Thesis (D. Min.)--Denver Seminary, 1992. / This is an electronic reproduction of TREN, #090-0157. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 200-206).

Since the end of World War II, the service sector has expanded to encompass over 80% of the economy of most developed nations. This places an immense importance on the ability to accurately measure service outputs. However, the most precise method of measuring these outputs is still unclear. This thesis examines Service Quality as a measurement of service outputs, and tests this within an industry-specific context: the low-cost sector of the UK airline industry. This is an industry that has been facing serious challenges since market liberalisation began in 1976. This thesis recognises that offering superior quality may allow airlines to gain a competitive advantage; despite this, there is still no preferred method of measuring Service Quality in this specific context. This PhD therefore examines three methods of Service Quality measurement in the context of the low-cost sector of the UK airline industry: a qualitative method (content analysis), a quantitative survey approach (HiQUAL) and an indexing approach (ALSI). The first study provides an in-depth analysis of the determinants of airline quality through a content analysis study. The second study uses a neglected measurement of Service Quality (HiQUAL) to take a quantitative measurement of Service Quality in the low-cost airline industry. The third study uses measurement (ALSI), an indexing approach, to provide an indication of airline quality. The results of this PhD define the determinants of Service Quality in the low-cost airline industry and confirm the hierarchical nature of Service Quality. This PhD also develops a novel objective metric that represents a shift in ontology from subjective to objective measurements of Service Quality.

Thesis (MTech (Quality))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2010 / To succeed in the global market, South African enterprises need an overall operational excellence which is a key requirement for any business to sustain competiveness and growth. To effectively respond to the constant flexibility of customer demands, many quality initiatives have been developed to assist business organisations in the quest for excellence. Quality management has evolved over the years from a simple product inspection, to a modern management system that requires the involvement of the entire workforce and other stakeholders to work closely, toward customer satisfaction. Currently, the most used quality concepts by organisations throughout the world are ISO 9001(2008); Total Quality Management; Just in Time; and Six Sigma. Among these quality initiatives, Six Sigma has emerged as the most powerful quality improvement strategy. In South Africa (SA), business organisations have adopted several quality initiatives to cope with the challenges of globalisation. Six Sigma is one of the latest quality initiatives that many businesses in SA are using or considering as a mechanism to strengthen their product or service quality. This study explores a Six Sigma model for implementation in the context of the South African business environment. As less than ten percent of organisations worldwide have recognised the tremendous effects of Six Sigma in boosting their productivity and financial profit, it becomes extremely important to understand the complexity and critical aspects behind Six Sigma implementation, that organisations in SA must recognise when implementing Six Sigma. This study can assist many industries in SA, as well as those in other developing nations, who have not yet experienced Six Sigma implementation, to become aware of the complexity and critical elements of this quality approach.

Thesis (MTech (Marketing))--Cape Technikon, 1999. / Quality of service, as perceived by the customer, has been shown by research to be a critical factor contributing to organizational performance in recent years. Therefore, the management of service quality is a key variable, and for service quality to be managed, it has to be measured. There have been significant advances in the measurement of service quality in the past fifteen years, resulting in a stream of research, mostly concentrating on the external customers of profit-seeking firms. A key factor driving this research was the development of an apparently reliable, valid instrument for the measurement of service quality. This instrument called SERVQUAL, was developed by US researchers A. "Parsu" Parasuraman, Valarie Zeithaml and Len Berry. It has spawned an enormous debate in the marketing literature, leading to the further exploration and refinement of the dimensions of the service quality construct. While the use of SERVQUAL has been extensively investigated in external markets, and in for-profit firms, less attention has been given to its use, and more importantly, its reliability and validity in internal markets, and in not-for-profit organizations. These settings are becoming increasingly important from a services marketing perspective. Internal markets (where fellow employees are also customers) are being subjected to market testing, and many services previously provided within the organization are being outsourced. In order to survive, many functions such as information systems, training, catering and cleaning are being forced to market their services internally, and this includes assessing service quality, and improving it. Likewise, private and public nonprofit organizations are coming under increasing scrutiny, as donors and taxpayers alike become evermore concerned about the value gained from the expenditures made by these organizations with their funds. In this study, the SERVQUAL instrument was used to measure service quality as perceived by the internal customers of a large IT department within an extensive government organization. The main objectives of the study were to assess the psychometric properties of the SERVQUAL instrument in this setting. It was found that SERVQUAL generally performs well under these circumstances, with regard to reliability, construct, convergent and nomological validity. However, the instrument appears to be problematical in terms of discriminant validity. This is probably less attributable to the measurement situation as to the instrument itself, for the finding mirrors evidence from the literature. The study also identifies implications for management, and opportunities for future research.

