Abstract

As customer service quality becomes an important factor that is responsible for the firms’ overall successes, many organizations are trying to seek all related clues which can help them to enhance it. Thus, this research aimed to examine how job stress, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment affected customer service quality among bank employees in Cambodia. To accomplish this objective, 630 bank employees working at different banks in Cambodia were invited to answer questionnaires. Furthermore, a structural equation model was used to analyse data. Results indicated that banks could receive high organizational commitment when their employees obtained significant changes in job satisfaction and job stress. Meanwhile, banks could improve customer service quality if there were significant changes in organizational commitment and job stress, except job satisfaction. Finally, a mediation testing result confirmed organizational commitment as a full mediator between job satisfaction and customer service quality. Despite the results highlighted the significant impacts of job stress and organizational commitment on customer service quality, organizational commitment was the stronger factor promoting better customer service quality as this factor contributed higher degree of impact on customer service quality. Therefore, banks should pay more attention to prioritize and promote their organizational commitment among their employees.

Introduction

Customer service quality represents a critical component of business success, encompassing the delivery of accurate information and high-performance interactions to meet consumers’ needs [ 1 ]. Extensive research has underscored the pivotal role of superior customer service quality in garnering positive evaluations from customers, thereby fostering heightened satisfaction with firms [ 2 ]. Furthermore, it has been well-established that high service quality serves as a potent risk mitigator, engendering greater customer trust [ 3 ] and fostering enduring loyalty towards the same firms [ 4 ]. This symbiotic relationship between customer service quality, satisfaction, and loyalty not only fortifies customer retention rates but also contributes substantially to sustained revenues and business sustainability [ 5 , 6 ]. Given the prevalence of research in this area, including the focus of Goh et al. (2016) [ 7 ] on examining satisfaction in Internet banking within the Malaysian context, it is clear that a nuanced understanding of the root causes underpinning customer service quality is imperative for firms seeking to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

Meanwhile, amidst the economic resurgence of Cambodia, a dynamic Southeast Asian nation, following the upheaval wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation has demonstrated an impressive average economic growth rate of approximately 5.1 % [ 8 ]. This economic revitalization has catalysed the resumption of business operations across various sectors, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs), underscoring the country’s resilient spirit and commitment to progress [ 9 ]. Notably, banks have played a pivotal role in this resurgence, extending an array of financial services to support businesses in Cambodia’s evolving economic landscape [ 10 , 11 ]. Amidst the proliferation of financial service offerings, banks have emerged as crucial facilitators, providing essential services such as e-banking, loans, and various card services (ATM, debit, and credit cards) to meet the diverse needs of businesses [ 11 ]. In this context, the delivery of exemplary customer service quality emerges as a paramount differentiator for banks seeking to distinguish themselves amidst intensifying competition [ 12 ]. Failure to meet customer expectations in terms of service quality may not only jeopardize satisfaction and trust but also impede customer retention, as businesses vie to attract and retain customers amidst an increasingly crowded marketplace [ 10 ]. Thus, it is imperative for banks to discern and comprehend the underlying factors influencing customer service quality to maintain their competitive edge and foster sustainable growth.

Conclusion

The main goal of this research was to examine the effects of job stress, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment on customer service quality in the banking industry. To achieve this aim, 630 bank employees who were from different banks in Cambodia were invited to fill in the survey with 100 % response rate. The results of this study indicated that banks’ organizational commitment was significantly influenced by their employees’ job stress and satisfaction. Moreover, organizational commitment and job stress significantly affected customer service quality while job satisfaction did not show any significant impact on customer service quality. Finally, the mediation testing result confirmed that organizational commitment was the mediator between job satisfaction and customer service quality. To sum up, organizational commitment was the main predictor of customer service quality because this factor had the strongest effect on customer service quality.

Despite achieving its primary objectives, this research is not without limitations. Firstly, reliance on self-reported responses from respondents may introduce bias into the findings. Respondents’ subjective interpretations of questionnaire items could influence their responses, potentially skewing the results. Future studies could mitigate this limitation by employing structured interviews to control for respondent bias and ensure more objective data collection. Secondly, the findings of this research are primarily contextualised within the banking industry, limiting their generalizability to other sectors such as airlines, tourism, and online shopping services. Variables affecting customer service quality may vary across industries due to unique customer expectations and service delivery mechanisms. Thus, future research should explore the applicability of identified variables in diverse industry contexts to enhance understanding of customer service quality across sectors.

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of organizational commitment and job engagement on service quality, while integrating the influences of organizational climate and emotional labor. Utilizing data from 427 participants, acquired via structured questionnaires, the research employed the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) for analysis. The findings reveal that heightened job engagement and organizational commitment significantly enhance service quality, primarily through reinforcing employees’ trust in their organization. A favorable organizational climate is instrumental in strengthening employees’ affiliation with their organization, consequently leading to superior service provision. Furthermore, the capability to effectively regulate emotions emerges as a critical factor in both job engagement and the quality of service. The study advocates for augmenting job engagement and organizational commitment, cultivating a supportive workplace atmosphere, and equipping employees with resources for efficient emotional management. These strategies are proposed to substantially improve service quality. The insights derived from this research provide essential directives for managers striving to achieve service excellence.

