Service Strategies Research Articles

Service Quality Standards and Organisation Performance of Private Hospitals in Eldoret City, Kenya

The private health sector has received much attention in recent times and is crucial in the expansion of access to quality healthcare. The majority of private hospitals in the country are undergoing performance challenges due to the inability to retain and satisfy their customers. Because of the improvements in health provision by county governments, private hospitals are facing increasing performance challenges due shortage of human resource personnel, shortage of medical services and inadequate medical infrastructure. Therefore, this study sought to find how the level of implementation of service quality standards affected the organisation performance of private hospitals. This study is supported by the Service Quality (SERVQUAL) model. The study is quantitative in nature guided by correlational research design. The study was conducted in Eldoret town covering major hospitals classified from Level 3B and above. The target population involved 1875 employees from 25 private hospitals in Eldoret town. A sample size of 319 respondents was chosen through the Cochran sample size formula to be representative of the whole population. The respondents (319) out of 1875 were selected using stratified and random sampling techniques. The research instrument used in data collection was a questionnaire. Data analysis was undertaken through the use of descriptive statistics; frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviation inferential statistics; correlation and linear regression with the help of Statistical Product and Service Solutions computer software. Findings showed service quality standards (β=0.240) had a significant positive effect on the performance of private hospitals in Eldoret town. It is concluded that the performance of hospitals is dependent on the extent to which service quality standards were implemented by the management of private hospitals in Eldoret. The study recommends that private hospitals regularly collect customers’ feedback to improve the standards of services/ The study findings provide solutions to private hospitals on the way to improve their performance through the adoption of quality healthcare service strategies in the delivery of services to patients

Hierarchical Game Theory-Based Optimal Power Management for Both Seaports and Ships

Unlike land-based power systems, a seaport microgrid is not only equipped with extensive electrification but also connected with ships, which turns maritime power management into a comprehensive transportation-power coordination problem. To fully exploit the potential of shipboard power systems for energy efficiency improvement of seaports, a hierarchical Stackelberg game-based framework is developed in this paper to achieve efficient power management for both seaports and ships. In this framework, the seaport microgrid serves as a leader to manage the local sources and determine the price for ships to maximize revenue, considering the influence of both the power side and transportation side. On the other hand, the ships act as followers to decide the charging and service strategies for an optimal trade-off between the benefits from onboard battery charging and the ship service cost. The proposed game is solved as a bilevel optimization problem via mathematical programming with the equilibrium constraints method. The proposed algorithm's efficiency is evaluated through numerical simulations. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed power management method can simultaneously increase the economic profits of seaports and improve the service of ships at berth. Compared to traditional energy management methods, the comprehensive benefits can be increased by approximately 36%.

Dampak Konseling Kelompok terhadap Kesehatan Mental Siswa SMA di Era Digital

The development of digital technology today has an influence on the mental health of adolescents, especially high school students. Students often face various challenges that can affect mental health, such as cyberbullying, egocentricity, fomo, etc. This study aims to analyze the impact of group counseling as an intervention to improve students' mental health in the digital era. This research method uses the literature study method by collecting, reviewing, and analyzing research articles from various sources relevant to group counseling. The results of this study show that group counseling has a good impact on students' mental health. Group counseling is said to be effective in overcoming students' mental health problems in the digital era. Group counseling is proven to be a potential guidance and counseling service strategy in improving the mental health of high school students in the digital era. Group counseling not only brings a good impact on mental health but also social skills and achieving potential to the fullest. This study concludes that the group counseling service strategy as a forum for sharing experiences and coping strategies in dealing with problems faced in the digital world.

