Showing papers in "Management Research News in 2007"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the nature and type of daily innovation practices of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) located in Taiwan and explored the relationship between innovation and organizational performance.
Abstract: – This study attempts to probe within a multi‐dimensional perspective the nature and type of daily innovation practices of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) located in Taiwan. The relationship between innovation and organizational performance will also be explored., – Data of interest were collected through a telephone survey. From the 2000 Directory of Manufacturing and Service Industries in Northern Part of Taiwan, companies with a total employee number less than 200 (the definition of an SME in Taiwan) were the population. Telephone calls to 877 firms were successfully completed with a response rate of 87 per cent., – Eighty per cent of the surveyed companies conducted some sort of innovation, the two major types of innovations were technological and marketing innovations. Innovation has a weak link with company sales. Administrative innovations have surfaced to be the most crucial factor in explaining sales rather than technological innovations., – Creating a successful innovation platform to serve as a base for non‐technology‐related innovations may prove to be the most critical catalyst to capitalize on innovation efforts. The research results also provide some insights for companies that are not sure how to integrate innovation into their business operations., – This study unveils the innovation practices of this novel economy and particularly focuses on the less explored SMEs in an Asian context.
362 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of work satisfaction and organizational commitment on withdrawal behaviors were examined with a questionnaire study with Dutch and Slovakian respondents, and the results indicated that targeting one attitude in order to prevent withdrawal behaviours may not be enough.
Abstract: Purpose – The focus of this research paper is on the effects of work satisfaction and organizational commitment on withdrawal behaviours. In order to acquire a better understanding of this relationship, the moderating effects of work satisfaction and organizational commitment are examined.Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire study was undertaken with Dutch and Slovakian respondents.Findings – Although the results do yield support for the claim that work satisfaction and organizational commitment have moderating effects on withdrawal behaviours, not all the hypotheses were confirmed, particularly in the case of sample two.Research limitations/implications – Although a cross‐sectional design was used, light was shed on the complex relationship between work satisfaction, organizational commitment and withdrawal behaviours.Practical implications – The results suggest that targeting one employee attitude in order to prevent withdrawal behaviours may not be enough. It is recommended to focus on a combi...
167 citations
TL;DR: For example, this article found that employees' self-reported job involvement significantly predicted certain supervisor performance ratings above and beyond work centrality, and used correlation and hierarchical regression to test the relationship between job involvement and performance.
Abstract: Purpose – The hypothesized relationship between the attitude of job involvement and performance has received limited support. In 2002, Diefendorff et al. proposed that previous attempts to confirm this relationship were flawed, and subsequently found support for job involvement's criterion‐related validity. The present study seeks to provide another test of job involvement's association with performance.Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered using a field sample combined within a longitudinal design. Hypotheses were tested using correlation and hierarchical regression.Findings – Employees’ self‐reported job involvement significantly predicted certain supervisor performance ratings above and beyond work centrality.Research limitations/implications – The psychological environment may have been disrupted by the public announcement that the focal organization had been acquired by an international firm shortly before data collection began.Practical implications – Encouraging greater job involvement m...
146 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a typology of the strategic SME network types and their key knowledge management challenges based on a synthesis of existing literature is presented, which can benefit SME managers facing networking and KM challenges.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to bridge the knowledge management (KM) and strategic business network literatures from the viewpoint of SMEs.Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents a typology of KM and strategic business networks; thus the paper is based on a literature review and analysis.Findings – The paper provides a typology of the strategic SME network types and their key KM challenges based on a synthesis of existing literature.Research limitations/implications – It is suggested that longitudinal case studies of KM practices in strategic SME networks should be conducted. An empirical multi‐case study has already been started.Originality/value – The presented SME network typology can benefit SME managers facing networking and KM challenges. Besides, it is suggested that a common strategy should be developed for all types of networks to enable the creation of knowledge‐based competencies and capabilities.
