Competitive Service Research Articles

Digital empowerment and trade-embodied carbon intensity: insights from value-added decomposition in services

Trade-related carbon emissions have emerged as a significant environmental challenge, yet strategies to mitigate their impact remain underexplored. This paper examines the role of digital empowerment in reducing the trade-embodied carbon intensity of services, with a focus on a value-added trade approach. Using panel data from 67 economies spanning from 1995 to 2018, this paper empirically demonstrates that digital empowerment significantly lowers trade-embodied carbon intensity in services. Key mechanisms driving this reduction include scale effects, intra-industry enhancements, and trade structure optimizations. Our findings reveal that both domestic and foreign digital empowerment sources positively impact trade-embodied carbon intensity reduction, with a more pronounced effect in developing economies compared to developed ones. This study advances the understanding of how the digital economy influences the carbon competitiveness of services and provides critical insights for policymakers in crafting service trade and green development strategies.

Forecasting Car Repair Shops Customers’ Loyalty based on SERVQUAL Model: An Application of Machine Learning Techniques

In today’s competitive world, service quality and customer satisfaction are recognized as key factors in the success of service organizations. This paper examines the impact of the SERVQUAL model and machine learning techniques on these two factors in the automotive repair and maintenance industry. With increasing customer awareness of different options and increasing competition in the market, repair shops must continuously improve their service quality to attract and retain customers. Satisfied customers are more likely to return to repair shops and share their positive experiences with others, which helps attract new customers. The research aims to predict customers’ willingness to return to a repair shop based on existing features and service quality indicators according to the SERVQUAL model. The results show that using machine learning methods to analyze data can more effectively identify complex patterns and predict customer behaviour. This paper also discusses the limitations of structural equation models (SEM) in predicting future customer behaviour and emphasizes that machine learning methods can provide more accurate predictions. Finally, this research emphasizes the importance of paying attention to service quality and creating a positive customer experience so that repair shops can succeed in a competitive market.

Intra-guild competition and ecosystem services of mammal scavengers in a new colonized wolf landscape

Carcass utilization by scavengers is crucial for ecosystem dynamics, influencing energy transfer and nutrient cycling. Through the provision of unconsumed carcasses, the return of wolves (Canis lupus) to European ecosystems can trigger complex cascading effects on scavenger communities. Here, we investigate the scavenging dynamics of mammalian species in a prey-rich Mediterranean coastal area close to a large city where wolves have recently returned. Using camera traps, we monitored the scavenging activity on fallow deer (Dama dama) carcasses preyed upon by wolves over a five-year period following the predator’s return. We developed models to assess how competition between red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), wild boars (Sus scrofa), and wolves evolved over time, focusing on their carcass use, direct interactions, and spatiotemporal associations. Wolves exhibited consumption of only minor portions of prey and a negligible reuse of carcasses, while foxes and wild boars engaged in indirect competition for access to this emerging trophic niche. We found a notable temporal change in scavenging activity over the monitoring period, with wild boars progressively emerging as the primary scavenger and providing a substantial removal of carcass biomass. Our findings suggest that wild boars can assume a prominent scavenging role in environments where carcass availability is both abundant and predictable. This study underscores the importance of understanding scavenger temporal dynamics in the context of apex predator recolonization and highlights the need for further research to explore the long-term impacts of these interactions on community structure and ecosystem services as wolf populations continue to expand across Europe.

Excellent Service Management of School Administration Personnel in Senior High Schools in Sleman District

Excellent service is the best form of service that aims to optimally meet customer expectations and needs. In the world of education, school administration personnel have a strategic role as the main support for the continuity of the educational process. This study aims to describe the formulation and implementation of excellent service management for administrative staff at high schools in Sleman Regency. This research uses a qualitative method with a descriptive approach. Data were collected through observation, interviews, and documentation, then analyzed using the Miles, Huberman, and Saldana model. Data validity tests include credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The results show that the formulation of excellent service management is carried out by formulating innovations through strengthening the competence and quality development of administrative staff. This aims to create a superior and quality education service system in SMA-Kabupaten Sleman. The implementation of excellent service is carried out through professional attitudes, attention, and real action to build an administrative service system that is responsive to aspirations, needs, and the dynamics of scientific and technological developments. This research recommends strengthening the competence of administrative staff on an ongoing basis and innovating service management, so as to create quality, superior and highly competitive education services in accordance with the demands of the times.