Introduction

Over the years, scholars have thoroughly examined the complex interplay between organizational commitment, climate, and job involvement in determining job performance. Studies by Refs. [1,2] underscored the fundamental role organizational commitment plays in influencing both an individual’s performance and the broader success of an organization. However, the challenge of fostering and maintaining this commitment persists, leading organizations to continually seek effective strategies to ensure a dedicated workforce [3]. Particularly in the business industry, where employees are pivotal for gaining a competitive edge, it’s recognized that employee commitment can be enhanced through a combination of a strong service ethos, managerial support, and a positive organizational environment [[4], [5], [6], [7], [8]].

One dimension that’s essential is job involvement, characterized by the depth of emotional connection an employee feels towards their workplace. Such involvement is crucial for strengthening organizational commitment and subsequently influencing performance outcomes [9]. To optimize these outcomes, it is vital for organizations to focus on talent development and create a supportive organizational environment [10]. In business industry, engaging in emotional labor — the effort to manage one’s emotions to produce a desired emotional response in customers — is believed to boost job satisfaction and improve the overall customer experience [11].

However, a glaring gap in scholarly work is the investigation of how emotional labor interacts with job involvement, service quality, and organizational commitment. While Wang [12] began to explore how organizational commitment influences service quality, our research takes a broader approach. We aim to understand the intricate relationships among organizational commitment, job involvement, emotional labor, organizational climate, and performance or service quality outcomes. What sets our study apart is its focus on the previously unexplored impact of emotional labor on job involvement, service quality, and the dynamics of organizational commitment.

Results

4.1. Statistical analysis of basic information
Participants were enlisted from March through April 2019. Out of the 450 questionnaires disseminated, 427 were returned completed and valid, yielding a response rate of 94.88 %. Gender-based statistical analysis revealed that the total effective sample size of the questionnaire was 427, comprising 206 males and 221 females. Age-related statistics indicate that 135 respondents fell within the 30–39 year age group, accounting for 31.6 % of the total sample size, while 110 respondents were above 50 years of age. With respect to academic qualifications, 143 respondents (33.5 %) possessed 2-year college degrees, while 199 respondents held Bachelor’s degrees. Out of all the occupational responses, 95 individuals or 22.3 % work in the service industry, while the hotel industry employs 83 individuals. The postal and warehousing industry comes in third with 50 individuals. Please see Table 1.

Abstract

     The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted business operations in every industry and sector around the world. Scholars, practitioners and policymakers continue to engage in understanding the effects of lockdowns, social distancing measures and other restrictions on trade; the impact of government stimulus and support measures, and how businesses have adapted their operations. The dynamic nature of the virus, and the changing socio-political and economic landscape, provide the opportunity for empirical scholarly research examining how retail and service firms have responded to the challenges and potential opportunities presented by the pandemic, and how owner/managers have pivoted in an (often) uncertain trading environment. This paper presents the findings of an applied study involving business owners (N = 268) of SME retail and service firms in the island state of Tasmania, in Australia, during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020. Findings show: (1) despite over 65 per cent of respondents reporting a downturn in revenue during 2020, almost 80 per cent indicated they had confidence in business survival heading into 2021; (2) whilst on average, businesses did not rate the level of environmental hostility as being particularly high, there was a significant correlation between perceived environmental hostility and assessment of business performance and with the level of confidence of business survival; (3) Australian federal government support and other stimulus measures were deemed crucial for business survival during 2020 with three quarters of businesses accessing the ‘JobKeeper’ scheme, and (4) businesses adapted their operations during the pandemic in terms of new products and services, increased marketing, pivoting their use of technology and promoting ‘localness’.

Introduction

     In order to ensure a future where businesses not only survive, but thrive, it is critical to anticipate what a post-pandemic world will look like, and then to transform to better match this new reality (Goldberg, 2020, n.p.).

     Many small businesses are physical, not virtual. They aren’t designed for lockdown. They don’t have access to global capital. They are rooted in the communities they serve (Foroohar, 2020, n.p.).

     The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted business operations in every industry around the world and scholars, practitioners and policymakers currently seek to understand the effect of lockdowns, social distancing measures and other restrictions on trade and consumer behaviour (Beckers et al., 2021; Donthu and Gustafsson, 2020; Eger et al., 2021; Pantano et al., 2020; Verma and Gustafsson, 2020). The effect of government stimulus and support measures on business survival and prosperity are also topical and important. Despite the dynamic nature of the virus, and the consequential changes to socio-political and economic landscapes, there is still relatively little empirical scholarly research examining how small to medium enterprises (SME) have responded to the immense challenges presented by the coronavirus, and how they can adapt to a ‘new normal’ in a post-pandemic world. This study provides an important contribution to the scholarly literature on retail and service firm operations during the pandemic, and in addition, the study’s findings are valuable for business owners, policymakers and retail place managers and marketers by presenting ‘lessons learned’ from the first wave of the pandemic.