129 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors employ the need theory to investigate whether a need for achievement has an effect on persistence behavior among entrepreneurs, and whether business goals interact to influence such persistence.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of the study is to employ the need theory to investigate whether a need for achievement has an effect on persistence behavior among entrepreneurs, and whether a need for achievement and business goals interact to influence such persistence.Design/methodology/approach – A longitudinal study of nascent entrepreneurs was conducted by a field survey in a metropolitan area of a mid‐western state in the USA. Logistic regression was used to test the hypotheses.Findings – Need for achievement is found to be positively related to entrepreneurial persistence. Business goals are found to moderate the relationship between need for achievement and persistence.Research limitations/implications – The time span between the two waves of data collection in the longitudinal study might have been too short.Practical implications – This study highlights the importance of matching need for achievement and business goals. For complex tasks, a strong need for achievement should be accompanied with moderate ...
128 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the impact of shared beliefs concerning the benefits of enterprise resource planning among executives and engineers in the northern region of Malaysia, and find that shared beliefs affect the performance of ERP.
Abstract: Purpose – This article seeks to examine the impact of shared beliefs concerning the benefits of enterprise resource planning (ERP) among executives and engineers in the northern region of Malaysia....
122 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors address the challenges of insider action research and propose a critical realist approach which challenges them to transcend their own subjectivity through the quality of how they are attentive to the data, intelligent in their understanding, reasonable in their judgements and responsible in their actions.
Abstract: Purpose – Within the context of the changing nature of research and of universities, insider action research provides a particular expression of action research that poses considerable challenges to those engaging in it. The purpose of this article is to address the challenges of insider action research.Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on such research undertaken in Sweden.Findings – Insider action researchers need to confront the issues pertaining to preunderstanding, role duality and organizational politics. Attention to experience, understanding and judgement which leads to action, provides a methodology through which they can affirm what and how they know. They need to do so in a critical realist approach which challenges them to transcend their own subjectivity through the quality of how they are attentive to the data, intelligent in their understanding, reasonable in their judgements and responsible in their actions. Such transcendence provides the criteria for a rigorous epistemology a...
120 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the relationship between innovation and market orientation and identified key components of market orientation that are antecedent factors of the innovation performance of a manufacturing firm.
Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to explore the nature of the interactions between two strategies, innovation and market orientation. By examining the components of these constructs the paper seeks to identify key components of market orientation that are antecedent factors of the innovation performance of the firm.Design/methodology/approach – Correlation analysis was undertaken on data from a survey of 73 manufacturing firms in the Greater Western Sydney economic development zone in Australia. The data were supplemented by information obtained from the firm's annual reports.Findings – Innovation was found to be positively correlated to market orientation (customer orientation, competitor orientation and inter‐functional co‐ordination) and both of these constructs were found to be positively correlated to firm performance and the degree of change in the firm's competitive environment.Research limitations/implications – Possible limitations are: the low survey response rate; the nature of the sampled population;...
117 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a survey of Irish high-technology small-to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) was conducted to identify the most important success factors in the management of projects within SMEs.
Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to examine the use of project management practices in small high‐technology firms and to identify what contributes to project success.Design/methodology/approach – The results presented in this paper are based on a survey of Irish high‐technology small‐to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). A questionnaire was distributed to over 200 organisations via e‐mail and a response rate of 20 per cent was achieved.Findings – Results suggest that the existence of a project manager and the use of project planning significantly contribute to project success. Control for projects resides primarily with owner‐managers and achieving quality standards is a significant success criterion. Additionally, having clear goals/objectives and top management support are identified as the most important success factors in the firms surveyed.Research limitations/implications – This paper presents the findings of an initial investigation into the management of projects within SMEs. The study has been limited by...
105 citations
TL;DR: The evolution of shift in the area of operations management (OM) is examined based on a thorough literature review and the authors’ industrial experience to anticipate potential developments in the relevant areas of OM.
Abstract: Purpose – This paper seeks to analyze the evolution of shift in the area of operations management (OM) and attempts to anticipate potential developments in the relevant areas of OM.Design/methodology/approach – A hybrid approach is adopted to understand how the field of OM has evolved over time relying on the perspectives of both academics and business practitioners. This evolution of shift in the area of OM is examined based on a thorough literature review and the authors’ industrial experience.Findings – From the days of functional point solutions relying on concepts like reorder point to finite capacity planning, OM research at present deals with a set of important problems facing both private and public sectors at the organizational level. Most prominent of these include e‐business, supply chain management, production planning and scheduling, product development, decision support systems, information‐based strategy, systems development and implementation, risk and environmental management. OM has also...
