SME Customer Service Excellence: A Singaporean Case Study

The construction industry needs to develop methodologies and techniques to better promote quality engineering and minimize losses. This study aims to identify the Critical Success Factors (CFSs) that contribute to the successful development of infrastructure projects in Malaysia and examine their possible impact on project objectives in scope, time, cost and quality. Main contractors are usually intensively involved in the development of infrastructure projects. However, there is limited research touching on main contractors’ view on CSFs for infrastructure projects in Malaysia. Therefore, this study is carried out to explore this topic from the main contractors’ perspective. Based on an extensive literature review, 33 candidate CSFs were identified and examined. Practitioners in selected companies that had been intensively involved in infrastructure development in Malaysia were invited to participate in a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire survey was designed to elicit professional opinions of those practitioners on the significance level and the impact on project objectives of the identified candidate CSFs. A significance index (SI) was calculated to show the significance level of the candidate CSFs. This explorative study has found that the majority of the 33 identified candidate CSFs were perceived to be of critical significance by the respondents. Some of them hold particular importance to achieving project management objectives in terms of scope, time, cost, and quality. The findings may be used as a checklist so as to increase the quality and success rate of future infrastructure projects in Malaysia. Research limitations and future directions are also discussed.

Field soil artificially infested with laboratory-produced microsclerotia of Calonectria ilicicola was incubated for 1, 2, 3, or 6 weeks at 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40°C. These temperatures approximate soil temperatures that were measured in soybean fields during the growing season in south Louisiana. Germinable microsclerotia were enumerated after incubation at different temperatures, and soybean seeds were planted in these soils. After 8 weeks, percent root colonization was determined as a measure of infectivity of microsclerotia. Results showed that soil temperature is a critical factor in survival of microsclerotia. The optimal soil temperature range for survival of microsclerotia was 20 to 30°C, and the maximum soil temperature limit was 35°C, above which microsclerotia did not survive. Effects of temperature on soybean root colonization were examined in growth chambers by growing soybean plants in soil infested with laboratory-grown microsclerotia for 4 weeks after seed germination. Maximum infection of young soybean roots by C. ilicicola occurred between 25 and 30°C but decreased with increasing temperatures and was negligible at 40°C. According to these results, soil temperature is a critical environmental factor controlling the development of red crown rot in soybeans in Louisiana. These findings suggest that, if red crown rot is a threat, soybean planting time should be based on soil temperature rather than calendar dates.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) has been practiced since 1960. In mixed-age populations there is about a 10 per cent survival rate. Most CPR studies state that "age alone" is not a critical factor in survival. Studies that focus specifically on the elderly suggest that although "age alone" is not a critical survival factor, previous level of function and severity of underlying disease have major effects on CPR outcome. In most medical institutions CPR is undertaken unless a specific "do not resuscitate" order is written. Many impaired and chronically ill elderly therefore undergo unnecessary and unsuccessful CPR. The available data suggest that CPR is suitable for the independent and relatively well elderly to whom CPR measures can be quickly applied. For the chronically dependent and ill elderly, CPR in most instances should not be undertaken. Such an eventuality, however, should be anticipated and whenever possible discussed with patients and family members, thus allowing decisions to be made consciously rather than leaving them "to chance."

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to increase awareness of the value that can be derived from embracing customer service and ensuring tenant satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThis literature review synthesizes the results of research conducted around the world to examine the value proposition of customer-focused property management. The literature was identified through a search of academic journal articles and industry publications, together with the authors' experience of working with industry practitioners. Drawing on these sources, the authors identify five emerging trends that are likely to make customer service an even more critical part of property managers' jobs and propose best practices to help property managers actualize the benefits.FindingsThree themes emerge from the literature. First, property managers can add significant value to real estate portfolios by delivering high-quality customer service to tenants. Second, emerging trends in the real estate industry are creating new opportunities for property managers to participate in the value creation process. Third, there are a number of steps property managers can take to leverage customer service to benefit the real estate investors they represent.Practical implicationsReal estate investors, and the property managers working on their behalf, can realize the advantages of customer-focused property management by adopting a series of straightforward best practices, which are discussed in the paper.Social implicationsThe trends identified and practical steps proposed are likely to be all the more relevant in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.Originality/valueThis research should increase awareness of customer-focused property management and the mechanisms through which it can affect real estate returns. The ten best practices proposed should help property managers deliver effective service to tenants and achieve the associated financial benefits for investors.

