Fiona Yee-Wan Lai. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 43-47). / Abstracts in English and Chinese ; questionnaire also in Chinese. / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.I / ABSTRACT --- p.II / 摘要 --- p.III / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.IV / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.VI / Chapter CHAPTER 1: --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction --- p.2 / The Disconfirmation Gap Model of Service Quality --- p.2 / Service Quality Dimensions for the Banking Industry --- p.4 / Service Loyalty and other Behavioral Intentions of Service Quality --- p.7 / Past Studies of Customers' Loyalty on Service Quality --- p.7 / Future Behavioral Intentions --- p.8 / Current consumption Behaviors --- p.10 / Linking Service Loyalty with Service Quality --- p.11 / Limitations of Past Studies --- p.12 / The Proposed Model of Service Quality and Behavioral Consequences --- p.12 / The Effects of Market Segmentation on the Relationship Between --- p.15 / Service Quality and Behavioral Consequences --- p.15 / Literature Review of the Moderator Effects on the Linkage Between Service Quality and Behaviors --- p.15 / The Power of Market Segmentation --- p.16 / Segmenting the Banking Industry --- p.17 / The Impact of Market Segmentation on Service Quality and Behavioral Consequences --- p.18 / Chapter CHAPTER 2: --- METHOD --- p.21 / Participants --- p.21 / Procedure --- p.21 / Survey Instrument --- p.23 / Chapter CHAPTER 3: --- RESULTS --- p.25 / Descriptive Analysis --- p.25 / Confirmatory Factor Analysis --- p.29 / Evaluation of the Structural Model --- p.30 / Multi-Sample Analysis --- p.32 / Chapter CHAPTER 4: --- DISCUSSION --- p.36 / The Global Picture --- p.37 / Structural Relationships of Different Market Segments --- p.38 / The Effective Way to Tailor-Make Marketing Strategy --- p.39 / REFERENCES --- p.43 / APPENDIX I: QUESTIONNAIRE --- p.48 / APPENDIX II: ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF QUESTIONNAIRE --- p.54

by Chan King-Yan, Chu Kin-Yan Jeannie, Hsu Mei-Ying. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 64). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vi / Chapter / Chapter I. --- Project Overview --- p.1 / Chapter II. --- Methodologies Applied --- p.3 / Step 1 Exploratory Research --- p.3 / Step 2 Interviews --- p.3 / Chapter III. --- The importance of CRM in China banking industry --- p.5 / Economic Globalization and China's Accession into WTO --- p.5 / The Influence of Information Technology (IT) --- p.5 / Changes in the Dynamics of Supply and Demand in the Financial Market --- p.5 / Rapid Response to Market Demands and High Level of Customization --- p.6 / Chapter IV. --- Current situation of CRM --- p.7 / The Reasons for the Failure of CRM --- p.7 / Treat Technology as the Primary Driver of Customer Strategy --- p.7 / Lack of Executive Support --- p.7 / Data Is Ignored --- p.8 / Information system (IS) organization and business users cannot work together --- p.8 / No Attention Is Paid to Skill Sets --- p.9 / CRM in China --- p.9 / CRM Industry Is in Chaos --- p.9 / Resistance of CRM Implementation --- p.10 / Willingness to Invest in CRM Training --- p.10 / Chapter V. --- Business environment of China --- p.11 / Politics --- p.12 / Economics --- p.15 / Demographic --- p.16 / Technology --- p.20 / Chapter VI. --- CRM implementation in Guangdong Development Bank in China --- p.22 / Introduction of Guangdong Development Bank --- p.22 / Strengths and Weaknesses --- p.22 / Feasibility and Benefits of Executing CRM --- p.26 / The Effect of External and Internal Factors on Strategy Formulation --- p.30 / Strategy Translation and Implementation --- p.34 / Stage 1 - Develop Prerequisite Arenas before Implementing CRM --- p.34 / Stage 2: Establish CRM system --- p.41 / Stage 3: Performance Indicators --- p.43 / Chapter VII --- RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.45 / Actions to Guarantee Long-term Success --- p.45 / APPENDIX --- p.49 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.64

