Service Delivery Channels Research Articles

A strategic IT policy implementation model for enhancing customer satisfaction in digital markets

In the increasingly competitive landscape of digital markets, customer satisfaction is paramount for sustained business success. This paper proposes a Strategic IT Policy Implementation Model aimed at enhancing customer satisfaction by aligning IT policy development with customer-centric strategies. The model serves as a framework that integrates technological advancements with customer expectations, ensuring that IT policies effectively support business objectives and improve operational reliability. The proposed model emphasizes a holistic approach to IT policy formulation, incorporating stakeholder input, market analysis, and performance metrics. It identifies key areas where IT policies can directly influence customer experiences, including data management, service delivery, and communication channels. By focusing on these elements, organizations can develop IT policies that not only comply with regulatory standards but also enhance user engagement and satisfaction. Central to the model is the concept of continuous feedback loops, which facilitate the ongoing evaluation and refinement of IT policies based on customer insights. This adaptive mechanism enables businesses to remain responsive to changing customer needs and technological advancements, fostering a culture of innovation and customer-centricity. Moreover, the model advocates for cross-departmental collaboration, ensuring that IT policies are harmonized with marketing, sales, and customer service strategies. Implementation of the model is illustrated through case studies of leading technology firms that have successfully aligned their IT policies with customer-centric approaches. These examples highlight the tangible benefits of improved customer satisfaction, increased loyalty, and enhanced operational reliability. Furthermore, the model addresses common challenges faced during implementation, such as resistance to change and resource constraints, offering practical solutions to overcome these obstacles. In conclusion, the Strategic IT Policy Implementation Model provides a structured approach for organizations aiming to enhance customer satisfaction in digital markets. By aligning IT policies with customer-centric strategies, businesses can achieve greater operational efficiency and foster long-term relationships with their customers.

Home‐based elderly care development in Hebei Province, China: A systematic literature review

AbstractHebei, one of China's most populous provinces, is facing increasing pressure on its elderly care services due to a rapidly aging population. Home‐Based Elderly Care (HBEC) has emerged as a potential solution to alleviate this pressure. However, this care model is significantly impacted by various external environmental changes. The study employed a literature analysis method, conducting a PEST analysis, to examine the environmental factors influencing the progress of HBEC in Hebei Province, China. The findings offer novel research perspectives to inform strategic development in the HBEC industry. The study identified 19 environmental factors, both favorable and adverse, shaping the development of HBEC in Hebei Province. Based on these findings, the study recommends integrating laws, regulations, and systems, clarifying government roles, optimizing funding structure, expanding service delivery channels, enhancing public awareness of elderly care, and broadening professional talent development pathways. These insights can be valuable for policymakers, educators, and researchers seeking to understand the challenges and opportunities in the field, ultimately improving the well‐being of China's elderly population.

Effective preexposure prophylaxis in young women and girls, a key population for HIV prevention

Purpose of review Although there is substantial momentum to scale up preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention in adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) at risk of HIV acquisition, this key population has demonstrated difficulty in sustained PrEP use. Despite being a user-controlled and discreet prevention option, effective oral PrEP use requires a series of complex daily decisions in the life of the PrEP user. In this review, we describe how the number of decisions AGYW have to execute for effective and continued PrEP use may potentially be reduced by providing simplified, integrated, differentiated sexual and reproductive health services that include PrEP, and introducing a choice of PrEP products, including less frequently dosed, longer acting and/or multipurpose prevention technology (MPT) products. Recent findings PrEP uptake and effective use are enhanced when AGYW experience PrEP service delivery channels as convenient, integrated with their other sexual and reproductive health needs and matching their experiences (including limited autonomy) and lifestyle. Longer acting or less frequently dosed PrEP products or MPTs may reduce the cognitive burden associated with prevention decision-making and is, therefore, likely more suitable for the majority of AGYW who struggle with daily pill adherence. Summary In the scaling up of HIV prevention for AGYW, implementers are encouraged to consider both PrEP products and PrEP delivery outlet preferences. Understanding and responding to AGYW's different needs will allow for preferred PrEP delivery outlets and choice in PrEP products, leading to a greater likelihood of effective PrEP use in this key population.

