Brian P. Mathews

Customer satisfaction: contrasting academic and consumers’ interpretations

The term satisfaction is a very important concept in marketing and is central to many definitions. This paper seeks to examine what this term means to the public at large. It explores the various definitions of satisfaction within the literature. The empirical results derive from individuals’ own interpretation and definition of the term satisfaction, as well as evaluation of their definitions. Finds that most people cited several definitions of satisfaction, illustrating that it is a multifaceted concept. The most common interpretations reflect the notion that satisfaction is a feeling which results from a process of evaluating what was received against that expected, the purchase decision itself and/or the fulfilment of needs/wants. It also finds that the particular interpretation is affected by contextual issues, such as whether it is a product or service under consideration. Implications for consumer satisfaction measurement and interpretation are discussed.

Service quality and human resource management

Service organisations are striving to increase the quality of the services they offer. They are also using a wide variety of people management techniques. These two activities can sometimes come into conflict. This article examines a variety of management practices, particularly from human resource management (HRM), used by the service sector, and assesses their potential impact on service quality and total quality management (TQM). Many techniques are identified as being potentially supportive of quality improvement but some pose threats, particularly those most closely associated with cost minimisation and the less subtle forms of managerial control. In order to encourage research in this area a number of research propositions and an agenda for further research are developed.

Barriers to relationship marketing in consumer retailing

This study focuses on the potential difficulties in implementing a relationship marketing strategy within a retail context. We suggest that a number of attributes characterise the nature of the service and market structure are influential in an organisation’s ability to implement relationship marketing. Specifically, these are balance of power; level of involvement with the purchase; professionalism of the service provider; and level of personal contact. Seven dimensions central to relationship marketing in a retail context are derived from the literature. Via survey research, these are evaluated in four service contexts, namely: hairdresser/barber; optician; recreation centre; and supermarket. Findings indicate that because of the influence of the four factors identified above, hairdressers, opticians, and recreation centres are more likely to operate in conditions that give greater support to the development of relationship marketing.

European quality management practices

The patterns of adoption of quality management practices and techniques vary across national boundaries. This article presents the findings of a questionnaire survey into the quality management procedures and tools adopted in three European countries, the UK, Portugal and Finland. A total of 450 responses are analysed. The main differences between the three countries are outlined with regard to factors motivating the implementation of quality systems, quality tools and techniques used, outcomes from quality management and problems encountered in providing quality training. The results are then analysed under the perspective of the probable impact of national culture. The models of national culture developed by Hofstede, Trompenaars and Earley and Erez were used for this purpose. The main conclusion is that these models can help to explain, to a great extent, much of the variation observed and constitute a basis for understanding why particular quality management approaches are adopted.

Managerial intervention in forecasting. An empirical investigation of forecast manipulation

Abstract There has been a continuing debate in the forecasting literature concerning the relative advantages of quantitative versus qualitative approaches to forecasting. However, although a considerable number of studies have contrasted the merits of the two approaches, relatively few efforts have investigated the application of human judgement on forecasts generated by quantitative forecasting models. This study is an empirical investigation of the effects of human intervention on forecast accuracy. It examines the consequences of managerial manipulation of sales forecasts initially produced by a smoothing model. A total of 281 products are investigated using multiple measures of forecast accuracy and the effects of subjective revision are discussed in terms of size, directionality, and distribution of errors. The results indicate that human intervention can lead to an overall improvement in forecast performance as reflected in a reduction in the variability and absolute size of forecasting errors. The results also show that more forecasts are improved by manipulation than are degraded. Finally, there is some indication that subjective revision may result in an increase in overall forecasting bias. These findings appear to conflict with previous evidence, however, the empirical setting of the present study is specific to shortterm sales forecasting which is not strictly comparable with the settings of earlier efforts.

Jumped, Pushed or Forgotten? Approaches to Dissolution

Not all relationships are destined to last. Although the literature offers a range of causes of dissolution in buyer-seller relationship no clear framework of dissolution categories or company behaviour for each category has been developed. This study takes a conceptual and empirical look at relationship dissolution and offers a typology of dissolution categories. A qualitative approach drawing from nine in-depth interviews of managers of long-term buyer-supplier relationships confirmed that dissolution falls into one of four categories: voluntary dissolution (bilateral agreement to terminate relations), unilateral involuntary dissolution by either buyer or supplier (customer de-selection/supplier de-selection), and bilateral involuntary dissolution (a fading away of relations). Different exit communication styles were employed for each category of dissolution. Voluntary decisions to terminate relations are likely to be communicated by direct but amicable means indicating a potentially revocable state of dissolution. Customer de-selection and supplier de-selection dissolution types tend to be much more covert with one party either undermining the relationship or else blaming the other for problems, often leading to hostility between the parties and largely irrevocable future relations. The fourth type, fading away, is characterised by a lack of positive action and communication by either party. The implications for the four quadrants of dissolution are considered and in addition to offering a number of propositions the management of dissolution in order to encourage revocable/amicable dissolution is explored.

Dimensionality of Cook and Wall's (1980) British Organizational Commitment Scale revisited

Organizational commitment can help explain a range of human attitudes and behaviours at work and the measurement of this construct is central to explaining such organizational linkages. The purpose of this article is to re-examine the dimensionality of Cook and Walls (1980) British Organizational Commitment Scale (BOCS) and further to examine the extent to which it holds good in several organizational contexts. The outcomes suggest that the six-item version (all positive) remains superior and is robust across the three organizations studied, although factor covariances and loadings differ.

Employee commitment: academic vs practitioner perspectives

Employee commitment has been extensively researched by academics. Theories about commitment towards the organisation have enjoyed much interest. The concept is a central part of HR models. Research to date, however, has not examined the extent to which such “academic” perspectives are compatible with the views of practitioners. Hence, this research establishes practitioner’s understanding of employee commitment in a variety of UK private sector organisations. The findings of a national survey, distributed to 300 HRM managers (response rate 32 per cent), indicate a wide recognition of the desirability and benefits of commitment, but clear disparity between the way academics and practitioners conceptualise and measure it. Despite the variety of formal measuring tools available, organisational monitoring of commitment can be described as ad hoc and subjective. We conclude that the subjective approach adopted by practitioners could inform the approaches of academics just as the structured “objective” approaches of academics should inform practitioners.

Quality training: findings from a European survey

Quality management is an essential part of an organisation’s competitive strategy. The training that underpins quality management determines the likely effectiveness of the quality initiatives undertaken. This article details the findings of a questionnaire survey into the training provided to support quality management. A total of 450 responses are analysed. Findings from the UK, Portugal and Finland are compared to identify differences in national practice. Training provision is definitely focused at quality staff, but even with this group training in many of the traditional quality tools is denied to one third. The area in which training is given consistently concerns awareness, systems and standards. This confirms that much of the emphasis within the sample base is on working to a quality system rather than necessarily embracing the message of quality. Training methods tend to be traditional, with little impact evident of the hi‐tech revolution. Nevertheless, there is a spread of approaches considered effective with no single approach dominating the field. While external short courses rank top in all areas, the incidence is never in excess of one‐third.

Assessing Individual Contributions: Experience of Peer Evaluation in Major Group Projects

With an increasing use of group activities in higher education there are questions being asked about the extent to which the final grading properly reflects individual contribution (or lack of it). The paper describes the development and use of peer evaluation in a DMS group project. Experience of using this method of evaluation shows that groups must be prepared for, and committed to, the activity. Peer evaluation forms part of the assessment process but does not seem sufficiently robust to be the sole source of informational input—especially if substantial grade variations are called for.