105 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, taxonomical criteria are used for assessing research constructs and assessing current business model conceptualizations, and the results of the assessment reveal that the existing business model concepts comply poorly with the taxonomic criteria.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to synthesize taxonomical criteria that can be used for assessing research constructs and assess current business model conceptualizations. The paper attempts to show how the criticism plaguing current business model conceptualizations could be removed with future conceptual development against these taxonomical criteria.Design/methodology/approach – The paper synthesizes taxonomical criteria and assesses current business model conceptualizations.Findings – The results of the paper revealed that the current business model concepts comply poorly with the taxonomical criteria. The assessment of taxonomical compliance in this paper exposed major opportunities for enhancements in the existing conceptualizations of business model.Research limitations/implications – The findings of the paper outline novel avenues for future research in developing more coherent and rigorous business model conceptualizations.Practical implications – The practical implications of the paper ar...
TL;DR: Ease of use was the criteria that the respondents considered most important in assessing web usability, and personalization and customization was consistently reported as the least important criteria.
Abstract: Purpose – This research aims to investigate the relative importance of five key criteria in assessing web usability. These criteria are navigation, download speed, personalization, ease of use, and accessibility. It is believed that these factors play a significant role in assessing web usability.Design/methodology/approach – This study utilized a scenario‐based, multi‐criteria decision‐making approach. The method (policy capturing) utilizes multiple scenarios to determine the relative importance of the criteria of interest. Based on the responses to these scenarios (assessing web usability), linear regressions, and Tukey's honestly significant differences were utilized to determine the relative importance of the five web usability criteria.Findings – The research indicated that, as expected, ease of use was the criteria that the respondents considered most important in assessing web usability. Interestingly, personalization and customization was consistently reported as the least important criteria. It w...
TL;DR: The notion of taking an attitude of inquiry as a quality process in research has been proposed in this article, enabling researchers to be aware of and articulate the complex processes of interpretation, reflection and action they engage in.
Abstract: Purpose – The paper aims to offer the notion of “taking an attitude of inquiry” as a quality process in research, enabling researchers to be aware of and articulate the complex processes of interpretation, reflection and action they engage in. The purpose is to consider this as a quality process that complements more procedural approaches.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on 25 years experience in an action research community – in which the authors have developed theory and practice in the company of colleagues – to articulate and illustrate what “taking an attitude of inquiry” can mean. The paper seeks to make quality practices thus developed available to a wider community of researchers.Findings – Two schema with illustrations are offered. Qualities that enable taking an attitude of inquiry are suggested: curiosity, willingness to articulate and explore purposes, humility, participation and radical empiricism. Disciplines of inquiring practice are identified as: paying attention to framing and its p...
TL;DR: In this article, the extent to which organizations in Nigeria use various human resource management (HRM) practices, and the perceived challenges and prospects of these practices were examined, and a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods was employed to gather information.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which organizations in Nigeria use various human resource management (HRM) practices, and the perceived challenges and prospects of these practices.Design/methodology/approach – A combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods was employed to gather information. Specifically, data were collected from 253 managers in selected firms. Descriptive data analysis is presented with respect to the use and execution of HRM practices such as recruitment, selection, performance appraisal and training and development. In addition, information was collected and analyzed with regard to the challenges and prospects of HRM.Findings – This study provides significant current information on HRM knowledge and practices in Nigeria. The findings reveal that HRM practices, such as training, recruitment, compensation, performance appraisal and reward systems, are still in place. However, issues of tribalism, AIDS, training and development and corruptio...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigate how customers perceive their logistics service providers in terms of achieving the claimed benefits of outsourcing and find that customers place significant value on the services they provide, technologies they use and objectives that transcend just low cost.