Results

5.1. Business operations and staffing

     Respondents were asked to indicate any changes they had made to staffing and business operations as a result of the pandemic (see Table 3). Almost 40 per cent of respondents indicated they had reduced some or all staff hours; approximately 20 per cent had let staff go and did not expect to re-hire them; one third (32.46%) made no changes, and almost one quarter (21.64%) hired new staff.

Abstract

     Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANET) is an emerging technology that enables a comfortable, safe, and efficient travel experience by providing mechanisms to execute applications related to traffic congestions, road accidents, autonomous driving, and entertainment. The mobile vehicles in VANET are characterized by low computational and storage capabilities. In such scenarios, to meet applications’ performance requirements, requests from vehicles are offloaded to edge and cloud servers. The high energy consumption of these servers increases operating costs and threatens the environment. Energy-aware offloading strategies have been introduced to tackle this problem. Existing works on computation offloading focus on optimizing the energy consumption of either the IoT devices/mobile/vehicles and/or the edge servers. This paper proposes a novel offloading algorithm that optimizes the energy of edge–cloud integrated computing platforms based on Evolutionary Genetic Algorithm (EGA) while maintaining applications’ Service Level Agreement (SLA). The proposed algorithm employs an adaptive penalty function to incorporate the optimization constraints within EGA. Comparative analysis and numerical experiments are carried out between the proposed algorithm, random and genetic algorithm-based offloading, and no offloading baseline approaches.

Introduction

     Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks (VANET) [1] is an emerging technology where vehicles acting as network nodes are equipped with computational resources and connectivity such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-roadside (V2R), vehicle-to-sensors (V2S), vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications. It enables a comfortable, safer, convenient, and efficient travel experience for users by using applications such as sending alerts for congestions and accidents, autonomous driving, video-enabled real-time navigation, interactive gaming, and entertainment [2], [3], [4]. These applications often require high computation and storage resources, and low latency to process complex operations. However, mobile vehicles have limited onboard computing and storage capabilities to process resource-intensive applications while maintaining the Quality of Services (QoS). To address this issue, a cloud-based vehicular network has been introduced. Cloud computing [5], [6] provides on-demand computational and storage resources to mobile vehicles over the Internet. The remote cloud servers have high computation capabilities that would satisfy applications processing times. However, a high latency between the vehicle and cloud resources hinders the deployment of time-critical applications such as autonomous driving. In addition, a delayed response for applications such as traffic congestion and interactive gaming becomes less reliable. To overcome vehicles-to-cloud latency issues, Vehicular Edge Computing (VEC) [7] has been introduced.

Conclusions and future work

     Computation offloading is important in edge–cloud integrated vehicular networks to execute computationally intensive applications having strict SLA requirements. However, the energy consumption of the edge–cloud integrated computing platform should be considered energy-efficiency is crucial. In this paper, an Energy-SLA-Aware evolutionary genetic algorithm is proposed for edge–cloud computation offloading in a vehicular network that executes a vehicle’s request either on the edge server to which the request is submitted or offloads the request to one of the cloud servers. The offloading decision is made in a way that the total energy consumption of a set of requests is minimized and the SLA requirements of each request are maintained in terms of latency and processing time. The SLA constraints in the proposed algorithm are handled using the adaptive penalty function. This is the first work to propose an energy-SLA-aware offloading in the vehicular network using EGA that optimizes the energy consumption of the edge and cloud servers simultaneously, while adhering to the latency and processing time constraints. Comparative analysis and numerical experiments carried out revealed that the proposed algorithm outperforms no offloading and random offloading approaches in terms of energy consumption, and no offloading, random and energy-non-SLA-aware genetic-based baseline approaches in terms of percentage of SLA violations.

Abstract

     This study tests the positive effects of empowering leadership (ELSH) under boundary conditions in the hospitality industry. We propose the existence of an interactive process through which ELSH behaviors interact with employees’ personality type to condition their engagement, which in turn influences their extra-role service behavior. We use data from 294 employees and structural equation modeling. The results show that the interaction of ELSH with employees’ independent and interdependent personality is negatively related to their engagement. This decrease in engagement is then reflected in decreased extra-role service behaviors due to the positive relationship between engagement and extra-role service. These findings suggest that self-construal is a significant boundary condition capable of changing the positive relationship between ELSH and engagement to a negative one. Not considering this relationship when establishing a leadership strategy such as ELSH in the hospitality context could render efforts to achieve the goal of high-quality service ineffective.

