Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/5674

Title

Best practice relationship with service quality in a home entertainment franchised system

Author(s)

Maritz, Alex;  Nieman, Giel

Abstract

Complementing the service vision in organisations leads to the development of best practice initiatives, often adopted by innovative firms in competitive industries and environments. Such initiatives are regarded as pivotial for survival and achieving competitive advantage (Porter 1998). The Video Software Dealers Association of America (VSDA 2001) described best practice in the home entertainment industry, as identified by Arthur Andersen Business consultants. This covered wide-ranging aspects, including understanding customers and markets, developing vision and strategy, refining store product offerings, implementing the marketing plan, creating promotions and in-store merchandising and clear in-store operations. Customer service findings included that best customer service is one-to-one, and that strong relationships and loyalty are developed between staff and customers through consistency of management and staff and by personalising customer service. The study evaluates the best practice relationship weith service quality (SERVQUAL), using descriptive and inferential statistics. The techniques include Surveypro, SPSS, Kruskal-Wallis, and Cronbach's alpha as a reliability measure. We accept the hypothesis that best practice initiatives are positively associated with service quality. Recommendations for implementation are suggested, together with future research alternatives.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Business and Enterprise

Source

Southern African Business Review, Vol. 10, no. 2 (2006), p. 17-31

Publication year

2006

Publisher

College of Economic and Management Sciences, University of South Africa

Format

17-31

ISSN

1561-896 X

Publisher URL

http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&ContentID=16446

Copyright

Copyright © 2006 by College of Economic and Management Sciences, University of South Africa and individual contributors. All rights reserved.

Peer reviewed