bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of service climate and service provider personality on employees' customer‐oriented behavior in a high‐contact setting
Authors: Mechinda Panisa , Patterson Paul G. 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to empirically test and extend knowledge of the determinants of customer‐oriented behavior (COB) of service providers in an affective, high contact service setting (healthcare).Design/methodology/approachThe authors examine the relative effects of dispositional variables (e.g. personality of service provider), as well as service climate and job satisfaction on five dimensions of customer‐oriented behavior. The research hypotheses are tested using self‐report data collected from 270 nurses in five hospitals (public and private). Qualitative work, including three focus groups with nurses and a series of depth interviews with patients, was conducted to test the applicability of the scales.FindingsResults support the role of personality, job satisfaction and service climate on employees' COB, but do not support interaction effects. Various personality traits have differing effects on different types of customer‐oriented behaviors. Service climate has effects on both technical and interpersonal behaviors whereas job satisfaction impacts only technical behavior.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was conducted in an affective, high contact and high emotional labor setting, i.e. healthcare, and in an Eastern collectivist culture (Thailand). As a result, the generalizability of the findings into other service settings and cultures needs to be undertaken with care.Practical implicationsFor service employees to display customer‐oriented behaviors, the organization must first recruit individuals with high levels of conscientiousness, agreeableness, extraversion and emotional stability. Second, the organization must create a climate for service that supports, encourages and motivates service employees to better serve their customers. This service climate at the unit/branch level includes inspirational leadership, providing appropriate tools and technology, training, and commitment from senior management to a truly customer (patient) centric organization. Finally, when the organization is successful in creating satisfaction among employees, then employees are more inclined to offer a better technical performance.Originality/valueThis is one of only a few studies that have examined the impact of personality and organizational variables on front‐line employee performance.
A strategic response to the financial crisis: an empirical analysis of financial services advertising before and during the financial crisis
Authors: Lee Taejun (David) , Chung Wonjun , Taylor Ronald E. 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how the US financial services organizations (FSOs) provided marketing information and the way they strategically used various appeals through their advertising before and during the current financial crisis.Design/methodology/approachThis takes the form of a content analysis examining a total of 2,480 financial services ads (FSA) in print magazines within two periods – the two years before the crisis (2005 to 2006) and the two years during the crisis (2007 to 2008).FindingsThis study showed three significant findings: because of the economic struggle, there was a significant decline across the two periods in the total number of yearly FSA; the economic crisis led to a significant increase in the use of informational message strategies across all FSOs; and financial value and atmospherics appeals were predominant after the crisis. However, each FSO used appeals in a different way.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focused on only print media. A future research project aimed at other traditional media such as television and new media such as the internet or weblogs could provide additional analysis of financial advertising strategies.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study suggest that FSOs may rely much more heavily on informational than on transformational approaches during an economic crisis. The findings may provide further valuable implications for non‐profit institutions and international marketers.Originality/valueThis study contributes in several ways to understanding of the strategic communicative reactions of FSOs during the crisis.
Examining mediating role of attitudinal loyalty and nonlinear effects in satisfaction‐behavioral intentions relationship
Authors: Jaiswal Anand K. , Niraj Rakesh 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the mediating role of attitudinal loyalty in the relationship between satisfaction and customer behavioral intentions such as willingness to pay more and internal and external complaining responses. It also seeks to examine the nonlinear effects in the relationship between satisfaction, attitudinal loyalty and behavioral intentions.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopted the structural equation modeling approach to test the hypotheses (sample size 202). It used Marsh et al.'s unconstrained method to test latent quadratic effects in the conceptualized relationships.FindingsThe results support the fully mediating role of attitudinal loyalty in the relationship between satisfaction and behavioral intentions. The paper also finds partial support for nonlinear effects in the relationship. Results support nonlinearity, and in particular diminishing sensitivity, in the link from attitudinal loyalty to willingness to pay more.Originality/valueThe paper adds to the existing literature by detangling the complex relationships between satisfaction, attitudinal loyalty and behavioral intentions such as willingness to pay more and external and internal complaining responses. In particular, this is the first study to simultaneously examine the nonlinear effects of attitudinal loyalty on multiple behavioral intentions constructs. This study also establishes the superiority of a fully mediated model, in which satisfaction affects behavioral intentions through attitudinal loyalty, over a partially mediated model.
