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PurposeThis paper seeks to provide new solutions to cargo companies’ service quality efforts by integrating different scientific methodologies.Design/methodology/approachStrengths and weaknesses of logistics services of a well known cargo company in Turkey are defined by using a service quality scale (SERVQUAL), service quality attributes are categorized using the Kano model in order to see how well these attributes are able to satisfy customer needs, and findings are transferred to quality function deployment (QFD).FindingsThe findings of the Kano model show that ten of the 27 service quality attributes can be categorized as “attractive”, implying the maximum effect on consumer satisfaction. Through the customer priority level of QFD, the three most important service quality attributes are found to be: VIP Service, informing customers about delivery time before sending, and taking deliveries from customers’ addresses. Also, strengthening information technology infrastructure is the most important technical requirement to focus with the highest technical importance level.Research limitations/implicationsThe study involves only one cargo company, it concerns just Trabzon city center branch offices and its sample includes only individual customers instead of individual and institutional customers together.Practical implicationsOffering a case study, the paper presents a guide for cargo companies to employ different scientific methodologies in their service quality development efforts.Originality/valueIntending to offer scientific approaches to cargo companies as a tool of development in their practical procedures, the paper tries to bridge the current gap between academicians and practitioners and adds to the relatively limited theoretical literature.

Purpose -The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between seven antecedent factors (R&D strategy, top management support (TMS), customer focus (CF), organizational learning capability (OLC), creative capability (CC), organizational collaboration (OC), and supplier relationship (SR)), two innovation types (product and process), and firm performance (FP). Design/methodology/approach -The paper formulates 16 hypotheses from the literature review. These hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling with data collected from 270 managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) located in Turkish science and technology parks (STPs). Findings -The findings indicate that both of product and process innovation have a strong and positive association with FP. While antecedents such as R&D strategy, TMS, CF, CC, and SR have significant impact on product innovation, other antecedents such as OLC and OC have a significant and positive impact on process innovation. Practical implications -The results of this study could be used by any managers of SMEs located in STPs to improve successful innovation projects. The results also provide companies operating in Turkish STPs with useful information on how their policies and actions might affect firm innovation. Originality/value -The paper provides a clarification of the reasons that may be behind a positive, a negative, or a non-significant effect of the many antecedents on the product and process in SMEs located in Turkish STPs.

PurposeThe objective of this study is to investigate the role of blockchain in reducing the impact of barriers to humanitarian supply chain management (HSCM) using a list of blockchain benefits.Design/methodology/approachA decision aid was used to explore the suitability of blockchain in humanitarian supply chains. To achieve that, first, a list of barriers to HSCM was identified. Then, the intuitionistic fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (IF–DEMATEL) method was utilized to determine the relationships and the level of interdependencies among the criteria. Finally, the intuitionistic fuzzyanalytic network process (IF–ANP) technique was employed, as it successfully handles dependencies among the criteria.FindingsThe findings of this study suggest that interorganizational barriers are the most suitable ones, the impacts of which blockchain may alleviate. This study further suggests that trust turned out to be the most significant benefit criterion for the analysis.Research limitations/implicationsThe readers should construe the findings of this study with caution since it was carried out using the data collected from the experts of a particular country. Moreover, the proposed decision aid contemplates a limited set of criteria to assess a possible role of blockchain in overcoming the barriers to HSCM.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study can assist humanitarian supply chain managers to make more judicious assessments on whether they implement the blockchain in humanitarian supply chain operations. Specifically, this research may help decision makers to identify the certain barriers, the impact of which may be reduced by using the blockchain. The findings of this research will also help various decision makers make more rational decisions and allocate their resources more effectively.Originality/valueTo the best of authors’ knowledge, no single study exists to investigate the role of blockchain in reducing the impact of barriers to HSCM using an intuitionistic fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making approach.

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