Frederic Marimon

The future of standardised quality management in tourism: evidence from the Spanish tourist sector

As quality management has become more important in the tourist sector, the implementation of standardised quality management systems has become more common in this industry. A forerunner in this development has been the Spanish tourist sector, in which 17 specific quality management standards have been developed over several years in various tourist sub-sectors, including hotels, rural accommodation, restaurants, spas, and travel agencies. The present study, which is exploratory in nature, analyses the diffusion of these standards using a model that has been well attested in the specialised literature, together with a qualitative analysis of three practical cases. The study concludes that the standardisation of quality management in tourism will increase in coming years. The worldwide diffusion of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 in many service sectors and the findings of the present study with respect to the increasing implementation of the Spanish standards provide an indication of what is likely to happen in the service sector as a whole in most countries.

The impact of ISO 9001 standard and the EFQM model: The view of the assessors

The aim of this article is to evaluate the impact of both the ISO 9000 standard and the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) self-evaluation model, the total quality management model most employed in Europe. In order to directly compare the results obtained by the two models, we analyse them together in the same temporal frame, using the same methodology, but in a new way, utilising a sample of independent assessors of quality management models. To this end, we first performed a number of objective analyses of data regarding the impact of the models, data obtained from the ISO and EFQM international organisations themselves. We then conducted a survey of 107 experienced and independent quality-management assessors, followed by a personal interview of various stakeholders involved in the adoption of the models. The results obtained pertain to the different motivations of organisations for implementing ISO 9000 standards and the EFQM model, the obstacles detected in this implementation, the degree to which both are actually adopted and the results of the models. In this article, we also highlight the differences in the way that the two models are adopted.

Functional quality and hedonic quality: A study of the dimensions of e-service quality in online travel agencies

We attempted to clarify the dimensions of e-service quality and their role in producing perceived value and loyalty among customers of e-commerce websites. We particularly examined whether e-quality consisted of two groups of dimensions: (i) functional; or (ii) hedonic quality. Based on a survey of 1201 online customers of Spanish travel agencies, we used structural equation modelling to show that both types of quality are distinct dimensions of e-quality and that both have positive and significant influence on perceived value. In addition, perceived value was shown to have a significant impact on loyalty, thus validating the chain from service quality-to-perceived value-to-loyalty in the context of e-commerce. The implication for e-service managers is that they must be aware of the importance of hedonic quality in seeking to attract and retain customers.

ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards: A projection model for the decline phase

During the past few years, the process of standardisation with regard to business management systems has accelerated in an economic environment characterised by a marked process of economic globalisation and integration. Thus, the peaks attained by some standards published by agencies specialising in standardisation in the economic field are noteworthy. Two series of standards issued by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) stand out amongst these: the ISO 9000 series, related to the implementation of quality systems, and the ISO 14000 series, related to the implementation of environmental management systems. Previous research has analysed different projection models regarding number of certificates, both nationally and internationally, with the logistic model standing out as one of the models better suited to data records, and thus believed to offer better outlooks. However, none of the models referred to included data on countries experiencing clear decertification in terms of number of certificates of the aforementioned standards in their calculations, such as the data that has been detected for the first time in the last two years. Faced with the appearance of the first symptoms of market exhaustion, this article discusses what the projection model could be like once a process of decertification has set in.

An empirical study of the relationships within the categories of the EFQM model

The relationships within the categories of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) self-assessment model are analysed in this article, based on 242 independent assessments carried out in the European region with the highest density of EFQM awards (the Basque Autonomous Community, in Spain). The main finding of the article is that the relationships within the categories of the EFQM are robust, despite the fact that there exist relationships among some of its enablers and results that fail to reach a suitable level of validity. These findings coincide with the conclusions reached in studies carried out previously on the Malcolm Baldrige model. The conclusions reached in the article may be of interest for both the academic and the professional spheres of activity.

Purchasing behaviour in an online supermarket: the applicability of E-S-QUAL and the impact of service quality

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to assess the applicability of the four dimensions of online service quality, as proposed in the E-S-QUAL scale, to the setting of an online supermarket; and, second, to propose and test a model that links these e-quality dimensions with loyalty and purchasing behaviour in the setting of an online supermarket. An online questionnaire was used to survey 131 customers of an online Spanish supermarket using the E-S-QUAL scale. The data were analysed by exploratory factor analysis to test the applicability of the E-S-QUAL scale to the setting of an online supermarket and generate an extended model (including constructs for ‘perceived value’, ‘loyalty’ and ‘actual purchases’). The model was then checked by structural equation modelling (SEM). The four dimensions proposed by the E-S-QUAL scale were confirmed in the setting of an online Spanish supermarket. The influence of these various quality dimensions on perceived value, loyalty and actual purchases are delineated here. The study reassures online vendors that E-S-QUAL is an appropriate instrument by which to measure online service quality. The study also provides empirical evidence that high levels of e-service quality have a positive influence on purchasing behaviour. The study is the first to provide definitive empirical evidence of the commonly presumed linkage between the quality dimensions proposed in the E-S-QUAL scale and the constructs of loyalty and actual – not self-reported – purchase behaviour.

