Showing papers on "Services marketing published in 2015"

Value Co-Creation through Patient Engagement in Health Care: A micro-level approach and research agenda

Abstract: Patient engagement has gained increasing prominence within academic literatures and policy discourse. With limited developments in practice, most extant academic contributions are conceptual, with initiatives in the National Health Service (NHS) concentrating at macro- rather than at micro-level. This may be one reason why the issue of ‘value co-creation’ has received limited attention within academic discussions of patient engagement or policy pronouncements. Drawing on emerging ideas in the services marketing and public management literatures, this article offers the first elucidation of the importance of studying ‘value co-creation’ as a basis for further empirical analysis of patient engagement in micro-level encounters.

Revenue Management: Advanced Strategies and Tools to Enhance Firm Profitability

Abstract: Much of the past research on revenue management (RM) has focused on forecasting and optimization models and, more recently, on adaptation of RM to the specific needs in various industries, such as restaurants, car rental, transport and even health care services. Surprisingly, although many industries have become increasingly customer-focused, the customer seems to have been relatively forgotten in this stream of research. Our intent in this monograph is to help explore the role of marketing in RM in more depth.

Social media’s and online user-generated content’s role in services advertising

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to present results from a study that examines the use of the Internet for collecting material and the attention people pay to advertisements through different media sources in the context of services. A representative stratified sample of 301 respondents of foreign arrivals of tourists in the Athens airport, Greece, collected in June and July 2014 was employed. We present which social media sources and user-generated material that promote advertisements were found to be important in capturing people’s attention. Results illustrated the significant role that advertisements on Facebook play on the way people pay attention to. In fact, Facebook was found to be the second most important medium that people use when collecting material. In addition, Facebook was found to be the third source that respondents strongly agreed that they pay attention to advertisements, with the official websites/blogs to be the first source and travel guidebooks and travel magazines to follow, leaving traditional media far behind. Implications and suggestions are provided for online communication programs that may incorporate social media in services marketing communications campaigns. Libraries and corporate bodies may employ social media for advertising their services based on the significant role social media have.

Customer Satisfaction in Tourist Service Encounters

Abstract: Relationship marketing which involves establishing, developing and maintaining success relational exchanges, constitutes a major shift in marketing thought. Commitment and trust between providers and recipients of services which are the key to understanding the relationship development process are also the focus of services marketing. One of the neglected areas of service marketing is tourism which is by far the largest service industry in most western nations. Operations are commonly focused on practical and tangible aspects of the service delivered. As a whole, the service industry delivers complex service experiences in the form of many subsequent service encounters like lodging, transport and sight seeing. We know little of how extended and complex tourist encounters affect the customer relationship. To fill this gap in the service literature this study sets out to explore how different qualities embedded in four distinct service settings (eating out, accommodation, renting a car and a sightseeing tour), referred to as scapes, impact on their respective global satisfaction scores. Applying a novel approach, respondents rated the service scape by proxy when evaluating a picture in which certain quality variables had been manipulated. Findings show that distinct quality variables were significant for different scapes and for respondents from different cultures. Managerial implications for the customer relationship are also discussed.

Services Marketing Mix Efforts of a Global Services Brand: The Case of DHL Logistics

Abstract: The purpose of this study is identifying the services marketing mix (7Ps- product/service, place, promotion, price, people, processes and physical evidence) decisions of a logistics company. The significance of services marketing mix on creating a logistics services brand has received little attention in the literature. In this paper, the case of a global brand, DHL Logistics is presented. Case study was conducted by using secondary data obtained from DHL Logistics’ reports and by conducting semi-constructed interviews with DHL Logistics’ executives and employees. Due to the reputation and operations of the company, this framework will act as a guideline for the other alike companies. The marketing mix decisions made by DHL Logistics affect both B2B and B2C customers’ brand perceptions and enhance the brand equity of DHL Logistics.

Fresh thinking in services marketing: contemporary, cutting-edge and creative thoughts

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight and promote fresh thinking in services marketing research. Design/methodology/approach – The topic of the special issue was deliberately chosen to encourage fresh ideas and concepts that will move the discipline forward. The accepted papers have been categorised for ease and convenience of reading by scholars and practitioners, with a short commentary on each category. Findings – There is a wealth of forward-thinking by service(s) marketing researchers that bodes well for the future of the sub-discipline. Research limitations/implications – The special issue does not address fresh thinking in all areas of services marketing research. Other potential areas for fresh thinking are identified. Originality/value – New thinking in a scholarly field is necessary to propel the discipline forward.

