Hardeep Chahal

Development of multidimensional scale for healthcare service quality (HCSQ) in Indian context

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically validate a multidimensional scale for measuring healthcare service quality (HCSQ), based on modified Brady and Cronins hierarchical service quality model. The study also investigated HCSQ and its ability to predict important service outcomes through two different models. In the first model, direct effects of service quality dimensions, namely physical environment quality (comprising ambient condition, social factor and tangibles), interaction quality (comprising attitude and behaviour, expertise and process quality) and outcome quality (comprising waiting time, patient satisfaction and loyalty) on image are measured. In the second model, direct effects of physical environment quality (comprising ambient condition, social factor and tangibles), interaction quality (comprising attitude and behaviour, expertise and process quality) on service quality through outcome quality (comprising waiting time, patient satisfaction and loyalty) are measu...

Two component customer relationship management model for healthcare services

Purpose – To sustain competitive advantage, it is necessary to understand consumers and their psychological fears and deliver them a service solution which is best under existing conditions so as to ensure consumer loyalty and retention. This paper seeks to conceptualise and operationalise customer relationship management (CRM) through two component model (operational CRM (OCRM) and analytical CRM (ACRM)), particularly in the healthcare sector.Design/methodology/approach – The relationship between OCRM, based on three patient‐staff constructs (physicians, nurses and support staff) and ACRM based on four constructs (satisfaction, repatronization, recommendation and organizational performance) was analysed using confirmatory factor analysis (AMOS). The data for the model were collected from 306 indoor patients of three large public hospitals who have been associated with the hospital for at least five years.Findings – The model portraying service quality as an antecedent to OCRM is found to be acceptable wh...

Significant components of service brand equity in healthcare sector

PURPOSE The purpose of the study is to examine three significant components of service brand equity--i.e. perceived service quality, brand loyalty, and brand image--and analyze relationships among the components of brand equity and also their relationship with brand equity, which is still to be theorized and developed in the healthcare literature. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH Effective responses were received from 206 respondents, selected conveniently from the localities of Jammu city. After scale item analysis, the data were analyzed using factor analysis, correlations, t-tests, multiple regression analysis and path modeling using SEM. FINDINGS The findings of the study support that service brand equity in the healthcare sector is greatly influenced by brand loyalty and perceived quality. However, brand image has an indirect effect on service brand equity through brand loyalty (mediating variable). RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS The research can be criticized on the ground that data were selected conveniently from respondents residing in the city of Jammu, India. But at the same time the respondents were appropriate for the study as they have adequate knowledge about the hospitals, and were associated with the selected hospital for more than four years. Furthermore, the validity and reliability of the data are strong enough to take care of the limitations of the convenience sampling selection method. ORIGINALITY/VALUE The study has unique value addition to the service marketing vis-à-vis healthcare literature, from both theoretical and managerial perspectives. The study establishes a direct and significant relationship between service brand equity and its two components, i.e. perceived service quality and brand loyalty in the healthcare sector. It also provides directions to healthcare service providers in creating, enhancing, and maintaining service brand equity through service quality and brand loyalty, to sustain competitive advantage.

Evaluating customer relationship dynamics in healthcare sector through indoor patients' judgement

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the three dynamics of customer relationship management (CRM), namely, service quality (SQ), customer satisfaction (CS) and customer loyalty (CL) (long‐term relationship) in the healthcare sector. It specifically investigates the effects of physical environment quality (PEQ) and interaction quality (IQ) and significant components of SQ on outcome SQ dimensions, namely, CS and CL.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 400 indoor patients from departments such as, general medicine, pediatrics, general surgery, gynecology, ENT and orthopedics were selected using proportionate stratified random sampling from May‐August 2007. Personal contact approach was used for contacting the respondents. Data validity and reliability were duly assessed using exploratory factor analysis. The data were then analyzed using structural equation modeling through AMOS.Findings – Based on data analysis, the direct effect of CRM dynamics, i.e. PEQ and IQ on SQ and their ultimate effect on CS an...

Confirmatory Study on Brand Equity and Brand Loyalty: A Special Look at the Impact of Attitudinal and Behavioural Loyalty:

The purpose of the study is to examine relationships between brand equity and brand loyalty (comprising attitudinal and behavioural) which is not well explained in the marketing literature. Should brand loyalty be considered as dimension of brand equity or an outcome of brand equity or as a moderating factor that acts as a mediator between attitudinal loyalty and behavioural loyalty need to be confirmed? The present research is pursued to confirm such relationships. A total sample of 300 respondents was selected from Jammu city in India to gather data on brand loyalty and brand equity from the users of Jammu healthcare services. Scale-item analysis, both EFA and CFA analysis were applied for finalisation of scale and model testing respectively. The findings of the study support all three hypotheses i.e. brand equity is the resultant factor of attitudinal loyalty and results in behavioural loyalty (Model 1), brand loyalty viz. both attitudinal loyalty and behavioural loyalty can be considered as an indicator as well as an outcome of brand equity in healthcare sector (Model 2 and Model 3). Major limitation of the study is the use of convenient sampling since no comprehensive and proper list was available for the persons residing in Jammu city. But at the same time respondents selected were appropriate as they have adequate knowledge about hospitals, being associated with them for more than one year.

