Current Issue : October - December Volume : 2012 Issue Number : 4 Articles : 6 Articles
The study seeks to contribute to the knowledge relating to internal service quality by adapting an\ninstrument to measure internal service quality within a functional unit based on the perceptions of\ninternal employees (receivers of service). Whilst service quality and its antecedents have been widely\nresearched through literature and addressed in scholarly academic platforms, research on internal\nservice quality and the relationship with internal customer satisfaction has not been given the same\namount of prominence. The survey method with a sample of 229 randomnly selected employees was\nused to collect data from different departments within a petro-chemical company. Factor analysis,\ncorrelations and regression analysis was used to analyse the data. The internal service quality\ndimensions comprise five dimensions namely, credibility, accessibility/tangibility, preparedness,\nreliability and competence. In terms of the regression analysis, the dimensions accessibility and\ntangibility, reliability and competence exerted the strongest influence on internal customer satisfaction.\nBy focusing on internal customer service, providing value, and strategically marketing its service, an\ninternal department can plan and test all aspects of their operational activities through the internal\nservice quality dimensions....
The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between personality factors and customer\r\nsatisfaction for services. The study has various distinctive features. Previously there has been no\r\nmeaningful research on the relationship between personality traits and customer satisfaction variables.\r\nMost previous studies were directed towards establishing a relationship between individual personality\r\ntraits and buying behaviour or to predict sales of expensive items such as automobiles, in which\r\npersonality was not the only influencing factor. Moreover, almost all of the earlier work on personality\r\ntraits and consumer decision-making was targeted at the study of products not services. In contrast,\r\nthe current study was aimed at ââ?¬Ë?customer satisfactionââ?¬â?¢ rather than ââ?¬Ë?buyingââ?¬â?¢ behaviour; and building the\r\nconceptual framework on services rather than products. Using two services (credit cards services\r\n[N=220] and mobile phone services [N=588]), consistent support was found for the effects of\r\npersonality traits on customer satisfaction patterns among mobile phone and credit card users. The\r\npersonality factor agreeableness emerged as a single predictor for customer satisfaction for both\r\nservices. Personality facets modesty, altruism, and trust were consistent in providing major predictive\r\npower predicting customer satisfaction for the two services....
The aim of this research is to present a new mathematical model for a multi-mode resource-constrained\r\nproject scheduling problem (MRCPSP) with discounted cash flows. The objective is to minimize the\r\nproject makespan and maximize the net present value (NPV), simultaneously, which are the two\r\ncommon objectives of this problem in the literature. Two evolutionary algorithms, NSGA-II and MOPSO\r\nare applied to find the set of Pareto solutions for this bi-objective scheduling problem. Furthermore, a\r\nnew policy is proposed to have feasible solutions for both algorithms. To show the superiority and\r\napplicability of the algorithms, different metrics are applied and the graphical comparisons are also\r\nconsidered. Finally, the computational results illustrate the superior performance of the NSGA-II\r\nalgorithm with regard to the proposed metrics....
This paper proposes an integrative model of the effect of brand extension on brand image. The four key\r\nprocesses of the model are 1) the formation of initial brand image toward parent brand, 2) the\r\nperception of fit, 3) the formation of attitude toward brand extension and 4) the effect of brand\r\nextension attitude on parent brand image. Moderator and control variables of these processes are\r\nidentified and classified into four groups: 1) consumer characteristics, 2) extension marketing support\r\nfactors 3) parent brand characteristics and 4) extension characteristics. This integrative model leads to\r\nthe identification of missing links and variables in past research, resulting in a propositional inventory\r\nfor future studies. The paper ends with a reflection on the long-term perspectives of scientific inquiry\r\non brand extensions....
This paper studies the dimensions of brand image, focusing on the functions or value of the brand as\r\nperceived by consumers. In this way, four categories of functions are identified: guarantee, personal\r\nidentification, social identification and status. By way of questions, it has been proposed that these\r\nfunctions have a positive influence on the consumer''s willingness to recommend the brand, pay a price\r\npremium for it and accept brand extensions. The questions have been tested in the Iran mobile phone\r\nmarket and were partially supported. The results obtained confirm the convenience of analyzing brand\r\nassociations separately and enable the ascertaining of the brand associations that are the most\r\nrelevant in order to attain certain consumer responses....
Since the prevalence of loyalty programs worldwide, one of the urgent issues in retailing is whether\r\nloyalty programs really enhance customer loyalty. This paper proposes a conceptual framework that\r\nutilizes the construct of customer value to explain the link between loyalty programs and customer\r\nloyalty in retail context. Based on 450 respondents from members of several large department stores,\r\nthe results posit that loyalty programs have indirect positive impact on behavioral loyalty, affective\r\nloyalty via utilitarian value, hedonic value. This mediating progress is moderated by relationship\r\nbenefits derived from the long-term relationship between retailers and their customers. The results also\r\nshow that the role of utilitarian value playing in promoting customer loyalty is more significant, which\r\nhas certain reference for retailers to design effective loyalty programs....
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