Fresh thinking in services marketing: contemporary, cutting-edge and creative thoughts [Editorial]

Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight and promote fresh thinking in services marketing research. Design/methodology/approach The topic of the special issue was deliberately chosen to encourage fresh ideas and concepts that will move the discipline forward. The accepted papers have been categorised for ease and convenience of reading by scholars and practitioners, with a short commentary on each category. Findings There is a wealth of forward-thinking by service(s) marketing researchers that bodes well for the future of the sub-discipline. Research limitations/implications The special issue does not address fresh thinking in all areas of services marketing research. Other potential areas for fresh thinking are identified. Originality/value New thinking in a scholarly field is necessary to propel the discipline forward.

Managing Consumer-Based Brand Equity in Higher Education

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to establish the key elements of brand equity for international students by exploring existing brand equity theory in its applicability to international higher education (HE). The main objective of this research is to enhance academic understanding of brand equity in the HE sector and explore the implications for management practice. Quantitative data collected via a self-completion survey are used to test a model of brand equity in the context of HE. The empirical setting is Slovenia, which has a mixture of public and private provision and an increasingly competitive environment. The results provide support for the proposed conceptual model, with image-related and awareness-related determinants. The findings of this research provided evidence that the customer-based brand equity model can be applied to the HE context as an element of competitive advantage and used to guide marketing activities for Universities internationally.

Meaningful obstacles remain to standardization of international services advertising: New insights from a managerial survey

Abstract: Purpose – This study aims to explore advertising strategies by US corporations selling consumer services overseas. Attention is extended to determining the type of standardized advertising (pattern vs prototype) that US headquarters tend to use in international campaigns, identifying major obstacles that impede advertising standardization and examining linkages between the use of creative approaches (standardized vs localized) and firms ' length of business and sales volume. Design/methodology/approach – Using a descriptive approach and rigorous sample, the authors surveyed international advertising managers of US firms selling consumer services. A 57 per cent response rate provided the basis for testing two research questions and two hypotheses. Findings – US firm headquarters tend to lean more toward the use of prototype standardization than pattern standardization. The major impediments of standardized campaigns are perceived to be cultural differences, alternatives in consumer lifestyles, language div...

A view from the street: an exploratory study of consumer attitudes toward offshoring of professional services in the United States

Abstract: Purpose – The study aims to examine consumer attitudes toward offshore-outsourcing of professional services in the USA. It focuses on the services of accountants, attorneys and doctors to provide a framework for discussing policy and marketing implications. Design/methodology/approach – The study reviews a review of the literature on consumer decision-making under uncertainty and attitude formation, and a focus group study to examine consumers’ attitudes toward offshore-outsourcing of professional services. Findings – Contrary to reports in the popular press, this paper suggests that consumers do not have a generalized negative attitude toward offshore-outsourcing of all forms of professional services. While consumers do not mind offshore-outsourcings of the services of medical doctors and attorneys, they seem to be concerned about offshore-outsourcings of accounting or financial services. These results suggest that persons engaged in offshore-outsourcings of tax and other related services must re-strateg...

Seeing the big picture in services marketing research: infographics, SEM and data visualisation

Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to present a way to make structural equation modelling (SEM) studies more accessible and impactful. This paper suggests that authors service readers by translating their work into an infographic that clearly and artfully illustrates the essence of a paper’s contribution. Design/methodology/approach – Through the presentation of a worked example, this paper outlines four service components needed to create a visually striking, yet informative, infographic. Findings – This paper contends that authors who follow this approach will improve the marketability of their research without oversimplifying or “dumbing down” its insights. Research limitations/implications – Until a journal editor insists that modellers undertake some translation of their results as a pre-requisite to publication, this paper is unlikely to herald a revolution in how quantitative work is communicated. Practical implications – This fresh thinking can offer a way for practicing managers, and other marketing resea...

The Impact of Service Quality, Relationship Satisfaction, Trust and Commitment on Loyalty: An Empirical Investigation in a Business-to-Business Services Context

Abstract: Drawing on relationship marketing literature, the authors empirically test a model of business loyalty in a sample of 234 advertising agencies' clients, integrating the concepts of service quality, relationship satisfaction, trust and commitment. The study builds on recent advances in services marketing theory assessing the relationships underlying the identified constructs in the advertising industry. The results demonstrated a clear pattern of service quality dimensions following the Gronroos conceptualisation and a number of other important findings including the empirical verification of the mediating role of overall relationship satisfaction in the formation of loyalty attributes. The research instrument is a questionnaire containing 26 items. The measuring scale used was a 10-point Likert scale from 1 (completely unsatisfied) to 10 (completely satisfied) with items evaluating the following constructs: global relationship satisfaction, communication, delivery service, administrative service, commercial service, trust, commitment, and loyalty.