Abstract: – The aim of this research is to understand how customers perceive their logistics service providers in terms of achieving the claimed benefits of outsourcing. This paper is based on research focusing on the state of the 3PL (Third Party Logistics) industry in Australia., – A set of typical business outcomes to which logistics outsourcing is expected to contribute were identified. Customers were asked to rate the contribution of their principal 3PL to these performance indicators. We used competitive priorities of 3PLs, the services provided by them and technologies used by them as predictors and performed regression analysis for each of these., – The results indicate that customers of 3PLs place significant value on the services they provide, technologies they use and objectives that transcend just low cost. The implication of this final finding shows that customers see a focus on service based solutions as providing a set of benefits beyond mere cost control., – The main limitation of this paper is that it is confined to Australia. So, any extensions of the findings to other regions of the world should be done with caution., – The practical implication of the study is that it provides support for the potential for an effective set of arrangements with 3PLs to help organizations to move out of the world of pure cost based competition, and into one where they could compete on multiple dimensions., – This study provides evidence from customers of logistics service providers indicating that 3PLs provide them with a means for competing through greater flexibility, at the same time as enabling better‐cost management. In this sense, customers see 3PLs as providing them with a potential pathway to more innovative business models.
TL;DR: In this article, the attitudes of the largest groups in today's workforce, the baby boomers and generation X, on team formation were examined and the findings demonstrate that an updated paradigm for team-building needs to be developed that encourages individual identity and personal values as well as those of the group.
Abstract: Purpose – This paper seeks to examine the attitudes of the largest groups in today's workforce, the baby boomers (born between 1945 and 1962) and generation X (born between 1963 and 1982) on team formation. The study measures individualism‐collectivism levels on five dimensions in both groups.Design/methodology/approach – Based on survey research (n=434), data were analyzed using factor analyses (extraction and rotation choices) consistent with previous research.Findings – The findings demonstrate that an updated paradigm for team‐building needs to be developed that encourages individual identity and personal values as well as those of the group.Research limitations/implications – The authors did not examine all of the potential social and cultural influences on team behaviour (e.g. nationality, ethnicity or religious influences). Future research should attempt to either measure or control for more of these variables.Practical implications – Past management paradigms on team formation must be adapted to c...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors offer an understanding as to whether trust-based coordination is feasible in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) internationalization processes, and if so, what impact these cooperative arrangements can have on corporate success.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to offer an understanding as to whether trust‐based coordination is feasible in the context of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SME) internationalization processes, and if so, what impact these cooperative arrangements can have on corporate successDesign/methodology/approach – To answer the research hypotheses, multiple regression analyses based on a postal questionnaire survey (n = 58 SMEs from Austria, the Czech Republic and Slovenia) were computedFindings – It is found that self‐commitment facilitates the establishment and maintenance of heterarchic cross‐border cooperation relationships of SMEs that cannot evolve based on market or hierarchical coordination It is also found that the establishment of trust‐based cooperation relationships with foreign partners positively affects the success of the participating companiesResearch limitations/implications – Only Slovenian and Czech enterprises and their internationalization have been investigated and compared
TL;DR: In this paper, a general review of RFID and instructions to managers who are in a dilemma as to whether RFID is right for their organization or application are given. But the results of this study provide managers with procedures to follow that will enable them to minimize RFID implementation problems.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to help managers determine whether RFID is appropriate for their particular organizational needs and to give them some guidelines for implementing an RFID solution.Design/methodology/approach – This paper is a general review of RFID and offers instructions to managers who are in a dilemma as to whether RFID is right for their organization or application.Findings – The results of this study provide managers with procedures to follow that will enable them to minimize RFID implementation problems.Practical implications – For practicing managers, these implementation procedures have important implications. As with any technological implementation, the needs of the organization, its personnel, and customers must be at the forefront of the process.Originality/value – This paper offers managers a valuable perspective on the RFID implementation process for their organization.
TL;DR: In this article, the determinants of perceived job performance in a sample of shop floor employees in a manufacturing plant in northern Mexico were explored, and it was hypothesised that job satisfaction, age and education levels are significant predictors of job performance.
