External Customers Research Articles

Internal green marketing and ship employees' behaviour: The mediating role of motivation and attitude

Today’s problems, such as pollution and scarcity of resources, require the awareness of internal customers and corporate sensitivity to environmental issues before external customers. Therefore, the study examines the relationship between internal green marketing and employees’ green motivation, attitude, and behaviour. The methodological basis includes the concept of social learning theory stating that behavioural patterns are adopted with the use of role models. The research methods are quantitative and sociometric analysis. The research data were obtained by survey method to 282 participants randomly selected among the ship employees of a maritime company in Turkey. Reliability and validity analysis were applied to the variables. The relationships between the variables were tested with the structural equation model. As a result, it was determined that internal green marketing significantly positively affected the employees’ motivation. It was concluded that motivation has a significant positive impact on attitude, and it has a positive effect on behaviour. In addition, it was found that motivation and attitude have a full mediating effect in this relationship.

Internal Branding in Hotels: Interaction Effects of Employee Engagement, Workplace Friendship, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior

This study aimed to investigate three variables that may interact with internal branding (IB) in the hotel context: employee engagement (EE), workplace friendship (WF), and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). This study adopted a survey methodology. 385 valid responses were collected from employees of 20 five-star chain hotels located in the Greater Cairo region of Egypt. The data were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results demonstrated that there is a significant relationship between OCB and WF with EE, in addition to OCB, EE, and WF with IB. The mediating role of EE between OCB and IB, besides the moderating role of WF on the relationship between OCB and EE, was also determined. Contrary to the hypothesized model, results showed an insignificant relationship between WF and IB. This study provides a theoretical contribution to deepen the understanding of the internal branding concept in the context of the hotel industry. Practically, this research may be helpful for hotel enterprises in engendering and sustaining effective internal branding practices, which, in turn, could establish new links between internal and external hotel customers. Study limitations and potential directions for further research were also presented.

The Influence of External Service Quality and Satisfaction on Patient Loyalty in Surabaya Islamic Hospital

One of the most essential things in the success of a service besides the value of satisfaction is customer loyalty. Loyalty here is an indicator of how many customers want to promote our services without us asking, while repeated visits from customers make customers happy and proud to use our services. This study aimed to measure the value of Customer Satisfaction, Loyalty, and External Service Quality. This study used secondary data, totaling 356 patients who completed a customer satisfaction survey at Surabaya Islamic Hospital. This study showed that the characteristics of the patients at the Surabaya Islamic Hospital were particularly women aged <25 years with a BPJS patient guarantor who lived 5-10 km and had known the Surabaya Islamic Hospital for > 20 years, while in the external service quality customer assessment which included product, organizational image, safety, empathy, reliability, responsiveness at Surabaya Islamic Hospital was good and there was a relationship between External service quality and satisfaction significantly influence patient loyalty at Surabaya Islamic Hospital.

Professional adaptation of university students in the changing world of professions

Introduction. The relevance of the problem of the article is determined by the need to improve approaches to the professional adaptation of university students in the conditions of rapid changes in the world of work and professions. The subject of the study is various forms of professional adaptation of students.Aim. The present research aims to identify the forms of university students’ professional adaptation, which have the greatest potential for adapting students to the future profession. The hypothesis of the study was the assumption that one of the new and effective forms of professional adaptation of students at the university can be their project activities.Methodology and research methods. The research methodology was mainly based on the community-based and activity-based approaches. The empirical basis of the article is the results of the research on the adaptation of students in Russian universities (2022 May–June). The conducted research was implemented using the methods of online survey, focus group, semi-formalised interview.Results. The main results of the study are the following: characteristics of the forms of professional adaptation of students at the university, the assessment of its main background factors, as well as the development by students of the norms of the academic environment as a predictor of mastering work and professional ethics, the problems of implementing project activities as a new form of adaptation to the profession. The scope of application of the research results is the practice of university project training and the development of programmes for professional students’ adaptation.In conclusion, project-based learning is considered as one of the most promising forms of students’ professional adaptation, the potential of which is not fully used. An important conclusion of the authors is that there is the need to focus student projects on an external customer in order to create a situation of students’ real immersion in the professional environment.Scientific novelty. The authors considered new forms of professional adaptation of students at the university and justified the significance of the revealed adaptation forms.Practical significance. The practical significance of the article is the possibility of using the results and conclusions of the study in the elaboration of university adaptation programmes for students and the improvement of their professional adaptation practices.