Introduction

     The battle for customers in the hospitality sector has been intensifying in recent years. The proliferation of digital lodging platforms, such as Airbnb, requires hotels to focus on what makes them unique relative to alternatives: professional service available to guests 24/7 that can adapt to their needs (Huertas-Valdivia et al., 2021). This effort to customize service focuses the industry’s interest on frontline employees’ capability to solve problems with autonomy and adapt their roles to provide personalized service (Jha and Nair, 2008, Zhu et al., 2019). Extra-role service includes a set of proactive employee behaviors, beyond the obligations of employees’ roles, that enable hotels to deliver guests service that aligns with their expectations (Garg and Dhar, 2016, Karatepe, 2015, Karatepe et al., 2013, Kim et al., 2009). Extra-role service is by definition a discretionary employee behavior (Bettencourt and Brown, 1997); that is, it is not specified as an in-role task or linked to formal compensation systems (Garg and Dhar, 2016). This combination (which is essential to being competitive but merely discretionary) justifies the industry’s interest in determining what underlies employees’ intention whether or not to engage in extra-role service (Huertas-Valdivia et al., 2018). Some authors have indicated that employee engagement sets in motion a process of internal motivation that makes employees willing to become involved in extra-role service (e.g., Karatepe, 2013a; Kim and Koo, 2017; Zhu et al., 2019). Achieving more engaged employees has thus been presented as a way to attain extra-role service (Orlowski et al., 2021).

Conclusions

     Research is currently identifying ELSH as a style that can solve some problems in the hospitality work environment. Our study tests the relationships among ELSH, engagement, and extra-role service under boundary conditions present in the work environment (the employee’s type of self-construal). Our analysis provides evidence of an interactive process in which leadership style and the employee’s personality shapes hotel service. Drawing on SCT, we find that the employee’s personality type acts as a boundary condition that determines the results of the process by which ELSH influences hotel employees’ engagement. We thus confirm that the interaction of ELSH with independent and interdependent employees’ self-construal becomes an obstacle to achieving engaged employees and, by extension, to reaping the benefits of ELSH’s positive influence on extra-role service. Our study ultimately warns of the need to consider employees’ personality profile before establishing ELSH as the means to promote increased engagement and extra-role service behaviors in hotels.

Abstract

     This study proposes a novel theoretical model on the negative effect of the perceived cognitive threat and fear of COVID-19 on full board hotel booking intentions, which includes the moderating effects of perceived coping efficacy and present-hedonism orientation. The model was tested with a representative online sample (N = 400) of the Spanish population older than 35 years. The results confirmed negative effects of threat and fear of COVID-19 on hotel booking intentions, as well as a negative moderating effect of perceived coping efficacy on the influence of fear of COVID-19. However, coping efficacy did not moderate the effect of perceived cognitive threat on hotel booking intentions. The present-hedonism orientation positively affected full board hotel booking intentions, but did not, however, reduce the negative effect of threat or fear on those intentions. The findings provide new insights for hospitality managers that can contribute to accelerate the recovery of the hospitality industry.

Introduction

     Health crises, such as outbreaks generated by infectious diseases, can have a significant negative impact on tourism (Pine and McKercher, 2004, Sánchez-Cañizares et al., 2020). In comparison to other pandemics, the SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 pandemic has had unprecedented consequences on the tourism industry across the globe (Kock et al., 2020, Pillai et al., 2021). Health measures taken by governments to minimize the spread of the virus, such as lockdowns or quarantining, or people’s decisions to avoid public spaces for fear of contagion, have had unfortunate impacts on the hospitality industry (Gursoy and Chi., 2020). The hospitality sector has been globally one of the most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic (Rather, 2021, Sánchez-Cañizares et al., 2020, Yu et al., 2020). The present study focuses on Spain, which was the world’s second most-visited nation in the year before the pandemic started and is one of the European countries that has been strongly affected by the pandemic in terms of number of contagions and mortality rate (Hernández-López et al., 2021). Also, by 2020, the profitability of the Spanish hospitality industry had decreased 66% in comparison to the previous year (Statista, 2020). According to EY (2020), hospitality is one of the most important sectors in Spain due to its contribution to the country’s economy, representing 6.2% of the gross domestic product, which is a higher proportion than in most European countries. All-inclusive full board hotels are particularly popular in Spain. In 2019, almost 84 million foreign tourists visiting Spain stayed in a full board hotel (INE, 2020). These hotels are mainly used by leisure travelers for vacations, and they often include entertainment activities.

Results

     The correlations of all variables are shown in Table 2. The results confirmed a significant negative relationship between perceived threat from COVID-19 and booking intention (r = −0.44, p < .01), and a significant negative relationship between perceived fear of COVID-19 and booking intention (r = −0.33, p < .01). The results also confirmed a significant positive relationship between fear and threat (r = 0.57, p < .01), a significant positive relationship between perceived coping efficacy and booking intention (r = 0.18, p < .01), and a significant positive relationship between present-hedonism orientation and booking intention (r = 0.25, p < .01).