Abstract: Purpose – The paper aims to explore the determinants of perceived job performance in a sample of shop‐floor employees in a manufacturing plant in northern Mexico.Design/methodology/approach – It is hypothesised that job satisfaction, age and education levels are significant predictors of job performance. A thorough literature review reveals that studies of the variables that influence job performance within a manufacturing setting are basically lacking. A questionnaire distributed amongst shop‐floor employees and their immediate supervisors was used in order to measure the variables included in the study. Statistical analyses were performed with the data in order to test for the reliability and validity of the measures, and also to test the three main research hypotheses.Findings – It was found that two variables that measure job satisfaction are positively and significantly associated with job performance. This result is consistent with previous studies. Nevertheless, age and education levels do not show...
TL;DR: An integrated framework to determine the relationships between organisation core competences and associated personal competencies is introduced and shows how these individual competencies are crucial to the overall organisational core competencies.
Abstract: Purpose – This paper seeks to introduce an integrated framework to determine the relationships between organisation core competences and associated personal competencies.Design/methodology/approach – At first organisation core competences are determined by conducting internal and external benchmarking exercises, respectively, employing the “collectiveness” and “uniqueness” measures using key capabilities as a basis. Subsequently a pair‐wise comparison using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is conducted to assess related personal competencies using the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development list of competencies. The paper shows how these individual competencies are crucial to the overall organisational core competences. The framework is tested for a construction company, where five management directors are interviewed to develop an overall picture regarding the strengths and weaknesses of the company's key capabilities.Findings – Overall the results show that, despite being a construction com...
TL;DR: In this paper, a survey was used to collect data from a heterogeneous sample of creativity workers, and the data was analyzed using a structural equation model to examine the creative environment's effect on a worker's intent to turnover.
Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to examine the creative environment's effect on a worker's intent to turnover. It was designed to investigate the creative environment's role on garden variety creativity (non‐elite) workers' organizational outcomes.Design/methodology/approach – A survey was used to collect data from a heterogeneous sample of garden variety creativity workers. This data was analyzed using a structural equation model.Findings – Structural equation model analysis results indicated a good fit between the hypothesized model and the sample data. The goodness‐of‐fit index was 0.97, and the RMSEA was 0.06. Results indicated a significant path coefficient of −0.77 between creative environment and intent to turnover.Research limitations/implications – From this study, future research needs to be conducted that will expand the findings' generalizability. Also, additional work should develop specific implementation practices for appropriate organizational redesign.Practical implications – These findings sho...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the relationship between the materialistic attitudes of salespeople working in pharmaceutical and household white goods and furniture (HWGF) sectors and their organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).
Abstract: Purpose – Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) has continuously been an important issue for almost three decades. In contrast with the high interest in OCB, the effects of materialism on OCB have not attracted sufficient attention in the literature. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the materialistic attitudes of salespeople working in pharmaceutical and household white goods and furniture (HWGF) sectors and their OCB.Design/methodology/approach – It is hypothesized that materialistic attitude is one of the dispositional variables which is an antecedent of OCB. A total of 199 salespeople who work for pharmaceutical and HWGF sectors in Eskisehir, Turkey were surveyed. The questionnaire consisted of two scales to measure materialistic tendencies and OCB, respectively.Findings – The results of the study early indicate that materialistic attitude is one of the antecedents that have negative impacts on OCB. There are negative correlations between all dimensions of OCB and materi...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the role of intangible project management assets in achievement of competitive advantage from the project management process through it being valuable, rare, inimitable, and having organizational support.
Abstract: Purpose – To explore the role of intangible project management assets in achievement of competitive advantage from the project management process through it being valuable, rare, inimitable, and having organizational support.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected on tangible and intangible project management process assets and competitive characteristics of the project management process using an online survey of North American Project Management Institute™ members. Three key tangible asset factors, one intangible asset factor, and three competitive characteristics were identified using exploratory factor analysis. The relationship between these project management assets and project management process characteristics are examined using multivariate analysis.Findings – Intangible project management assets are found to be a source of competitive advantage, directly and through a mediating role in the relationship between tangible project management assets and the competitive characteristics of th...
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors review selected psychological contract literature to aid in developing understandings about the unique nature of today's work agreements and work environment, and provide practical knowledge, future research directions and fill several gaps in knowledge about the contract.