How can hotels Co-create value through the localized mini bar in the room: discrete choice modeling approach with CSR strategies with local products

ABSTRACT Even though Hotel mini bars is an excellent service and product delivery channel during the guest stay, typical selections of varieties and displays have been used without innovative ideas. This study argues that Mini Bars in the hotel can be capitalized to share the Hotel’s Corporate Social Responsibility vision and enhance customer perception toward the hotel brands with revenue increase. The current study adopts Discrete Choice Modeling to investigate the best choice attributes and levels of hotel mini bar. The results address how the hotel and local industry can co-create value for the hotel, local businesses, and guests.

Climate Change, Governance Quality, and Poverty: Empirical Insights from Vietnam’s Provincial Level

ABSTRACT This paper studies the impacts of governance quality with various dimensions on poverty under the context of climate change for a panel data set of 63 provinces in Vietnam over the period 2006–2021. Results reveal that governance quality reduces poverty through the channels of public service delivery, control of corruption, democracy, transparency, vertical accountability, and public administrative procedures. Remarkably, such dimensions of governance quality as public service delivery, control of corruption, democracy and transparency have more pronounced adverse effects on poverty compared to the influence of vertical accountability and public administrative procedures. However, climate change not only exacerbates poverty, but also mitigates the favorable impact of governance quality on poverty reduction. Findings imply that leveraging the diverse aspects of governance quality can effectively combat poverty, provided that climate change is addressed concurrently.

The Influence of Percieved Usefulness, Percieved Ease of Use, and Percieved Risk on the Level of Customer Satisfaction in Using Internet Banking

The provision of services to customers in banking has experienced a very good change in connection with technological developments, where the business strategy in the banking world has placed information technology as the main factor in serving its customers. Information technology advancements have alsi sparked innovation in the service sector, including banking service. Internet banking is a form of electronic transaction which is a new form of development of bank service delivery channels which has changed a banking business strategy that initially relied more on human technology to become information technology. The aim of this research is to determine the effect of perceived usefulness perceived ease of use, and perceived risk on satisfaction with using internet banking. The population of this research is 100 priority customers at Bank Syariah Indonesia KCP Malang Kawi. While the number of samples obtained 80 priority customers using purposive sampling method. Testing the hypothesis of this study using multiple regression analysis. Conclusions that can be drawn based on the test results include the Usefulness variable, the Ease of Use variable, and the Risk variable which have a positive and significant effect, both partially and simultaneously, on the level of customer satisfaction in using Internet Banking.

Presentation of a Social Responsibility Measurement Model in Tejarat Bank with a Brand-Centric Approach

Objective: Nowadays, social responsibility is considered essential for organizations, as it significantly influences various organizational outputs. Many organizations are continually striving to improve their image through the development of their social responsibilities. This study presents a model for measuring social responsibility in Tejarat Bank. Methodology: The research was conducted using a mixed-method approach (qualitative and quantitative). The qualitative sample consisted of 10 experts, and the quantitative sample included 413 managers and specialists from Tejarat Bank, with 203 individuals selected as the statistical sample using a sample size formula. In the qualitative part, an initial model including 3 dimensions, 9 components, and 45 indicators was extracted through interviews with bank experts. Subsequently, the extracted model was tested using structural equation modeling in the LISREL software environment. Findings: Results showed three main dimensions: customer-centricity (including components of responsiveness and service quality), legal and ethical (including stakeholders, employees, community rights, and organizational activities), and environmental focus (including environmental factors, online marketing, and internet service provision). Conclusion: To improve service quality, it is suggested that managers examine the customer experience in all service delivery processes and assess customers' mental satisfaction. It is also recommended that service delivery channels to customers be standardized, meaning that services received through various means (such as mobile banking, internet banking, etc.) should be uniform, and if a customer begins a service process through one channel, they should be able to continue it through another.