Abstract

     Privacy concerns are an important aspect of business-to-business customers’ adoption decision of advanced product—service systems and a significant inhibiting factor. However, empirical evidence on its effect is scarce and anecdotal. Based on the observation that customers assess the “privacy vs. service/benefit” trade-off in a calculative way, this study examines how customers’ privacy concerns affect their price sensitivity and in turn, the provider’s profitability. Specifically, we propose value-based selling as an approach for providers to alleviate the potential negative effects of customers’ privacy concerns. The results of a sample of 250 US firms confirm value-based selling’s power to disable the privacy concerns–price sensitivity mechanism and mitigate the negative effect of price sensitivity on product-service system provider profitability. However, value-based selling’s positive impact on performance is dependent on the level of contract specificity. Thus, value-based selling and contract specificity are complementary arrangements.

Introduction

     In many industries, emphasis is shifting from selling products to selling innovative product-service systems (PSS) (Suppatvech, Godsell, & Day, 2019). Enabled by sensor technology and digitalization, these PSS generally rely on remote monitoring, extensive data sharing and analyses, and predictive analytics to improve system performance and drive down cost (Porter & Heppelmann, 2015). However, despite the rapid growth and potential of these advanced services, getting customers to accept them continues to be a challenge (Paluch, 2014).

     There are very good reasons for customers’ reluctance. The adoption of PSS often comes with serious security issues and privacy concerns for the customer firm, as well as with the danger of opportunistic behavior by the PSS provider (Paluch & Wunderlich, 2016; Vendrell-Herrero, Bustinza, Parry, & Georgantzis, 2017; Weinberg, Milne, Andonova, & Hajjat, 2015). Data transmission may not be secure, data leakage may occur, and providers may use sensitive competitive information for other purposes than agreed upon. This can make the customer vulnerable and could seriously hurt its firm’s competitive sustainability. More importantly, Paluch and Wunderlich (2016, p. 2429) argue that “providers are aware of the customers’ security concerns, but they underestimate their urgency.”

Findings

5.1. Main findings
Table 1 shows the PROCESS results for the full model. The model fit (see R2 ) shows that our independent variables explain a fair amount of variance in our dependent variables, i.e. 34% of price sensitivity and 66% of provider profitability (Table 1). Thus, the model specification is adequate.

     The detailed results show that VBS significantly moderates the relationship between customer privacy concerns and customer price sensitivity, turning it negative (B = − 0.16, p < .01). This lends support to H1; under conditions of high VBS privacy concerns do not affect customer price sensitivity, whereas under low value-based selling a strong positive relationship between privacy concerns and price sensitivity exists. In other words, VBS deactivates the potential privacy calculus mechanism.

     However, VBS does not moderate the customer price sensitivity–PSS provider profitability relationship (B = 0.04, p > .10). So, H2 is not supported.

Abstract

     This paper leverages natural language processing, spatial analysis, and statistical analysis to examine the relationship between restaurants’ safety violations and COVID-19 cases. We used location-based consumers’ complaints data during the early stage of business reopening in Florida, USA. First, statistical analysis was conducted to examine the correlation between restaurants’ safety violations and COVID-19 transmission. Second, a neural network-based deep learning model was developed to perform topic modeling based on consumers’ complaints. Third, spatial modeling of the complaints’ geographic distributions was performed to identify the hotspots of consumers’ complaints and COVID-19 cases. The results reveal a positive relationship between consumers’ complaints about restaurants’ safety violations and COVID-19 cases. In particular, consumers’ complaints about personal protection measures had the highest correlation with COVID-19 cases, followed by environmental safety measures. Our analytical methods and findings shed light on customers’ behavioral shifts and hospitality businesses’ adaptive practices during a pandemic.

Introduction

     The outbreak of COVID-19 has significantly impacted the hospitality industry. Business closures, lockdowns, businesses’ capacity control, and travel restrictions have caused an immediate downturn in the hospitality market with potential long-term consequences (Baum and Hai, 2020, Huang et al., 2020). In the United States, most states mandated stay-at-home orders during the first week of April 2020 and allowed businesses to reopen in late April or early May 2020. Immediately after reopening, May and June of 2020 witnessed an upsurge in COVID-19 cases (New York Times, 2020). It was found that 25% of the COVID-19 cases were linked to visits to bars and restaurants (Foster & Mundell, 2020). The ongoing outbreaks have pressured many states such as Florida to reclose bars and restaurants for another short period to curb the fast transition of the disease (Siemaszko, 2020).

