/LF) products, however, firm resources have a stronger impact.
Practical implications
The study findings may be useful to design e-commerce strategies combining specific ESQ and expertise-related policies according to the type of product offered by the e-service provider.
Originality/value
The empirical study reported here confers similar salience to both consumer resources and firm resources to explain value perception, which is unusual. This is the first study addressed to explain perceived value in a business-to-consumer e-commerce context by jointly considering firm resources (process ESQ and outcome ESQ), consumer resources (expertise) and product type. The moderating effect of product type is consistent with insights from prior marketing research but counterintuitive. It could be thought that expertise should be more important for HO/LF products, which is contrary to the results of this study.
Details
Keywords
Jose M. Barrutia, Alexander Velez and Carmen Echebarria
This paper aims to study the moderating effect of customer type (business customers versus private customers) on the link between two forms of openness (cross-industry networks…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the moderating effect of customer type (business customers versus private customers) on the link between two forms of openness (cross-industry networks and customer integration) and two front-end innovation outcomes (a creative idea and a product definition), in the context of radical innovations.
Design/methodology/approach
An agreement was established with the Statistical Office of the Basque Government. This agreement enabled us to access a reliable list of innovative companies in the region that constituted our sample frame. Questionnaires were collected by phone. The response rate was 41.6%, which led to a sample size of 189 firms. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.
Findings
The study reveals that idea creativity is explained by different external drivers in business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) settings. In B2B settings, customer integration is found to have no effect on idea creativity. For product definition, however, both the external drivers, namely, cross-industry networks and customer integration, matter, although the latter is more salient.
Practical implications
In the search for creative ideas, managers of firms that serve business customers should focus on cross-industry networks, while those that serve private customers should concentrate on customer integration.
Originality/value
Most previous quantitative studies on the front end have focused on internal drivers, and some of them use a mix of B2B and B2C data, which could lead to misleading conclusions.
Details
Keywords
Jose M. Barrutia and Carmen Echebarria
This research aims to extend the social marketing literature by considering the network effect as a social marketing tool. The network effect is seen as complementary to…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to extend the social marketing literature by considering the network effect as a social marketing tool. The network effect is seen as complementary to traditional social marketing tools.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors study the implementation of a good practice, Local Agenda 21 (LA21), in the Basque Country. The empirical test involves 134 surveys conducted with municipal organizers of LA21. A SEM model is developed and tested.
Findings
The network effect significantly impacts embrace of LA21 (social product) by municipalities.
Research limitations/implications
The study refers to a single regional context. Future investigations are required in broader geographical contexts.
Practical implications
This research aims to indicate possible alternative marketing‐related paths towards a more across‐the‐board diffusion of locally based sustainable development (SD) strategies. This approach could be used to achieve strong adoption of other good practices.
Originality/value
The authors adopt an uncommon perspective. Social marketing is viewable as a relationship‐oriented government‐to‐government tool.
Details
Keywords
Jose M. Barrutia and María Paz Espinosa
The main purpose of this paper is to study the effect of consumer expertise on mortgage loan prices. We argue that consumer expertise should affect price due to two reasons: (1…
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this paper is to study the effect of consumer expertise on mortgage loan prices. We argue that consumer expertise should affect price due to two reasons: (1) loan mortgage prices in non-price-regulated settings are usually the result of a bank-customer negotiation process; and (2) a mortgage loan is a complex product.
Design/methodology/approach
Data on mortgage loan prices were used for a sample of 1,055 households for 2005 (Bank of Spain Survey of Household Finances, EFF-2005).
Findings
The regression results indicate that consumer expertise-related metrics are highly significant as predictors of mortgage loan prices. Findings also indicate that cost-related variables and a measure of risk with low discrimination power (i.e. having a permanent employment contract, which accounts for 70 per cent of contracts in Spain) affect price. Surprisingly, more sophisticated measures of credit risk do not have such a significant impact on mortgage prices.
Research limitations/implications
Empirical results refer to the credit conditions prior to the financial crisis and could shed some light on the factors that led to it.