Corporate image in the leisure services sector
Authors: Minkiewicz Joanna , Evans Jody , Bridson Kerrie , Mavondo Felix 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThis paper seeks to empirically examine the relationship between corporate image and customer satisfaction in the leisure services sector. It also aims to examine the mediating impact of employees and servicescape on this relationship.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from a sample of 195 individuals who had visited an Australian zoological garden over a specified time period. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the validity of the measures, whilst structural equation modelling and multiple regression were used in hypothesis testing.FindingsFindings reveal that corporate image has a significant positive relationship with customer satisfaction. Although the results indicate that the relationship between corporate image and customer satisfaction is not mediated by either servicescape or employees, they imply that corporate image and employees directly influence customer satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsA single‐case study design was implemented, limiting the generalisability of the findings. This provides an opportunity for replication of the model in other leisure services environments and services contexts outside the leisure services industry.Practical implicationsThe findings reinforce the need for leisure services operators to prioritise the development of a strong, clear corporate image. The extended analysis illustrates that the disaggregated dimensions of corporate image are valuable to consider in terms of directing managerial strategy. Employees and servicescape are key aspects of the service offer on which management needs to focus to ensure that their desired corporate image is communicated and reinforced.Originality/valueThis study addresses an identified need to further examine the relationship between corporate image and customer satisfaction. It also contributes to corporate branding research by broadening the conceptualisation of the corporate image construct. Moreover, this study contributes to the corporate image literature by examining the mediating factors of employees and servicescape.
Exploring a new perspective on service efficiency: service culture in retail organizations
Authors: Skinner Beitelspacher Lauren , Glenn Richey R. , Reynolds Kristy E. 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of retailer service culture. A service culture is the customer‐centric culture aimed at exceeding customer expectations and creating superior customer value through the development of service and related performance competencies.Design/methodology/approachIn this research, surveys were conducted with key decision makers in various retail positions across the USA to develop a customer service‐based measure of service culture and test it against traditional retail management performance outcomes.FindingsThe results of this research demonstrate that service culture is a unidimensional construct and is positively related to increases in market performance and customer perceptions of quality for the retailer.Practical implicationsService culture provides retailers with a new perspective to examine their service orientation internally. Additionally, service culture extends to the relationships that retailers develop with their suppliers.Originality/valueExamining retailing from a customer service perspective is becoming increasingly important as marketing research shifts its focus from being product‐centered to more service‐centered. In an increasingly turbulent economy, retailers have to create value propositions that provide customers with higher levels of customer service than ever before. This research develops a new construct that explores how retailers can incorporate service values in their overall culture. Additionally, this research validates the measure for future researchers to continue this path of study.
LEAD: managing educational research in a business faculty
Authors: Taylor Paul 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThe paper aims to introduce this special issue on LEAD, the research management system under which the papers collected in this issue were produced. The paper explains the background that led to the establishment of the system, presents a short history of LEAD, describes how it is managed, and details the various stages of a typical LEAD “cycle”. It concludes with a brief description of the papers to follow.Design/methodology/approachReflective description.FindingsLEAD is a successful collaborative system for organising “action research” in learning and teaching within a business faculty. The papers in this issue serve to demonstrate the system's outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is essentially descriptive. The described system illustrates one way of organising collaborative research in a university faculty, in this instance focused on research into learning and teaching in a business faculty.Practical implicationsLEAD provides a model for managing collaborative university research, one that could be applied in any university faculty and across different research areas. Apart from illustrating the potential of the system, each of the papers collected in this issue is of interest in its own right, as a study of learning and teaching in a particular disciplinary context.Originality/valueThe LEAD system is a novel way of organising learning and teaching research in a university context.
