Esmail Salehi-Sangari

Success of government e-service delivery: does satisfaction matter?

For measuring e-government success a well-founded theory is important which can help governments to improve their services and identify how effectively public money is spent. We propose using citizen satisfaction as a measure of e-government success, as well as explore its relationships with e-government service quality. Three hypotheses have been formulated to test the model. For empirical estimation, the data used in this study was collected form Sweden. An online survey was conducted using systematic sampling among the municipalities in Sweden, 425 valid responses were received. The measures of each variables selected in this article were mainly adapted from related previous studies. Efficiency, privacy, responsiveness and web assistance were selected as e-service quality dimensions. Actual usages were measured by three items-Frequency of usage, Diversity of usages and Dependency. Confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to confirm the factor structures. The analysis shows that 43% of the variance among the factors of e-service quality, and usage is explained by citizen satisfaction. We found e-service quality has a relation with citizen satisfaction considering four dimensions of service quality. Efficiency, responsiveness and web assistance were found to be of more importance compared to privacy in determining e-service quality. Use was found to be positively and significantly related to citizen satisfaction. The results should contribute towards understanding of the key issues that influence citizens needs and level of satisfaction with the tax services and help improve the service delivery process. Further research is suggested to explore other quality dimensions such as system and information quality.

Abstract: Managing Retail in an Omnichannel Environment—Consumer Behavior, Trends, and Challenges

Retailers are facing major changes, including intensified competition, increased internationalization, and technological advances, which are transforming the competitive landscape at a fast pace. Simultaneously we see an emerging paradigm shift in consumers’ buying behavior. Digital devices such as smartphones and tablets allow consumers to search and shop online, irrespective of time and place and without geographical boundaries. While these devices originally were used mainly for information search, mobile purchases are becoming a natural part of many consumers’ shopping habits.

It is emergent: five propositions on the relationship between creative consumers and technology

Drawing on four research papers and case studies, this paper explores the interaction between creative consumers and technology. While prior research has taken either a technology ‘push’ stance (technology shapes consumers) or a ‘pull’ posture (technology results from identifying consumer needs), the view adopted here is that the interplay between technology and consumers is mostly non-linear and emergent. From Facebook, where the consumer is the product, to user generated information systems (UGIS) where the consumers creates the product; and from Rev Billy who uses technology to creatively deconstruct consumption to mobile phones where technology is enabling the creative consumer, there is much to learn about how technology and creative consumers interact. Using these case studies five researchable propositions regarding technology and creative consumers are developed and illustrated, and it is hoped that these propositions can serve as guides to future research in this interesting and important developing domain of scholarship.

How does information sharing affect first-tier suppliers’ flexibility? Evidence from the automotive industry in Sweden

Abstract This study addresses the critical research issue of how supplier delivery performance can be enhanced by integrating information sharing into volume and delivery flexibility. This study developed a research model to relate information sharing on demand forecasts and inventory data between original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and first-tier suppliers. Based on a sample of 52 suppliers from automotive industry in Sweden, partial least squares structural equations modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to assess the model. The results confirm that sharing demand forecasts is a key enabler of supplier volume and delivery flexibility while sharing inventory data is not. The study contributes to enlarging the knowledge about supply chain management from the suppliers’ perspective. It also contributes to knowledge by validating the conceptual model and operationalisation of constructs. The study also has practical contribution in which management should focus on improving communication and collaboration practices with OEMs for effective sharing of demand forecasts.

There’s a Silver Lining: Information Quality, Trust, and Positive Meaning After a Crisis

Communication and public relations play a pivotal role in crisis management (Tirkkonen and Luoma‐aho 2011). Due to the high levels of uncertainty created during a crisis, stakeholders have a strong need for fast and accurate information (Seeger and Griffin Padgett 2010). For public sector organizations, crisis communication is perhaps even more challenging and complex, given that government agencies have democratic obligations to serve and communicate with all citizens (McCoy 2014). A main goal of crisis communication is to restore reputation and regain customers’ trust (Utz et al. 2013). It seems likely that individuals have different perceptions of the information quality of crisis communication, which in turn may influence their trust in government. We also suggest that the level of perceived information quality is related to the extent to which people find positive meaning in a crisis (Fredrickson et al. 2003), and to their level of crisis involvement (Claeys and Cauberghe 2014). In this chapter, we identify segments of citizens based on their perceptions of the information quality of local governments’ crisis communication, and assess whether there are differences between these segments in terms of their post‐crisis trust in government, perceptions of positive meaning, and crisis involvement.

Requiem for a brand : consumer response to brand elimination

While companies may seek to rejuvenate and/or adapt their brands, circumstances will arise where the company may seek its brand closure. Studies on the consumer-side of brand death are sparse. This paper argues that how consumers react toward brand deletion can be explained by grief and bereavement theories used in psychology.

How to Manage Information Sharing in Online Marketplaces – An Exploratory Study

Online communities offer a lot of value for marketers. They often serve as a reference groups to consumers and influence their decision-making (De Valck, Van Bruggen and Wierenga 2009); they can be an important sources for marketing research (Kozinets 1999); they can be used to engage customers in collaborative product innovation (Sawhney, Verona and Prandelli 2005; Fuller, Bartl and Muhlbacher 2006); and brand communities can be an important source of loyalty (Muniz and O’Guinn 2001; McAlexander, Schouten and Koenig 2002).

Sustainable Purchasing in the Retail Industry: A Model of Environmentally Responsible Purchasing

Given the important role that businesses play in addressing the issue of environmental sustainability, a perspective on organizations’ responsiveness toward environmental sustainability suggests th ...