ISO 9001 diffusion analysis according to activity sectors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the evolution of the world‐wide diffusion, according to industrial sectors of activity, of the ISO 9000 family of quality standards.Design/methodology/approach – Using data provided by the ISO itself, the evolution of the world‐wide diffusion of the ISO 9000 family of standards from 1998 to 2008 is studied. Using two indices of instability, these data are then analysed in terms of individual industrial sectors to assess the heterogeneity of diffusion across different sectors of activity.Findings – The results show that the diffusion of ISO 9001 follows a logistic curve in all sectors, although the current stage of diffusion (in terms of initial stage, expansion stage, and saturation stage) differs between different sectors of activity. The sectors have been classified into three groups according to their possible future evolution.Research limitations/implications – Because the analysis of prediction is based on mathematical models, the validity of the data...

Impact of e-Quality and service recovery on loyalty: A study of e-banking in Spain

The purposes of this study are twofold: (i) to propose and apply scales to measure service quality and service recovery in the setting of electronic banking (e-banking) services; and (ii) to examine the impact of electronic service quality (e-quality) and service recovery (e-recovery) on loyalty (e-loyalty) in the setting of e-banking services. An online questionnaire is used to survey 428 Spanish customers of e-banking services (123 of whom have reported a service failure) using modified versions of the E-S-QUAL and E-RecS-QUAL scales. The data are analysed by exploratory factor analysis to: (i) test the applicability of the scales to the setting of online banking services: and (ii) generate and test a model of e-quality, e-recovery, and e-loyalty using structural equation modelling. Three of the four dimensions of the original E-S-QUAL scale and two of the three dimensions of the original E-RecS-QUAL scale are confirmed in the setting of e-banking services. The study reassures managers of online banks that modified versions of the E-S-QUAL and E-RecS-QUAL scales are appropriate instruments for measuring e-quality and e-recovery. The study also provides empirical evidence that efficiency of a website and responsiveness to complaints have a positive influence on e-loyalty. The study is the first to provide definitive empirical evidence (in the context of e-banking) of the presumed link between: (i) the e-quality and e-recovery dimensions proposed in the E-S-QUAL and E-RecS-QUAL scales; and (ii) the construct of loyalty.

Certification intensity level of the leading nations in ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 standards

Purpose – As the process of standardisation in all aspects of business management has accelerated in recent years in an environment characterised by economic globalisation and integration, two series of standards issued by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) stand out: the ISO 9000 series, related to the implementation of quality systems; and the ISO 14000 series, related to the implementation of environmental management systems. The purpose of this paper is to analyse and compare the evolution of both standards in the leading countries in these certifications.Design/methodology/approach – It is noteworthy that the same few nations consistently occupy the highest rankings in both the number of ISO 9000 and ISO 14000 series certifications. These countries are also those with highest growth rates in certifications. The present study examines these phenomena in terms of: a proposed new index for measuring the “certification intensity”; and a proposed model to analyse how standards are di...

Assessing e-service quality: the current state of E-S-QUAL

Purpose: This study seeks to holistically undertake a comprehensive review of the current state of the E-S-QUAL scale including the methodology used, suggestions and limitations associated with the adoption of the scale. Design/methodology/approach: The data collection process was done through an exhaustive search of the largest well-known databases and search engines such as ScienceDirect, Emerald Insight, EBSCOhost, ABI/INFORM and Google Scholar. Results: The dimensional structure of E-S-QUAL appears to be very unstable, even within a given sector. However, the general results revealed that the scale is effective in capturing the core e-service quality since it has been to a certain extent successfully replicated and applied in 11 countries and a variety of e-service settings. The dimensions of efficiency, system availability and privacy appear consistently in the various models regardless of the type of e-service. In contrast, the dimension of fulfilment seems not to be generic but specific to particular e-service contexts such as websites selling physical goods. Management implication: Providing the scale dimensional structure appears to be very unstable, both scholars and practitioners must assess the underlying factor structure of their data before drawing any conclusions from their study. Managers should be careful in applying the fulfilment dimension in contexts that have few elements in common with industry-specific which the sites did not promised about order delivery and item availability that must not be shipped.