by Cyril Chi-kin Chow. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1995. / Includes bibliographical (leaves 165-184). / ABSTRACT --- p.i / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.vii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.viii / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.x / CHAPTER / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / The Retail Banking Industry --- p.1 / Retail Banking in Hong Kong --- p.4 / The Present Research Focus --- p.8 / Significance of Research --- p.9 / Organization of Thesis --- p.10 / Chapter II. --- REVIEW OF LITERATURE --- p.11 / Literature on Service Marketing --- p.11 / Services as Activities --- p.12 / Services as Experiences --- p.13 / Services As Molecular Marketing Entities --- p.13 / Services As Processes --- p.14 / Services As Systems --- p.15 / Service Classification --- p.17 / Literature on Quality and Service Quality --- p.19 / Definition of Quality --- p.19 / Approach to Quality Management --- p.21 / Perceived Service Quality --- p.25 / Service Quality Gap Theory ´Ø --- p.26 / Issues in Service Quality Measurement --- p.33 / Literature on Satisfaction / Dissatisfaction --- p.39 / Expectancy Disconfirmation Theory --- p.40 / Attribution Theory --- p.42 / Equity Theory --- p.43 / Dyadic Role Expectation Theory --- p.44 / Catastrophe Theory --- p.44 / Service Quality - Satisfaction Link --- p.48 / "Transactional, Contractual, and Relational Service Exchanges ´Ø" --- p.51 / Transactional Exchange --- p.54 / Relational Exchange --- p.54 / Contractual Exchange --- p.56 / Chapter III. --- TOWARD A GENERIC MODEL OF SERVICE QUALITY --- p.60 / Service Quality Dimensions --- p.60 / Product Quality --- p.62 / Service Recovery Quality --- p.64 / Social and Structural Relationship Quality --- p.66 / Service Quality Measures --- p.67 / Service Adequacy --- p.67 / Service Superiority --- p.68 / Degree of Tolerance --- p.68 / Generic Service Quality Model --- p.70 / Dimensionality --- p.70 / Perceived Quality Importance --- p.71 / Service Satisfaction / Dissatisfaction --- p.74 / Comparison of the Generic Model and PZB Model --- p.74 / Chapter IV. --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.77 / Research Design --- p.77 / Focus Group Research --- p.79 / Pretest --- p.82 / Sampling --- p.82 / Operationalization of Measures --- p.83 / Forms of Service Exchange --- p.79 / Service Quality --- p.86 / Satisfaction --- p.87 / Dissatisfaction --- p.87 / Loyalty and Switching Intent --- p.87 / Importance of Quality Dimensions --- p.87 / Survey Response --- p.88 / Response Rate --- p.88 / Respondent Characteristics --- p.89 / Service Exchange Respondent Grouping --- p.90 / Reliability of Measures --- p.91 / Validity of Measures --- p.92 / Convergent and Discriminant Validity --- p.92 / Concurrent and Predictive Validity --- p.94 / Chapter V. --- RESULTS --- p.96 / Generic Service Quality Model --- p.96 / Dimensionality --- p.96 / Noticeable Differences in Service Quality Dimensions --- p.98 / Perceived Quality Importance --- p.100 / Service Satisfaction --- p.102 / Service Dissatisfaction --- p.104 / Model Comparison --- p.106 / Explanatory and Predictive Power --- p.107 / Adequacy of Explanation --- p.108 / Domain of Application --- p.108 / Chapter VI --- SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS --- p.110 / Objectives and Focus of the Research --- p.110 / Operationalization of Constructs --- p.112 / Reliability of Research Instruments --- p.114 / Validity of Research Instruments --- p.115 / Response Rate and Sample Representativeness --- p.116 / Summary and Interpretation of Findings --- p.116 / Significance of the Research Contribution --- p.119 / Contribution to Theory --- p.119 / Contribution to Practice --- p.122 / Contribution to Methodology --- p.124 / Evaluation of Theory from the Philosophy of Science --- p.126 / Directions For Future Research --- p.128 / Better Construct Measurement --- p.128 / Better Data Collection Methodology --- p.129 / Causal Experimental Design --- p.130 / Replication Study Required --- p.130 / Limitations --- p.131 / EXHIBITS / Exhibit 1 All Users' SERVQUAL MSS Factor Structure --- p.132 / Exhibit 2 All Users' Generic Service Quality Model MSS Factor Structure --- p.133 / Exhibit 3 Transactional Users' MSA Structure --- p.134 / Exhibit 4 Transactional Users' MSS Structure --- p.135 / Exhibit 5 Contractual Users' MSA Factor Structure --- p.136 / Exhibit 6 Contractual Users' MSS Factor Structure --- p.137 / Exhibit 7 Relational Users' MSA Factor Structure --- p.138 / Exhibit 8 Relational Users' MSS Factor Structure --- p.139 / APPENDICES / Appendix I Measures --- p.140 / Appendix II Respondent Characteristics --- p.144 / Appendix III Results of One Way Analysis of Variances --- p.145 / III-A Minimum Service Expectations --- p.145 / III-B Desirable Service Expectations --- p.146 / III-C Measures of Service Adequacy (MSA) --- p.147 / III-D Measures of Service Superiority (MSS) --- p.148 / III-E Measures of Tolerance Range --- p.149 / III-F Perceived Service Quality Dimension Weights --- p.150 / III-G Behavioural Intent and Behaviour --- p.151 / Appendix IV Research Covering Letter --- p.152 / Appendix V Questionnaire One (3-Column Format) --- p.153 / Appendix VI Questionnaire Two (2-Column Format) --- p.159 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.165 / CURRICULUM --- p.183

