Product quality vs service quality in the mobile industry: Is there a dominant driver of customer intention to switch providers?

Abstract

As service-dominant logic is being proposed and tested in several industries, this study extends the investigation of this theory and provides insights for both researchers and practitioners under the context of the mobile industry. This study advances the understanding of customer switching intention by assessing the relative strength of product quality and service quality in terms of mobile provider switching behavior. This study develops the proposed research model that integrates previous validated constructs contextualized to the mobile industry and employs partial least square -structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the corresponding survey data and test the model fit. The results strongly support the hypotheses related to quality and its antecedents. The analysis results also suggest that overall mobile provider service quality and customer intention to switch mobile products significantly influence customer intention to switch providers. However, the overall product quality does not significantly influence customer intention to switch mobile products. This research contributes to the debate of goods-dominant and service-dominant logic by empirically supporting the dominance of service quality within the context of one industry, the mobile industry. In addition, this paper discusses the implications of the findings and presents future research directions.

Cleaner production practices at company level enhance the desire of employees to have a significant positive impact on society through work

“… Brady et al., 2002 ; Farooq et al., 2018a ; Hong et al., 2020 ; Hung et al., 2003 ; Rod and Ashill, 2010 ; Tiernan et al., 2008 ; Wang, 2019 ) are portraying it as a mere tool for maximizing organizational profitability/performance ( Salam and Farooq, 2020 ). Acknowledging the enhanced organizational performance and profitability as an off-target benefit of the implementation of SQ at company level, this study submits that according to Bertrand (1989) and Neave (1987) this idea of promoting SQ as a mere tool for maximizing short term organizational gains is in itself a contradiction of Deming’s (1986) , Crosby’s (1979) and Juran’s (1964) fundamental philosophy of quality ( Cavaness and Manoochehri, 1993 ; Crosby, 1996 ; Deming, 1994 ; Goodman et al., 1994 ; Juran, 1988 ; Mann, 1989 ; Peng et al., 2014 ). Hence, aforementioned studies (e.g.…”

“…service sector and manufacturing sector) has led to an unending ordeal of poor SQ in the manufacturing sector ( Berardino and Onesti, 2020 ; Dias et al., 2020 ; Rosenzweig et al., 2019 ). Although, in a theoretical point of view only service sector/service industry seems to be more concerned with the delivery of SQ ( Lanza et al., 2021 ; Mandhani et al., 2020 ; Peng et al., 2014 ; Qin et al., 2010 ). However, this study argues that inseparable and inextricable nature of service (see Parasuraman et al., 1985 , p. 42) from it’s origin/providers warrants a premeditated integration of SQ in the manufacturing sector ( Dias et al., 2020 ; Ertekin et al., 2020 ; Farooq et al., 2018a ; Wang et al., 2003 ).…”

“…Further, Neave (1987) has noted that SQ is often relinquished for the sake of maximizing organizational profitability and short term organizational gains. In this context, this study argues that the primary objective of SQ was to gracefully serve, befit and attend customers with utmost care ( Berry et al., 1985 ; Grove et al., 1992 ; Lehtinen and Lehtinen, 1982 ; Peng et al., 2014 ; Zeithaml, 1981 ). Hence, SQ was purely a customer focused and individual (i.e.…”

“…Therefore, this study suggests that in order to escalate the underlying philosophy of SQ implementation as per the guidelines of Deming (1986) , Crosby (1979) and Juran (1964) it should be taken as a construct of individual well-being ( Bertrand, 1989 ; Cavaness and Manoochehri, 1993 ; Deming, 1994 ; Juran, 1988 ). Furthermore, this study submits that rather than taking it as a meagre tool for attaining short-range profitability and nippy organizational gains, SQ implementation should be envisioned as a strategic choice in line with long-term organizational goals ( Juran, 1988 ; Neave, 1987 ; Peng et al., 2014 ; Peterson and Barker, 1992 ).…”

“…intangible in nature) was grossly undermined in the garments manufacturing industry ( Hutchins, 1984 ; Peng et al., 2014 ; Peterson and Barker, 1992 ; Salam and Farooq, 2020 ). Moreover, it is an established fact that mill owners/manufacturers also focus too much on the tangible aspects of their product’s quality, that in certain cases they leave all their gains on the table by not focusing enough on their SQ in the garments manufacturing industry ( Cavaness and Manoochehri, 1993 ; Chang and Chen, 2008 ; Patten et al., 2020 ; Peng et al., 2014 ; Perry and Towers, 2009 ; Towers and Xu, 2016 ). Therefore, this study submits that vending a good product without good SQ is not a long-term conceivable strategy ( Brueckner and Flores-Fillol, 2020 ; Farooq et al., 2018a ; Nunkoo et al., 2019 ; Peng et al., 2014 ; Salam and Farooq, 2020 ).…”