     The restaurant industry is one of the most affected industries amid amid a the COVID-19 pandemic (Huang et al., 2021, Gössling et al., 2020). Fears and worries about catching the COVID-19 disease were amplified in food and beverage establishments due to the high-contact nature (Chen & Eyoun, 2021). As the economy reopened, restaurants needed to redesign their business operations to offer consumers higher safety and security standards using flexible service and payment mechanisms. For example, contactless menus, mobile payment systems, on-site sanitizers, routine sanitization practices, and screening diners were implemented by food and beverage establishments to encourage customers to dine out (Dube et al., 2020). Despite growing research on restaurants’ adaptive strategies in such swiftly changing environments, a general halo of uncertainty still lingers about how to enhance restaurants’ quality of service and consumers’ satisfaction while reducing COVID-19 transmission.

Discussion and conclusion

     This research utilized multiple models and approaches to investigate customers’ complaints about restaurants’ safety violations and their correlation with COVID-19 transmission during the pandemic. Thematic analysis and natural language processing modeling were adopted to assess the types of violations. Of the six types of complaints about restaurants, employees’ personal protection (e.g., wearing masks and gloves) and restaurants’ environmental safety (e.g., social distancing) were customers’ major concerns. Statistical analysis confirmed the positive relationship between complaints about restaurants’ violations and the COVID-19 cases. In addition, spatial analysis was performed to identify the hotspots of COVID-19 cases and restaurants’ safety violations at the county level. The findings were consistent with Lee et al.’s (2019) study, suggesting that higher occurrences of food safety violations can be found at tourist destinations. The findings also confirmed the results from Yang et al. (2020), which showed that fast-food restaurants overall receive fewer complaints regarding safety violations than indoor dining services due to the flexibility of food delivery options.

Nowadays, retailers are interested in how customer preferences regarding service quality are changing due to the adoption of different devices for shopping purposes in both the desktop and mobile contexts. To answer this question, this paper first replicates, in the mobile commerce (m-commerce) context, the results from Blut et al. (2015), who conducted a meta-analytic review of electronic service quality. Replication results question the robustness and generalizability of the conceptualization in the mobile service quality context. Thereby, practitioners and academics are encouraged to adapt a customer-centric approach in organizing marketing practices. The replication extends the conceptualization of electronic service quality by considering a unique dimension named ubiquity of services, defined as the retailer’s ability to provide offers based on location and time. To reveal psychological mechanisms explaining the results of the replication study, a follow-up study draws on these contextual factors. In this context, this study uses a quasi-experimental approach by utilizing propensity score matching to account for self-selection effects to examine differences between desktop and mobile device users. As a result, this research contributes to the literature by identifying contextual boundary conditions regarding the shopping trip intentions and risk perceptions of mobile device users and desktop device users. Based on the results, major implications for retailers and further research are given.

Introduction

Nowadays, retailers are interested in how customer preferences regarding service quality are changing due to the adoption of different devices for shopping purposes in both the desktop and mobile contexts (e.g., Kannan and Li, 2017; Kumar, 2018; Marketing Science Institute, 2018; Souiden et al., 2018). Whereas the desktop context is mainly represented by laptops and desktop computers, customers are increasingly using smartphones and tablets as primary devices for shopping in the mobile context (Criteo, 2018). This classification is reasonable, since recent research indicates that tablets act as complementary devices for smartphones and as substitutes for laptop or desktop computers, respectively (Xu et al., 2017). In order to better understand and satisfy customer needs, and therefore to generate greater revenue, retailers are advised to adopt a customer-centric approach in organizing their marketing practices around distinct customer groups (e.g., mobile device users and desktop device users) rather than product categories (Althuizen, 2018; Crecelius et al., 2019). Consequently, the main goal of this research is to compare shopping trip perceptions and intentions of e and m-commerce users in order to enable customer-centric marketing practices. To achieve this goal, a replication study and a follow-up study will be conducted. First, the replication study is justified by the rise of mobile devices as primary shopping device (Criteo, 2018). In this context, retailers are still struggling to deliver satisfactory levels of mobile service quality (MSQ), resulting in lower conversion rates and higher shopping cart abandonment rates compared to the electronic counterpart (de Haan et al., 2018; Huang et al., 2018; Kaatz et al., 2019).

1- Introduction

2- Purpose

3- Literature review and hypotheses

4- Methodology

5- Stage 1

6- Stage 2

7- Discussion

8- Theoretical implications

9- Practical implications

10- Limitations and future studies

References

Abstract

The purposes of these studies are twofold. One was to confirm the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire originally developed and validated by Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner, Wernsing, and Peterson (2008) in the Chinese hospitality industry. The second purpose was to test whether authentic leadership influences employee’s trust in leaders, customer-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and service quality in the Chinese hospitality context and to examine the mediating role of trust in leaders. Data were collected in two stages from five-star hotels in all parts of China. It was discovered that authentic leadership is confirmed to be a higher-order factor construct with 4 first-order factors and 16 items in China. The relationship between authentic leadership and customer-oriented OCB was partially mediated by trust in leaders. Implications and limitation were also addressed in the conclusion.