In recent years, the four major South African commercial banks (ABSA, Standard, First National Bank and Nedbank) have been measuring customer satisfaction and loyalty through market research, the results of which reflect their customers’ perception of service delivery by these banks. Standard Bank has shown steadily declining service levels since 2004 as perceived by its customers in the feedback to the monthly customer service surveys. Standard Bank, Personal and Business Banking in KwaZulu-Natal is the case study of this research. The Bank in KwaZulu-Natal implemented structural, technological and process changes during the period 2004 to 2006. Customers expressed dissatisfaction with the installation of centralised contact centres and retail credit centres during their visits to the bank. Customer dissatisfaction was evident in the customer comments in the monthly customer survey. This provided strong motivation to the Standard Bank’s Central Customer Service Support Unit that customers still preferred the personal touch rather than the speed and efficiency that technology and new structures and processes promised to deliver. Senior Executives at the bank were measured on sales and service performance in their areas of responsibility. The customer service component comprised a weighting of 45% of the overall performance scorecard. There was a growing concern that the bank needed to regain customer confidence and as a result, repositioned itself as a bank that focuses on meeting customer needs balanced with a need to be profitable. Enhancing customer loyalty has become a popular topic for managers, consultants and academics. The arguments in support of loyalty are simple to understand. Loyal customers are reported to have higher customer retention rates, commit a higher share of their category spending to the firm, and are more likely to recommend others to become customers of the firm (Keiningham, Cooil, Aksoy, Andreassen & Weiner 2007). The Standard Bank subsequently adopted the strategic operating model with customer centricity as the core theme in August 2006. The operating model is underscored by the strategic C@Ps (Compass Aligned Performance System) that aligns the Bank’s performance with its strategic objectives. To monitor their performance and guide improvement efforts with regard to customer loyalty, managers frequently rely on customer feedback systems. This feedback is typically obtained through customer surveys that contain measures of satisfaction, repurchase intention, and word-of-mouth intention (Keiningham et., al 2007). Customer feedback survey ratings at this bank indicate a downward trend since 2003. This study will focus on customer service ratings in KwaZulu-Natal branches during the period 2004 to 2007, total customer accounts in the bank’s books in KwaZulu-Natal, the ATM availability statistics and attempt to link these changes to the declining service ratings. Customer satisfaction is strongly influenced by customer expectations. The gap between perceived quality and expected quality, called “expectancy disconfirmation is a strong predictor of customer satisfaction (Keiningham et., al 2007). Customer responses in the monthly feedback surveys indicate dissatisfaction with service delivery in some areas of the bank. This study will further investigate the competence of the two core customer delivery channels, the Automated Teller Network and the Branch Network in delivering to customer expectations. The research will be conducted by analysis of secondary data available on the customer service ratings for the period 2004 to 2007. ATM uptime data has been made available from the bank’s ATM reports for the period 2004 to date. To assess whether the declining customer service ratings have contributed negatively to retention of customer accounts, secondary data available from the bank’s database will be analysed and the findings presented in this study. The knowledge and competence level of staff in the bank will be analysed by the results from questionnaires sent to a population of branch and support staff in the bank. This research was conducted through the use of questionnaires handed out to a cross-section of the bank’s population in 6 randomly selected branches in urban KwaZulu-Natal. When conducting research for the purpose of this study, quantitative and qualitative methods were used. From the research it was noted that the performance of the ATM delivery channel could have contributed to declining service levels. This was evident in the ATM availability information from 2004 to date. The research has provided a base for a weak positive correlation between the performance of the ATM and the Customer Evaluation of Branch (CEBS) ratings. Although the ATM performance shows levels above 96%, it is evident that customers are experiencing variations in the service provided at ATM’s in the province. Analysis of secondary data available in the bank’s database, shows that accounts opened during the period 2004 to 2007 were significantly higher that the total number of accounts closed. From the total accounts on hand at the end of each month for the period under review, it is clear that the total accounts are on the increase year on year. It is easy to conclude from the analysis of available data that declining service levels have not contributed to a loss of customer accounts, however, the scope of the research does not allow for investigation into the value of accounts closed and opened. From the analysis of responses to the questionnaires, it is noted that there is a moderate correlation between the knowledge and competence of staff and the creation of value for customers. Good customer service cannot be predicted by trained and knowledgeable staff alone. Employees need to develop a sense of ownership of delivery to customers. This should be facilitated by line managers and supervisors. The bank is fortunate in that it has numerous improvement interventions at its disposal, including a structured framework in which staff can develop and enhance customer service skills and their performance managed accordingly. This will ensure that individual employees are motivated to be a critical link in the chain that delivers quality and creates customer value. / Thesis (M.B.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2008.