PurposeResearch on strategic procurement was mostly focussed on the clients' and main contractors' perspectives, while limited work had been done from a subcontractor's perspective. The paper hypothesises that “strategic capability” influences the latent constructs of power, dependence and collaboration in the main contractor–subcontractor relationship. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of a subcontractor's strategic capabilities on power, dependence and collaboration.Design/methodology/approachA survey questionnaire was developed and distributed amongst the subcontractors in Australia, and 212 complete responses were received. Then second order confirmatory factor analysis and partial least square structure equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis were performed to test the hypothesised relationships.FindingsThe findings support “strategic capabilities” as a construct expressive of a subcontractor's unique market position and good business reputation. The findings also suggest that strategically capable subcontractors enhance their potential for forming partnerships with main contractors through dependence (StratC. → Dep.,β = 0.84; Effect Size (ES) = 0.713;p < 0.01), collaboration (StratC. → Collab.,β = 0.84; ES = 0.697;p < 0.01) and bargaining power (StratC. → Pow.,β = 0.83; ES = 0.672;p < 0.01).Originality/valueThe study is one of its kind to explore the impact of a subcontractor's strategic capability on their bargaining power, dependability and ability to form collaborations. Furthermore, results indicate that the “strategic capabilities” of subcontractors can strongly influence their ability to create “dependence”, foster “collaboration” and exert “power” over a main contractor. The findings can help improve the strategic procurement decision-making processes of both subcontractors and main contractors to build better business relationships.

SUMMARY Active precipitating antibody appears as early as 2 weeks after 10-week-old birds are exposed to Marek's disease. Older birds develop antibodies earlier and in higher titers than younger birds. Exposure at an older age gives a more uniform antibody response and less mortality. The level of antibody appears to be related to protection but is not constant, and birds can go from positive to negative. It also appears that the antibody response of the bird is a critical factor in survival.

Improving the quality of education in private universities has been an inevitable choice since it is critical factor in survival and development. Among many education programmes which aim at improving the quality of the training, the outstanding student training programme in private universities, emphasizing the training model of general education, is current important way. In this paper, a comprehensive study of private colleges and universities an outstanding student training program, which includes training objectives, organizational structure, core curriculum courses, teaching staff, support policies, learning and self-management and other aspects, are presented.

In reviewing 550 patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, only 3 percent were found to present with severe leukopenia or thrombocytopenia due to bone marrow infiltration. Patients with well-differentiated lymphoma had a favorable prognosis despite the presence of cytopenia. In contrast, individuals with poorly differentiated lymphoma had a median survival of only 4 months. Thus, the critical factor in survival was the degree of differentiation of the lymphoma. Conventional therapy proved of little value in the poorly differentiated group. Trials of intensive multidrug chemotherapeutic regimens seem warranted, despite the risk of exacerbating the cytopenia.

Microaerosol stimulation of the trachea and bronchi appears to have no effect on the pattern of breathing. However, laryngeal stimulation with microaerosol produces consistent changes characterized by slowing of the inspiratory effort. The reflex response can be abolished by either bilateral superior laryngeal nerve section or topical anesthesia of the laryngeal mucous membranes. Nasal stiumulation with saline microaerosol results in marked slowing of inspiration. This response can also be blocked by topical anesthesia of the nasal mucosa. The decreased breathing rate results from both increased t insp. and t exp. During inspiration the build-up phrenic discharge activity, the phrenic slope, decreases. The phrenic peak, however, remains unchanged. The nose and larynx, therefore, appear to play significant roles in the modification of the breathing pattern in response to a nonirritating solution delivered as a microaersol. Slower breathing, relexly produced in the human being by such a method, might benefit partial airway obstruction by reducing turbulence and therefore the work of breathing. It is speculated that in a marginally competent upper airway, this benefit might be a critical factor in survival.

There has been increased dependence on subcontracting within the construction industry, the operational relationship between the Main Contractor (MC) and Subcontractor (SC) plays a significant role in successful delivery of projects. Through the literature review this paper argues that despite SCs bring added value to construction projects, the increased reliance on SCs has strained relationships between the MC and SC. Also MCs are more concerned with risk and price reduction which undermine the relationship heavily. Current practices in the construction industry in managing SCs were evaluated through a case study and semi-structured interviews. A questionnaire survey was used to investigate the ways of facilitating the interface between the MC and SC in general. The study highlighted that prevailing adverse relationships and culture in the industry are influencing the success of construction projects. The lack of trust is a key factor affecting the relationships between MC and SCs. However, the proactive involvement of the MC with SCs in maintaining continuity of the team from procurement to construction stage and transparency in the processes were key success factors for successful completion of the project.

In Hong Kong, main contractors of building projects tend to subcontract most of their work. However, many of the subcontractors complain that they are unable to perform to their full capacity due main contractors’ poor site coordination of temporary works and interfacing works and plant supports etc. Six critical site coordination problems caused by main contractors that had adversely influence to the performance of subcontractors were identified in previous study. Twelve essential causes to the problems were identified from literatures and previous studies. A questionnaire survey was conducted to establish a model that explain how the essential causes contributed to the occurrence of the critical site coordination problems which subsequently affected the performance of subcontractors. The survey results were validated by neural network analysis. Backward elimination method was adopted to identify the ‘most essential’ causes that enable main contractors to formulate measures to eliminate the critical site coordination problems. The survey findings show that ‘design of the temporary work provided by main contractor cannot meet the requirements requested by the subcontractors’ is the ‘most essential’ causes of four out of the six critical site coordination problems. DOI 10.5592/otmcj.2014.1.7 Research paper