Behavioural intention of consumers to use app-based shopping on green tech products in an emerging economy

PurposeThe purpose of this research article is to explore the behavioural intention of consumers to use app-based shopping for green-tech products in the emerging economy of Bangladesh. The study investigates the indirect effects of perceived ease of use, usefulness, perceived delivery and perceived security on the behavioural intention to use app-based shopping for purchasing green-tech products by considering the mediating role of perceived trust.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative research approach was applied to collect data from the respondents who had previously used app-based shopping for green-tech products in Bangladesh. An online, self-administered survey questionnaire was used to collect data from 348 respondents. The survey data was analysed using SmartPLS-4 to measure the reliability and validity of the constructs. In addition, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to test the research model and hypotheses.FindingsThe study's results reveal that perceived usefulness, ease of use, security and delivery positively and significantly influence perceived trust, leading to a higher behavioural intention to use app-based shopping for green-tech products. Additionally, perceived trust significantly mediates the relationship between the behavioural intention to use app-based shopping and perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived security and perceived delivery.Practical implicationsThe study's findings have important implications for app-based shopping services to support customers interested in purchasing green-tech products in an emerging economy. The results also indicate that green-tech product companies must adopt new service delivery channels and ensure consumers' convenience and cost and time savings. The present research findings suggest that green-tech product companies need to ensure that they integrate digital technologies into their services for secure and timely delivery of products, improving customer convenience.Originality/valueThe study's findings can be insightful for app-based shopping service providers to foster their businesses by focussing on developing a positive trust perception in the consumer's mind, leading to a positive intention to use the app-based shopping services. The present study will enrich the current literature by investigating how consumers' perceived trust affects their behavioural intention to use app-based online shopping for purchasing green-tech products. It will also expand the existing knowledge on app-based shopping by exploring how perceived delivery impacts perceived trust, which subsequently affects customers' intentions to adopt the purchase of green-tech products.

Effects of automated teller machine service quality on customer satisfaction: Evidence from commercial bank of Ethiopia

The banking industry has seen the emergence of numerous service delivery channels, automated teller machines (ATMs), telephone banking, and online banking. Global financial systems and mature competition have been compelled to research the importance of consumer satisfaction. Thus, this study aimed to examine the effects of automated teller machine service quality on customer satisfaction in commercial banks of Ethiopia in the Afar regional state, Northeast Ethiopia. To this end, cross-sectional data were collected through a questionnaire from a sample of three hundred forty-six (346) ATM users selected from Semera-logia City, Asyaita, and Awash Town. To identify the dimensions of automated teller machine service quality and their relationship with customer satisfaction, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM)) through SPSS and AMOS 23.0 data analysis software were used. The findings indicate that convenience, reliability, ease of use, fulfillment, and security/privacy of ATM service quality dimensions are positively and significantly associated with customer satisfaction. The results of this study can help banks' management improve the quality of their ATM services to increase overall customer satisfaction. To ensure continued customer satisfaction, banks are encouraged to make the ATM service more convenient, reliable, user-friendly, secure, and fulfilling. They should also constantly update and differentiate their ATM service quality aspects to build a competitive advantage and boost their profitability.

Effect of Determinants of Health on the Hearing Care Framework: An Economic Perspective.

Hearing care is expanding accessibility to consumers through new service delivery channels and methods of technology distribution (see Brice et al, this issue). This diversification has the potential to overcome longstanding consumer disparities (e.g., health, socioeconomic, psychological, environmental) in receiving care and provider constraints (e.g., accessibility, geography, direct access) to delivering care that adversely impacts quality of life (e.g., social isolation, depression, anxiety, self-esteem). In this article, the reader is provided with an overview of health outcomes factors (i.e., determinants of health)-in the context of an economic framework (i.e., supply, demand)-and their effect on consumer behavior and provider preferences toward hearing healthcare services. This overview also affords readers with strategic business insights to assess and integrate future hearing care services and technology to consumers in their local markets.

The Modern Hearing Care Landscape: Toward the Provision of Personalized, Dynamic, and Adaptive Care.