Dissertation (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / Also available via the Internet. Bibliography.

Thesis (MTech(Business Administration)--Cape Technikon, Cape Town, 2001 / During the last decade, commercial banking competition has intensified for a variety of reasons. With shareholders requirements to satisfY and, at the same time to provide ''value for money" to i!s clients, banks restructured themselves to serve niche market segments, increase critical mass by growing volume business or a combination of both. With the change in political dispensation, the urgency for banks to evolve intensified for the following prime reasons: I. The increased number offoreign banks ~ntering the South African market and cherry-picking the commercial banks' best clients and employees. This was facilitated by the foreign banks low cost of entry and low overhead cost structure coupled with cheaper availability of offshore funding for South African businesses. 2. Increased emigration rates reducin6 the availability ofskilled and trained bank employees. 3. The stagnation ofthe economic emironment resulting in low organic growth of the business client base from the traditional white o\\ned segment. 4. The largely neglected black business segment which became politically. if not economically. attractive to the local banks. Against this background. commercial ban:,s strategies changed involving restructuring the internal organisation to refocus the banking industr.. efforts in achieving its profit objectives. satisfYing and keeping its clients and attracting new clients. primarily, from the local competitor banks.

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2006 / This study aims to explore the impact of self-service technologies (SSTs) on the behaviour of Chinese banking customers. The research has two purposes: (l) To determine how perceived risk impacts on the use of SSTs for customers with a high and a low technology readiness index (TRI) and (2) To understand the types of perceived risks within the banking industry and which component of risk dominates customer's propensity to use SSTs. The research focuses on the retail bank SSTs services for the reason that the banking industry has the longest development history in SSTs. The research was conducted using a questionnaire containing two service scenarios (bank information search, fund/money transfer) and was distributed to 372 bank customers, of which a valid sample of 307 respondents was analyzed. The test results indicate the effect of perceived risk does exist. High perceived risk influences high TRI customers to lower their propensity to use the SSTs in the funds transfer and money transfer service scenario, whereas customers with low TRI will tend to lower their propensity to use SSTs in the funds transfer, money transfer and other services. Psychological risk was also identified as the dominant influential risk factor among the respondents. The results support the research hypotheses and highlight the importance for companies to manage perceived risk in this technological era.

M.Com. (Business Management) / Over the years, the competitive banking market had forced banks to be innovative in their products. However, regardless of how innovative banking products were, ‘service’ remained the backbone of banking products. With increasing access to information and alternative products, banking customers had more choices as to where to do business, based on the level of service they receive. They expected an exceptional delivery of customer service and were less tolerant of bad service. Customers usually compared the service they 'experienced' to the service they 'expected' when walking into a bank. When the two did not match, a gap arose. This study was undertaken to determine whether customers of a ‘home loan’ division of a South African bank perceived the bank’s service quality to be different to what they expected. It also sought to establish if there was a difference in how customers, in different demographics, evaluate the bank’s service quality. An online survey was used to gather information from banking customers on their judgment of the bank’s service quality, after which statistical tests were done to analyze the data. The study revealed that a gap indeed exists between the service quality customers expected and the service quality they actually received from the bank. Customers reported a dissatisfaction of the bank’s service quality with regards to their provision of reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy in their service delivery. With regards to the evaluation of the bank’s service quality of customers in different demographics, it was discovered that the 40-59 customer age group received the most empathy in service encounters with the bank, customers using property insurance and repayment related services perceived the bank’s service quality across all dimensions to be positive. Lastly, a positive correlation between the number of years customers have been with the bank and their perceptions of the bank’s provision of empathy was established.