A subcontractor is a company or individual who performs work for another company as part of a larger project. However, research shows that one of the factors for project delay is caused by underperformance subcontractor. Therefore, the research objectives of this study are to identify the contribution of subcontractor’s in assisting main contractor toward project success, to identify the benefits of appointing subcontractors towards project success and to suggest recommendation to improve subcontractor’s performance towards project success. The research method of this study is quantitative method where a questionnaire survey was distributed to respondent from G6 and G7 main contractor in Johor Bahru. The data was collected from 103 respondents which represents 47% response rate. The data analysis method used was descriptive analysis by using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software. The result shows that the main contribution of subcontractors in assisting main contractor towards project success which fulfill labor shortage and expertise in previous project to be work on upcoming project. In addition, the benefits of appointing subcontractors towards project success achieved are availability of knowledgeable and experienced workers and specialized workers that work in the project. Furthermore, the recommendation to improve subcontractors’ performance where the main contractor should have good communication with their subcontractors. In conclusion, the result shows that understanding of the contribution of subcontractor’s performance will benefit main contractor in avoiding project delay and consequently towards project success.

Purpose Although a regulatory framework was established in Malaysia to govern practising property managers, the satisfaction level on residential property management remains low. This unfortunate situation necessitates a review of property managers’ job scope and their current standards of practice. Hence, this study aims to investigate the correlation between the performance of property managers in residential property management job scope and resident satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach The scope of work in property management services was first identified through a review of existing research and literature on property management. Subsequently, a survey questionnaire was administered, and the data collected was analysed to determine the relationship between the performance of the scope of work in residential building management and resident satisfaction. The research data was obtained from occupiers of residential properties and the findings formed the basis for research with an objective to enhance current property management practice. Findings Residential buildings represent the major building stocks of the country. The research showed that a majority (7 out of 9) of the identified scope of work significantly influence and affect resident satisfaction. Additionally, the logistic regression analysis outcome further confirms that the performance of maintenance management is a significant predictor of resident satisfaction. Originality/value This research identifies the critical scope of work in property management services which affects resident satisfaction. It also suggests various recommendations to improve property management services to achieve a higher level of resident satisfaction.

The main aim of the Housing Department is to provide quality services to tenants and owners of public housing estates which include Public Rental Housing and Subsidized Home Ownership Housing. This dissertation is confined to study on the areas of direct-managed Public Rental Housing and Home Ownership Scheme Courts of which the property management duties are delegated to the Property Management Agents. Under this mode, the Housing Department is responsible for property and tenancy management of Public Rental Housing, the ownership management of owners as well as on the carving-out areas of the Home Ownership Scheme Courts. Following the rising demand of the residents/owners, the role of housing manager has changed from a mere service provider to both a service provider and a negotiator. By experience, most housing managers are using conciliation and negotiation skills for dispute resolution in housing management. If complaints are not solved in the frontline, the complainants may escalate the issues to the higher level which will involve more follow-up actions and damage the harmonious relationship with our customers. Therefore, it is essential for housing managers to improve their communication and negotiation skills. Surely, their management work will be smoother if they can work with the residents/owners in harmony. 
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\nOn the other hand, mediation is a negotiation process which is considered as one of the best Alternative Dispute Resolution methods. Mediation is conducted by an impartial third party, the mediator, to resolve parties’ disputes. Mediation process can provide a platform for the disputing parties to focus on perception and communication. Mediator will facilitate the parties to choose the most suitable options generated by them for dispute settlement which results in a win-win situation. In this way, relationship between the disputing parties can be improved. Nowadays, housing managers also have the aim to maintain harmonious relationship with residents/owners. While I expect that housing managers are using some of the mediation skills but not all, I would like to explore the types of mediation skills which can be used in housing management in the public sector.
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\nFrom the empirical literature review, I have introduced the development of mediation in different countries and Hong Kong and also the development of housing management in the public sector in Hong Kong. In the conceptual context, I have introduced mediation process, mediation skills and the core features of mediation. I have also explained the dispute resolution skills used by housing managers in the daily management. It is noted that there are common skills used by both the mediator and the housing manager. Therefore,

PurposeThe study uses VIseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR)-structural equation modeling (SEM) to construct benchmarks for service providers and evaluate a multimethodology practice in the Internet industry.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected using a survey based on an email/interview with 444 Internet users participating. SEM obtained coefficient values by way of customer expectations for Internet service providers. The authors normalized coefficients and integrated them into the VIKOR method for ranking competitors in the Internet industry.FindingsVIKOR-SEM revealed that network and information quality and security/privacy significantly positively impact customer trust while network and information quality and customer trust significantly positively affect Internet users' value perceptions. Customer services do not affect customer trust, while security/privacy and customer services have no significant influence on customer value perceptions. Though customer services and Internet users' trust and value perceptions directly, significantly and positively affect their commitments, the quality of network and information and security/privacy indirectly, significantly and positively influence customer commitments.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was in the Internet industry of Iraq. The results cannot be accurate for the other countries and the service sectors. The researchers/managers can adopt the model in other service sectors to test the multimethodology.Originality/valueVIKOR-SEM evaluated the changes in customer expectations and service providers in the Internet industry.