Orientador: Ruy de Quadros Carvalho / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociências / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-17T04:18:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Lenhari_LucianaCristina_D.pdf: 2902176 bytes, checksum: acc338982897b7e8b2f3828cc9cff23e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010 / Resumo: Esta tese busca analisar e entender como as empresas que prestam serviços de televisão (aberta e paga) e de telefonia (fixa e móvel) no Brasil estão utilizando os recursos por elas acumulados, bem como adquirindo novos recursos, tendo em vista tornarem-se competitivas na exploração de novos modelos de negócio possibilitados pelo fenômeno em curso da convergência digital, com foco na produção, distribuição e entrega de conteúdo audiovisual de entretenimento (CAE). Esta análise tomou como base as contribuições do referencial teórico conhecido como a Visão Baseada em Recursos (RBV, na sigla em Inglês) a partir das definições de recursos, competências essenciais e capacidades dinâmicas de Barney, Prahalad e Hamel e Teece, Pisano e Shuen, bem como seus desdobramentos com relação às estratégias das empresas. A análise com base na RBV foi complementada com a literatura sobre inovações em serviços de Gallouj e outros, como um caminho para identificar recursos. Uma ampla pesquisa qualitativa realizada em empresas representativas de TV: Globo, SBT, Band e Net Serviços e de telefonia: Oi, Telefônica, TIM e Claro; somada ao referencial teórico escolhido permitiu a elaboração de um modelo de análise (categorias de recursos) e a aplicação do mesmo a partir de um modelo de transferência de recursos do período pré-convergência digital para a atual fase da convergência. Esses elementos permitiram concluir que as estratégias dessas empresas não são só de adaptação às condições desse novo mercado, mas uma estratégia que está criando o que será o mercado futuro do serviço de CAE. Um mercado em pleno processo de criação e desenvolvimento, o que aumenta o grau de complexidade da análise e tomada de decisão por parte dos gestores das empresas desses dois segmentos na identificação de oportunidades e ameaças nesse contexto / Abstract: This thesis aims to analyse and understand how do service companies that offer free-on the air and pay TV and telephony operators (fixed and mobile) are using their accumulated resources and acquiring new ones in order to be competitive in the exploration of new business models. The latter are becoming possible owing to the present phenomenon of the digital convergence, focusing on the production, distribution and delivery of audiovisual content for entertainment (ACE). This analysis was based on the theoretical contribution of the Resource Based View (RBV), built by the concepts of resources, core competencies and dynamic capabilities from Barney, Prahalad and Hamel, and Teece, Pisano and Shuen, as well as their developments related with firms' strategies. The RBV analysis was supplemented by theoretical approaches about innovation in services from Gallouj and others as a way to identify resources. A broad qualitative research led in important TV operators - Globo, SBT, Band and Net Serviços - and telephony operators - Oi, Telefônica, TIM and Claro - as well as the theoretical approach chosen, have allowed the development of a model of analysis (categories of resources) and its application. It has started with the resources transfer framework of the pre-convergence period, until the present stage. These elements helped to reach the conclusion that these firms' strategies are not only adaptative with respect to this new market, but they are paving the way for the future market of ACE services. This is a market which is being created and developed, increasing the complexity of analysis and decision making processes of their companies' managers, when it refers to the identification of opportunities and threats / Doutorado / Politica Cientifica e Tecnologica / Doutor em Política Científica e Tecnológica