Associations of built environment with moped-sharing use: A vehicle-based approach

In recent years, moped-sharing services have become popular in Asian and European cities, but existing literature provides limited information about factors influencing moped-sharing use. This research explored the associations of built environments with the probabilities that idle shared mopeds become rented through survival analyses. The study observations are from the global positioning system records of an anonymous moped-sharing operator in Taipei, Taiwan. The empirical results indicate the following findings: (1) The associations of density and diversity attributes with moped-sharing use can refer to those of other shared vehicle uses but are dissimilar to those of general mopeds. (2) Moped-sharing service operators are suggested to move idle shared mopeds from employment centers to areas with dense residential, school, or retailing activities; diverse floor uses, industries, or transit services; and dense streetlights or moped parking spaces. (3) Moped-sharing service operators are also suggested to develop vehicle-rebalancing strategies in accordance with the built environment attributes within different catchment area sizes and periods. (4) Moped sharing is a complementary service rather than a competitive service to other intracity public transport services.

Ways to Improve the Competitiveness of Higher Education Services

Ways to Improve the Competitiveness of Higher Education Services

STUDI LITERATUR: Faktor Kualitas Pelayanan terhadap Loyalitas Pasien di Rumah Sakit Indonesia

This study aims to examine the service quality factors that influence patient loyalty in Indonesian hospitals. Service quality is a crucial aspect in maintaining and enhancing patient trust and loyalty. This literature review identifies five key dimensions of service quality: reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibles. Each dimension plays a significant role in shaping patient loyalty, through consistent service delivery, quick responses, medical staff competence, personal attention, and the quality of physical facilities. Several studies indicate that patient satisfaction also acts as a mediator between service quality and loyalty, good service increases satisfaction, ultimately affecting patient loyalty. Amid the intense competition in healthcare services in Indonesia, optimal service quality is a key factor in patient retention. Therefore, hospital management must focus on each service quality dimension to create a satisfying patient experience. The findings of this review are expected to guide hospitals in developing effective strategies for improving service quality to retain and increase patient loyalty.

The Influence of Customer Relationship Management Organizational Practices and Customer Relationship Management Technological Practices on Veterinary Clinic Performance Mediated by Customer Retention (Study on Veterinary Clinics in Malang)

This study aims to analyze the effect of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) practices on organizational and technological dimensions on veterinary clinic performance, considering customer retention as a mediating variable. The study was conducted at a pet clinic in Malang City using a quantitative approach and hypothesis testing through the Partial Least Square (PLS) method. The results showed that Organizational CRM practices had a positive and significant effect on clinic performance and customer retention, while Technology CRM practices had a significant effect on customer retention but were not significant on clinic performance directly. Customer retention proved to be a partial mediator in the relationship between Organizational CRM and clinic performance, as well as a full mediator in the relationship between Technology CRM and clinic performance. These findings emphasize the importance of focusing on organizational management and CRM technology integration that supports customer retention to improve veterinary clinic performance. This study provides theoretical and practical contributions related to CRM implementation in the context of increasingly competitive animal health services.

지속적 개선을 위한 통제시스템의 활용과 조직역량이 사회적기업의 성과에 미치는 영향

[Purpose] The purpose of this study is to explore the use of control systems for continuous improvement and multidimensional organizational capabilities from a management accounting perspective as factors influencing the performance of social enterprises. [Methodology] This study conducted an empirical analysis based on survey data collected from social enterprises participating in the 2021 Social Progress Credit (SPC) program implemented by the Center for Social Value Enhancement Studies (CSES). To test the hypotheses, the study employed the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) method. [Findings] Firstly, the empirical analysis revealed that the use of control systems for continuous improvement does not directly impact the performance of social enterprises, while contributes to enhancing multidimensional organizational capabilities. Secondly, product and service competitiveness positively influenced both dimensions of performance. Marketing and cooperation capabilities were found to have a positive impact on economic performance, while stakeholder management capabilities positively influenced social performance. Lastly, the use of control systems was found to indirectly contribute to the performance in social enterprises via the mediating effects of organizational capabilities. [Implications] This study emphasizes the role of control systems and organizational capabilities in the qualitative growth of social enterprises, highlighting their importance for strengthening sustainability and independence.