Marketing Digital Offerings Is Different: Strategies for Teaching About Digital Offerings in the Marketing Classroom

Abstract: Digital offerings represent different challenges for marketers than do traditional goods and services. After reviewing the literature, the authors suggest ways that the marketing of digital goods and services might be better presented to and better understood by students. The well-known four challenges of services marketing model (e.g., intangibility) first proposed by Zeithaml, Parasuraman, and Barry (1985) is explored and adapted as an organizing framework for digital offerings. The authors also present specific suggestions for assignments and class discussions to foster students’ critical thinking about the marketing implications surrounding digital offerings.

Promoting Problem-Based Learning in Retailing and Services Marketing Course Curricula With Reality Television

Abstract: This research provides business educators who teach retailing and services courses with an innovative way to encourage students to engage in problem-based learning solving by incorporating reality television into their curricula. The authors explore the reality television genre from several theoretical perspectives to lend support to the conclusion that reality programs easily captivate their audiences by stimulating self-involvement. The authors present an assignment based on B. S. Bloom's (1956) revised taxonomy that educators can employ when incorporating reality programming into their courses. They then provide data to demonstrate direct and indirect measures of learning outcomes associated with reality programming in business curricula.

Perspectives on Retail Service Quality: Findings From the Baltic States

Abstract: Service quality research continues to represent one of the major tenets of Services Marketing, but there continues to be limited research in the field outside of Developed, Western markets. In order to advance the knowledge of service quality in non-western markets, the focus of this paper is to examine one particular field of service quality research, retail service quality, in the former Soviet Republics of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The testing of a model of retail service quality, using empirical survey data collected in these three recent members of the European Union, indicate support that the retail service quality construct both aligns and differs, across the three countries. The implication of these similarities and differences are important from two perspectives. The first is the appropriateness of extending Western developed marketing scales and measures within newly emerging, and catching up states. The second implication, which is important to retail practice, questions the position of treating these three countries, known collectively as the Baltic states as a homogenous market. Additional implications to retail practice and future academic research studies are also discussed.

Disservice: A Framework of Sources and Solutions

Abstract: Undoubtedly, the services marketing literature addresses questions pertaining to improving service processes and customers’ experiences, with the broad assumption that the organization and service personnel operate in systems designed to provide levels of service that are adequate or above. From 30 years of focused research, a knowledge base of practices and systems has emerged capable of providing service levels necessary for success, when implemented properly.

Patient Satisfaction Measurement For In-Hospital Services Delivered By Nurses: Guidelines For Improving Practice In Africa

Abstract: Hospitals in developing countries in Africa cannot focus on improving only the technological and operational side of their service offering in trying to adhere to the stipulations of the World Health Organization. To truly become competitive and remain viable over the long term, hospitals would also need to attend to their services marketing strategies and ensure that the level of patient service offered is of high quality. Consequently, the primary objective of the research reflected in this article was to explore the level of service provided by the nursing staff at the military hospital in Libreville, Gabon, with regard to the variables of reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy. The military hospital has been very successful in attracting more patients, and their achievements could provide valuable guidance to other hospitals on the African continent to improve their practices. The population was defined as all existing patients of the military hospital in Gabon. A systematic probability sampling technique was applied and self-administered questionnaires were distributed to the patients once they had signed the released form. The findings revealed that, in respect of the level of service experienced, the nurses were more successful in addressing the empathy and assurance dimensions of service quality than the responsiveness and reliability dimensions. Overall, though, it seems that all the dimensions measured in the study were adequately addressed by the nurses. By incorporating these dimensions into their services marketing strategies, hospitals in Africa could benefit from improved service quality, patient loyalty, market share, and profit.

The Effect of Services Marketing Mix Dimensions on Attracting Customers and Retaining Them: The Case of Jordanian Insurance Companies

Abstract: This study aims at diagnosing services marketing mix dimensions and their effects on attracting customers and retaining them. The questionnaire was distributed to 150 customers from 15 different companies; 107 questionnaires were returned and 100 of them were usable. The study used SPSS to analyse the results to reach the result that there is a positive effect for the services marketing mix dimensions; physical evidence, service providers and process of service providing and their effect on attracting customers and retaining them and establishing mutual trust between insurance companies in the research sample. The research recommends the insurance companies should foster and enhance the process of retaining the current customers and searching for new ones. Also, providing new services that meet and exceed the customers’ need achieves mutual benefits for both companies and customers.