Consumer perceived value

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the dimensionality of the consumer perceived value (CPV) concept, development of a CPV scale and its measurement in the Indian healthcare sector.Design/methodology/approach – The data on consumer perceived value are gathered from 515 inpatients. The scale development is performed through exploratory factor analysis, reliability and validity analysis, and confirmatory analysis.Findings – CPV scale in healthcare sector is a multidimensional scale represented by 27 items spread over six dimensions that are significant for consumer value measurement. The dimensions include acquisition value (AV), transaction value (TV), efficiency value (EV), aesthetic value (ESV), social interaction value (SI) and self gratification value (SG).Research limitations/implications – The study is theoretically limited to value and its antecedents. Research work on relationship of consumer perceived value with service quality, customer relationship management, internal marketing or...

Consumer Perceived Value and Consumer Loyalty in the Healthcare Sector

This study provides conceptual as well as empirical investigation of consumer perceived value (CPV) and consumer loyalty (CL) measures in the healthcare sector. It also offers an insight regarding the role of CPV in influencing CL. The data were collected from 515 hospitalised patients of 2 tertiary hospitals, namely the Government Medical College and Hospital (public) and Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Sciences and Hospital (private) sector operating in Jammu, North India, from July 2009 to October 2009. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to analyse CPV and CL. The results suggest that CPV is a function of acquisition value, transaction value, efficiency value, aesthetic value, social interaction value, and self-gratification value. Similarly, CL is related to preference loyalty (i.e., using provider again for same services, using provider again for different services), recommending provider to others, price indifference loyalty, and dissatisfaction response. The study underscores significant dimensions of consumer value and CL and validates the relationship between value and loyalty in healthcare service sector. The CPV and CL instruments include important aspects of patients’ perceptions of healthcare services. The scales are psychometrically adequate and are recommended for evaluating patients’ experiences of the quality of healthcare services. The study is limited theoretically to assessing the relationship between CPV and CL. Their relationships with other measures, such as consumer experiences, quality, satisfaction, service dominant logic, and image, need to be assessed in further works.

Examining intellectual capital and competitive advantage relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of intellectual capital on competitive advantage in banking sector. Further, it also examines the role of innovation as a mediating variable and organisational learning as a moderating variable in intellectual capital and competitive advantage relationship. Design/methodology/approach – Data are collected from 144 branches of 21 public and seven private banks operating in Northern India (Jammu). Three executives (including one manager and two senior employees) from each branch are contacted purposively. Out of 576 questionnaires distributed, 339 questionnaires are returned with response rate of 62.08 per cent. Findings – The study finds that intellectual capital has direct and positive impact on the competitive advantage. It is also verified that innovation fully mediates the relationship between intellectual capital and competitive advantage. Further, the moderating effect of organisational learning on the relationship between intellectual ...

Modeling patient satisfaction construct in the Indian health care context

Purpose – The paper aims to establish structure of patient satisfaction construct in Indian health care settings.Design/methodology/approach – The data were collected from 528 indoor patients who were seeking treatment from Government Medical College (GMC), Bakshi Nagar and Acharya Chandra Medical College and Hospital Sidra (ASCOMS), Sidhara, the two teaching and research hospitals operating in Jammu City, India. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses are used to verify the scale dimensions.Findings – The results reveal that patient satisfaction is a multidimensional construct comprised of four dimensions, namely: physical maintenance, physician care, nursing care and internal facilities. Among the four hypothesized models, only model 2 depicting the impact of dimensions on satisfaction showed a good fit while the other three models showed either average (model 4) or poor (models 1 and 3) fit. The analysis of the models indicates that all patient satisfaction dimensions positively and significa...

Service Quality and Performance in the Public Health-Care Sector

The purpose of this article is to evaluate service quality and service performance relationship in the health-care sector using respective developed multidimensional scales. Data were collected from 400 inpatient respondents, using stratified sampling method from five departments, namely general medicine, surgery, pediatrics, orthopedics, gynecology, and ENT of a tertiary hospital (North India). The results confirm significant relationship among subdimensions of physical environment quality and interaction quality (service quality) and four service performance measures, namely waiting time, patient satisfaction, patient loyalty, and image in public hospitals.