Kasus Penerapan Konsep Balance Score-Card (BSC) pada SMK Negeri:

This study aims to analyze cases of State Vocational Schools that have implemented school management (MS) with the Balanced Score Card (BSC). This research was conducted at SMK Negeri 2 Amuntai. Data sources were obtained from: Educators, Education Staff, Students, and Student Parents, EDS Documents, and School Alumni Documents. The results showed that the overall performance of SMK Negeri 2 Amuntai was in the good category. The performance of the financial perspective obtains a good performance value, for 3E analysis, as a whole it does not meet the requirements only 2E, namely obtaining the title of very economical and efficient. For effectiveness, it has not met the requirements because it has received the title of less effective. External customer performance scores in the very good category. Internal customer satisfaction scores a pretty good category. While the performance of the internal business process perspective shows quite good performance. From the results of this study it is hoped that SMK Negeri 2 Amuntai (1) will improve performance in a perspective that is in the category of good enough to be good or very good, (2) the rating of school self-evaluation (EDS) should be increased so that it can obtain a rating above 2 maybe even it can reach a rating of 3. (3) school leaders should be more accommodating and creative in dealing with some educational staff who are dissatisfied with the situation and conditions that exist at SMK Negeri 2 Amuntai, so that performance is getting better.
 Keywords: Balance Score-Card, implementation, SMK

A Bibliometric Analysis of Brand Orientation Strategy in Digital Marketing: Determinants, Research Perspectives and Evolutions

With the advent of the digital economy era, the relationship between consumers and brands is changing. The mode of marketing, especially the paradigm of brand management, also needs to be adapted to change. Brand orientation has triggered a heated discussion on the dominant paradigm of market orientation and a new revolution in brand management. In view of the primary position of brand orientation in the management domain, it is necessary to sort out a systematic scientific knowledge mapping, clarify the research context and progress, and discover research focuses and limitations for strengthening the construction of brand-oriented theories. This study conducts a scientific quantitative analysis of 169 literatures and 7187 references from the Web of Science in the field of brand orientation by comprehensively using methods of scientific knowledge mapping and traditional literature review. The findings show that: (1) Concentrating on the core issue that “whether and how brand orientation becomes an effective strategic orientation of an organization”, brand orientation research includes six major hot spots and has been extended to fields including non-profit organizations, retail, service, manufacturing, e-commerce, and tourism. (2) As a multi-dimensional construct, brand orientation affects organizational performance directly through internal branding and external customer perception, and it is influenced by organizational culture, leadership, competition environment, funding sources, and brand cooperation. The relationship between brand orientation and market orientation has evolved from mutual substitution to synergy.

Industrial Design Structure: a straightforward organizational integration of DFSS and QFD in a new industry and market reality