Introduction

In response to the pervasive corporate and government malfeasance early in the twenty-first century, a large number of leadership scholars and practitioners have called for a new type of genuine and value-based leadership to restore hope, confidence, integrity, and honor in business and institution paradigms (Gardner, Cogliser, Davis, & Dickens, 2011). Considering the ethical misconduct and resultant business failures across industries worldwide, Copeland (2016) claims authentic leadership is urgently needed in the twenty-first century. This increasing demand for a leadership paradigm shift was paralleled by a strong interest among scholars who sought to define, construct, and refine authentic leadership theory. Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner, Wernsing, and Peterson (2008) explicitly conceptualized authentic leadership as a high-order construct and defined it as “a pattern of leader behavior that draws upon and promotes both positive psychological capacities and a positive ethical climate” (p. 94). They also proposed a higher order Authentic Leadership Model. According to Walumbwa et al. (2008), authentic leadership is essentially displayed through self-awareness, balanced processing, internalized moral perspective, and rational transparency. Self-awareness refers to knowing one’s own strengths and weaknesses and the social impact on other people (Kernis, 2003). Balanced processing refers to leaders challenging their deeply held positions and objectively evaluating all relevant information when making a decision (Walumbwa et al., 2008). Internalized moral perspective refers to self-regulation based on internal moral standards and values, as opposed to behavior guided by external pressures (Walumbwa, Luthans, & Oke, 2011). Relational transparency refers to leader behaviors that openly show one’s authentic self, true thoughts, and feelings to followers to promote mutual trust (Wei, Li, Zhang, & Liu, 2018). Yammarino, Dionne, Schriesheim, and Dansereau (2008) added to the discussion and called for better understanding of the nomological network of authentic leadership and the underlying mechanism by which authentic leadership affects effective organization outcomes. Subsequently, there have been theoretical advances in the authentic leadership field. A large number of studies have been conducted, mostly in the Western context, examining the effects of authentic leadership on several proximal and distal constructs, such as organizational commitment (Gatling, Kang, & Kim, 2016; Walumbwa et al., 2008), turnover intention (Azanza, Moriano, Molero, & Mangin, 2015; Gatling et al., 2016), employee satisfaction (Giallonardo, Wong, & Iwasiw, 2010), organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) (Walumbwa et al., 2008; Walumbwa, Wang, Schaubroeck, & Avolio, 2010), trust in leaders (Clapp-Smith, Vogelgesang, & Avey. 2009; Wong & Cummings, 2009; Wong, Spence Laschinger, & Cummings, 2010), and organizational performance (Clapp-Smith, Vogelgesang, & Avey. 2009; Walumbwa et al., 2008; Wong & Cummings, 2009).

1- Introduction

2- Literature review

3- Research hypothesis

4- Research methods

5- Data analysis and results

6- Discussion

7- Conclusion and future research directions

References

Abstract

Purpose – Technology adoption is a great challenge in the banking sector of Pakistan. A recent report issued by state bank of Pakistan revealed that there is a squeak growth, only 3 percent, in internet banking adoption. In order to effectively delve into the issue of internet banking adoption, the purpose of this paper is to use unified theory of acceptance and use of technology factors, namely performance expectancy and effort expectancy and e-service quality (E-SQ), as theoretical lens for this study. Design/methodology/approach – The research model was empirically tested using 398 valid responses from customers of commercial banks in Pakistan. The theoretical model was tested using structural equation modeling.
Findings – Findings indicate that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, website design, customer service, assurance and reliability have direct influence on user intention to adopt internet banking. Results revealed that approximately 79 percent of variance in user intention to adopt internet banking was explained by predictors. In addition, the mediating role of performance expectancy and effort expectancy among website design, customer service and user intention was also confirmed.
Practical implications – For researchers, this study provides a base of integrated technology model and it suggests using this model in other online domains such as mobile payment and online web-shopping for further refinement. For policymakers, understanding the key constructs is important to design, refine and implement new internet banking website that, in turn, will boost internet banking adoption trend among users of commercial banks.
Originality/value – This paper makes a unique contribution toward information system and services marketing literature. The study schematized that website design, customer service, assurance and reliability are the key dimensions of E-SQ and significantly influence the user intention to adopt internet banking.

Introduction

Internet banking has appeared as one of the most profitable e-commerce application (Wang et al., 2017). Several banks have offered internet banking system in an attempt to reduce cost while improving customer services (Xue et al., 2011). Therefore, banks are still finding difficulties in fully maximizing their operations, thereby attributing to customer’s unwillingness to adopt internet banking irrespective of the benefits (Martins et al., 2014; Rahi and Ghani, 2016a, b). Banks are trying to discover new ways to dematerialize customers relationship with physical banking system (Narteh, 2013; Samar, Norjaya, and Feras, 2017). The adoption of internet banking services will not be only beneficial for banks but it will also give an opportunity to banks to satisfy their customers from a distance (Frye and Dornisch, 2010; Martins et al., 2014; Rahi, 2016a; Shahzad et al., 2017). Thus, understanding the reason for this resistance will be useful for policymakers in formulating new strategies aimed at increasing internet banking use.