Customer Satisfaction, Assessment, Intentions and Outcome Behaviors of Dyadic Service Encounters: A Conceyfual Model

Abstract: Customer satisfaction is rated among the top goals of most organizations today. Yet, whilst it is acknowledged that customer satisfaction is important, and more and more firms are understanding the importance of building and maintaining good customer-service provider relationships in order to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction, many firms do not understand how customers arrive at outcomes, oor the interrelationships between the variables which influence these outcomes. This paper presents an integrated conceptual model, showing the interrelationships between these importance variables in a dyadic service encounter setting. In building this mode~ the paper draws from a range of concepts and models, principally from consumer behavior, services marketing and social psychology.

The Effect of Service Marketing Mix in Choosing the Decision to Consumer Services Hotel: Studies in Hotel Grand Zuri Pekanbaru

Abstract: This research aims to know the services marketing mix done Grand Zuri Hotel in influencing the consumer's decision in choosing a hotel and know the magnitude of the influence of simultaneous and partial service marketing mix of Grand Zuri Hotel against the decision of the use of the service made consumers in choosing a hotel. The research method used is descriptive and verifikatif method. Research carried out by sampling method of convenience sampling, with the number of respondents as much as 100 respondents. Then, for the data analysis used the descriptive analysis and multiple regression analysis and hypothesis testing using the F-test and t-test. The responses of the respondents regarding the implementation of the marketing mix services Grand Zuri Hotel is good and the responses of the respondents regarding the consumer decision making in selecting the Grand Zuri Hotel Pekanbaru is good. The results showed that the services marketing mix done Grand Zuri Hotel simultaneously significantly influential to the decision to choose and use and has a coefficient of determunasi of 74.82%. Partially, there are three significant free variables that influence is the price, human resources and physical evidence. While the variable product, place, promotion and the process does not significantly affect. From the results of the research can be given advice to Grand Zuri Hotel Pekanbaru in order to maximize the price quote, standardized human resources and maximize the quality of physical evidence to be able to increase its influence on the decision to select and use of the service is done at the Hotel Grand Zuri consumers. As for the other variables do not affect significantly, must be maintained and enhanced in order to maximize the influence of simultaneous marketing mix. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2015.v6n5s5p91

Editorial: Publishing in JSM Part 1: making a contribution

Abstract: The question of “what makes a theoretical contribution” is discussed around water coolers, tea rooms, at conferences and in journal articles. It is a question that worries research students and causes seasoned scholars to stop and ponder. As new editors of the Journal of Services Marketing, it is also a question that we have needed to consider when setting our editorial direction and strategy. In this editorial, we will first deal with the nature of theoretical contribution, discuss context and, finally, discuss replications.

Analyzing Public Sector Marketing in China: A case Study from Anhui Province, China.

Abstract: The potential of public sector marketing in boosting organization’s efficiency and service quality has rarely been emphasized. Although, services provision for general public is considered important in Chinese organization, the characteristics of marketing outcome in bringing customers satisfaction by public sector is not yet fully understood. This study has analyzed the effectiveness of public services marketing in delivering the quality services to general public by taking into account the opinion of mangers running a public sector organization about the way they hold marketing factors as a strategic aim. We also documented the performance level of organizations from Hefei and Wuhu cities of Anhui province of China in order to identify significant factors governing marketing outcomes. Results of General Linear Model revealed that knowledge and skill is considered an important ingredient for raising the performance level of organizations in both cities. In addition, managers of public sectors have adopted marketing information and resources as key parameters while defining their strategies during marketing. The target population i.e. general population of these two cities has overwhelmingly benefited from services extended by public sectors mainly due to effective marketing outcomes. This study concludes that public sector marketing in China has been an effective tool because of its foundation being laid on key ingredients such as information, resource utilization, knowledge and skills.

The Relationship Between Trust, Value and Loyalty in the Internet Era: A Study in the Tourism Market

Abstract: This study aimed to examine the relationships between trust, perceived value and loyalty in tourist services. As the ecommerce has been increasing, it’s important to evaluate if trust in front line employees and trust in management policies and practices are central determinants of loyalty. From the standpoint of the consumer, the Internet is a tool for decision making and used to establish comparisons to help their buying decision. The literature review sought to contextualize commerce, trust, perceived value and loyalty in tourism, services marketing and relationship marketing. We conducted a quantitative and descriptive research, with 201 valid interviews, through an electronic survey. The collected data was analyzed using the Partial Least Squares method, allowing working with a small sample size. As results, we concluded that trust in frontline employees influences positively perceived value and loyalty, management policies and practices drive directly only perceived value, and perceived value influences loyalty.