The personal dimension in teaching: why students value feedback
Authors: Rowe Anna 
Published: May 2011

PurposeFeedback is a central element of the learning experience yet, until recently, few studies have focused directly on what students think about feedback. This paper seeks to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachData collected as part of a larger study investigating reasons for consistently low ratings of feedback across the higher education sector are reported. The larger study includes Rowe and Wood's Student Feedback Questionnaire (SFQ), which gathers quantitative data on student perceptions and preferences for feedback, but also includes two open‐ended questions inviting students to give written comments on why they believe feedback is important, and how the feedback they are getting could be improved.FindingsFocusing on responses to the first open‐ended question and viewing comments in the context of the larger study and its findings, an analysis is offered of the students' responses, extracting seven different student conceptions of the function of feedback.Research limitations/implicationsFeedback serves a wide variety of functions in the lives of students, not limited to the implication of feedback for learning. Students are most likely to succeed in an environment where their broader social needs are met.Originality/valueThe findings reported in this paper contribute to an area of educational research previously neglected, drawing attention to: the importance which students attach to feedback as a teacher's personal response to them as individuals; and the need to take into account students' perceptions – both positive and negative – of the emotional aspects of feedback.
Does learning in statistics get deeper or shallower?
Authors: Bilgin Ayse A.B. 
Published: May 2011

PurposeWhile the natural expectation is that students seek greater depth of learning as they develop intellectually during their studies, some research calls this into question and even suggests that student learning can become shallower from year to year. The present study aims to investigate the relative depth of students' learning at different stages of their undergraduate studies by comparing second‐year with third‐year students in two statistics units.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted using Biggs's Study Process Questionnaire. The survey results were used to compare second‐ and third‐year groups, as well as to investigate other variables by comparing the performances of: international and domestic students, male and female students, students who worked and those who did not work, and students who intended to register for a higher degree and those who did not.FindingsSignificant differences in approaches were found between male and female students; and between students who intended to enrol in a higher degree and those who did not.Research limitations/implicationsCharacteristics of the learning and teaching environment, including quality of teaching, were not investigated in this study. These and the possibility of students' mixed approaches to learning depending on the unit of study might have significant impact on the results. Additionally, this study is specific to one Sydney university; therefore the results might not be generalisable.Originality/valueThe findings from this study provide evidence that there is no significant difference between second and third year; or in international and local students' approaches to learning in statistics.
Fostering independent learning and engagement for postgraduate students
Authors: Blount Yvette , McNeill Margot 
Published: May 2011

PurposeAs educational technologies are more widely adopted in higher education teaching and learning, publishers often include online resources to accompany their textbook offerings. The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study forming part of a larger ongoing evaluation of the third party software product WileyPLUS.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes the integration of the publisher's tools into a specific curriculum context and takes a critical look at the pedagogical effectiveness of the software in this context. A mixed‐methods approach is taken in the study, using a small postgraduate accounting unit as a case study.FindingsWhile many students reported positive experiences with the third party resources, technical issues were a barrier to their effectiveness and many students did not engage with the optional resources. The unit convenor's experience was largely positive.Practical implicationsAlthough it may be tempting for unit convenors to adopt these tools and resources as readily available and easy to use, it is important that they are integrated into the curriculum and that students are supported in their use.Originality/valueOutcomes include a list of critical success factors and an evaluation framework that could be of use to other academics seeking to embed third party resources into their teaching.
Public service productivity: how to capture outputs?
Authors: Jääskeläinen Aki , Lönnqvist Antti 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the micro‐level (managerial) measurement of service productivity in the context of public services, in particular, the role of different output elements.Design/methodology/approachCurrent knowledge on the issue is summarised based on the existing literature on service productivity and public sector performance. Measurement challenges and potential solutions are studied in four different services of the city of Helsinki, Finland.FindingsThe case study demonstrates that complex service outputs can be divided into components (both tangible and intangible) that can be utilised in designing more sophisticated productivity measures. The findings add to the existing understanding about issues related to public service output definition.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides knowledge to support the application of a disaggregated approach to service productivity measurement. However, more research is needed in order to fully utilise this approach in practice.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study may help managers identify service output components in public/social services. This can be used as a starting point for developing novel productivity measures.Originality/valueA key challenge in examining service productivity relates to the intangible nature of services; it is especially difficult to define the actual outputs produced. The challenges seem to be most severe in the public sector due to its specific characteristics. Many of the existing studies examine the issue at macro level. In large multi‐service organisations there is a managerial need to gather micro‐level information on productivity. This paper demonstrates how a disaggregated approach presented in the earlier literature can be operationalised. The approach yields a detailed understanding of different output components, which is a necessary step in designing relevant productivity measures for operative‐level management.