Practical implications
Findings seem to indicate that, in the period under study, bank managers prioritized capturing new business in the short-term against normative prescriptions, which suggest that price should be credit-risk adjusted (financial literature) and long-term consumer potential adjusted (marketing literature). The post-2008 difficult economic situation of Spanish banks (linked to an excessive portfolio of mortgage loans granted at very low prices) shows that these strategies were wrong.
Originality/value
An uncommon perspective was adopted. The importance of consumer expertise-related variables on price has been underemphasized by prior research. The effect of consumer expertise is assessed by using a large and comprehensive database.
Details
Keywords
José M. Barrutia and Ainhize Gilsanz
The purpose of this paper is to highlight research avenues for improving the understanding of electronic service quality (e‐SQ) management, based on a critical review of previous…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to highlight research avenues for improving the understanding of electronic service quality (e‐SQ) management, based on a critical review of previous literature.
Design/methodology/approach
The conclusions are based on a critical review of previous literature. Computer databases (e.g. Google scholar) were the main tools used to identify relevant research in the area. Then, the electronic and physical bibliographical resources from universities in two different countries were used to obtain the papers.
Findings
The authors describe the current e‐SQ research gaps (research opportunities) and indicate possible routes for future investigation.
Practical implications
The orientation of this study aims to reduce the efforts of researchers who desire to enter this field.
Originality/value
The development of new orientations and focuses for the conceptualisation and measurement of e‐SQ are crucial for the effective management of e‐SQ and a major issue on the market research agenda.
Details
Keywords
José M. Barrutia Legarreta and Carmen Echebarria Miguel
This article proposes a new approach to bundling for both the marketing of services and relationship marketing. Reviews the literature on both bundling and relationship marketing…
Abstract
This article proposes a new approach to bundling for both the marketing of services and relationship marketing. Reviews the literature on both bundling and relationship marketing and puts forward a new theoretical approach. Uses the case method as a means of defending the argument and justifies its use in this specific research project. Demonstrates that collaborative relationship bundling can constitute the strategic core of a company; at least, if the firm's primary goal is to maximise the opportunities of attracting valuable customers within competitive markets. Research bears out some results from previous studies, while it finds other results to be questionable. Shows that the strategic implications of bundling are only partially explained in terms of a price or product focus, which was what previous research had concentrated on. A specific price bundle can have more strategic implications than a different specific product bundle, due to the associative power of bundling and its interactive capacity. As an essential part of this approach, a company must define bundling through an in‐depth appraisal of the actual contextual experience of the customer, rather than focusing solely on reservation prices, which is where previous literature had laid its main emphasis. Calculates the lifetime value of the average customer attracted through bundling as compared to that of the average customer in the sector studied, and thus is able to demonstrate that the customer attracted through bundling is of greater value. The case method provides an in‐depth explanation but the results it provides may not necessarily be generalised into other contexts. Develops therefore a model to identify the factors that explain the success registered in the case selected for analysis. Puts forward 11 propositions suitable for comparative application in other contexts.
Details
Keywords
Nilda Barrutia-Montoya, Huber Rodriguez-Nomura, K. P Jaheer Mukthar, Jose Rodriguez-Kong and Abraham Jose García-Yovera
To predict the future of the business and implement successful changes, a credit analyst must make quick decisions about the economics and assets of their clients. Because the…
Abstract
To predict the future of the business and implement successful changes, a credit analyst must make quick decisions about the economics and assets of their clients. Because the marketplace is constantly changing, companies that lack the interpersonal skills necessary to communicate with their customers run the risk of falling behind the competition and becoming obsolete. The objective of this research was to assess whether credit analysts in Peruvian banks that used digital resources also improved their communication and interpersonal skills. The study was quantitative in nature, with an applied and correlational design that lacked an experimental component. The sample consisted of 109 credit analysts from four different Peruvian banks (Interbank, Scotiabank, BBVA, and BCP). Two questionnaires were used in this survey; both were submitted to expert review for validation before being submitted for use, and their reliability was determined using Cronbach's alpha. In terms of use of digital resources (59.5%) and mastery of interpersonal skills (61.3%), credit analysts were at the average. Conclusions the p-value for the correlation between credit analysts' use of digital resources and their soft skills in Peruvian banks was less than 0.05, indicating a direct and strong link between these two factors. The Rho correlation coefficient was 0.738.