Darko Prebežac

A critical review of techniques for classifying quality attributes in the Kano model

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is: to review the most commonly used approaches to the classification of quality attributes according to the Kano model; to identify the theoretical/practical strengths and weaknesses of these techniques; and to provide guidance for future research and managerial practice in this area.Design/methodology/approach – Based on an extensive review of the literature on the Kano model and the relevant marketing/management literature, five approaches (Kanos method; “penalty‐reward contrast analysis”; “importance grid”; qualitative data methods; and “direct classification”) are evaluated in terms of their validity and reliability for categorising attributes in the Kano model. Several illustrative examples provide empirical evidence for the theoretical arguments advanced in the study.Findings – The Kano questionnaire and the direct‐classification method are the only approaches that are capable of classifying Kano attributes in the design stage of a product/service. Penalty‐rewar...

Prioritizing improvement of service attributes using impact range‐performance analysis and impact‐asymmetry analysis

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to describe and apply a new three‐step approach to prioritizing service attributes in formulating quality‐improvement strategies. In particular, the paper seels to demonstrate the value of impact range‐performance analysis (IRPA) and impact‐asymmetry analysis (IAA) in prioritizing quality attributes for improvement.Design/methodology/approach – The proposed new analytical framework is developed and presented. Data from a survey on satisfaction with airport passenger services are then used to demonstrate the proposed approach. Improvement priorities are derived using a three‐step analytical framework.Findings – This paper raises several conceptual issues concerning importance‐performance analysis (IPA). In particular, the study contends that direct and indirect measures of the “importance” of an attribute are not measuring the same construct.Practical implications – Managers who use IPA to prioritize the improvement of service attributes might obtain misleading recommenda...

Rethinking the importance grid as a research tool for quality managers

The importance grid (IG) is a research tool developed for the purpose of categorising product/service attributes according to the Kano model, thus making it a tempting technique for quality managers. However, this paper argues that the IG lacks a clear theoretical foundation, which is why it is not recommended for its intended purpose. Nevertheless, it is shown that a reinterpretation of the IG can provide valuable information for the purpose of prioritising product/service attributes for improvement. It is further suggested to regard the IG and the penalty-reward contrast analysis (PRCA) not as competing techniques, as it is usually assumed in the literature, but rather as complementary approaches. The managerial value of the rethought IG in combination with a modified PRCA (determinance-asymmetry analysis) is demonstrated in a case study on airline passenger satisfaction with airport services.

An extended neural network-based importance-performance analysis for enhancing wine fair experience.

ABSTRACT This article presents the results of a study conducted at the Dalmacija Wine Expo, a regional wine fair that was held for the first time in 2010 in Makarska, Croatia. To identify critical attributes impacting the experience of fair participants, two separate surveys were conducted among visitors and exhibitors. In analyzing the data, this study used an extended neural network-based importance-performance analysis (IPA) that combines measures of both the relevance (i.e., stated importance/general importance) and determinance (i.e., derived importance/actual influence) of fair attributes. Compared to traditional IPA approaches with uni-dimensional operationalization of attribute-importance, such an approach provided significantly more detailed (and reliable) managerial implications.

Importance-performance analysis: common misuse of a popular technique

In recent years, importance-performance analysis (IPA) has gained popularity in the wider management research area . The original methodology was introduced in 1977 by John A . Martilla and John C . James in a short Journal of Marketing article set within the context of the automobile industry . By comparing the importance and the performance of a series of personal car attributes, these authors set up a rather simple framework to guide allocation and/or reallocation of scarce company resources, with the final goal to enhance consumer satisfaction (Figure 1) . To date, the original article by Martilla and James (1977) has been cited 3,164 times (Google Scholar, accessed 12 October 2016), with annual citations and IPA applications steadily increasing . From the mid-1980s onwards, IPA studies started to focus on advancements of the original methodology . The motivation for such studies is reasonable, because the technique undoubtedly has significant practical appeal . Viewpoint