Despite the extensive research undertaken in the subject area of services marketing, much is still unknown to service providers of specific services in terms of firm-client relationships and how customer retention rates can be increased. This study attempts to address this limitation. The study revolves around the relationship marketing and customer retention of banks in South Africa, Canada and the United Kingdom (UK). Service firms, including banks, are vitally important to the economy of any country as they contribute to its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) (for example a 74 percent contribution in South Africa) and its employment rate. However, to survive in a complex, competitive business environment, service firms are required to focus on their clients’ needs. Banks can focus on their relationships with clients and measure their institutions’ success by considering their customer retention rates. When considering firm-client relationships and customer retention rates, it is important to gather and link the viewpoints of both clients and managers in order to ensure that firms perform according to clients’ needs. In order to establish the influence of selected variables on the relationship marketing and customer retention of banks, from the perspectives of both banking clients and managers, an empirical investigation was conducted. The primary aim of this study was to quantify significant relationships among selected variables; therefore the positivistic research paradigm was used. In addition, in designing the measuring instruments for the empirical investigation, the phenomenological paradigm was used. Thus, in order to use multiple sources of data, the strategy of methodological triangulation was adopted for this study. The samples consisted of banking clients and bank managers in South Africa, Canada and the UK. The empirical investigation conducted among banking clients revealed that significant positive relationships exist between six of the seven identified independent variables, namely communication, personalisation, empowerment, ethics, fees and technology, and banks’ relationship marketing. These relationships imply that, according to banking clients, if each of these aspects in banks improves, bank-client relationships would improve. The empirical investigation conducted among bank managers showed that managers only regard communication and fees as influencers of relationship marketing in banks. This result clearly indicated a difference in the viewpoints of banking clients and bank managers. In addition, the empirical investigation revealed that relationship marketing positively influences the customer retention of banks. This relationship implies that if a bank successfully maintains relationships with its clients, the bank’s customer retention rates will increase. Additionally, the empirical investigation revealed that the population group, education level and country of residence of banking client respondents exerted an influence on the perceptions clients have regarding banks’ relationship marketing and customer retention levels. If banking clients are African or are not educated with a qualification beyond secondary school level or are from Canada, they consider the relationship marketing of a bank to be more important and are more likely to be retained by banks. Generally, the study indicated that Canadian banking clients are more positive regarding the empowerment strategies and personalisation efforts of Canadian banks than South Africans are about those of South African banks. In addition, banking clients in the UK are more satisfied with the communication, fees and use of technology of UK banks than South Africans are about these aspects in South African banks. The study indicated that strategies to improve banks’ communication, personalisation, empowerment, ethics, fees and technology should be implemented by banks in ways to positively influence their relationship marketing and ultimately their customer retention. Strategies relating to each of these areas, successfully implemented by banks in Canada and the UK, are recommended to South African banks. In effect, these strategies will contribute to retail banks’ success, the competiveness in the banking industry, banking client benefits as well as the economic stability and prosperity of South Africa.

Success in today’s highly competitive financial sector requires an organization to have a sustainable competitive advantage that would distinguish it from the rest. Products offered by financial organizations are naturally the same and the quality of service plays a critical role in terms of creating the much needed competitive advantage. This calls for the implementation of quality initiatives like Continuous improvement (CI). This paper investigates the extent to which CI efforts at the Horizon business unit of Absa corporate and business banking have successfully addressed the key concepts of CI set out by Trollip (2008). A literature survey was undertaken into the elements and benefits of CI. Questionnaires were sent to all employees of the business unit for their views on CI and the impact, they believe it has on the unit’s endeavors to deliver faster, defect free, innovative products/services, whilst achieving tougher goals. In conclusion the research paper led to recommendations to improve the CI efforts at the Horizon business unit. The research also confirmed the importance of the commitment of all employees is essential for the success of CI efforts in improving the quality of service offered by an organization.