| The Context of Convergent Quality |
| | Ettlie, John E. | U. of Michigan | jettlie@umich.edu | 734-936-2835 |
| | Johnson, Michael D. | U. of Michigan | | 734-764-1259 |
| | Johnson, William H. A. | York U. | bjohnson@yorku.ca | (416) 226-4981 |
| | Under what circumstances are conformance to specifications ("things-gone-wrong," TGW) and customer quality ("things-gone-right," TGR) convergent? We develop a non-linear model based on Alderson's theory of market matching and the evolutionary theory of the firm to predict the strength of this relationship. In particular, we predicted that firms in low tech and high technology industries would have lower convergent quality when compared to firms in industries between these two extremes. Pilot study findings from 13 product-related industries in the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) provide initial support for this theory. The correlation coefficients between TGW and TGR were statistically significant for all cases in the predicted direction, and the strength of these relationships vary according to our model using the R&D intensity of the industry category. The relative importance of TGW versus TGR was also evaluated with subtle differences in the pattern of results: medium and high technology industries are more similar than would be expected, rating TGW higher than TGR. The implications for these preliminary results and future research are discussed. |
| | Keywords: Quality; Technology; Context |
| Impacts on IT-based Services on Service Quality: A Structual Equation Modeling Approach |
| | Zhu, Fay X. | Christopher Newport U. | fxzhu@cnu.edu | (757)-594-7143 |
| | Wymer, Walter W. | Christopher Newport U. | wwymer@cnu.edu | (757)-594-7692 |
| | This study developed and tested a structural equation model of service quality that incorporates factors associated with information technology (IT)-based services. An IT service dimension was identified through factor analysis and incorporated in the model as an endogenous variable. The dimensions of service quality measured by the SERVQUAL instrument were also included as endogenous variables. Three latent variables, namely customer attitudes to traditional services, customer experiences in using IT-based services, and customer perceived IT policies from service providers, were used as exogenous variables. Data collected through a mail survey among retail bank customers in Hampton Roads Area, Virginia were used to estimate the parameters of the model. The results showed that the proposed model fitted the observed data well. The findings of the study indicate that there exists a dimension associated with the quality of IT-based service. The IT service dimension appears to have a direct positive impact on the SERVQUAL dimensions, supporting that IT can help enhance service quality and competitive advantages. The results also indicate that the IT service dimension is affected by all of the three latent variables identified in the model. Another finding is that the SERVQUAL dimension of "tangibles" does not affect customer perceived service quality and customer satisfaction.
|
| | Keywords: Service Quality; Information Technology; Structual Equation Model |
| Quality and Work Force Practices: The Managerial Performance Implication |
| | Kathuria, Ravi | Saint Joseph's U. | kathuria@sju.edu | (610)-660-1107 |
| | Davis, Elizabeth B. | Saint Joseph's U. | edavis@sju.edu | (610)-660-1644 |
| | This paper examines the managerial performance impact of work force management practices appropriate for manufacturing
environments when quality is highly emphasized. The hypotheses positing the relationship among work force management
practices, managerial performance and the emphasis on quality are developed and tested using data from 483 individuals in
99 manufacturing plants in the United States. The results indicate that when the emphasis is high on quality, certain work
force management practices - consulting, supporting, mentoring, inspiring, recognizing, planning, informing,
and clarifying - seem to play an important role in managerial performance in manufacturing settings. These practices seemingly
motivate workers to manufacture products that are accurate, consistent, durable, and reliable. Furthermore, workers are
entrusted with the traditional responsibilities of manufacturing managers, such as monitoring and problem solving.
|
| | Keywords: Quality; Work force management; Operations strategy |
| Employee Attitudes Toward the Implementation of Change: the Case of TQM |
| | Doerr, Kenneth Howard | U. of Miami | kdoerr@exchange.sba.miami.edu | (305) 284-1333 |
| | Tejeda, Manuel J. | Gettysburg College | mtejeda@gettysburg.edu | ((717)-337-6654 |
| | We examine employee attitudes toward the implementation of a TQM program. Based on a review of the literature, a model is developed
in which attitudinal Barriers to Quality (Scandura and Stewart, 1993; 1995), reduce employee perceptions of management commitment,
and increase job insecurity. The model is validated with a two-step analysis using structural equation modeling techniques on two
independent samples. Results show the model has an acceptable moderate-to-good fit to the data. Individual relationships in the model
received mixed support. In particular, the hypothesized relationships of perceived empowerment and a sense of trust to perceptions of
management commitment received support from both samples. However, the hypothsized relationships of perceived management
commitment and increased workload expectations to job insecurity received only mixed support. |
| | Keywords: Total-Quality-Management; Structural-Equation-Modeling; Acceptance-Of-Change |