New technologies and developments in hearing healthcare are rapidly transforming service models, delivery channels, and available solutions. These advances are reshaping the ways in which care is provided, leading to greater personalization, service efficiencies, and improved access to care, to name a few benefits. Connected hearing care is one model with the potential to embrace this "customized" hearing experience by forging a hybrid of health-technology connections, as well as traditional face-to-face interactions between clients, providers, and persons integral to the care journey. This article will discuss the many components of connected care, encompassing variations of traditional and teleaudiology-focused services, clinic-based and direct-to-consumer channels, in addition to the varying levels of engagement and readiness defining the touch points for clients to access a continuum of connected hearing care. The emerging hearing healthcare system is one that is dynamic and adaptive, allowing for personalized care, but also shifting the focus to the client's needs and preferences. This shift in the care model, largely driven by innovation and the growing opportunities for clients to engage with hearing technology, brings forth new, exciting, and sometimes uncomfortable discussion points for both the provider and client. The modern hearing care landscape benefits clients to better meet their needs and preferences in a more personalized style, and providers to better support and address those needs and preferences.

Barriers in accessing family planning services in Nepal during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study.

The COVID-19 virus is still with us, and in resource-limited countries, like Nepal, resurgence of a new variant is still a threat. In this pandemic, low-income countries struggle to provide essential public health services, including family planning. This study was conducted to explore what sorts of barriers are faced by women needing family planning services in Nepal during the pandemic. This qualitative study was conducted in five districts of Nepal. Telephonic in-depth interviews were conducted with 18 women of reproductive age (18-49 years) who were the regular clients of family planning services. Data were coded deductively using the preexisting themes based on a socio-ecological model (e.g., individual, family, community, and health-facility levels). Individual level barriers included low self-confidence, inadequate knowledge on COVID-19, myths and misconception related to COVID-19, limited access to FP services low priority to SRH services, low autonomy in family and limited financial ability. Family level barriers comprised of partner's support, social stigma, increased time at home with husbands or parents, un-acceptance of family planning services as essential health services, financial hardship due to loss of jobs, and communication with in-laws. Movement restrictions and transportation hindering access, unsecured feeling, violation of privacy, and obstacles from security personnel were the community level barriers and unavailability of preferred choice of contraception, increased waiting time, limited outreach services by community health workers, limited physical infrastructures, the behavior of health workers, stock out of commodities, and absence of health workers were health facility level barriers. This study highlighted key barriers faced by women in seeking family planning services during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nepal. Policymakers and program managers should consider strategies to ensure continued availability of the full method mix during emergency, particularly since disruptions may go unnoticed and strengthen the provision of services through alternative service delivery channels to ensure sustained uptake of such services in this sort of pandemic.

Socio-economic characteristics, mobile phone ownership and banking behaviour of individuals as determinants of digital financial inclusion in India

PurposeThis paper aims at analysing the socio-economic characteristics, mobile phone ownership and banking behaviour as key determinants of digital financial inclusion in India.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on the Global Findex Survey of the World Bank covering 3,000 adult individuals in India. Simple statistical tools such as descriptive statistics, chi-square test and regression analysis with a marginal effect have been used for the data analysis.FindingsAbout 35.2% of respondents have reported using digital financial services in the country. There is a significant association between the socio-economic profiles of individuals with the adoption of digital financial services in terms of gender, age, education, occupation and income. The marginal effect indicates that socio-economic factors, mobile phone ownership and banking behaviour of individuals towards borrowings and savings have indicated significant influence on digital financial inclusion. The analysis depicts that male with higher age, education, working status and higher income are more likely to adopt digital financial services. Further, individuals with mobile phone ownership and utilising banking in terms of borrowings and savings are more likely to adopt digital financial services.Practical implicationsAs digital banking services have emerged as a preferred channel for financial service delivery, this study provides timely insights on developing user driven-strategies for promoting digital financial services.Originality/valueSocio-economic characteristics, mobile phone ownership and banking behaviour are critical determinants of financial inclusion, so assessing its implications in the era of digitisation becomes imperative.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-10-2022-0673.

