Teresa Brannick

The moderating effects of information technology sophistication on services practice and performance

Purpose – To investigate the relationship between service practices, service performance, business performance and information technology (IT) sophistication.Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual framework is developed, incorporating dimensions of services practice and service performance and structural equation modeling is used to test the model with data from 231 companies.Findings – This paper extends the basic service practice‐service performance relationship by incorporating the interaction effects of IT sophistication in a contingency framework. Previous studies found mixed support for the direct effects of IT sophistication on service performance.Research limitations/implications – Using single informants leads to common methods bias.Practical implications – Companies need to identify how IT contributes to service effectiveness from a customer perspective.Originality/value – This study adds to the emerging literature of the relationship between services management and information technology.

Suicide and Changing Values and Beliefs in Ireland

This paper addresses some of the generalized theories explaining rising suicide rates in Ireland. The conclusion here is that linking suicide patterns to changing beliefs and values is problematic. Church attendance as well as adherence to traditional values remain high in this country compared to European levels, and variations in beliefs and values, especially rural/urban differences, do not fit with general explanations. Moreover, attitudes to value areas fluctuate in that justification for suicide--which showed an upward trend in the 1980s--was reversed in the 1990s, and this may have resulted from increased public focus and debate. Generalized explanations are unlikely to decipher complex phenomena such as suicidal behavior. Religious belief, if protective in relation to suicide, is unlikely to act alone. Social transformations have a differential impact depending on ones socio-economic positioning, which translates ideas of a general male vulnerability to suicide into focused areas of male distress.

Linking organisational training and development practices with new forms of career structure: a cross‐national exploration

This paper reports the results of an empirical study which explores the extent to which career structures have changed. The study examines the influence of technological change, fast‐changing environments, manufacturing and increasing globalisation of products and service markets on careers. The study focuses on these issues in a cross‐cultural context. The study found that in general, more sophisticated human resources activities were associated with career pathing in organizations.

Listening practices and performance in service organisations

Considers the concept of the “listening” organisation and its influence on service and business performance. Specifically reports on empirical research which investigated the link between service quality information practices, the listening organisation and service and business performance. In this respect, builds on an earlier model of service management developed by the London Business School and Warwick Business School in the UK. This extended model employs two composite performance indexes as moderator variables. Surveyed 438 service organisations in the Republic of Ireland; the loglinear model used to analyse the data shows a clear pattern. By taking listening practices, including information technology, as a holistic view of a constellation of information‐related practice type factors, demonstrates that there is a close relationship with service performance, which in turn influences business performance. Furthermore, technology type and competitive intensity, moderate this relationship. Establishes that the relationship between listening practices and service performance is much more important for the sophisticated task technology sector and that competitive intensity has a very minor interactive effect on the relationship. The results of the survey mirror recent empirical research in market orientation and organisational learning.

Service management practice‐performance model: a focus on training and listening practices

Examines the complex relationship between listening and training practices and service performance by deconstructing an earlier model of service management developed by the London Business School and Warwick Business School in the UK. This research hypothesizes that the nature of the practice‐performance relationship is far too complex to be represented by a total aggregated index of practice. Hence the composite practice index is decomposed into a listening and a training index. The concept of the “listening” organisation is employed as one facet, and training climate measured by employee training activities is a second facet. These two facets are related to service performance. Reports on empirical research, which investigated the link between listening, and training practices and service performance. The data obtained from a survey of 143 service organisations in the Republic of Ireland show a clear pattern. By taking listening practices, including information technology, as a holistic view of a constellation of information‐related practice type factors, demonstrates that there is a close relationship with service performance. Extensive training activities enhance this relationship.

Spectators as Consumers - The Motivating Forces

This paper attempts to understand sport spectators as buyers of a product in traditional marketing terms. Research on spectators and their behaviour patterns has been neglected by marketers, but has been extensively researched by sociologists and psychologists. The findings in this paper are based on a survey of 493 spectators. Information was collected on their attendance record at games and their loyalty to the product.