PurposeThe aim of this research is to enlighten the methodology model of Industrial Design Structure (IDeS) that integrates the internal and external customer feedback embodied both in methods of quality function deployment (QFD) and as basis of design for six sigma (DFSS) steps to systematically bring the information across the entire organization, saving overall product development time and resources.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes the state of the art enlightened to establish the disadvantages and challenges of other methods taken into consideration in the study like QFD and DFSS that, together with the need of companies to react fast to changes they need to straightforwardly implement product development information across all departments, leading to a mass customization infrastructure. Several application trials of this methodology have been cited.FindingsThe IDeS method has established to been able to integrate other well-known methodologies to gather technical specifications starting from voice of customers (VOCs) like QFD that served to canalize the generalist approach of define, measure, analyze, design and verify (DMADV) of DFSS in order to reach into a larger share of the organization and englobe by following the overall product design steps of an industrial project.Research limitations/implicationsThe research approach chosen for this document presents the concept of a methodology ought to operate most internal branches in a company driven by product design requirements and guidelines. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to develop further studies on the IDeS method are required in order to adapt this methodology to specific management tools that would help to ease information gathering for immediate analysis and modification.Practical implicationsThe paper implicates that a need to interchange information systematically across all subdivisions in the organization, as brisk response to VOC reactions is needed to thrive in the market nowadays, leading to a fast product customization scene. However, the industry is heading into adopting an individual customer-centered product conceptualization ought to be driven by design as a key for individualizing an object. Afterward by taking this concept broadly and adopting it would lead to implement a company organization that would be directly affected by the customer's input.Social implicationsThe methodology described aims to enable organizations to portray fast and accurate product prototyping, by exploiting technologies from Industry 4.0.Originality/valueThis concept proposes a method to canalize the implementation of DFSS by using the DMADV approach, whilst assessing the challenges of adaptation and keeping up with cultural pace that impacts the behavior of buying and consumption and moreover implementing a seamless communication within all departments in the organization to share the development progress and change requests by using similar information technology tools. This would imply important savings in resources, whilst delivering quality products to the society.

Determinants of Financial Statement Fraud: Political Connections as Moderation

Financial statement fraud is a significant issue that negatively affects the company's external customers. Many studies regarding factors that influence fraud financial statements have been carried out. The purpose of this study is to examine and gather empirical data regarding the impact of financial targets, effectiveness monitoring, auditor switching, and political connections of financial statement fraud with political connections as a moderating variable. This study is anticipated to assist users of financial statements in making decisions and serve as a resource for other research. The data in this study were obtained from the annual reports of transportation companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) for the period between 2017 and 2019. The sampling technique in this research was purposive sampling which produced 25 companies with the total analysis unit to 75 units. Data analysis methods used are descriptive statistical analysis and statistical analysis with absolute difference regression analysis and using the IBM SPSS 25 program. The results of this research indicated that financial target and effectiveness monitoring affected on financial statement fraud, while auditor switching and political connections had no effect on financial statement fraud. In addition, political connections is able to weaken the effect of effectiveness monitoring on financial statement fraud and political connections is not able to moderate independent variables; financial targets and auditor switching on the financial statement fraud. This research is expected to be able to contribute in determining the policies of users of financial statements as well as being a reference for further research development. To ensure that the financial reports presented are correct and serve as a basis for decisions and policies as well as a form of information transparency for businesses and other stakeholders, organizations must enhance their vigilance in responding to financial statement fraud

Optimization of the order size concerning losses from the immobilization of working capital in the reserves of material resources

The article discusses approaches to optimizing stocks in the supply chains of large industrial companies. The relevance of this issue concerns primarily the supply of the most expensive categories of material resources, when calculating the order size it is necessary to additionally take into account losses from the immobilization of working capital (opportunity costs). In practice of home and foreign companies, modifications of the optimal order size formula are widely used, with the help of which companies achieve an economic compromise between the level of availability of stocks in the warehouse and the costs of their purchase and maintenance. At the same time, the losses from immobilization, in some cases, can significantly impact the levels of the company's warehouse stocks (including insurance), and hence the need for logistics infrastructure facilities, such as warehouses, handling equipment etc. To date, there is no unified methodology for assessing losses from the immobilization of working capital in stocks, due to the specifics of companies’ activities in different industries and types of business. In this connection, approaches to the choice of rates for determining the amount of such losses and assessing their impact on the efficiency of companies’ activities are significantly different. Correct accounting of opportunity costs can be used in the development of diversified approaches to planning the need for warehouse stocks, which will allow, on the one hand, to satisfy the orders of internal and external customers, and on the other hand, to prevent the formation of excess stocks. Therefore, the issue of developing industry methods for an adequate assessment of financial losses when working with stocks of material resources is relevant.

