Thesis M.Com. (Human Resources Management))--University of the Witwatersrand, School of Economic and Business Sciences, 2014. / The purpose of this research is to investigate the role of implicit leadership theories (ILTs) in leader-member exchanges (LMX) and the association of these leadership variables on employee outcomes, customer service orientation and turnover intentions. The specific context for this study is call centres. The growth in the call centre industry has warranted an investigation into variables that lead to their success. With an increased focus on retaining satisfied customers, the need to understand the factors that lead to this is emphasised. The importance of leadership and its impact on the success of organisations is often accentuated in the literature This research aimed to gain a better understanding of the variables which affect the success of call centres from a leadership perspective. The effect of leadership and specifically leader- member exchange - on employee and organisational outcomes is studied. These outcomes include job satisfaction, commitment, psychological empowerment, turnover intentions and customer orientation. The effect of implicit leadership theories (ILTs) on LMX was also assessed. This research was conducted in the South African call centre context. The target population was defined as call centre agents in the Gauteng region. 192 call centre agents from various call centres formed part of the sample. Data was gathered using self-report questionnaires. The questionnaire was administered in two parts and once all the data was collected, the relationships were tested using structural equation modelling in the SAS 9.3 statistical program. Various other tests were conducted, including tests for reliability and validity. Cronbach alphas were calculated in order to confirm the reliability of the variables. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted in order to confirm validity. Furthermore, correlation analysis iv and path analysis was conducted to ascertain the significance of the relationships identified. LMX and psychological empowerment were found to be central in this research, having the greatest impact on the outcome variables studied; turnover intentions and customer orientation. Important recommendations for further research include the assessment of a more balance mix of in-bound and out-bound call centres since differences may exist and this research was predominantly comprised of in-bound call centres. With one of the most significant paths identified being psychological empowerment to employee customer orientation, the findings suggest that call centre managers may need to consider the long term effects of psychological empowerment on employee customer orientation and turnover intentions. The cost involved with employees leaving the organisation or losing dissatisfied customers may warrant an initiative to empower call centre agents. The use of self-managed teams may be one way to achieve this. Leaders were also found to play a central role in the outcomes studied in this research. In this regard, leaders should also go on extensive training programmes on how to deal with individual employees and on establishing good relationships with them. Managers could get peer reviews of leaders to understand where and if any problems exist. The use of team building exercises may also assist in developing good, high quality LMX relationships.

O objetivo desta dissertação é contribuir para o entendimento do conceito de customer service e como ele pode ser uma ferramenta útil para o desenvolvimento de estratégias logísticas. Para tanto, estabeleceu-se um aprofundamento teórico do conceito, baseado na literatura sobre customer service e logística. Também estão presentes conceitos como o de valor, o de preço e qualidade, os tipos de relacionamento e os canais de distribuição. Por fim, aborda-se o setor varejista e o seu comportamento de compra. Foi conduzida uma pesquisa exploratória, mediante um estudo em uma empresa do setor de laticínios refrigerados. Nesta empresa, foi analisada apenas a logística de seus produtos refrigerados. Os resultados da pesquisa indicaram que a empresa não domina o conceito de customer service. Foi constatada, ainda, uma grande desvantagem competitiva da empresa com relação à empresa líder do mercado. Verificou-se, ainda, que a empresa deve reformular totalmente suas estratégias logísticas se ela pretende ser uma empresa competitiva e que satisfaça seus clientes e acionistas. Concluiu-se que customer service pode ser uma importante ferramenta no processo de estabelecimento de uma estratégia logística competitiva que agrega valor aos produtos da empresa. / The aim of this dissertation is to contribute for the understanding of the concept of customer service and how it can be a useful tool for the development of logistic strategies. Indeed, the theory used was based on customer service and logistics literature. Concepts of value, price, quality, type of relationship among companies and channels of distribution are also present. Moreover, the retail sector and its purchase behavior are studied. An exploratory research was conducted as a case study in a company of dairy products industry. In this company, only the logistics of its refrigerated products was analyzed. The outcome of this research pointed out that the company doesn’t have enough knowledge about the concept of customer service. It was verified that the company has a great disadvantage if compared with the leading company of the industry. Therefore, the company should enhance its logistics strategies if it intends to be a competitive company that brings satisfaction to its customers and stockholders. So, customer service could be an important tool in the process of establishing a competitive logistics strategy that adds value to its products.

