Kenneth Yap

Offline and online banking – where to draw the line when building trust in e‐banking?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of situation normality cues (online attributes of the e‐banking web site) and structural assurance cues (size and reputation of the bank, and quality of traditional service at the branch) in a consumers evaluation of the trustworthiness of e‐banking and subsequent adoption behaviour.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from a survey and a usable sample of 202 was obtained. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis was used to test the model.Findings – Traditional service quality builds customer trust in the e‐banking service. The size and reputation of the bank were found to provide structural assurance to the customer but not in the absence of traditional service quality. Web site features that give customers confidence are significant situation normality cues.Practical implications – Bank managers have to realise that good service at the branch is a necessary condition for the promotion of e‐banking. They cannot rely on bank size ...

Zone‐of‐tolerance moderates the service quality‐outcome relationship

Purpose – The zone‐of‐tolerance (ZOT) is an innovative concept that has attracted recent attention in the services marketing domain. The ZOT represents a range of service performance that a customer considers satisfactory, which recognizes multiple expectation standards, specifically adequate and desired expectations. This study aims to extend Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuramans examination in 1996 of the relationship between service quality and behavioral intentions across the ZOT by heeding Teas and DeCarlos call in 2004 to examine the relationship for specific dimensions. The study also seeks to extend outcomes to include satisfaction and value.Design/methodology/approach – Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to assess measurement properties and regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses regarding the ZOT.Findings – Consistent with several previous studies, two dimensions of service quality were identified: tangibles and process, the latter having a greater influence on satis...

The Impact of Host Country Policies on the Overseas Chinese Family in Singapore

The purpose of this article is to account for changes in the family construct of the Singaporean Overseas Chinese resulting from migration and settlement. The family institution then changes in response to family policy, so that today it bears little resemblance to the traditional blueprint. Differences between the family institutions of the three major racial groups in Singapore have emerged as a result of discriminatory policy pressures. The Singaporean government has used family planning policies to create the ideal social structure and human resource capital, possibly at the expense of Malays and women with less education. The fate of the Chinese family institution in Singapore may also differ to its counterparts in Malaysia and China. In Malaysia, the pro-Malay affirmative action program contributed to a dramatic reduction in Overseas Chinese fertility, while creating unintended consequences that are not easily reversible. The article concludes with issues for marketing scholars to ponder.The purpose of this article is to account for changes in the family construct of the Singaporean Overseas Chinese resulting from migration and settlement. The family institution then changes in response to family policy, so that today it bears little resemblance to the traditional blueprint. Differences between the family institutions of the three major racial groups in Singapore have emerged as a result of discriminatory policy pressures. The Singaporean government has used family planning policies to create the ideal social structure and human resource capital, possibly at the expense of Malays and women with less education. The fate of the Chinese family institution in Singapore may also differ to its counterparts in Malaysia and China. In Malaysia, the pro-Malay affirmative action program contributed to a dramatic reduction in Overseas Chinese fertility, while creating unintended consequences that are not easily reversible. The article concludes with issues for marketing scholars to ponder.