PurposeWith the growing interest in service orientation research, the concept has been demonstrated to be a defining factor in the creation of superior customer service and value. The purpose of the paper is to evaluate service orientation as a socially constructed variable, empirically examine its relationship with measures of organization performance, and offer implications for management.Design/methodology/approachThis study was conducted to conceptualize and measure service orientation as an element of organizational culture, understand the linkage between service orientation as a strategic choice and organizational performance, and measure service orientation utilizing a multi‐informant approach.FindingsThe data indicated that organizational service orientation in banking is positively correlated with employee commitment, longevity, and esprit de corps, consumer products performance, service quality image, and banking profitability.Research limitations/implicationsThe study had five principal limitations: the relationships were tested in one industry, the study was cross‐sectional, the researchers were dependent on self‐reported data, the incidence of low job performance may have affected other relationships in the study, and the number of strategic units was relatively small.Practical implicationsOrganizational commitment and esprit de corps are important facets of an organization's culture that lead to longevity, higher service quality and profits.Originality/valueThis study is a step forward in investigating the organizational service orientation/organizational performance relationship in the arena of banking.
Purpose -The paper's purpose is to provide background and practical exercises for management to gain a perspective on the nature of true employee empowerment. Design/methodology/approach -After a brief overview of the nature of empowerment, a series to training exercises offers insight into how employee empowerment in the tourism industry can create deeper investment in the corporate mission and greater customer service. The exercises also examine approaches for management to avoid. Findings -Employee empowerment results from recognizing the employee's ability to be organization's eyes and ears. Originality/value -This discussion and set of exercises provides management with the opportunity to test their instincts against realistic situations of employee empowerment in the context of service failure.
Case description Dean Adams was given notice to develop an online program with the School of Business Administration as a prototype of online education for the rest of the University. A major task which faced the Dean involved working with University information technology (IT) staff and faculty to choose a learning management system (LMS) to support the online program. After talking with the Chief Information Officer at Seacoast University and appointing a committee made up of IT staff and faculty, the Dean was presented with the committee's recommendation that focussed on two major decisions: first, choosing the LMS product for the University, and second, choosing to locate the LMS product and server either on-campus or off-campus. In the course of considering whether or not to accept the committee's recommendations, Dean Adams weighed the evaluations and justifications as outlined by the committee in the context of Seacoast University's IT situation.
Organizations that profitably cater to the needs of customers better than the competition are more likely able to sustain competitive advantage over time. Catering to customer needs is paramount to delivering desirable levels of customer satisfaction in the tourism industry. The formula for executing this task is particularly fragile in tourism because of the heterogeneous and simultaneous nature of service production and consumption. Tourism experiences are rarely, if ever, delivered without in-depth employee-customer interactions. Thus, tourism experiences are people-intensive on both sides of the service fence. Additionally, tourists tend to have higher expectations for hospitality and overall levels of service quality because their context is typically more emotionally charged. An empowered workforce is a secret to success in this unique realm: employees who are inspired and enabled to make meaningful and appropriate decisions close to customers in order to take care of important customer needs.
Synopsis Paula Hendricks, Director of Marketing for Rapid Reel Lawn Master Company (RRLMC), tasked with developing a plan to exploit the current trend in lawn mower purchasing patterns must craft a strategic proposal for the executive planning committee. RRLMC, a manufacturer of reel mowers, experienced an increase in sales due to a confluence of factors: high gasoline prices, increased concern with the environment, the trend toward smaller yards and a focus on health and exercise. Paula needed to develop a plan for the company to sustain the bonanza and determine whether this trend offered new opportunities for marketing. Research methodology The data for the case were collected through examination of a major reel lawn mower manufacturer in the USA, through experience teaching and using the market segmentation process, as well as personal interviews and secondary research on the history of firms within the industry. The results of a literature review have been incorporated to flesh out the discussion. Relevant courses and levels This case is targeted primarily at undergraduate students in upper-level marketing classes, e.g., Relationship Marketing, Marketing Management and Strategic Marketing. Additionally, it can be used in management classes (e.g. Strategic Management) where industry segmentation is discussed. It would also benefit introductory MBA marketing courses as this case directs students’ attention to the role of products’ perceived benefits and how markets may be segmented in order to assess and select prime segments of the market for targeting.
Synopsis Rick Jamison, as Project Manager for the highly profitable Mega-Yacht division of Thorsby-Wando Marine Refit, Inc., has been assigned the task of revamping the supplier evaluation and selection tool used by the company in view of the evolution of the business from a small boat storage and repair facility into a full-service large boat and mega-yacht repair and refit facility. Rick gleans ideas from a colleague at another facility in preparation for re-crafting the current supplier evaluation tool. Rick becomes acquainted with how the Delphi method could be used to achieve consensus among members of the buying center to arrive at key factors and their proportionate weights for use in the supplier evaluation tool. Research methodology The case is based upon interviews with the company that is represented by Thorsby-Wando Marine Refit, Inc. Relevant courses and levels This case is targeted primarily at undergraduate students in purchasing, materials management and supply chain management courses. The case works best when it is employed in connection with a discussion of the major methods for evaluating vendors.
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