Frederick Hong-kit Yim

CRM: conceptualization and scale development

Purpose – To develop a reliable and valid measuring scale for customer relationship management (CRM).Design/methodology/approach – A series of studies were conducted for the development and validation of multiple measures for the dimensions of CRM. Once the dimensions of CRM were identified, data from study 1 (n=150 business executives attending a part‐time MBA program) were used to select items based on factor analysis. Then, confirmatory factor analyses was used on data obtained from a mail survey of Hong Kong financial firms in study 2 (n=215) to examine factor structure, as well as to provide evidence of dimensionality, scale reliability and validity. Finally, in study 3, data from 276 business executives attending a seminar on CRM were used to test the scale generalizability of CRM measures in various industries.Findings – A reliable and valid scale was developed to measure the four dimensions of CRM: key customer focus, CRM organization, knowledge management and technology‐based CRM.Research limitat...

Does the Job Satisfaction—Job Performance Relationship Vary Across Cultures?:

The purpose of this study is to examine whether culture moderates the relationship between job satisfaction and job performance. Multiple theoretical frameworks regarding culture are used as the theoretical guide. Based on meta-analytical moderator tests, the authors find some support for their hypotheses that the effect size for the job satisfaction—job performance relationship is likely to be stronger in individualistic (vs. collectivistic) cultures, in low-power-distance (vs. high-power-distance) cultures, in low-uncertainty-avoidance (vs. high-uncertainty-avoidance) cultures, and in masculine (vs. feminine) cultures. They also observe stronger evidence of these effects for task performance than for contextual performance. Implications for theory, practice, and future research are discussed.

The Effects of Relationship Marketing Orientation on Business Performance in the Hotel Industry

The purpose of this study was to investigate the link between relationship marketing orientation and business performance in the hotel industry. Data were generated from 63 hotels in Hong Kong. The findings indicate that relationship marketing orientation was positively and significantly associated with marketing performance and financial performance of a hotel. Implications of the findings are discussed, and limitations of the study as well as further research directions are addressed.

How a crowded restaurant affects consumers’ attribution behavior

Abstract This study finds that when consumers perceive a restaurant as very crowded, they would attribute the high level of crowdedness to high food quality, good reputation and low food price that draw people to the restaurant. On the contrary, in the case of a quiet restaurant, the customer would associate the quietness with low food quality, high food price and poor reputation. The implication for restaurant managers is that they can manipulate the level of crowdedness in their restaurant to create a favorable impression of high food quality, low food price and good reputation.

Factors Affecting the Choice of Channels

Abstract A study was conducted to find out the important factors that affect a book buyers choice of two competing channels: online vs. conventional. The results show that the four most important factors that affect consumers choice of the online channel are: (1) minimize misuse of credit card; (2) minimize fraud; (3) make better purchase choices; and (4) maximize access to information. The only factor that prompts consumers to purchase from the physical bookstore is the ability to “see” the product.

The impact of CEO servant leadership on firm performance in the hospitality industry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to draw on the theory of servant leadership to examine the influence of chief executive officer (CEO) servant leadership on firm performance in the hospitality industry. It examined the mediating role of the service climate and the moderating role of competitive intensity in the relationship between CEO servant leadership and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach Multiple regression was used to analyze multi-wave, multi-source data from 92 hotels in China. A moderated path analysis was used to test the moderating effects. Findings CEO servant leadership positively influenced firm performance via the service climate in the hospitality industry. Competitive intensity strengthened the direct effect of the service climate on firm performance, and the indirect effect of CEO servant leadership on firm performance via service climate. Research limitations/implications The findings offer managerial insights into CEO succession, service management and human resource management. Originality/value This is one of the first studies to investigate how and when CEO servant leadership might shape firm outcomes in the hospitality industry. Theoretically, the findings enrich our understanding of how CEO leadership might shape firm-level outcomes.

Factors affecting new product post‐adoption behavior in a major US automotive supply chain: an examination of antecedents to technology internalization

Purpose – Given the importance of technology implementation and usage in managing and leveraging supply chains and the associated difficulties of diffusing information technology (IT) within and across organizations, little research has been conducted to understand the antecedents of technology adoption, particularly in the supply chain context. The purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding of how organizational factors affect post-adoption behaviors, a process collectively defined as internalization. Design/methodology/approach – A mail survey of 413 supply chain members of a major US automotive company was conducted to test the model. Findings – The study finds that relative cost, supply chain orientation, and task-technology fit have a direct effect on extended technology usage or internalization of the technology. Research limitations/implications – Although the study sample was collected from the supply chain base of the largest automotive manufacturer in the world, its generalizability is...

Utilisation of CRM and its impact on sales performance: a study of sales professionals working in a virtual environment

With the advancement in communication technologies in the last decade firms have implemented technology initiatives that enable sales professionals to have access to customer data and enable them to increase workplace efficiency by communicating electronically with their clients and colleagues. Many sales professionals work remotely outside the traditional office and technology, in the form of customer relationship marketing (CRM), allows sales professionals to devote more flexible time to better serve their customers. By utilising CRM technology, today’s sales professionals can communicate and collaborate with clients and managers anytime, anywhere. Findings of this study support the hypotheses that CRM utilisation has positive impacts on sales performance, namely sales process effectiveness, performance with customers, and administrative efficiency. Among the three performance measures, CRM usage has the greatest impact on sales process effectiveness. The study also supports that when sales professionals work in a virtual environment they are more likely to utilise CRM.

Comparing and combining individual x‐charts and x‐bar charts

Control charts have played an important role in monitoring the performance of operation processes, ever since their invention. Traditionally, according to Jurans idea and others, x‐bar charts are more sensitive than individual x‐charts. However, such a conclusion is valid only under certain conditions. Individual x‐charts can outperform x‐bar charts in some situations, especially in cases of minor and extreme changes of the center value. Since each chart has its own advantages and disadvantages, the idea of combining the results of these two charts is studied. The finding seems to be useful for practitioners in quality control.

Lone wolves reciprocate less deviance: a moral identity model of abusive supervision*

Abstract Although previous studies provide diverse perspectives on the influences of abusive supervision, the moral perspective receives little attention in the literature. We rely on social cognitive theory to present a moral identity model of abusive supervision that accounts for the influences of perceiving abusive supervision on organizational and interpersonal deviance. In particular, we propose that employee moral identity mediates the positive relations between abusive supervision, as perceived by followers, and their subsequent organizational and interpersonal deviance. We also test the extent to which lone wolf tendencies alleviate the main negative impact of abusive supervision on moral identity and the indirect effect of abusive supervision on organizational and interpersonal deviance through moral identity. More specifically, when the level of lone wolf tendencies is high, the relationship between abusive supervision and moral identity, and the magnitude of the moral identity mediating mechanism will be weaker. Using multi-wave, multiple-source data collected in China, our findings support most of our hypotheses and offer insightful theoretical directions for mistreatment, morality, and disposition research. Our moderated mediation model serves as a springboard for future research to understand the social cognitive processes that link abusive supervision and deviant behavior from the moral perspective.