Gaining Competitive Advantages: Analyzing the Gap between Expectations and Perceptions of Service Quality

Universities have obligations to fulfill the needs of two customers –students and industry. Students must be intellectually prepared to meet the challenges of a highly competitive global environment. One approach in meeting this challenge is to focus on `Service Quality.' The purpose of this paper is to review the relevant research literature and theorize several propositions about SERVQUAL in the higher educational environment. The research considers the gap between expected services and perceived services and how these dimensions of SERVQUAL may be utilized to improve service quality and customer satisfaction.     

Analyzing the Value of Service Quality Management: Gaining Competitive Advantages

Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry (1990) demonstrate Service Qualitymeasurements that incorporate customer expectations provide richer informationthan those that focus on perceptions only. Also, executives in companies thathave switched to a disconfirmation-based measurement approach have greaterdiagnostic value.The research method design includes two alternative questionnaire formats:expectations and perceived levels of service quality. PZB (1994) theorizedthat the three-column format generates separate ratings of desired, adequate,and perceived service with three identical, side-by-side scales. It requirescomputing the perceived – desired and the perceived-adequate differencesto quantify measures of service superiority (MSS) and measures of serviceadequacy (MSA).Rust Zahorik and Keiningham (1993), Devin and Dong (1994) emphasized thereturn on service quality, as an investment is required to remain competitivein a global market. This research will give the university's administrators,as well as all corporate leaders the opportunity to implement `servicequality' improvement strategies in areas of weakness.     

享乐型服务的场景要素与顾客行为意向的关系研究

以享乐型服务消费的典型业态--休闲餐厅为研究背景,从情绪和认知两个视角对服务场景与顾客的情绪反应、感知服务质量、感知服务价值和行为意向的关系进行研究.在文献回顾的基础上,建立反映各概念关系的理论模型;利用自行开发的问卷,采用调查法收集数据,应用结构方程模型进行数据分析.研究结果表明,服务场景对调动顾客的积极情绪、提高顾客的感知服务质量和感知服务价值有显著影响,积极情绪、感知服务质量和感知服务价值均会影响顾客餐后的行为意向,感知服务价值对行为意向的影响最为显著,并且在情绪反应与行为意向、感知服务质量与行为意向的关系中起中介作用.研究结果的管理含义在于,享乐型服务的管理者应充分利用服务场景改善顾客的感知质量、感知价值和重购意愿,以获得持续的竞争优势.     

基于SERVQUAL的供电服务质量测量标尺研究

服务质量的测量是近年来服务管理的热点问题。本文基于PZB提出的SERVQUAL标尺,采用实证方法,发展了测量供电服务质量的标尺。研究结果表明,新的标尺更为适合供电服务的特征,并且具有更合理的维度结构、信度、结构效度和预测效度,对于其它行业服务质量的测量也具有相当的借鉴意义。     

SSTs情境下顾客技术准备的结果模型

已有研究探讨了顾客技术准备对顾客采用、尝试自助服务技术(SSTs)的影响,而忽视了其引发的结果。研究借鉴人力资源管理当中相关概念和成果,构建自助服务技术情境下顾客技术准备的结果模型,并通过收集248名网上银行使用者的数据,利用偏最小二乘法(PLS)进行结构方程建模来验证假说。研究结果表明在自助服务技术情境下,顾客技术准备对顾客感知的SSTs服务质量、感知价值、顾客满意有显著的正向作用;而对感知风险则有负向影响。各个结果变量之间的关系也都符合传统服务营销领域中的研究结果,除了感知价值和感知风险之间的关系。由于受到性别的调节作用,感知价值与感知风险没有出现研究所期望的负向关系。研究结论为未来自助服务技术研究和实施有效的自助服务技术管理提供借鉴。     

The Impact of Service Quality and Service Characteristics on Customer Retention: Small Businesses and their Banks in the UK1

The recent developments in relationship marketing have increasingly focused attention on the beneficial effects of customer retention. The notion of building relationships and delivering quality service in order to encourage loyalty is perhaps of particular importance in the service sector where it is often argued that customer attraction costs are significantly higher than retention costs. Central to the idea of investment in the development of service quality and customer relationships is the belief that such investments will enhance loyalty, retention and profitability. Empirical evidence on the extent to which such links exist is still partial. This paper explores the relationship between service qualitylcustomer relationships and customer loyalty and retention using evidence from the UK banking sector and its small business customers.     

