The impact of quality control initiatives, customer integration and customer co-production on service quality performance : an empirical investigation

Alzaydi, Zyad M.

Abstract

Delivering a high standard of services to customers is recognised as an important objective for any service provider. In order to achieve this goal employees are encouraged to go about their jobs in certain ways, comply with guidelines and in accordance with the strategy drawn by the organisation. Although service quality is difficult to define and measure, research has not stopped looking for processes, tools and business practices so as to improve service quality performance. Literature suggests both practical tools to achieve organisational goals with respect to service delivery and offers theoretical foundations to examine the interrelationships between variables that contribute to those organisational goals.

Despite an emerging interest in customer integration and customer co-production in service provision in the Marketing literature, little attention has been paid to the investigation of relationships between customer integration, customer co-production and service quality performance. Based on the facilities-transformation-usage framework of service delivery and control theory, we develop a conceptual framework that examines the impact of combining quality control initiatives (QCIs) on service quality performance. We explicitly consider formal and informal control mechanisms as well as selected elements of the organisation internal environment as antecedents of QCIs. Customer co-production is proposed as a consequence of QCIs, and it is proposed that when customer integration is high the relationship between customer co-production and service quality performance will be strengthened.

The conceptual framework is tested using data drawn from hotel managers and employees across the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; a total of 398 usable questionnaires were analysed. The relationships between variables are tested by applying variance based structural equation modelling. Moderator effects were tested using residual centring.

The findings of this study reveal unique results. Environment characteristics positively influence controls in shaping employees’ behaviour. However, contrary to expectations, environment characteristics, specifically, greater procedural knowledge, greater performance documentation and organisational commitment did not strengthen the relationship between customer co-production and service quality performance. Similarly, the notion that higher levels of customer integration enhance the relationship between customer co-production and service quality performance is not supported. Finally, when customer co-production, which takes place when the customer takes a part in the core service provided is high, an improvement in service quality can be observed.

The results of this study would benefit service managers to gain a better understanding of how QCIs influence the relationship between customer integration and customer coproduction and service quality performance.

Citation

Alzaydi, Z. M. (2014). The impact of quality control initiatives, customer integration and customer co-production on service quality performance : an empirical investigation. (Thesis). University of Hull. Retrieved from https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4219938

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Feb 14, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 23, 2023
• Keywords: Business
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4219938
• Additional Information: Business School, The University of Hull
• Award Date: Oct 1, 2014