Abstract: Purpose – This paper sets out to review selected psychological contract literature to aid in developing understandings about the unique nature of today's work agreements and work environment. This conceptual paper aims to provide practical knowledge, future research directions and fill several gaps in knowledge about the contract.Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides insights and directions for future psychological contract research, while explaining the implications for research and practice of the work previously undertaken in developing this area of research.Findings – This paper suggests that psychological contract measurement and its theoretical implications must be reconsidered. In this context, the interface with organizational justice literature is discussed.Originality/value – Limited research in the field has focused on the implications of previous research. This paper aims to bring together what has been done previously and provide directions for future study.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a structured overview of the application of the configuration approach in the context of new and small ventures, and survey the empirical literature in the leading entrepreneurship journals from 1994 to 2006.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide a structured overview of the application of the configuration approach in the context of new and small ventures.Design/methodology/approach – The paper surveys the empirical literature in the leading entrepreneurship journals from 1994 to 2006.Findings – There are a small, but significant number of studies that deal with the empirical identification and examination of new venture types. However, researchers are just beginning to tap the potential of the configuration approach. More specifically, configuration analyses are still rather heterogeneous, and no study deals with the identification of development configuration in the context of new ventures yet.Research limitations/implications – Since the configuration approach has already delivered interesting results in research on new ventures, we might see additional studies based on this approach in the future. However, there are practical and theoretical considerations to be taken into account.Practical im...
TL;DR: In this article, a conceptual framework extracted from the philosophy of Aristotle is presented for understanding the knowledge claims of action research in relation to other approaches, and the reader can see what kind of "turn to practice" is required in research on organizing, organisational learning, and management.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of the article is to aid the reader in understanding the knowledge claims in different forms of action research and to see what kind of “turn to practice” is required in research on organising, organisational learning, and management.Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual framework extracted from the philosophy of Aristotle is presented for understanding the knowledge claims of action research in relation to other approaches.Findings – Some form of action research should be pursued, but action research is a label covering many different approaches suggesting different ways of relating knowledge and action.Research limitations/implications – In order to provide valid, practicable knowledge both action research and mainstream research need to reconfigure and sort things better. The call is for doing more organizational research as “praxis research” as part of late modern, socially distributed knowledge production modes.Practical implications – The required reconfiguration of organi...
TL;DR: Different PMS objectives imply significantly different design choices for constitutive elements, and even when companies are very different in terms of size and sector of activity, similar objectives lead to very similar PMSs.
Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to address the problem of designing a performance measurement system (PMS) for research and development (RD in particular, it investigates if and how different objectives for the PMS use influence the design of its constitutive elements.Design/methodology/approach – A literature review was first conducted, aimed at identifying the constitutive elements of a PMS for R&D and the major purposes for its use. Then, a multiple case study involving four Italian technology‐intensive firms was undertaken for investigating the relationship between PMS constitutive elements and measurement purposes.Findings – Different PMS objectives imply significantly different design choices for constitutive elements. Even when companies are very different in terms of size and sector of activity, similar objectives lead to very similar PMSs.Research limitations/implications – The research is qualitative. Further research should aim to increase the rationality and objectivity of...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identify common complaints made by Turkish frequent flyers related to their program membership and identify common concerns related to the availability of free tickets and upgrades of the flight class, behaviour of personnel, card ownership issues (e.g., high number of miles needed to retain membership), level and type of priority services offered within the program.
Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to identify common complaints made by Turkish frequent flyers related to their program membership.Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was administered via the internet for the research study reported here. The population consists of 15,000 passengers who are Elite members of the Frequent Flyer Program of Turkish Airlines (THY). For sampling purposes, 2,000 members were randomly selected from the Elite membership in February 2003. Following the survey, 608 usable questionnaires were included in the analysis stage, which represented a response rate of 30.4 per cent.Findings – In the context of this study of the Elite members of the Miles&Miles program of THY, the common complaints of members fall into five categories. The main concerns are related to the availability of free tickets and upgrades of the flight class, the behaviour of personnel, card ownership issues (e.g. high number of miles needed to retain membership), level and type of priority services offered within ...