Interpersonal Dynamics in Legal Services: A Study of User Perceptions on Court Personnel Communication Skills

Interpersonal communication plays a pivotal role in public services. Despite technology transforming the way we interact with customers and users, human relationships in public services remain crucial. Interpersonal communication also enables direct feedback, which is invaluable for enhancing service quality as it requires honesty and transparency. This study aims to assess the quality of interpersonal communication within public service delivery, particularly focusing on court services. The goal is to ensure that courts can consistently provide the best service to their users' needs. The descriptive method was employed, and data were collected through questionnaires distributed to lawyers as service users, providing valuable insights.. This research shows the excellent interpersonal communication skills exhibited by service personnel towards users, effectively serving the community. These findings are expected to serve as a guideline for other governmental agencies in executing inclusive and competitive public services.

Conceptual framework for advances in client care: Emotional and social support in hospitality and logistics environments

This paper presents a conceptual framework for enhancing client care through emotional and social support in the hospitality and logistics sectors. Drawing on theoretical foundations, it explores how empathy-driven interactions and community-building efforts influence customer satisfaction, loyalty, and organizational performance. The unique dynamics of both sectors are examined, highlighting operational challenges and opportunities for embedding supportive practices. A structured framework is proposed, integrating key components such as communication, feedback mechanisms, and technology-driven personalization. Practical recommendations are offered to empower practitioners and guide policymakers in implementing client-focused strategies that align with evolving consumer expectations. This study underscores the transformative potential of emotional and social support in driving sustainable growth and resilience in competitive service environments.

Влияние кластеров на продолжительность жизненных циклов предпринимательских экосистем в регионах России

In the context of the global economy and growing competition within the country and on the international market, the development of entrepreneurial ecosystems is an important factor for sustainable economic growth. The author distinguishes between the concepts of “entrepreneurial ecosystem” and “cluster”. In a new view of entrepreneurial ecosystems as dynamic structures that go through the stages of birth, formation, development, maturity, stabilization, renewal or decline, according to the author’s methodology, special attention is paid to the mechanism of prolongation of growth stages due to the influence of clusters. The integration of life cycle theory and clusters provides a new perspective on entrepreneurial ecosystems through the lens of clusters. The novelty lies in the role of clusters as an effective approach that promotes interaction between business, government and science to accelerate innovation processes, create sustainable cooperation networks, attract investment and reduce barriers to entry of new entrants to the market. To substantiate the decision to select the largest entrepreneurial ecosystems, a comparative analysis was carried out for the Novosibirsk Region in the context of the regions of the Siberian Federal District, for the Republic of Tatarstan – in the context of the regions of the Volga Federal District. An analysis of the economic sectors of the studied regions revealed that entrepreneurial companies not only operate in the main ones, but also form related industries. It is revealed that the industry association leads to the creation of new industries of the sixth technological order and the production of competitive goods and services, which creates an additional need for investments for the development of innovation activities by entrepreneurial ecosystem companies. The use of the OTSW analysis tool (according to V. L. Quint’s method) is substantiated. This article will help determine the approach when making a management decision to increase the vital activity of the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The formation of clusters will improve the interaction between ecosystem participants, develop entrepreneurship and stimulate innovation in the country’s regions.

Демографические и социальные тенденции в российской Арктике

The implementation of national policy in the Arctic plays a multifaceted role in ensuring national security and sovereignty across diverse domains, including resource management, transportation, environmental protection, military strategy, and others. Addressing these strategic objectives necessitates a focus on preserving and building up the human capital of the northern regions, with particular emphasis on demographic trends and labor potential development. This study aims to evaluate the extent and dynamics of depopulation in the Russian Arctic, examining its causes and implications for the labor market both across the entire Russian Arctic and within specific regions that are wholly or partially included in it. The relevance of this research stems from the pressing challenge posed by population and workforce decline, which represents a significant threat to the successful implementation of the Arctic Development Strategy through 2035. The negative demographic trends observed in the region are primarily driven by unresolved socio-economic issues, a declining standard of living among Arctic residents, and the depreciation of northern benefits. The practical significance of this study lies in its potential to inform the development and prioritization of public policy measures aimed at addressing these challenges,with a focus on the unique characteristics of individual Arctic regions. Key measures to stabilize and grow the population in the Arctic include comprehensive support for families with children, poverty reduction initiatives, retention of local youth and attraction of young professionals from other regions, economic diversification, and the establishment of competitive services to meet residents' needs in healthcare, general and vocational education, infrastructure, and other essential aspects of quality of life in northern latitudes.