The role of culture in service quality : a cross-national study in Britain and Trinidad and Tobago

Abstract: ......................................................................................... 8 Declaration...................................................................................... 9 Copyright Statement...........................................................................10 Dedication.......................................................................................11

Calidad y satisfacción de los estudiantes europeos de educación superior. Construcción de una escala de medida de la calidad de servicio presencial y electrónico

Abstract: Research’s abstract (English): The global objective of this work was to contribute to the field of evaluation of the quality of higher education developed by higher education institutions from a multidimensional perspective, that takes into account all of their activities, related to teaching, research, innovation and knowledge transfer. That is, any of the services offered by the universities. The work addressed the question, of how can we measure the quality of education offered by higher education institutions (HEIs). And in particular, how to do it counting with the opinion of their main user: the student. Education is a type of service, and as such, educational institutions that offer it must try to satisfy the wishes and needs of users to whom it is addressed. Getting feedback from students about the origins of the quality of the higher education they receive should help towards reaching this goal. On the other hand, like any other user of a service, in this case an educational service, the student will like to have information that facilitates him to decide for a center or for some specific university’s studies, based on their own wishes. Wishes, on the other hand, probably different -or at least not necessarily consistent- with those of other agents or users of the university (faculty members, administrative staff, employers, society, etc.). Therefore, it was appropriate to define the quality of higher education from a student’s perspective. For this purpose, a multidisciplinary theoretical framework was established, based on an approach, that conceives quality as meeting the needs and expectations of customers. That is, "costumer’s satisfaction", linked to the notion of "market orientation", was the chosen theoretical foundation for the work. The reason for this election was that it is the conceptual core shared, to a greater or lesser extent, by the main schools of thought, which define the theoretical framework. In particular, by some approaches of marketing -relationship marketing and services marketing, market orientation- and from strategy and organizational management -specifically, of quality management-, especially in their developments in the field of education. This choice means, that for reaching quality at higher educations, two basic conditions should be supported: first, to investigate the requirements demanded by students; and second, to recognize that quality affects all activities of the institution, requiring the participation of all members for its achievement. Finally, concepts derived from both, educational theories of learning from the subjective perspective of the student, and from educational evaluation from an institutional perspective, were added to complete the doctrinal framework. Following the Lisbon European Council (March 2000), the European Union (EU) set, as a goal, to aspire to be the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based World area by 2010. To achieve it, the Education Council of the EU noted as fundamental the role of universities as an engine of change towards a knowledge-based economy. Universities, to that end, should achieve high quality standards in their various activities that society now demands of them. That is why the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) requires, inter alia, the right tools for comparing universities. The Bologna Declaration of June 1999 specifies in its fifth point, the need to promote cooperation in Europe in the programs of quality assurance with a view to develop comparable criteria and methodologies. For higher education institutions, this objective is being articulated, so far, mostly from the perspective of an objective assessment of the quality. Moreover, findings suggests that we are facing a problem: both this objective assessment, and common faculty teaching evaluations, are focused on “quality of supply”; that is, on what educators teach and not on what students can learn. Quantitative quality indicators are redefined, but little or nothing about expectations, perceived quality, satisfaction or loyalty of students is said. Internal dimensions of quality are addressed, but not external perceived quality by students. This work tries to reduce this gap. Considering it as one of its main contributions, we took part in the open debate on the conceptualization of quality, satisfaction and their relationship. Therefore, we first addressed the relationship between quality and satisfaction in education -and specifically in higher education-; and second, the effect of potential factors (academic years, gender, nationality, previous experience, type of student) on the link between perceived quality of service and satisfaction. Analyzing it in a context such as education, added to the discussion, the significance that the very complexity of the valued service, education in this case, may have on the clarification of the meaning, measurement and causality between the two constructs. One specific objective of the work, was to justify and build a scale for measuring the quality of university’s education from the student’s perspective. The scope of this work was Spanish and German universities. Having conducted research in these two countries of the EU, augurs well -we understand- for the applicability of the scale, also, at any academic institution of the EHEA. Work was divided into following sections: First, we established the conceptual framework of work. Second, we justified its relevance from three perspectives: the new framework for EU universities, resulting from the new EHEA and the gradual incorporation of ICTs; contribution to the debate on quality and satisfaction; and, finally, the need for indicators of the quality of university’s education from the student’s perspective, which both include the online services, and that are valid throughout the EHEA. Third, we reviewed the theoretical foundations on which further empirical analysis is grounded. Fourth, we presented the steps carried out for the construction of the scale. Fifth, we empirically analyzed the quality and satisfaction concepts, its affinity and relationship. Finally, after a summary of results, limitations, implications and proposed derived fields of research were presented.