The Effect of the Internal Customer (Employee) on the External Customer in Citizenship Behavior: A Mediated Model Through Customer Support Perception

Organizational citizenship behaviour, which refers to employees exhibiting extra-role behaviours without expecting any tangible reward, can also be observed in customers. Similar to employees, customers can also engage in voluntary behaviours that are beneficial to the business (customer citizenship behaviour). These behaviours exhibited by both employees and customers areimportant for businesses to achieve their goals and survive. Therefore, the main purpose of this study is to determine the direct and indirect effects of employees’ citizenship behaviours on customers’ citizenship behaviours. The study formulated hypotheses based on social exchange theory, examining organizational citizenship behaviour’s direct effect on customer citizenship behaviour as well as its indirect effect on customer support perception. To test these hypotheses, data were collected from 302 customers of clothing stores in Turkey. The data were analysed using SPSS, AMOS, and Process MACRO (for SPSS and SAS) programs. The data were subjected to various procedures. Specifically, frequency analysis, normality test analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability analysis were conducted. In addition, detection analyses for method-related problems (multicollinearity and common method bias), correlation analysis, and regression analysis were performed. The results indicated that the data met the assumption of a normal distribution, the scales used were reliable and valid, and there was no evidence of multicollinearity or common method bias. Controlling for demographic variables, the correlation analysis revealed positive relationships between perception of organizational citizenship behaviour, customer citizenship behaviour and customer support perception. The regression analysis conducted to test the hypotheses revealed that organizational citizenship behaviour has a positive effect on customer citizenship behaviour. Moreover, the results indicated that customer support perception plays a mediating role in this effect. In other words, organizational citizenship behaviour affected customer citizenship behaviour both directly and indirectly (through customer support perception). These findings indicate that employees who are “good soldiers” influence customers to be “good soldiers” as well. Therefore, the study proved the importance of the internal customer (employees) for businesses in influencing the behaviour of external customers. Implications were made based on the findings in the study.

Customer Education in Omnichannel Marketing – A Systematic Literature Review

Purpose – The text aims to present the results of the analysis on the state of knowledge on Customer Education (CE) and propose future research directions in market‑ ing area. The filtering criteria was the chance to apply the gathered information in the marketing area. Research method – The method of the systematic literature review was applied. Regarding customer education keywords, I examined two databases (SCOPUS and Web of Science). Then the results were analysed with the assistance of VOSviewer and using content analysis (qualitative research). A total number of 79 articles was analysed. Results – Customer Education (CE) is rarely examined, especially in marketing. The concept evolves from instructions to co-creation. Bibliographic analysis shows the relation of CE with CX, customer satisfaction and loyalty to the organisation when it aims for internal and external customers. Originality /value/implications/recommendations – Due to the novelty of the problem and its development in business, it is worth stimulating debate on CE in science. The paper aims to fill a gap in literature reviews on the issue and might be a voice in pointing out future research directions. Future research can gravitate toward new channels of CE, learning communities, and the relationship between CE and: customer behaviour, CX, application of AI and data mining, and usage of learning management systems (LMS).

Dynamic Production Line Re-balancing by Alternative Plans for Compensating Equipment Failures

As social uncertainty increases, there are changes in values such as safety, sustainability, and response to changes. The manufacturing industry is also required to improve its resilience by dynamically recombining production resources to respond to change. In the operation of a production line, if demand fluctuates due to changes in the external environment or customer needs, or if sudden production fluctuation such as equipment failure occurs, the production line will be stopped due to reconfiguration or equipment restoration. Therefore, the challenge is to continue production and improve productivity even when fluctuation occurs. In order to respond to the above challenges, this research aims to dynamically and quickly re-plan the production line using the existing equipment according to current equipment and production status. In this paper, failures of the production equipment, such as robots and tools, are regarded as production fluctuation factors. In order to continue production with the remaining resources in the event of equipment failure, it is necessary to change the process plan. However, since these are engineering tasks in the production preparation stage, there was the problem of not being able to flexibly change them at the manufacturing site during the production execution stage. In this development, an alternative plan pre-generation and selection method was developed to maintain production by re-allocating tasks during equipment failure. In this approach, first, multiple alternative plans for task allocation for failures in each piece of equipment are planned in advance using a process plan optimization technique. Next, production fluctuations due to equipment failures are detected. Finally, dynamic changes are possible by selecting alternative plans that maximize the throughput of the entire production system. Initial verification results are shown by comparison with the conventional method for equipment failure using simulation on a small-scale robot assembly line for automotive inverter.

