Niki Glaveli

Bank service quality: evidence from five Balkan countries

Purpose – Despite the rapid growth and internationalisation of services and financial services in particular, managers realise that to successfully leverage service quality as a global competitive tool, they first need to correctly identify the antecedents of what the international consumer perceives as service quality. This paper aims to examine the differences: in perceptions of service quality; and in the ranking of quality dimension between the bank customers of five Balkan countries: Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, FYROM and Serbia.Design/methodology/approach – Bahia and Nantel proposed a specific scale for measuring perceived service quality in retail banking consisting of six dimensions of service quality: effectiveness and assurance; access; price; tangibles; service portfolio; and reliability. This instrument was used for collecting data in the context of banking services from the five Balkan countries. T‐test and factor analysis were employed to answer the research questions.Findings – The results su...

Managing service quality in banks: customers’ gender effects

This paper discusses the service quality of Greek banks on the basis of their customers’ perceptions, and analyses how gender differences affect customers’ perceptions of service quality dimensions such as effectiveness and assurance, access, price, tangibles, service portfolio, and reliability. The results of an empirical study of 1,260 customers of Greek banks generally support the hypothesis that gender affects service quality perceptions and the relative importance attached to various banking service quality dimensions. This paper provides important information for bank managers to use in developing operational, human resource, and marketing strategies, and in targeting those strategies in terms of the gender differences in quality perceptions among their customers.

Bank service quality: empirical evidence from Greek and Bulgarian retail customers

Purpose – Despite the rapid growth and internationalisation of the services sector, particularly financial services, managers today realize that to successfully leverage service quality as a global competitive tool, they first need to correctly identify the antecedents of what the international consumer perceives as service quality. This paper aims to assess and compare the level of bank service quality provided in Greece and Bulgaria and to identify the dimensions of quality service in the two countries.Design/methodology/approach – In 2000 Bahia and Nantel proposed a specific scale, the BSQ, (Bank Service Quality) for measuring perceived service quality in retail banking consisting of six dimensions: effectiveness and assurance; access; price; tangibles; service portfolio; and reliability. This tool was used for the collection of data related to the banking services provided in the two countries (Greece and Bulgaria). Statistical methods, such as the t‐test, chi‐square, Cronbachs‐alpha and factor analy...

Exploring a possible route through which training affects organizational performance: the case of a Greek bank

Despite the dithyramb on training found throughout the literature, its impact on organizational performance still remains a ‘black box’ yet to be unlocked. Indeed, neither the intervening process nor the factors that mediate training effectiveness have been substantively explored or linked together in a framework. In this paper, gaining insights from the concept of the balanced scorecard and using the service profit chain as a strategy map, an attempt is made to formulate a casual linkage value chain that highlights one possible route through which training can impact organizational performance. Using a predictive design, data were collected from multiple sources (employees, customers, and the banks financial records) and raters from a sample of 30 branches of a Greek bank. The findings confirmed a framework illuminating a value exchange process ignited by training. More precisely, the results suggested that a formal, structured, and long-term approach to training, as well as certain pre- and post-training conditions and activities, improve training effectiveness by creating positive perceptions about the trainings value. The generated for employees value results to higher levels of job satisfaction which boosts employee loyalty, creating in this sense value for the organization. This value is reflected to customers, in terms of better service quality, and reciprocated to the organization through higher customer satisfaction and branch loyalty leading to improved profitability at the branch level.

Investigating cost efficiency in the branch network of a Greek bank: an empirical study

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to examine the cost efficiency of 58 branches of a major Greek commercial bank, in six major Greek cities, for the years 2000 and 2001. Design/methodology/approach - The efficiency is measured through the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method. Using regression analysis, the effect of size on cost efficiency is also examined. Findings - The results indicate that there is a room for substantial efficiency improvements. The average inefficiency is about 30 per cent. It has also been observed that rural branches tend, on average, to be more efficient than urban branches. Research limitations/implications - A direction of future research would be to extend the analysis of determinants of bank branch efficiency in order to investigate the role that the region and the characteristics of the branch play in relation to efficiency. Originality/value - The paper provides a comparative evaluation of the efficiency of 58 branches of a major Greek commercial bank using the DEA method.

Human resource development in a challenging financial environment: the case of a Greek bank

Changes in the external environment have reshaped the banking industry environment. Responding to that, Greek banks are adopting new strategies towards organizational development and realize that success requires adjustments to their HRD effort. The case example presented here refers to a leading Greek bank that was involved in a systematic HRD effort, based on the use of training interventions as a short-term solution to transit smoothly to the new era. The results of this effort are connected to the improvement of the banks position in the market, despite its problematic past. However, the next challenge for the bank is to realize that the formation of a long-term development strategy and its integration with wider HR management policies are a priority.

Relationships among three facets of family-supportive work environments, work–family conflict and job satisfaction: a research in Greece

The purpose of the present study is to extend the line of current enquiry related to family-supportive work environments (FSWEs), and their relationships to work–family conflict (WFC) and job satisfaction. Three facets of a FSWE are examined: family (non-) supportive culture, family-supportive management (FSM) and the model of ideal worker. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey from 612 employees. The results indicate that among the three facets of a FSWE, FSM appears to better predict both WFC and job satisfaction. Furthermore, WFC was negatively related to job satisfaction. An intriguing result is that the ideal worker model – manifested via long hours of work, visibility, availability and the dominance of organisations needs over the family ones – was found to be positively related to job satisfaction, whilst it has no impact on WFC. Finally, the implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Doing well and doing good: Exploring how strategic and market orientation impacts social enterprise performance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to deepen and expand our understanding on how strategic/market orientation (SO/MO) and a cohesive/shared social vision affect performance in the social enterprise (SE) context. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted in Greek SEs. Stepwise and simple regression analyses were applied in order to test the hypothesized relationships among the study variables. Additionally, Baron and Kenny’s (1986) recommendation for exploring mediating effects was followed. Findings The results indicate the crucial role of customer orientation dimension of SO/MO in enhancing commercial effectiveness and subsequently profitability, whilst a cohesive/shared vision was found to have positive direct associations with the social effectiveness and profitability elements of SEs performance. Moreover, the findings provide some indications for the mutually reinforcing relationship between the social and commercial aspects of SEs functioning. Originality/value The current paper contributes to the ongoing quest to understand the strategic management element of SEs and the challenge they face in managing rival logics. Also, it addresses the gap related to the type (mainly qualitative) and geographical concentration of SE research.

Work-family balance through border theory lens: the case of a company “driving in the fast lane”

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to seek to provide support and extend work-family Border Theory (BT) in order to investigate organizational and individual factors that determine the complex nature of work-family balance (WFB). Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative research was conducted in a company in Greece. In total, 20 in-depth interviews were conducted. Data analysis was guided by interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings – The key findings illustrate that strong borders protect the investigated, powerful, work domain and expand only to accommodate its’ needs. In congruence with BT, employees choose to be central participants in the powerful, highly impermeable and inflexibly bordered, work domain. The deeply entrenched organizational culture, as well as leaders’ behavior and leadership style, support the development of an array of positive work attitudes which boost central participation in the work domain. Due to the strongly bordered work setting, employees were found to choose...