Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references.

M.B.A. / Throughout the world companies are restructuring there processes. Companies are trying to provide a better service to the customers with the same cost or alternatively at a lower cost. The service-profit chain is an equation that establishes the relationship between corporate policies, employee satisfaction, value creation, customer loyalty and profitability. This paper examines the direct relationship between employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. It concentrates on the elements that influence employee and customer satisfaction in line with “Heskett’s Service Profit Chain” model.

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology: Marketing, Durban University of Technology, 2008. / South Africa will host the Soccer World Cup in 2010. About 2.7 million local spectators and 400,000 visitors need to be transferred to and from the 1() host cities in 43 days . .This is a huge challenge to the intercity bus transport ihdustry, because the current transport system may not meet the demand for one of the world's largest sporting event. The purpose of this study is to identify the current barriers to good service quality in the intercity bus transport industry. It focuses on the measurement of service quality and I communication. In this research, the literature survey defined the service quality 'gap' in this industry, identified the role of effective communication. in the service delivery system, measured the variables affecting current service delivery using the SERVQUAL instrument, and prioritized the importance of the factors influencing service delivery in this industry. A questionnaire with 25 questions was designed to coUect data. This study used convenience sampling to select 400 passengers as a sample, viz. 348 South Africans and 52 foreigners at the Durban bus station, since Durban is one of the ten host cities of the 2010 FIFAWorld Cup. The data was analysed using SPSS. The results of this research pointed to the importance of external communication in the industry. Specific recommendations are made to improve the productivity, reduce vacancy rate and maximize the benefits to this industry in 2010 and beyond. / M

This thesis examines whether the influence of reference price discrepancy on consumer post-purchase satisfaction depends on the type of price discrepancy. Based on Bolton, Warlop, and Alba's (2003) transaction space framework, this thesis proposes that the influence of reference price discrepancy on satisfaction can be classified into three types: across-time price discrepancy, across-consumer price discrepancy, and across-firm price discrepancy. The thesis proposes and tests a satisfaction model that incorporates types of reference price discrepancy, based on perceived fairness, retrospective regret, and disappointment in six experiments. Experiment 1 identifies a negative relationship between perceived fairness of a situation and retrospective regret, independent of the outcomes of comparable others. The findings in experiment 1 are replicated in another context in experiment 2. The findings are generalized beyond price as an attribute into performance in experiment 3. The findings suggest that self-blame mediates the negative relationship between fairness and regret, supporting a just-world explanation. Experiment 4 demonstrates that the influences of reference price discrepancies on perceived fairness, retrospective regret, and disappointment are type-dependent. Experiment 5 provides explanations to as why the influences of reference price discrepancy on fairness, regret, and disappointment are type-dependent. The finding suggests that satisfaction models examining only one antecedent of satisfaction and models without considering retrospective regret have reduced goodness of fit indices and have inflated estimators than the proposed and other alternative models. Finally, experiment 6 demonstrates how mixed reference price information can be separated into its components. This method allows future research to incorporate multidimensional reference price information in research following a generalized utility model. The findings of this thesis have implications for satisfaction modeling, reference price typology, and differential pricing practice. This thesis sends a simple and direct message to marketing practitioners that fairness is the most important antecedent of satisfaction. / Tang, Tzu Lung Felix. / Adviser: Jian-min Jamie Jia. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 70-06, Section: A, page: 2148. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 141-154). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, MI : ProQuest dissertations and theses, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