THEORETICAL BASIS OF MANAGEMENT OF STUDENTS EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN A SPECIALIZED SCHOOL

The article examines the theoretical foundations of management of educational activities of students of a specialized school. Practical school workers recognize the insufficiency of their theoretical training in management theory. The foundation in practical work is, at best, experience and intuition. At the same time, it cannot be said that scientists are not engaged in the study of issues of management theory. Undoubtedly, the school has its own specifics, peculiarities. However, any researcher (theoretician, practitioner) should remember that the dialectical essence of management theory has been proven and, therefore, it has a general, all-pervading character, and its general laws manifest themselves in any form of managerial activity, in any content of the work of the head. The system of quality management of secondary education cannot be introduced all at once. It is formed sequentially, step by step, in accordance with the program of its formation and development. Managing the quality of education is not only achieving a certain level, but also ensuring the positive dynamics of its change. The dynamic development of the macroenvironment of a school that provides educational services reveals the need for constant monitoring of the developing situation and making appropriate adjustments to its activities, which will allow maintaining and strengthening competitive positions. Creating a single educational space requires the use of new management methods that contribute to increasing the competitiveness and quality of services of an educational institution. Awareness of a person, his knowledge, competencies, creativity in choosing and making non-trivial decisions as achieving the highest social value is a characteristic feature of modern reality. In this regard, increasing competitiveness and quality can become a trigger mechanism that initiates a new qualitative stage in the development of educational services.

Contemporary Software Modernization: Strategies, Driving Forces, and Research Opportunities

Software modernization is a common activity in software engineering, since technologies advance, requirements change, and business models evolve. Differently from conventional software evolution (e.g., adding new features, enhancing performance, or adapting to new requirements), software modernization involves re-engineering entire legacy systems (e.g., changing the technology stack, migrating to a new architecture style, or programming paradigms). Given the pervasive nature of software today, modernizing legacy systems is paramount to provide customers with competitive and innovative products and services, while keeping companies profitable. Despite the prevalent discussion of software modernization in gray literature, and the many papers in the literature, there is no work presenting a “big picture” of contemporary software modernization, describing challenges, and providing a well-defined research agenda. The goal of this work is to describe the state of the art in software modernization in the past 10 years. We collect the state of the art by performing a rapid review (searching five digital libraries), identifying potential 3,460 studies, leading to a final set of 127. We analyzed these studies to understand which strategies are employed, the driving forces that lead organizations to modernize their systems, and the challenges that need to be addressed. The results show that studies in the last 10 years have explored eight strategies for modernizing legacy systems, namely cloudification, architecture redesign, moving to a new programming language, targeting reuse optimization, software modernization for new hardware integration, practices to leverage automation, database modernization, and digital transformation. Modernization is triggered by 14 driving forces, with the most common ones being reducing operational costs, improving performance and scalability, and reducing complexity. In addition, based on the analysis of existing literature, we present a detailed discussion of research opportunities in this field. The main challenges are providing tooling support, followed by defining a modernization process and considering better evaluation metrics. The main contribution of our work is to equip practitioners and researchers with knowledge of the current state of contemporary software modernization so that they are aware of practices and challenges to be addressed when deciding to modernize legacy systems.

Game Theory as a Marketing Optimization Tool: A Case Study on Kelom Geulis

Competition in the market for traditional art products, such as Kelom Geulis, has become increasingly intense along with the growing public interest in aesthetically and culturally valuable items. This competition forces producers to develop effective marketing strategies to maintain their competitiveness. This study adopts a game theory approach to evaluate and formulate optimal marketing strategies between two major producers. The research method involves the use of questionnaires covering three main aspects: improving product quality, setting competitive prices, and enhancing customer service. Data analysis is conducted using a payoff matrix to determine the best strategies that can increase profits or reduce losses for each party.The results show that a saddle point is reached at a value of 4.57, where PT A achieves a profit increase from 4 to 4.57, while PT B reduces its loss from 6 to 4.57. This optimal strategy can be achieved if PT A prioritizes improving product quality and setting competitive prices, while PT B A prioritizes setting competitive prices and service quality enhancement. The implementation of these strategies has proven effective in strengthening the competitiveness of Kelom Geulis in the market. This study is expected to serve as a practical reference for Kelom Geulis producers to continuously adapt their marketing strategies, ensuring their relevance in the market and appealing to consumers

Research on Paths to Enhance the Quality of Cultural, Sports, and Tourism Consumption Scenarios in Liaoning