Relationship marketing orientation in healthcare organisations with the AHP. Internal and external customer perspective

Adopting the relationship marketing approach in health institutions and evaluating the weights of its dimensions will benefit the effectiveness of marketing strategies. This study aimed to determine the critical levels of relationship marketing orientation components in private health institutions using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). In the study, relationship marketing orientation was evaluated according to six criteria in line with the opinions of five experts for employees and 20 people who previously benefited from health services for their customers. As a result, the criterion with the highest priority value was communication with 0.259, and the best health company A. Furthermore, the AHP method results were compared with TOPSIS, EDAS, and CODAS methods. In addition, the Spearman Correlation method was used to determine the correlation between the results.

Enhancing Internal Branding Outcomes through Customer Experience Management: New Empirical Insights from the Automotive Industry

Companies increasingly strive to optimise the external customer experience by systematically building on customer experience management (CEM). Based on the internal carleasing service of Porsche AG, this article shows how leaders can correspondingly benefit from applying this expertise to their employees’ interactions when offering services or benefits that are similar to the company’s external offerings. By doing so, companies can authentically demonstrate brand values and actively engage employees in a positive brand experience, thus enhancing internal branding outcomes. The results of a qualitative study provide a set of directions and actions to guide managers towards the internal implementation of CEM in various sectors. Furthermore, the findings of a subsequent quantitative study reveal that this implementation can lead to positive impacts on employee satisfaction with the offered service, enhance loyalty towards employers as well as improve employee brand knowledge, belief in brand and brand endorsement.

Proposal of a process and tool for the management of quotations for a fiber optic assembly manufacturer

The current process followed by a fiber optic assembly manufacturing company to quote its products fails to meet the expectations and requirements of both internal and external customers. There is poor document management, as well as problems regarding the flow of information used in the activities carried out in the Quoting department. This creates confusion and results in late deliveries for quotes. In addition to this, there is a lack of correct process measurement, so it is not possible to make a complete analysis. A new Quotation process is proposed as well as a management tool based on the PPAP practice contained within the APQP methodology. The objective is to increase the performance of the department's activities, improve the structure and organization of the knowledge generated during the Quotation process and obtain a platform for the collection of metrics for future process analysis. This will allow the company to meet customer expectations and perform analysis that allow continuous improvement of the process.

Strategic initiatives and institutional conformity for low carbon supply chain integration

ABSTRACT Research has called for firms to prioritize reducing carbon emissions, however strategies to do so with external partners through institutional conformity and integration are lacking in research and practice. Drawing upon the resource-based view and institutional theory, the study in this paper proposes and tests a series of research hypotheses with Chinese firms. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse data and findings reveal carbon emissions reduction and low carbon institutional pressures are crucial forces driving external low carbon supply chain integration with external suppliers and customers. Further, low carbon supply chain integration overall positively impacts a firm’s environmental performance, external customer integration positively impacts a firm’s financial performance, and environmental performance plays a mediating role between external low carbon supply chain integration and financial performance. This study contributes by shedding new light on two patterns of external low carbon supply chain integration compared to prior studies.

Implementation of HR management functions: A quality-analysis

This study aims to analyze the practice of Human Resource (HR) management functions in Madrasah Aliyah Negeri (MAN) Yogyakarta III from a quality perspective. The research method used is descriptive qualitative through in-depth interviews, observation, and documentation. Data analysis uses the stages of reduction, presentation, and inference. The results showed that, at MAN Yogyakarta III, the institution's quality is quite influenced by implementing the Human Resource Management (HRM) function, which can be seen in the form of internal and external customer satisfaction. For internal customers, customer satisfaction can be seen from the increase in psychological development, such as opportunities for personnel to continue to learn and develop abilities, assist personnel in developing their talents and creativity as well as efforts to create an atmosphere and culture that can make personnel feel satisfied and comfortable. As for external customers, satisfaction increases physical and psychological development, such as achievement scholarship programs, coaching, parallel achievements, a conducive learning atmosphere, family relationships between teachers and students, good learning services, capacity building, and creativity.