Wong Ka Chat Andrew. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-79). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT (ENGLISH) --- p.i / ABSTRACT (CHINESE) --- p.iii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vii / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.viii / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Background --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Research Objectives --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.1 --- To incorporate affective expectation theory into satisfaction research --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.2 --- To distinguish the differential satisfaction responses elicited by affective and cognitive expectations --- p.4 / Chapter 1.2.3 --- To propose the theory that expectation bases predetermine evaluation modes --- p.5 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- Affective and Cognitive Expectations --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Definitions --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- The Assimilation Effects of Affective Expectation --- p.7 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Different Satisfaction Responses Evoked by Different Expectation Bases --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.4 --- Hypothesis 1 --- p.10 / Chapter 2.2 --- The Predetermination of Evaluation Mode --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Affective and Cognitive Evaluation Modes --- p.12 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- The Theory of Predetermination of Evaluation Modes --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Hypothesis 2 --- p.14 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.15 / Chapter 3.1 --- Pretest --- p.15 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Pretest 1: Affective quality manipulation --- p.16 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Pretest 2: Cognitive quality of the CD --- p.18 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Pretest 3: Expectation manipulations --- p.19 / Chapter 3.2 --- Main Study --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Participants and Design --- p.23 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Procedure --- p.24 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Measures --- p.26 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- RESULTS --- p.28 / Chapter 4.1 --- Demand and Manipulation Checks --- p.28 / Chapter 4.2 --- Hypotheses Testing --- p.30 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Differential Effect of Affective and Cognitive Expectations on Satisfaction --- p.30 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- The Predetermination of Evaluation Modes --- p.37 / Chapter 4.2.2.1 --- Total Number of Thoughts --- p.38 / Chapter 4.2.2.2 --- Proportion of Affective Thoughts --- p.38 / Chapter 4.2.2.3 --- Proportion of Cognitive Thoughts --- p.40 / Chapter 4.2.2.4 --- Proportional of Comparative Thoughts --- p.42 / Chapter 4.2.2.5 --- Proportion of Positive Thoughts --- p.45 / Chapter 4.2.2.6 --- Proportion of Negative Thoughts --- p.49 / Chapter 4.2.2.7 --- Proportion of Visual Thoughts --- p.54 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- DISCUSSION --- p.56 / Chapter 5.1 --- Theoretical Contribution --- p.56 / Chapter 5.2 --- Limitations and Research Opportunities --- p.61 / APPENDIX 1 MOCK UP MAGAZINE EXCERPT --- p.64 / Chapter 1A --- Cognitive Version --- p.64 / Chapter 1B --- Affective Version --- p.65 / APPENDIX 2 COMMENTS ON THE CD CLAIMED TO BE WRITTEN BY PREVIOUS PARTICIPANTS --- p.66 / Chapter 2A --- Cognitive Version --- p.66 / Chapter 2B --- Affective Version --- p.67 / APPENDIX 3 EXAMPLES OF LISTED THOUGHTS CODED AS AFFECTIVE --- p.68 / Chapter 3A --- Positive --- p.68 / Chapter 3B --- Negative --- p.68 / APPENDIX 4 EXAMPLES OF LISTED THOUGHTS CODED AS COGNITIVE. . --- p.69 / Chapter 4A --- Positive --- p.69 / Chapter 4B --- Negative --- p.69 / APPENDIX 5 EXAMPLES OF LISTED THOUGHTS CODED AS COMPARISON --- p.70 / APPENDIX 6 examples of listed thoughts coded as visual --- p.71 / References

Sit Yau Fai. / Thesis submitted in: July 2005. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 56-66). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / ABSTRACT (ENGLISH) --- p.i / ABSTRACT (CHINESE) --- p.iii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iv / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vi / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.vii / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Overview --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Background and Purpose --- p.1 / Chapter 1.3 --- Significance of this Thesis --- p.3 / Chapter 1.4 --- Outline of this Thesis --- p.4 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.6 / Chapter 2.1 --- Overview --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2 --- Service Marketing and Trust --- p.6 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Dimensions of Trust --- p.7 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Benevolence and Competence Trust --- p.7 / Chapter 2.3 --- Trust Based Service Relationship and Customer Reactions --- p.9 / Chapter 2.3.1 --- Satisfaction and Service Relationship --- p.10 / Chapter 2.3.2 --- Behavioral Intentions and Service Relationship --- p.11 / Chapter 2.4 --- "Culture, Self-Construals and Trust" --- p.12 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT --- p.15 / Chapter 3.1 --- Overview --- p.15 / Chapter 3.2 --- Effectiveness of Benevolence and Competence Trust --- p.15 / Chapter 3.3 --- Self-Construals and Service Failure --- p.19 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Satisfaction and Repatronage Intention --- p.22 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Complaint Intention --- p.24 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- RESEARCH METHODOLOGY --- p.24 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.24 / Chapter 4.2 --- Research Design --- p.24 / Chapter 4.3 --- Procedures --- p.25 / Chapter 4.4 --- Participants --- p.26 / Chapter 4.5 --- Measures --- p.27 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- RESEARCH FINDINGS --- p.29 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.29 / Chapter 5.2 --- Manipulation Checks --- p.29 / Chapter 5.3 --- Results --- p.30 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Main Effects of Service Relationship --- p.32 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Interaction Effects of Service Relationship --- p.34 / Chapter 5.3.2.1 --- Satisfaction --- p.34 / Chapter 5.3.2.2 --- Repatronage Intention --- p.37 / Chapter 5.3.2.3 --- Complaint Intention --- p.39 / Chapter CHAPTER SIX --- CONCLUSION --- p.43 / Chapter 6.1 --- Overview --- p.43 / Chapter 6.2 --- Discussion --- p.43 / Chapter 6.3 --- Limitations and Future Research --- p.48 / APPENDIX I Service Scenarios --- p.51 / APPENDIX II Demographics Profile --- p.53 / APPENDIX III Measures of Trust Used in the Study --- p.54 / APPENDIX IV Self-Construal Scale --- p.55 / REFERENCES --- p.56

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains v, 42 p. : ill. (some col.). Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 27-28).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2009. / Title from first page of PDF file. Includes bibliographical references (p. 78-80).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.