Raising the contraceptive prevalence rate to 50% by 2025 in Pakistan: an analysis of number of users and service delivery channels

BackgroundPakistan is the fifth most populous country in the world, with a population that is growing at 2.4% annually. Despite considerable political will, including a national commitment that was endorsed by the president to raise the contraceptive prevalence rate (CPR) to 50% by 2025, it has stagnated at around 30–35%. Much of the dialogue on raising CPR is hypothetical and revolves around percentage point change rather than an actual number of women that must be served.MethodsThe Demographic and Health Survey 2017–18 (DHS 2017–18) provides information about the channels through which users receive family planning (FP) services and disaggregates this information at the provincial level. Proportions of users from each of these channels were multiplied by the Pakistan Census-2017 populations to arrive at the number of users. These users were compared with the total FP users and the number of women that had used any FP service in the past 12 months. Linear estimations of population were applied to calculate population numbers in 2025.ResultsThe national target of 50% CPR by 2025 translates to a population of 20.02 million users. Currently, 11.26 million married women of reproductive age (MWRA) use any method, 8.22 million use a modern method and 4.94 million received this service in the past 12 months. Of these, 2.7 million did so from social marketing outlets, 0.76 million from public sector outreach through lady health workers (LHWs), 0.55 million from private sector and 0.88 million from public sector facilities. However, arriving at the CPR target means expanding annual service delivery from 4.94 to 13.7 million users. Since social marketing and LHW outreach may have become saturated, only public and private health facilities are the likely channels for such an expansion.ConclusionsWe demonstrate triangulation of the survey data with the census data as a simple policy analysis tool that can help decision-makers estimate the quantum of services they must provide. Such an analysis also allows an understanding of the utilization patterns of each of these channels. In Pakistan’s context, underutilization of funds and existing facilities suggests that increased funding or more providers will likely not be helpful. The policy changes that will likely be most effective include adding outreach to support existing public and private sector facilities while ensuring that procurement of commodities is prioritized.

Using social marketing theory as a framework for understanding barriers and facilitators of human papillomavirus screening in women: A qualitative study.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is known as the common sexually transmitted disease and the cause of cervical cancer. The HPV test is being proposed as the primary screening tool for cervical cancer. This study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators of screening based on the social marketing model in designing interventions and planning to increase HPV screening. This qualitative directed content analysis was conducted between December 2020 to September 2021 to identify the key concepts of social marketing theory (i.e., the four P's: product, price, place, and promotion) in Mashhad, Iran. Semistructured interviews were fulfilled with 24 individuals (10 women with HPV and 14 key informants) after obtaining participants' consent, who were initially purposively sampled and snowball sampling was then used to facilitate further recruitment. Data analysis was carried out simultaneously with data collection. Following the code extraction, four main categories (themes) and 10 subcategories extracted. Subcategories included knowledge on screening, screening benefits, and motivational factors for screening (product), individual inhibitors, environmental inhibitors, and facility problems related to price, place of service delivery, and service delivery channels (place) and health promotion and education. Lack of knowledge about HPV and screening, negative attitudes toward sexually transmitted diseases, taboo about sexual issues in society, fear of the reaction of spouse and family members, lack of proper policies and information and communication challenges, high costs of screening, access barriers to facilities such as difficult transportation have been challenges of health systems. It is suggested that HPV screening as a standard method for detection of cervical cancer be considered and the barriers to access are removed.

One step beyond tomorrow; Ranjan manual small-incision cataract surgery (MSICS) marker - Welcome to the topical, flapless and astigmatism-free MSICS era.