Efektivitas dan Efisiensi Penerapan Sistem Antrian Berbasis Online (SpeedID) Dalam Mengoptimalkan Kualitas Pelayanan di Masa Pandemi Covid-19 Pada PT Bank Pembangunan Daerah Bali Cabang Klungkung

This research aims to analyze the extent of effectiveness and efficiency of applications of Online-Based Queuing System (SpeedID) in optimizing the services quality during the pandemic Covid-19 at Bank BPD Bali Klungkung Branch. This research uses a qualitative descriptive method with a case study approach. Data collection is done by using observation, interview and documentation techniques. Interview informants include internal (staff) and external (customers) Bank BPD Bali Klungkung Branch. Data analysis was carried out with the stages of data reduction, data display, and drawing conclusions using pattern matching techniques. Research results indicate that effectiveness and efficiency of applications of Online-Based Queuing System (SpeedID) in optimizing the service quality during pandemic Covid-19 at Bank BPD Bali Klungkung Branch which is not maximized. It is caused by the disturbance of the program and the goal achievements caused by various obstacles like systems or tissue distractions, still many customers of manual queues, an often over looked time estimate. With these obstacles, it causes optimalization of customer time and ease access service through the Online-Based Queuing System (SpeedID) has not been fully sensed. In addition, improvements are needed from the service side, such as increasing the ability and work discipline in the Teller Unit, as well as reviewing infrastructure procurement and spatial planning, especially in the outdoor waiting room and customer parking.

Exploration of small and medium entities' actions on sustainability practices and their implications for a greener economy

PurposeThe authors explore the behaviour and perspectives of SMEs' owners towards a greener economy and its implications for net zero carbon emissions target.Design/methodology/approachThe authors draw on the mirroring concept and 26 semi-structured interviews with SMEs' owners and managers to provide insights and explore the misalignment between SMEs' actions and perceptions and the technical architecture (and requirements) of achieving net zero carbon emissions in the UK.FindingsThe authors find that SMEs lack trust and are sceptical about the government's net zero emissions agenda. The authors also find that lack of understanding and perceived benefits, and supply chain complexities (end-to-end emissions) are the key factors hindering SMEs interests in engaging with better carbon emissions management and environmental management system (EMS). Moreover, pressure from external stakeholders, particularly banks and customers, is a strong driver to draw SMEs more effectively with sustainability and environmental impact disclosure.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample is limited to 26 SMEs' owners operating in seven industries. Future research could explore the result in other industries. Further research could also investigate how the sustainability reports produced by SMEs are useful for different user groups' decision-making. This study reinforces the social constructionist approach to advance our understanding of SMEs' actions towards carbon emission management and EMS.Practical implicationsThis study shows how government policies and SMEs' interests can be aligned to achieve the net zero carbon emissions target.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine the perceptions and behaviour of SMEs towards the ongoing pursuit of a greener economy in the UK, including the key factors driving their actions and reasoning.

Customer Service Management Practices of Tagum Water District: A Case Study

This study identified the Customer Service Management (CSM) practices of Tagum Water District (TWD) from the perspective of its customers and customer service personnel as to how TWD responded and addressed the customers inquiries, requests, and complaints. The Evolution of Customer Service by Blake Morgan serves as the foundation for the study's theoretical framework. Focus groups and in-depth interviews were used to get the data. The findings showed that although both customers and customer service staff agreed that TWD practices good customer service, they also encountered some issues and challenges when processing transactions, such as limited channels for disseminating information and constrained access to its customer service. Thus, it is recommended to provide innovations on its practices that the technology offers to keep up with the evolving needs of its both internal and external customers.