Este trabalho apresenta uma proposta de método para a melhoria de fluxos de informação em ambientes administrativos usando princípios da mentalidade enxuta e da reengenharia de processos. O método foi criado através de características encontradas em duas metodologias existentes da mentalidade enxuta e de soluções desenhadas pela reengenharia de processos com este propósito. Estas características foram identificadas, selecionadas e adaptadas para uso no método seguindo um modelo de gestão de mudança. Em seguida, o método foi aplicado em um fluxo de informação em uma empresa do interior de São Paulo, seus resultados foram medidos apresentando boas melhorias em relação à maior velocidade de processamento de informações, redução da quantidade de pessoas necessárias e maior porcentagem de tempo de agregação de valor. Por último, foram apresentadas observações sobre as limitações do método e da generalização dos resultados da aplicação apresentada. / This work presents a proposal of method for the improvement of information flows using the principles of lean thinking and solutions from business process reengineering (BPR). The method was created using characteristics encountered on two existing lean office methodologies, and with the solutions presented by business reengineering. Those characteristics were identified, sorted and adapted to be used in the method based on a change management model. The proposed method was implemented in an information flow of a company in the brazilian state of São Paulo, and its results were measured, presenting significant reduction of the information flow lead time, reduction of people needed to process the information and a larger percentage of added-value time. Finally, limitations of the method and the application results were presented.

O processo de globalização e a revolução digital têm trazido novos desafios de competitividade às empresas. Um desses desafios é a mudança do foco da gestão organizacional para toda a cadeia na qual cada empresa se insere. A gestão da cadeia de suprimentos (supply chain management) requer, entre outros aspectos, a integração dos \"processos-chave\" de negócios ao longo dessa cadeia. Este trabalho teve como objetivo identificar a relação entre a integração de processos ao longo da cadeia de suprimentos e seu desempenho no serviço prestado ao cliente (customer service). Para tanto, a abordagem utilizada para a pesquisa de campo foi do tipo exploratória, tendo como objeto de estudo a cadeia calçadista da cidade de Franca, a qual constitui-se em um exemplo consolidado e de resultados concretos já obtidos de uma cadeia setorial, além de inserida no mercado internacional pela sua forte tradição exportadora. As evidências obtidas permitiram concluir que o desempenho da cadeia calçadista de Franca no serviço ao cliente está relacionado diretamente a integração dos processos de atendimento de pedidos, gestão da demanda e desenvolvimento de produtos ao longo da cadeia, envolvendo não apenas a integração com clientes, mas também com os fornecedores críticos a montante da empresa focal da cadeia, no caso os fabricantes de calçados estabelecidos na cidade. Pode-se constatar ainda que esse desempenho está relacionado também a existência de competências internas nas organizações estudadas, nos processos identificados. / The globalization process and digital revolution have been brought new challenges for organizations competitiveness. One of these challenges is the change from organizational management to supply chain management. The supply chain management requires, among other aspects, the key-business processes integration along the chain. This work has the aim to identify the relationship between processes integration along the supply chain and its customer service performance. In order to achieve this aim, a exploratory research was conducted, having as focus the footwear chain located in the city of Franca, that constitute itself a consolidate example of supply chain with good results and strong presence in international footwear markets. The evidences obtained allowed us to conclude that the performance of Franca footwear chain in the customer service is straight related to integration of order fulfillment, demand management and product development processes, encompassing not only the integration of shoes manufacturers with customers, but also with critical suppliers upstream the chain. It still can be concluded that this performance is related also to the existence of internal competences in the organizations studied, referring to the processes identified.