竞争环境下双边平台增值服务质量投资竞争研究

为了提高竞争环境下双边平台效益与竞争优势,讨论了平台企业对双边用户增值服务质量投资竞争决策问题。在考虑三种不同用户归属条件的基础上,构建了双边平台增值服务投资竞争模型。通过比较分析发现：当双边用户单归属时,无论对平台单边还是双边进行增值服务投资,投资高质量增值服务均是两平台的占优策略。当单边用户多归属时,若对消费者边进行增值服务投资,则投资低质量增值服务为平台的占优策略;若对供应商边或双边进行增值服务投资,则投资高质量增值服务为平台的占优策略。当双边用户多归属时,无论对平台单边还是双边进行增值服务投资,投资低质量增值服务均是两平台的占优策略。     

Risk Perceptions Toward Drinking Water Quality Among Private Well Owners in Ireland: The Illusion of Control

In rural areas where no public or group water schemes exist, groundwater is often the only source of drinking water and is extracted by drilling private wells. Typically, private well owners are responsible for the quality and testing of their own drinking water. Previous studies indicate that well owners tend to underestimate the risks of their well water being contaminated, yet little is known about why this is the case. We conducted a qualitative study by interviewing private well owners in Ireland to investigate their beliefs surrounding their water quality, which, in turn, inform their risk perceptions and their willingness to regularly test their water. Based on our findings we designed a theoretical model arguing that perceived control is central in the perceived contamination risks of well water. More specifically, we argue that well owners have the illusion of being in control over their water quality, which implies that people often perceive themselves to be more in control of a situation than they actually are. As a result, they tend to underestimate contamination risks, which subsequently impact negatively on water testing behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications are highlighted.     

服务补救中顾客情绪对顾客满意之影响的实证研究

在顾客服务补救满意的研究中,本文引入情绪变量,提出了包含服务失败、服务补救整个过程的研究模型,采用情景模拟的方法进行了实证研究。研究表明:顾客在服务补救后的满意,受顾客服务补救后情绪的影响,而不是受顾客服务失败时的初始情绪的影响。其中,补救后积极情绪对补救满意有显著的正向影响;补救后外在归因消极情绪对补救满意有显著的负向影响。     

入职期望与员工离职的关系——期望落差假设在中国情境下的验证

本研究在回顾期望落差假设分歧并分析其原因的基础上,以"新员工入职期望问卷"为测量工具,以我国某大型股份制企业2005年招聘的336名新员工为研究对象,采取纵向研究设计,在新员工进入企业半年内四次测量入职期望,并在第二年底收集员工主动离职信息,运用生存分析方法,研究两者关系。结果表明:(1)员工近期经历对主动离职有显著预测作用,入职期望及组织进入早期的经历对主动离职的预测作用不显著,没有支持期望落差假设;(2)团队期望在团队经历与主动离职的关系中起调节作用。由本研究引发的测量时间、竞争风险模型等问题值得进一步研究。     

笔记本电脑服务质量测量模型及其应用研究

本文以PZB的SERVQUAL模型为基础,在对200个用户电话调查和76名用户小组访谈的基础上,构建了反映笔记本电脑服务质量的初始模型。随后,又通过对458份问卷调查结果的信度、效度及验证性因子分析,建立了笔记本电脑服务质量测量模型并对其进行了标准化。最后,本文应用标准化后的模型分析了374名商用用户对笔记本电脑服务质量的总体评价。     

转移成本对感知质量与满意之间关系的调节作用——对B2B电子中介买方用户的实证研究

如何提高用户满意,对于为买卖双方提供交易支持服务的B2B电子中介而言,是扩大平台运营规模和增加市场竞争力的基础。本文以B2B电子中介的买方用户为研究对象,建立了基于转移成本调节的感知质量与用户满意因果关系概念模型,借助于国内知名的B2B电子中介采集了覆盖五大洲114个国家的649份样本数据,然后运用无约束方法验证了用户感知质量与满意之间、转移成本与满意之间的正向影响关系,以及转移成本对感知质量和满意之间关系影响的负向调节作用。实证研究结果显示,较高的转移成本会减弱买方用户的感知质量对满意的影响,有利于B2B电子中介提高买方用户的满意水平,进而为B2B电子中介如何从转移成本角度提高买方用户满意提供了实证基础。     

非营利机构服务质量传递系统的过滤模型

非营利机构所提供的产品基本都是无形的服务。而在服务质量传递系统中,有诸多因素影响着服务质量传递的效率,并最终使顾客感知服务质量的效果有所损失。通过引入简化模型和基本函数,建立和求解微分方程,构造出服务质量传递系统的动态模型,并对系统的传递过滤和感知过滤两种效应的效果进行了分析,为非营利机构及其他服务提供者准确衡量和把握顾客心理,实施服务补救,改善服务质量传递的效率和效果,提升非营利机构营销绩效奠定了理论基础。     

服务转换成本对顾客忠诚的影响——满意度与替代者吸引力的调节效应

通过将顾客满意和替代者吸引力看作是调节转换成本与忠诚之间关系的变量,考察了当满意度和替代者吸引力都不同时,转换成本对忠诚的直接影响效果会发生哪些变化的问题。通过对来自于网络宽带服务业的数据进行分析,结果显示:转换成本只有在满意度和替代者吸引力同时较高或同时较低的情况下,才能直接明显地起到提升顾客忠诚、防止顾客流失的作用;在满意度较低而替代者吸引力较高的情况下,转换成本对于顾客忠诚的作用会失效;当满意度较高而替代者吸引力较低时,由于一定数量的唯利是图者的存在,其对于促销利益和转换损失同样敏感,只要替代者的促销利益还不足以弥补其转换损失,就仍会忠诚于现供应商。     