The risks and returns of new public management: political business
Authors: Luke Belinda , Kearins Kate , Verreynne Martie‐Louise 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThis article aims to consider success in terms of the financial returns and risks of new public management (NPM) in state‐owned enterprises (SOEs).Design/methodology/approachFinancial returns of New Zealand SOEs were examined through a review of their annual reports over a five‐year period. Dimensions of risk were examined through interviews conducted in two phases over a two‐year period with senior executives from 12 of the (then) 17 SOEs operating in New Zealand.FindingsFindings indicate the potential for SOEs to operate as profitable government investments, with clear support for positive financial returns under NPM. However, variations noted within individual SOEs also indicate that profitable and commercial operations may not be possible in all cases. An examination of the risks associated with SOEs' operations reveals a number of dimensions of risk, encompassing financial, political (including regulatory), reputational, and public accountability aspects.Practical implicationsThere is a need for an enhanced awareness on the part of internal and external stakeholders (such as the government and general public) of the risks SOEs face in pursuing higher levels of profitability. Also required, is a more acute understanding on the part of internal and external stakeholders (e.g. government and the public) of the need for SOEs to manage the range of risks identified, given the potentially delicate balance between risk and return.Originality/valueWhile previous studies have considered the financial returns of SOEs, or the risks faced by the public sector in terms of accountability, few have addressed the two issues collectively in a single context.
Targeted criteria performance improvement
Authors: Barton Harry , Beynon Malcolm J. 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThe paper is set in the context of the impact of new public management (NPM) on the police service in the UK. Specifically, it aims to describe a modelling based approach to targeted police performance improvement within a specific area of measured operational policing namely sanction detection levels. It draws upon nationally available crime statistics, which have been utilised in a novel way in order to provide the police with an additional performance management technique.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses secondary data and the PROMETHEE ranking technique to exposit performance rank improvement of a police force amongst their most similar forces group.FindingsThe modelling approach is a proven tool that could be used in partnership with other police performance management techniques in their attempt to meet the public interest and Home Office demands for improvements in base sanction detection levels.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper presents a theoretical approach that seeks to address a complex and multifaceted operational issue affecting all police forces. The theoretical nature in itself presents a potentially idealistic scenario.Practical implicationsThe paper demonstrates that innovative modelling has the potential to add value to techniques that are currently used in the area of police performance improvement, in this case sanction detection levels. At the fundamental level this could be viewed in terms of “Where to start first, and from there?” with respect to targeting certain types of crime.Originality/valueThis paper uses a modern ranking technique previously unused in this area.
Australian Federal Police drug investigations: benefit‐cost analysis
Authors: McFadden Michael , Porter Toni‐Lee 
Published: May 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the social impact, i.e. the estimated return to the Australian community, of Australian Federal Police (AFP) drug law enforcement effort in general and the relative success of specific policy initiatives.Design/methodology/approachBenefit‐cost analysis (BCA) was employed in the assessment of 2,716 drug investigations that took place between 2000 and 2005. Costs associated with the Australian Customs Service, the legal process and prisons were included. Benefits related to the economic estimate of reduced harm in terms of death and injury, crime, reduced productivity, and pain and suffering associated with the use of illicit drugs.FindingsThe results suggest that the Australian community receives $5.80 of benefit in terms of potential harm avoided for every dollar invested in drug law enforcement. Specific policy initiatives were found to result in higher than average returns: investigations involving domestic and international partners ($6.00 and $9.20 respectively), an emphasis on serious and complex crime ($9.20), and intelligence‐led policing ($7.90).Research limitation/implicationsThe estimation of economic benefits is the most contentious area of the study. The AFP is undertaking a review of its estimation of benefits.Originality/valueThe results suggest that AFP drug law enforcement provides a positive contribution to the wellbeing of the Australian community. Furthermore, the findings indicate that specific drug law enforcement initiatives enhance the relative effectiveness of drug law enforcement in Australia. The study also provides an example to other public sector agencies of the use of BCA to determine the social impact of their policies.