Inom modebranschen växer konkurrensen sig allt större och fler modeföretag satsar på fast fashion som konkurrensstrategi. Konsumenterna har idag ett starkare modeintresse än någonsin vilket gör att företagen genom korta ledtider kan ta fram moderiktiga produkter till ett lågt pris för att tillfredsställa konsumenternas efterfråga. Den ökade konkurrensen gör att det blir viktigare för modeföretagen att samspela med sina olika attribut för att skapa en stark position på marknaden. Företagets tjänster har blivit ett av de omdiskuterade attributen. Där modebutiker bör satsa på att förbättra sin servicekvalitet genom att ge en högre nivå i sitt kundbemötande för att öka kundlojaliteten och konkurrenskraften. Enligt en mystery shopper undersökning av Nylund (2012) visade det sig att många butiker inte uppfyllde en godkänd och acceptabel servicenivå. En av de butiker som uppmärksammades ha en låg nivå i sitt kundbemötande var Gina Tricot.Med bakgrund till mystery shopper undersökningen har vi fått i uppdrag av Gina Tricots huvudkontor i Borås att studera vad kunderna vill ha i ett kundbemötande för fast fashion butiken Gina Tricot. För att undersöka vad kunderna efterfrågar har en kvantitativ studie genomförts i form av en enkätundersökning. Mätinstrumentet SERVQUAL används för att mäta ett företags servicekvalitet och har varit ett hjälpmedel i vår studie. Undersökningen utfördes utanför fyra utvalda Gina Tricot butiker i Borås och Göteborg där ett urval på 200 personer tillfrågades att delta i undersökningen. Datorprogrammet SPSS har använts för att presentera vårt resultat. Undersökningen visar utifrån analysen att det är viktigt för kunden att bli uppmärksammad och att personalen ska visa ett högt engagemang när kunden får hjälp av personalen. Resultatet visar även att personalens produktkunskap är av betydelse för kunden. Utifrån resultatet ser vi att kunderna tycker det är viktigt med service i en fast fashion butik. Undersökningen har hjälpt oss att ta fram viktiga grundparametrar i kundbemötandet för fast fashion butiken Gina Tricot.

Submitted by Sandra Pereira (srpereira@ufrrj.br) on 2016-09-20T16:57:48Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2011 - Raphael Rossi Rodrigues.pdf: 1927039 bytes, checksum: d62f71cc9d072958cd804d56ebe97f8a (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-20T16:57:48Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2011 - Raphael Rossi Rodrigues.pdf: 1927039 bytes, checksum: d62f71cc9d072958cd804d56ebe97f8a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-02-17 / This survey was conducted in a multinational company that operates in the sector of nondurable consumer goods in the international context through the licensing of its brands. Companies that have the right to produce and distribute licensed products are named bottlers. The aim of this study was to measure 13 bottlers in the level of development of logistics Customer Service activities for Key Accounts clients, for it was developed a diagnostic tool based on the available literature on the subject. This diagnostic tool was used in three rounds of assessment in order to check the evolution of the bottlers maturity level of logistics Customer Service activities. They also identified and discussed a series of logistic activities of Customer Service based on a visit in a multinational food industry considered benchmarking in these activities. The diagnostic results show that there was an evolution of the maturity level of logistics Customer Service activities over time, however this trend was not uniform, resulting in a higher variance when comparing the levels of development of all bottlers in the first assessment with the levels obtained in the third and final evaluation. / Esta pesquisa foi realizada em uma empresa multinacional que atua no setor de bens de consumo n?o dur?veis no contexto internacional atrav?s do licenciamento de suas marcas. As empresas que possuem o direito de produzir e distribuir os produtos licenciados s?o denominados fabricantes. O objetivo desta pesquisa foi mensurar em 13 fabricantes o n?vel de desenvolvimento das atividades de Customer Service log?stico para clientes-chave, para isso foi desenvolvida uma ferramenta de diagn?stico com base na literatura dispon?vel sobre o tema. Esta ferramenta de diagn?stico foi utilizada em tr?s rodadas de avalia??o com o objetivo de verificar a evolu??o do n?vel de maturidade das atividades de Customer Service Log?stico nos fabricantes. Tamb?m foi identificada e comentada uma s?rie de atividades de Customer Service log?stico com base em uma visita realizada em uma multinacional do setor de alimentos considerada benchmarking nestas atividades. Os resultados do diagn?stico mostram que houve uma evolu??o do n?vel de maturidade das atividades de Customer Service log?stico ao longo do tempo, entretanto esta evolu??o n?o foi uniforme, o que resultou em uma maior vari?ncia quando comparamos os n?veis de desenvolvimento de todos os fabricantes na primeira avalia??o com os n?veis obtidos na terceira e ?ltima avalia??o.