Orientador: Orlando Fontes Lima Junior / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-07T09:13:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Simionatto_RafaelDammusTaiar_M.pdf: 2580949 bytes, checksum: 8e180eb638ca531ac4599598a7afc450 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006 / Resumo: O serviço ao cliente, meta maior da logística, normalmente é tratado no âmbito da denominada logística de bens físicos. Seu comportamento no setor de serviços ainda não foi muito explorado na literatura. Estas constatações conduziram ao presente trabalho, cujo objetivo é identificar as dimensões do serviço ao cliente relevantes à logística no setor de serviços e também explorar a dimensão hospitalidade na visão dos clientes quanto à qualidade dos serviços. Aplicações práticas foram realizadas pesquisando-se: transporte de cargas, táxi, transporte executivo, hotel e estacionamento de veículos. Estes serviços foram escolhidos de forma que abrangessem algumas características específicas: tangibilidade e intangibilidade, padronização e não padronização, credenciamento e não credenciamento e diferentes formas de distribuição dos serviços. A metodologia utilizada foi baseada no método dos incidentes críticos. Questionários foram respondidos por clientes, imediatamente após o contato com os seryiços, e apontaram 434 incidentes críticos. As análises dos resultados permitiram identificar 11 dimensões do serviço ao cliente como relevantes à logística no setor de serviços: confiabilidade, prestabilidade, competência, acessibilidade, cortesia, comunicação, credibilidade, segurança, entendendo os clientes, tangíveis e hospitalidade. A dimensão hospitalidade teve sua importância relativa comprovada, estabelecendo-se o conceito de administração da hospitalidade em ambientes desvinculados de organizações ligadas ao turismo e à hotelaria. Análises quantitativas e qualitativas ainda proporcionaram identificar a necessidade de tratar a logística no setor de serviços decomposta em 3 sub-sistemas. A estrutura sugerida apresentou-se bastante compatível às estratégias competitivas ligadas ao serviço ao cliente e presentes na literatura / Abstract: The customer service, main goal of logistics, is normally treated in what is called physical logistics filed. Its behavior in the service sector hasn't been too much explored in the literature. Theses affirmations had lead to this work, which objective is to identify the customer services dimensions that are relevant to logistics in the service sector and explore the hospitality dimension in the quality of services based on customer' s perceptions. Practice application was performed in: load transport, taxi, executive transport, hotel and parking services. These services were chosen to fill some characteristics: tangible and intangible, standardized and non standardized, credence and non credence and different forms of service distribution. The methodology utilized was based on the critical incidents method. Questionnaires were answered by customers after contacts with the services and presented 434 critical incidents. Analysis of these results allowed identifying eleven dimensions: reliability, responsiveness, competence, access, courtesy, communication, credibility, security, understanding . / knowing customers, tangibles and hospitality. The hospitality dimension had its importance proved, establishing the concept of hospitality administration in environments that are not related with tourism or hotels. Quantities and qualities ana1ysis had provided identifying logistics in the service sector as decomposed in 3 subsystems. This structure was compatible with competitive strategies in customer services showed in literature / Mestrado / Transportes / Mestre em Engenharia Civil

M.Com. (Business Management) / South Africa has for a long time been considered as the gateway into Africa. With the potential Nigeria is showing, it appears that the privilege of this opportunity may soon be diminishing. Nigeria is considered an exciting emerging market because it provides investors with a ready and established market not only because of the huge population size, but also because oil and other natural resources in Nigeria remain critical resources that are a compelling drawcard for foreign investors. It is no coincidence that Nigeria has attracted the most foreign direct investment in Africa, amounting to US$8.9 billion (Ernst & Young, 2012). In undertaking global strategies for global expansion, multinational organisations need to have a firm understanding of the macro, market and micro environment in which they will be entering and operating. These multinationals also need to plan how they will adapt their home country strategy to their host country strategy. Market challenges and positioning the firm in an emerging market are key aspects that need to be investigated, understood and to a certain extent, perfected. The research question posed in this paper addressed the inherent challenges posed to multinational service firms, in particular Ernst & Young (EY), when conducting business operations in Nigeria. The research adopted a qualitative research methodology which allowed the collection of the opinions of senior executives in EY, both in South Africa and in Nigeria, as well as clients of EY in Nigeria. The data collection method employed included digital-recorded in-depth interviews after which the data was analysed through content analysis and from which codes and categories were extracted. The research results pointed to pertinent macro, market and micro challenges facing a professional services firm such as, but not limited to infrastructure support, bureaucracy and the importance of relationships. This case study research provides key information about potential challenges and opportunities facing a professional services firm and links these challenges and opportunities of Nigeria’s macro, market and micro environment with strategic marketing concepts, in particular positioning strategies that an organisation can implement when attempting to position the business for market growth.

