Perceived Importance of Service Elements in Client Satisfaction Measures

ABSTRACT

Many evaluators or service providers develop their own client satisfaction measures using satisfaction rating items representing service elements specific to the service settings. Global satisfaction scores are then produced by summing these item scores while assuming an equal contribution of all items. One approach to overcome evidence against this assumption is importance weighting, which is achieved by considering both item satisfaction and item importance in measuring overall satisfaction. Unfortunately, the adequacy of importance weighting in client satisfaction measures is not well understood. This study assessed the adequacy of importance weighting. Analyzing data from a previous client satisfaction survey with 110 older adults, the current study found that the relationship between global client satisfaction and the sum of satisfaction scores across service elements was dependent upon the patterns of respondents’ perceived importance of service elements. These results provide support for importance weighting and suggest the need for incorporating perceived importance of service elements in measuring overall client satisfaction.     

An alternative to unrelated randomized response techniques with logistic regression analysis

The randomized response technique (RRT) is an important tool that is commonly used to protect a respondent’s privacy and avoid biased answers in surveys on sensitive issues. In this work, we consider the joint use of the unrelated-question RRT of Greenberg et al. (J Am Stat Assoc 64:520–539, 1969) and the related-question RRT of Warner (J Am Stat Assoc 60:63–69, 1965) dealing with the issue of an innocuous question from the unrelated-question RRT. Unlike the existing unrelated-question RRT of Greenberg et al. (1969), the approach can provide more information on the innocuous question by using the related-question RRT of Warner (1965) to effectively improve the efficiency of the maximum likelihood estimator of Scheers and Dayton (J Am Stat Assoc 83:969–974, 1988). We can then estimate the prevalence of the sensitive characteristic by using logistic regression. In this new design, we propose the transformation method and provide large-sample properties. From the case of two survey studies, an extramarital relationship study and a cable TV study, we develop the joint conditional likelihood method. As part of this research, we conduct a simulation study of the relative efficiencies of the proposed methods. Furthermore, we use the two survey studies to compare the analysis results under different scenarios.     

A Cautionary Note on the Analysis of Extreme Data with Cox Regression

This article analyzes a small censored data set to demonstrate the potential dangers of using statistical computing packages without understanding the details of statistical methods. The data, consisting of censored response times with heavy ties in one time point, were analyzed with a Cox regression model utilizing SAS PHREG and BMDP2L procedures. The p values, reported from both SAS PHREG and BMDP2L procedures, for testing the equality of two treatments vary considerably. This article illustrates that (1) the Breslow likelihood used in both BMDP2L and SAS PHREG procedures is too conservative and can have a critical effect on an extreme data set, (2) Wald's test in the SAS PHREG procedure may yield absurd results from most likelihood models, and (3) BMDP2L needs to include more than just the Breslow likelihood in future development.     

Information systems,inter-functional collaboration and innovation in Taiwanese high-tech manufacturing firms

This article investigates whether (1) cross-functional integration within a firm and the use of information systems (IS) that support information sharing with external parties can enhance integration across the supply chain and wider networks and (2) whether collaboration with customers, suppliers and other external parties leads to increased supply chain performance in terms of new product development and introduction of new processes. Data from a high-quality survey carried out in Taiwan in 2009 were used, and appropriate econometric models were applied. Results show that the adoption of IS that enhance information sharing is vital not only for the effective communication with suppliers and with wider network members, but their adoption also has a direct effect across a firm's innovative effort. Cross-functional integration appears to matter only for the introduction of an innovative process. Collaboration with customers and suppliers affected a product's design and its overall features and functionality, respectively.     

The influence of inter-firm relationships on the outcome of new service development: a study of Taiwanese convenience store industry

This article uses a comparative case study design to investigate how inter-firm relationships affect the outcome of new service developments (NSD). Empirical evidence comes from the development of two e-commerce services in the four dominant Taiwanese convenience store chains. This study found that the interdependence between case companies and fundamental suppliers tends to be characterised by high switching cost and accompanied with ownership for both service developments. In contrast, the interdependence between case companies and non-fundamental suppliers is based on valuable resources. Moreover, case companies cooperate with their suppliers (i.e. fundamental and non-fundamental) on the basis of trust created by previous cooperative experience, the supplier's good capability and contract in two service developments. In particular, this study found that interdependence (asymmetrical or mutual) and a higher level of trust between firms shortens the time required for NSD.     

A simple approach to an integrated single-vendor single-buyer inventory system with shortage

In this article, a simple approach with two basic inequalities (Cauchy–Schwarz inequality and arithmetic–geometric mean inequality) is used to solve the integrated single-vendor single-buyer inventory problem developed by Wu and Ouyang (Wu, K.-S. and Ouyang, L.-Y., 2003. An integrated single-vendor single-buyer inventory system with shortage derived algebraically. Production Planning & Control, 14 (6), 555–561). Without the method of completing perfect square, the proposed approach yields the global minimum of the integrated total cost per year more easily than the algebraic approach used by Wu and Ouyang (2003 Wu, K-S and Ouyang, L-Y. 2003. An integrated single-vendor single-buyer inventory system with shortage derived algebraically. Production Planning & Control, 14(6): 555–561. [Taylor & Francis Online], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). In addition, for people without the background of calculus, it is more useful to determine the buyer's economic order quantity and the vendor's optimal number of deliveries.     

Inferences on the coefficient of variation of an inverse gaussian distribution

The likelihood ratio test for a characteristic parameter of the inverse Gaussian distribution is derived. The parameter of interest characterizes the coefficient of variation, the skewness and the kurtosis of the distribution. The distribution of the test statistic is presented in a simplified form. Useful quanfiles of the distribution are given. Methods for constructing confidence bounds for the parameter, including Bayes highest posterior density intervals, are considered.     

Bayesian Spatial Analysis for the Evaluation of Breast Cancer Detection Methods

This study investigated the impact of spatial location on the effectiveness of population‐based breast screening in reducing breast cancer mortality compared to other detection methods among Queensland women. The analysis was based on linked population‐based datasets from BreastScreen Queensland and the Queensland Cancer Registry for the period of 1997–2008 for women aged less than 90 years at diagnosis. A Bayesian hierarchical regression modelling approach was adopted and posterior estimation was performed using Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques. This approach accommodated sparse data resulting from rare outcomes in small geographic areas, while allowing for spatial correlation and demographic influences to be included. A relative survival model was chosen to evaluate the relative excess risk for each breast cancer related factor. Several models were fitted to examine the influence of demographic information, cancer stage, geographic information and detection method on women's relative survival. Overall, the study demonstrated that including the detection method and geographic information when assessing the relative survival of breast cancer patients helped capture unexplained and spatial variability. The study also found evidence of better survival among women with breast cancer diagnosed in a screening program than those detected otherwise, as well as lower risk for those residing in a more urban or socio‐economically advantaged region, even after adjusting for tumour stage, environmental factors and demographics. However, no evidence of dependency between method of detection and geographic location was found. This project provides a sophisticated approach to examining the benefit of a screening program while considering the influence of geographic factors.     

Modeling knowledge sharing and team performance in technology industry: the main and moderating effects of happiness

Review of Managerial Science - This study complements previous literature by bridging activity theory and the broaden-and-build theory to examine how happiness (as an intrinsic driver) and...