El presente trabajo de investigación es un análisis que ayuda a poder medir el grado o intensidad entre dos o más variables con el fin de mejorar la gestión de la logística del abastecimiento en los aspectos de evaluación, selección y control de desempeño logístico. En la metodología empleada, básicamente se ha empleado la investigación científica, para identificar las causas originadas dentro de la gestión logística. The present research work is an analysis that helps to measure the degree or intensity between two or more variables in order to improve the logistics management of the provision in the evaluation, selection and performance control aspects logistic. In the methodology used, basically scientific research has been used, to identify the causes originated within the logistics management.

The purpose of this study was to examine undergraduate student satisfaction with college services and environment at a large southeastern doctoral/research extensive university (target university), with the long-term intent of minimizing detractors to providing exceptional service quality, positively influencing customer satisfaction, and building loyalty intentions among students. The ACT Student Opinion Survey (ACT, Inc.) was used to find the level of student satisfaction with the college services and environment. A stratified random sample of 468 undergraduate students responded to the survey. Three research questions guided the investigation. The study examined the general level of satisfaction with the support services, compared satisfaction levels to those of similar institutions of higher education, and examined whether satisfaction varied based on a student's age, gender, or ethnicity. Two-tailed t-tests showed significant differences in the mean satisfaction scores of the target university and ACT national norms, and one-way ANOVAs indicated significant differences based on a student's age, gender, and ethnicity. The results indicated that students were satisfied with the library, and dissatisfied with parking and course availability at the target university. Students were significantly less satisfied with one-fifth of all support services and all the environmental categories, but significantly more satisfied with their library than those in the ACT national norm. A relatively small number of significant differences existed in student satisfaction with the college services and environment based on a student's age, gender, or ethnicity. Of the nearly 200 ANOVA analysis conducted to explore this research question, only 11 showed significant differences, and in almost every case, the differences were small. Specific student comments regarding campus parking, advising, class availability, facilities, and staff deportment are provided. The results of the study create an awareness of student needs and offer useful feedback to college administrators and institutional planners in their efforts to improve service quality in higher education.

Patient demand for a better quality of healthcare and services has increased as insurance companies have decreased payments to hospitals. The purpose of this qualitative single exploratory case study was to explore hospital managers' strategies to improve customer service. Data were gathered from semistructured interviews with 5 hospital managers who implemented customer service strategies in their hospital systems, hospital policy and procedure documents, and qualitative data from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Hospital Compare website. Expectation-confirmation theory served as the conceptual framework that grounded the study. Data were analyzed using methodological triangulation, and 3 themes emerged: the need to improve interpersonal communication, address issues in the hospital environment, and provide employee training. Engaging in interpersonal communication, maintaining a clean and welcoming hospital environment, and providing employee training can help hospital managers increase customer satisfaction by giving internal and external customers a sense of empowerment and self-worth. The findings from the study, regarding the hospital managers' customer service strategies, could apply with other healthcare managers and leaders working to improve customer service within their organizations. Healthcare professionals and leaders, patients, family members, and the community may benefit from the study by gaining knowledge of the successful strategies hospital managers use to obtain quality service. These strategies promote respect, compassion, and a better quality of life, which are essential to social change in hospitals.

As part of healthcare reform through the Affordable Care Act of 2010, hospitals across the United States are being held accountable for providing a positive patient experience and will lose up to 2% of their reimbursement by 2017 if they fail to reach targeted scores. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to review the process used by a Georgia hospital to educate newly-hired nurses about customer service expectations and to provide recommendations for process improvement. Theoretical foundations supporting customer service included the caring philosophy of Mayeroff; the caring theories of Watson, Leininger, Boykin, and Nyberg; and Roy's adaptation theory. Using the plan-do-study-act model, the project began with a literature review to discover evidence-based customer service strategies. A qualitative evaluation was then conducted of the organizational documents (job description, annual review form, orientation checklists, clinical orientation record, the Standards of Behavior Form) and the educational slide presentations to determine how customer service was presented to new employees. The customer service strategies introduced during orientation and reinforced by the organization in employee evaluations were compared with evidence-based strategies. Improvement recommendations were developed and presented to the 13 nursing leaders of the organization. Materials developed to improve customer service included a poster for display, a tool for examining customer service strategies in hourly rounding, and a performance competency tool to assess nurses' customer service delivery. The project promotes social change by enhancing nurse-patient interactions, improving patients' perceptions of care, and increasing trust between the patients and the healthcare team to improve patient outcomes.