With the continuous improvement of the socio-economic development level, people's living standards have been ensured, leading to a greater focus on spiritual satisfaction. This shift provides new opportunities for the tourism industry. During the process of driving economic growth and social development, the integration of culture, sports, and tourism industries has emerged as an important force. The development of these integrated industries, as a new model of industry integration in China, has been found to have a high degree of industry fit through systematic practical application. This integration not only enables effective resource consolidation and optimal allocation but also creates more attractive and competitive products and services to meet diverse consumer demands. Analyzing from the consumer perspective, the integration of culture, sports, and tourism can further stimulate consumers' potential, and how to leverage this integration to enhance consumption levels has become an urgent issue for relevant departments and enterprises. This paper comprehensively analyzes the importance of improving the quality of cultural, sports, and tourism consumption scenarios, proposes solutions to problems encountered during development, and thus promotes high-quality development of the industry.

Approaches to Service Lifecycle Management

Key words: service, lifecycle, sequence of stages, strategy, planning, management policy, value system, customers As the world experience shows, the leading positions in competitive conditions are occupied by those organizations that more competently manage the cyclical stages, and are better versed in the methods of its implementation. The common goal of different management methods is to ensure efficiency. Today, more than ever, the ultimate goal for companies should be to create value. This problem is solved by the value-based management (VBM), which is based on the belief that the company should implement only those activities that create value for their stakeholders. The application of the customer relationship management system, CRM (customer relationship management), allows the organization to predict the customer’s behavior at a certain stage of the cycle and develop the specific strategies. Any service providing company, in the course of its activity, based on the situation, should conduct a correct approach to cycle management, with the aim of ensuring not only material, but also social benefit. Product life cycle management helps companies develop, create competitive advantages, innovative products or services, and find new promotion methods. The choice of a product life cycle model will affect the adaptation of a business to changing market conditions and, accordingly, competitiveness.

Attractions and Repulsions: How Competitive is the Hungarian Civil Service Today?

Purpose: The aging of civil servants poses the greatest risk for public institutions in Europe, making it increasingly difficult for employers to offer a suitably motivating atmosphere and attractive working conditions for different generations. Lately, research has been focusing on the tools and human resource (HR) and communication strategies that can help retain talented workforce and increase their loyalty. The purpose of the study is to investigate the competitiveness of the Hungarian civil service through a literature review, exploring how attractive or repulsive a civil service career is in the Hungarian labour market. Finally, the article presents some suggestions on how governments can proactively attract and retain the talented next generation of civil servants.Design/Methodology/Approach: The article is partly descriptive and synthesizing, drawing on extensive, comprehensive knowledge and systematization of domestic and international literature and legislation.Findings: The greatest challenge in public administration HR management today is replacing the older generation, transferring knowledge and practical experience, as well as winning over generations Y and Z and creating attractive working conditions for them. The article summarizes the options to address these staffing challenges based on the literature and practice offering numerous solutions to recruitment and retention issues.Practical Implications: Public administration has always been considered a special field, with operating principles and processes differing significantly from those of the private sphere. A wide range of specialized literature has researched, through the explanation of generational change, the HR tools necessary for attracting and retaining today’s employees. Some of the proposed tools and measures may differ from the traditional organizational culture of the public administration. This article lays the grounds for the next empirical phase of research, which will investigate the main motivators for public administration employees and the factors that drive their commitment. This phase will also examine whether the motivators and commitment factors differ from those in the private sector and how the unique characteristics of public administration manifest in this field. By presenting development trends in Hungary, this study aims to contribute to the scientific discourse on the specific characteristics of this issue in Central and Eastern Europe.

Measuring service quality based on consumers’ evaluation of services in competitive markets

Previous research recommends using measurement models of service quality such as SERVQUAL and SERVPERF. However, these models may be insufficient for measuring service quality in competitive markets, as they do not account for comparisons between competitive services. This paper proposes a new model for measuring service quality based on two comparison processes that consumers use: internal and longitudinal comparison versus external and cross-sectional comparison. The former involves comparing the experienced quality to the expected quality of a focal firm, while the latter involves comparing the experienced quality of the focal firm and that of other firms. This paper shows that internal and longitudinal comparison significantly influences customer satisfaction through external and cross-sectional comparison. It also highlights the advantages of the new model and advocates for its use in competitive markets. By comparing these dual comparison processes, the proposed model offers a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of service quality assessment in competitive market environments.