The prevalence of blindness in India is 14.9 per 1000. Cataract causes 80% of this blindness. Most of these blinds are in the rural areas while the surgical service delivery channels are concentrated in the urban areas. This situation has many social impacts like loss of productivity, breakdown of interpersonal relationships, depressive manifestations, loss of self-esteem, and isolated humiliating life. Manual small-incision cataract surgery (MSICS; also SICS) is a low-cost, small-incision, high-valued cataract surgery that is principally employed in the developing world. In poor settings, MSICS also has several distinct advantages over phacoemulsification, including shorter operative time, less need for technology, and lower cost. Ranjan MSICS Marker is a tool which enables MSICS to be done under topical anesthesia easily with more precise and safe incision making along with more control on surgery induced astigmatism.

Agency banking as an Alternative Banking Services Delivery Channel and Financial Performance of Commercial Banks in Kenya

This study set out to investigate the effect of agency banking as an alternative banking service delivery channel on the financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya. The study was anchored on modern portfolio theory and employed a causal research design. Census method of sampling was employed, where all the 40 commercial banks operating as of December 2018 formed the study units. Both primary and secondary data were used. Data was analysed using descriptive and regression analysis. The study findings showed that agency banking had a positive and significant effect on financial performance of commercial banks. The study concluded that agency banking contributes significantly to positive change in financial performance of commercial banks in Kenya. The study, therefore, recommends that the management of commercial banks should consider embracing the agency banking model and increasing the use of agents that rely on the existing infrastructure such as supermarkets, credit unions, hotels, and petrol stations to reach out to more customers.

EASE of USE, CONVENIENCE, TRUST, and INTENTION to USE MOBILE BANKING

Abstract. Technological developments, especially in the banking world, can provide services to their customers, especially in terms of using digital banking services. Digital banking services have changed the way and method of banking operations. Customers and banks use digital banking as a technology-based service delivery channel to increase customer satisfaction. This study aims to apply the technology acceptance model (TAM) to investigate the intention to use mobile banking among millennials. The analytical technique used in this study uses SPSS version 24 software. The survey results indicate that ease of use, convenience, and trust have a significant positive effect on customer interest in using mobile banking.

Country-specific challenges to improving effectiveness, scalability and sustainability of agricultural climate services in Africa

Climate services are playing an increasing role in efforts to build the resilience of African agriculture to a variable and changing climate. Efforts to improve the contribution of climate services to agriculture must contend with substantial differences in national agricultural climate services landscapes. Context-specific factors influence the effectiveness, scalability and sustainability of agricultural climate service, but in ways that are challenging to anticipate. In the context of six countries (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Zambia), this paper addresses the need to consider differing national contexts when developing strategies to make agricultural climate services in sub-Saharan Africa more effective, scalable and sustainable. Based on authors' collective firsthand knowledge and a review of information from secondary sources, we identify key strengths and weaknesses of climate services relative to agriculture sector needs in the focus countries; and assess factors that have contributed to those differences. Focus countries differ substantially in areas such as the degree of public support, alignment of services with agricultural needs, service delivery channels, degree of decentralization, and public—private-sector balance. These differences have been driven largely by differing national policies, delivery capacity and external actors, but not by responsiveness to agricultural sector demands. Building on the analyses of country differences and their drivers, we then discuss four key opportunities to further strengthen the contribution of climate services to agriculture: (a) leveraging farmer demand to drive scaling and sustainability; (b) exploiting digital innovation within a diverse delivery strategy; (c) balancing public and private sector comparative advantage; and (d) embedding climate services in agricultural extension. For each of these opportunities, we consider how different country contexts can impact the potential effectiveness, scalability and sustainability of services; and how efforts to strengthen those services can account for context-specific drivers to manage the tradeoffs among effectiveness, scalability and sustainability.

Cloud Computing-Based M-Government

In recent time, several governments throughout the world have implemented cloud services, promising citizens a number of proven benefits such as cost savings, data management, rapid scaling, and increased public service delivery, resource sharing, and extended communication channels. Despite the importance of this field, the majority of previous studies focused on the development of cloud computing and the possibility of its application to implement e-government services. These studies were not concerned with the extent of governments' orientation towards implementing e-government and exploiting it in the service of citizens. Therefore, in this paper, an overview is presented on the level of M-Government implementation based on cloud computing and benefit from its services in many developed and developing countries of the world, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.