Managing Quality in the E‐Service System: Development and Application of a Process Model

In this paper, we develop a process model for assessing and managing e‐service quality based on the underlying components of the e‐service system and, in turn, address the growing need to look in more detail at the system component level for sources of poor quality. The proposed process model is comprised of a set of entities representing the e‐service system, a network defining the linking between all pairs of entities via transactions and product flows, and a set of outcomes of the processes in terms of quality dimensions. The process model is developed using Unified Modeling Language (UML), a pictorial language for specifying service designs that has achieved widespread acceptance among e‐service designers. Examples of applications of the process model are presented to illustrate how the model can be use to identify operational levers for managing and improving e‐service quality.     

员工情绪表现结构维度及对感知服务质量影响初探

根据文献总结,情绪劳动分为员工和消费者视角,对员工视角的情绪劳动已经有了相当丰富的研究,而对消费者视角情绪表现研究还处于起步阶段。文章通过日记观察法和问卷调查法来探讨:(1)情绪表现的结构;(2)情绪表现对感知服务质量的影响。在25篇观察日记和564份有效问卷的基础上,采用SPSS和SmartPLS进行数据处理。结果显示,情绪表现分为负向情绪表现,包括假装表情、冷漠表情、轻视表情;正向情绪表现包括持久表情、真诚表情和自然表情共六个维度;基于总体数据,负向表情对感知服务质量的负向作用不显著,正向表情对感知服务质量的正向作用显著;基于不同背景样本之间的路径作用存在差异,学生样本的显著路径远远多于在职样本,男性样本的显著路径多于女性样本,专科样本的显著路径远远多于本科和硕士样本,小于30岁样本的显著路径远远多于大于30岁样本。     

Examining Localized Patterns of Air Quality Perception in Texas: A Spatial and Statistical Analysis

Environmental and human health issues associated with outdoor air pollution, such as ozone, sulfur dioxide, and other pollutants in metropolitan regions, are an area of growing concern for both policy officials and the general public. Increasing attention from the news media, new health data, and public debate over the effectiveness of clean air regulations have raised the importance of air quality in the public consciousness. While public perceptions of air quality have been studied thoroughly dating back to the 1960s, little empirical research has been conducted to explain the spatial aspects of these perceptions, particularly at the local level. Although recent studies suggest characteristics of local setting are important in shaping perceptions of air quality, the roles of proximity, neighborhood characteristics, and location have not been clarified. This study seeks to improve understanding of the major factors shaping public perceptions of air quality by examining the spatial pattern of local risk perception, the role of socioeconomic characteristics in forming these perceptions, and the relationship between perceived and scientifically measured air pollution. First, we map the spatial pattern of local air quality perceptions using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) across the Dallas and Houston metropolitan areas. Next, we explain these perceptions through local contextual factors using both bivariate correlations and multivariate regression analysis. Results indicate that perceptions of air quality in the study areas are not significantly correlated with air quality based on readings of air monitoring stations. Instead, perceptions appear to be influenced by setting (urban vs. rural), state identification, access to information, and socioeconomic characteristics such as age, race, and political identification. We discuss the implications of the findings and provide direction on how further research can provide a deeper understanding of the local contextual factors influencing public perceptions.     

顾客参与服务创新与创新绩效的关系研究——基于顾客知识转移视角的理论综述与模型构建

通过对相关文献的梳理,界定了顾客参与服务创新和知识转移的内涵,并分析了顾客参与知识转移的理论基础。重点对知识转移在顾客参与新服务开发过程和创新绩效之间可能的中介机制进行了文献综述,并探讨了因果模糊性和知识冲突在顾客参与、知识转移以及创新绩效改善关系中的调节作用。最后,基于权变管理的视角,构造了以知识转移为中介机制的顾客参与服务创新和创新绩效关系的理论模型,并指出了研究的不足和未来的研究方向。     

First Step in Social Media: Measuring the Influence of Online Management Responses on Customer Satisfaction

With the growing influence of online social media, firms increasingly take an active role in interacting with consumers in social media. For many firms, their first step in online social media is management responses, where the management responds to customers' comments about the firm or its products and services. In this article, we measure the impact of management responses on customer satisfaction using data retrieved from a major online travel agency in China. Applying a panel data model that controls for regression toward the mean and heterogeneity in individual preference for hotels, we find that online management responses are highly effective among low satisfaction customers but have limited influence on other customers. Moreover, we show that the public nature of online management responses introduces a new dynamic among customers. Although online management responses increase future satisfaction of the complaining customers who receive the responses, they decrease future satisfaction of complaining customers who observe but do not receive management responses. The result is consistent with the peer‐induced fairness theory.