Service Management (SM) is an integrated, cyclical and collaborative approach to the management of service requirements and levels. It involves the definition of client expectations, the satisfying of those expectations and the perpetual refining of the business agreement (Sturm 2001). SM in the ICT sector is a comprehensive process that extends beyond the development of Service Agreements (SAs). A number of identifiable steps constitute the progressive implementation of a managed services environment, the key components of which are a readiness to provide services, the accurate elicitation, management and satisfying of client requirements and the continual improvements to the business relationship. Unfortunately, a number of SM initiatives fail. These failures can be attributed to a lack of SM understanding, the absence of a fully implemented SM strategy, poor communication and people issues. This research describes an investigation of SM implementation. A number of recognised frameworks are explored and critically analysed. The common strengths of these frameworks and the results of an exploratory pilot study are used to construct an SM implementation framework. This framework is then tested empirically by means of an online survey, and revised in the light of the results of this survey. The framework comprises two distinct phases, namely a Foundation phase and a Managed Services phase. The Foundation phase comprises 8 critical preparatory activities that take a service provider to state of readiness to provide and manage ICT services. The Managed Services phase comprises 5 key cyclical steps for the management of ICT services, including Planning, Analysis, Design, Implementation and Review.

SAs are documents that specify the business relationship between stakeholders to an outsourcing agreement. SAs specify this relationship in a legally binding manner that assists in managing expectations of the stakeholders about the service provision. According to Verma (1999), an SA is a precise statement of the expectations and obligations that exist in a business relationship between two organisation: the service provider and the client. In order for organizations to have successful outsourcing partnerships, they need well crafted methods of developing Service Agreements (SAs). Successful methods will produce a conclusive contract that will act as a working document that details the spirit of cooperation between the service provider and the service recipient. This research investigates the development of SAs in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, and proposes a model for their development. A number of models for SA development have been analysed. Models are analysed from leading researchers in the area, from software houses such as Microsoft and from international standards organisations such as the BS15000 which stipulates the ITIL framework. Eight development principles are identified and explored. An investigation into SAs and their development is conducted. A model is proposed that is composed of the development principles. The development of SAs was explored in an empirical study by means of a survey administered to industry practitioners and a series of interviews with managers in the ICT industry. The results of the study indicate varying levels of support for the development principles and limited relationship between the development principles and the success of the SA, as defined by the number of changes made to the SA after it is completed.

The study focused on the taxi industry as a services industry due to its contribution to the economies of both developed and the developing countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate ways to improve service delivery in the South African taxi industry. This industry is one of the underperforming industries in South Africa with regard to service quality due to over-serviced taxi routes and a lack of information about the needs and desires of the taxi commuters. The primary objective of this study was to investigate how to improve the service quality of taxi operators in the Nelson Mandela Bay by applying theories and concepts of services marketing and total quality management (TQM). More specifically, the study investigated whether taxi drivers have the required knowledge of services marketing and service quality, and what service quality challenges taxi drivers and commuters face. The sample consisted of 20 taxi drivers and 101 student commuters using taxis on the Port Elizabeth routes. The empirical results showed that taxi drivers perform unsatisfactorily on the four TQM elements: leadership, employee involvement, product/ process excellence and customer focus. The results also reflected the general perception in the Eastern Cape that taxi service quality is poor. Of the five service quality dimensions (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance and empathy), the taxi drivers performed the best in reliability and the worst in empathy. The empirical results further suggested that taxi services do not meet the expectations of commuters, as deficits were reported between expectations and perceptions of actual service quality. The different quality dimensions used in the measurement of taxi service quality and their empirical results could provide a guideline to taxi service leadership and government on the critical aspects of taxi service quality.