Nandakumar Mekoth

Autonomy, market orientation and performance in Indian retail banking

Purpose – This paper aims to find out whether superior autonomy at boundary spanning levels in service organizations results in better market orientation and performance and whether autonomy and decentralization, though conceptually different, have similar practical implications. Researchers developed a theoretical model and tested it in the post‐liberalized Indian retail banking context to address these concerns.Design/methodology/approach – Bank branches constituted the unit of analysis. Further to getting initial insights on market orientation in retail banking through interviews researchers conducted a survey among branch managers. A total of 305 branch managers were contacted of which 122 cooperated.Findings – Regression results suggest that superior personnel related and goal setting autonomy at boundary spanning levels have positive market orientation as well as performance implications. Marketing autonomy did not have significant impact on market orientation. Autonomy and decentralization though c...

A typology for frontline employee adaptability to gain insights in service customisation: a viewpoint

The complexity of service customisation has been recognised in the service marketing literature. Yet, the understanding of how this complexity impacts the frontline employee adaptability is limited especially considering the changing nature of customer ad gustum. Building on preceding research this paper develops a typology for frontline employee adaptability to gain insights in customisable services context by critically examining the nature and formation of dimensions of adaptability. This paper will broaden the array of service customisation through the understanding of a vital link that is FLE and offer a strategic viewpoint on the evolving nature of frontline employee adaptability and it is the first paper of its kind to present the typology within the framework of customisable services.

Service Quality in the Public Sector Hospitals: A Study in India

Abstract Most studies on service quality have been conducted in the context of the private sector of the economy. In fact, in the healthcare setting, for a long time, public-sector hospitals were not expected to excel in the provision of service quality. In a country such as India, even now, public-sector hospital staffs enjoy relatively higher salaries, flexible work schedules, and secure employment until retirement. Because patients do not pay for most services, normally they are concerned only about the quality of the core product. The authors indicate that, even in the public sector context, the quality of the physician and that of the clinical support staff significantly impact patient satisfaction. However, the quality of nonclinical support staff is not found to have any significant effect on patient satisfaction.

FLE adaptability in high contact and high customisable services: theoretical underpinnings and conceptual model

The customisation strategies are growing in popularity. As a strategy it aims at providing customers with individually tailored products and services. In high contact services the responsibility for customisation, frequently falls on the shoulders of frontline employees (FLEs). This research in high contact and customisable services, integrates existing streams of literature in marketing, human resource management, organisational behaviour and psychology to propose a conceptual framework that highlights the FLE adaptability. This research delineates antecedents of FLE adaptability, as individual level, team related, customer related and organisational related factors. While the job performance and job satisfaction is considered consequents of FLE adaptability. A major contribution of this study is a new conceptualisation, of FLE adaptability within a framework of high contact and customisable services. Practical implications to help align human resource management with higher level organisational factors are also discussed.

The dimensions of frontline employee adaptability in power sector

Purpose – The power sector needs frontline employees (FLEs) who are adaptable to the dynamic and complex business environments. There is yet to be a study that defines FLE adaptability as a lived in experience. The main purpose of this study is to explore the dimensions of FLE adaptability in power sector. Design/methodology/approach – FLE adaptability being multifaceted and context based, the research is conducted as a qualitative research in an attempt to identify FLE adaptability dimensions. FLEs working in three power utilities in Western, India participated through purposeful sampling frame. Data were collected using interviews, group discussions and open-ended questionnaire and analyzed in line with grounded theory. Findings – The analysis revealed seven dimensions of FLE adaptability. The dimensions being interpersonal aspect of adaptability, service offering aspect adaptability, political aspects of adaptability, social aspects of adaptability, physical aspects of adaptability, group aspect of ad...

Social support expectations from healthcare systems: Antecedents and emotions

Abstract The paper attempts to highlight the factors that lead to the expectation of social support from healthcare systems; to study the role of negative consumer emotions in the expectation of social support from healthcare systems. ‘Emotion’ is posited as a key influencing factor behind the need for emotional, instrumental, and informational support from ‘people’ involved in providing healthcare services. Depth interviews of customers of healthcare services have been conducted to arrive at hypotheses for developing a conceptual model of customer expectations of social support from healthcare systems. Negative symptoms and negative emotions are found to be positively related to the expected social support from healthcare systems, with negative emotions also partially mediating the positive relationship between negative symptoms and expected social support from healthcare systems. Negative emotions are also found to moderate the negative relationship between perceived social support from social systems and expected social support from healthcare systems. The relevance of the study of emotion change through social support during times of illness, and its impact on consumer behavioural intentions is discussed. This research attempts to integrate previous research in customer expectations and social support within the purview of healthcare.

Does quality of healthcare service determine patient adherence? Evidence from the primary healthcare sector in India

Abstract Patient adherence is extremely important to achieve positive outcome. While quality of healthcare service has been studied as a determinant of patient satisfaction and loyalty, its impact on patient adherence has not been examined. The authors attempt to determine dimensions of quality and their impact on patient adherence in primary healthcare in India. Exploratory factor analysis resulted into seven factors. Factor scores were used for regression to identify the influence of dimensions of service quality on patient adherence. Quality of healthcare emerged as a determinant of patient adherence.

Organisational role stress and the function of selected organisational practices in reducing it: empirical evidence from the banking service front line in India

The present study examines the varying impacts of health, environmental, and organisational factors on organisational role stress. It uses survey data from 483 respondents representing the private and public banking sectors in Goa, India. Analysis shows that environmental factors, health practices, and demographics such as age, salary, and length of service are strong predictors of reduction in organisational role stress. Also, married couples experience less stress and females are subject to higher stress than males. The study adds to the evidence that environmental, health, and demographics at workplace are potential explanatory variables in finding lasting cures for workplace stress.

Understanding nature of empathy through the lens of service encounter: a phenomenological study on FLE's

Research suggests that every conceptual model of service organisations in the past 20 years has recognised that front line employees (FLEs) significantly influence the customer experience. In service front line employee and customer interaction, little is understood about the nature of empathy as a cognitive, an affective, or a multidimensional phenomenon. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the multidimensional nature of empathy. This phenomenological study focuses on how the theoretical discussion of the cognitive-affective nature of empathy finds expression in a service encounter. Conclusions in this study point to the ending that empathy has different meanings for different service frontline employees, when they are empathising with another customer. In probing the way service frontline employees experience empathy, it seems that both cognitive and affective aspects of this experience play a significant role and may appear either collectively or separately. The study provides some initial evidence on the conceptualisation of empathy and present findings add to the literature by focusing on the intrapersonal world of FLEs and examining how their empathetic behaviour relates to the customer.

Regimen Difficulty and Medication Non-Adherence and the Interaction Effects of Gender and Age

ABSTRACT Medication non-adherence is a global health issue. Numerous factors predict it. This study is aimed to identify the association between regimen difficulty and medication non-adherence among patients with chronic conditions and testing the interaction effects of gender and age on the same. It was a cross-sectional study conducted among 479 outpatients from India. Convenience sampling method was used. Multiple regression analyses were performed to find the predictors of non-adherence and to test interaction effects. Regimen difficulty predicted medication non-adherence. The patients gender and age have interaction effects on the relationship between regimen difficulty and medication non-adherence.