1- Introduction

2- Literature review

3- Methodology and methods

4- Findings and discussion

5- Conclusions

References

Abstract

Paper explores different stakeholder perceptions of logistics service quality in Hai Phong, Vietnam, one of the country’s most important port complexes and largest logistics hubs. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with customers, logistics service providers and port operators. Fourteen important variables were found with delivery time and shipment condition perceived by all groups as most important. Variables related to human factors were considered important by customers but not by logistics service providers. The paper contributes to our knowledge of what logistics service quality entails in a developing country that is lower on a logistics maturity scale, such as Vietnam, and provides managers with insights on what logistics service quality factors to address to enhance customers’ perceptions regarding their expectations.

Introduction

In contemporary business, logistics is considered a differentiator that builds on key logistical competencies to fulfil customer needs and build a firm’s competitive advantage. Further, logistics and supply chain management (SCM) activities share some features with marketing, particularly an interface with customer service as logistical activities are essentially services that are for example intangible and require different strategies as opposed to physical products whose features can be easily justified to reflect product quality (Grant, 2012). Hence, consideration of logistics service quality (LSQ) can assist firms in differentiating not only their services but also their credibility towards customers. Customer expectations and subsequent perceptions of LSQ are important regarding a country’s logistics capability (Grant, 2004). For example, ineffective customs procedures and slow-acting border crossings will underlie perceptions about a country’s customs performance which in turn may affect perceptions about timeliIntroduction In contemporary business, logistics is considered a differentiator that builds on key logistical competencies to fulfil customer needs and build a firm’s competitive advantage. Further, logistics and supply chain management (SCM) activities share some features with marketing, particularly an interface with customer service as logistical activities are essentially services that are for example intangible and require different strategies as opposed to physical products whose features can be easily justified to reflect product quality (Grant, 2012). Hence, consideration of logistics service quality (LSQ) can assist firms in differentiating not only their services but also their credibility towards customers. Customer expectations and subsequent perceptions of LSQ are important regarding a country’s logistics capability (Grant, 2004).

1- Introduction

2- Theoretical foundation and hypotheses

3- Conceptual framework

4- Research design and method

5- PLS estimates and hypotheses testing

6- Conclusion

References

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive model representing the relationships among service quality, customer satisfaction, trust and loyalty in a retail banking service. Because many banks now emphasize acquiring more high-wealth and main-bank customers, this study also focuses on investigating the moderating roles of main-bank and wealth status on such relationships.
Design/methodology/approach – This study applies a hierarchical model to measure service quality in line with recent advances in the general-marketing and consumer-behavior literature. A total of 400 valid samples were obtained from customers of a large commercial bank in Thailand. Data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling and multigroup analysis.
Findings – Customer-perceived service quality directly and indirectly affects, via satisfaction and trust, attitudinal and behavioral loyalty. Service quality affects customer loyalty less if the customer holds main-bank status. It affects behavioral loyalty less for high-wealth customers than regular customers; however, its impacts on attitudinal loyalty are identical. Main-bank and wealth status have a co-moderating impact on the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty.
Research limitations/implications – This study was conducted on a cross-sectional basis; further, longitudinal analysis could help to assess causality and time-dependent effects among variables.
Practical implications – The present study reconceptualizes the loyalty model, forging a deeper understanding of the moderating effects of main-bank and wealth status and thus helping banks to formulate better strategies to win customer loyalty.
Originality/value – This study aims to contribute to further discussions regarding the direct and indirect effects of service quality on loyalty to help banks formulate effective strategies for acquiring main-bank and high-wealth customers.

Introduction

The key to business success is building and maintaining strong customer relationships (Bergeron, 2002). To ensure customer satisfaction, trust and loyalty, banks must focus on service quality. Increasingly, comprehensive banking service-quality models have identified the key antecedents of customer loyalty, including hierarchical, multidimensional models of service quality and other factors influencing customer loyalty. Understanding these antecedents helps managers to improve organizations’ financial performance. Faced with competition from non-bank and fintech firms, banks must retain existing customers while attracting new customers. Improved service quality strengthens customer satisfaction, which ultimately influences customer loyalty, e.g. repurchase intention, word of mouth and recommendations to new customers (Gallarza et al., 2011; Ganesh et al., 2000; Voss et al., 2004). Most service-quality–loyalty research only explains the relationships among service quality, satisfaction, trust and loyalty. However, the increased focus on acquiring more main-bank customers (customers using the bank as their main operating bank for transactional account(s), depositing most of their wealth and purchasing all other financial products) requires an examination of the moderating role of main-bank status on the service-quality–loyalty model (Boonlertvanich, 2011).