Customer Perception Towards Customer-Centric Strategies of Private Sector Banks

Introduction: In the Indian financial market, banking plays a very vital role. Banking is the biggest dealer of credit and most of the people invest in banks as savings. Global economic progress depends on banking. The reason for this is that a well-developed financial sector is seen as essential and acts as a gauge for a nation's overall economic health. The banking sector is the most robust and prosperous in our nation. In addition to fierce competition among banking firms for customers, the Indian banking industry is engaged in a profit war. Try to learn about the tactics used by private sector banks in this article to draw in and keep consumers. It also makes an effort to comprehend how clients view banks in the private sector. Objectives: This study aims to explore the strategies employed by private sector banks in India to attract and retain customers within a highly competitive financial market. It seeks to understand customer perceptions of private sector banks and evaluate the role of the banking sector in supporting economic growth and financial stability. Methods: The study examines various marketing and customer service strategies used by private sector banks to attract and engage clients. It includes a review of competitive tactics within the banking sector, with a focus on customer acquisition, loyalty programs, and personalized services. Additionally, the research assesses customer perceptions through surveys and analysis of customer satisfaction metrics in relation to private sector banks. Results: The findings reveal that private sector banks employ a variety of strategies, including personalized services, digital banking options, and loyalty programs, to attract and retain customers. Customer perception of private sector banks is generally positive, with clients valuing the convenience, technological advancements, and customer-focused services offered by these institutions. The competitive nature of the banking industry has led to innovation and improved customer experience, contributing to the sector's robust growth. Conclusion: The study highlights the essential role of private sector banks in supporting the Indian economy by promoting financial inclusion and innovation. Effective strategies for customer attraction and retention, coupled with a focus on customer satisfaction, have strengthened the position of private sector banks within the competitive banking landscape. These insights can guide future efforts to enhance customer engagement and sustain growth within India's financial sector.

Determinants of Inflation in Pakistan: A Comprehensive Analysis of Macroeconomic Variables (1991–2022)

This research paper investigates the determinants of inflation in Pakistan from 1991 to 2022, focusing on key macroeconomic variables such as imports, GDP growth rate, GDP per capita, military expenditure, population growth, total debt service, and unemployment. The main objective is to analyse the impact of these variables on inflation and provide policymakers with actionable insights. Utilizing annual time series data from reliable source World Bank WDI, the study employs descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, ADF unit root tests, regression analysis, and the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model. The findings reveal significant interdependencies among the examined variables. The correlation analysis shows strong positive relationships between inflation and imports and military expenditure, while GDP per capita and population growth negatively correlate with inflation. OLS results confirm that imports, GDP growth, and total debt service significantly raise inflation, whereas GDP per capita, military expenditure, and population reduce inflation. The ARDL model reveals that, in the long run, imports, GDP growth, and debt service positively affect inflation, while GDP per capita, population growth, and unemployment exert downward pressure. Short-run dynamics indicate that inflation quickly adjusts to economic shocks, with imports and GDP growth having an immediate impact. These findings highlight the importance of managing imports and debt, while promoting economic growth to maintain price stability. The policy implications emphasize the need for targeted monetary policies to manage imports and optimize debt service strategies, as well as policies aimed at enhancing economic growth and increasing per capita income. Effective debt management and strategic military spending are also vital for maintaining price stability. Despite its comprehensive analysis, the study identifies gaps such as the need for further exploration of structural breaks and non-linear effects in inflation dynamics, and the impact of external factors like global oil prices. The significance of this research lies in its contribution to understanding the complex economic interactions influencing inflation in Pakistan, providing a crucial resource for policymakers to develop effective strategies for economic stability in developing economies.

The clearing strategy of primary frequency control ancillary services market from the point of view ISO in the presence of synchronous generations and virtual power plants based on responsive loads

Since the increase in penetration of renewable energy sources connected to the system reduces the inertia of power systems, the penetration of these sources leads to increase in the requirements of primary frequency control (PFC) services. Fortunately, with the expansion of network intelligence platforms, responsive loads (RL) can be effectively useful in ancillary services in the near future and can be used like traditional power plants. Since these equipment have a high rate of change of status, if they are visible in the market by aggregating (with virtual power plant (VPP)), they can compete with synchronous generations (SG). Because the response speed of the participants in the market can affect the decision independent system operator (ISO) in determining the winning units, therefore in this article, we have proposed a market framework to create competition between SGs and VPPs in providing ancillary services. In the proposed framework, ISO minimizes the weighted sum of power purchase costs from VPPs and SGs. The proposed weighting coefficients express the response speed of each unit. In fact, the desired objective function is affected by two terms, cost and speed. The presented model has been simulated on a test system including four SGs units and one VPP unit in matrix laboratory (MATLAB) software and checked under five different scenarios. The comparison of the obtained results indicates an increase in the possibility of accepting units with a smaller weighting factor and a higher response speed (the meaning of accepting units are market players, i.e. SGs and VPPs).

Decisions on group buying option in a duopoly environment

Group buying has emerged as a distinctive strategy in today's product and service markets, offering low-priced products to a large number of customers. As many sellers now offer both group and individual purchasing options, this pricing model benefits both sellers and buyers, with sellers reducing prices to drive higher sales volume. In this study, we investigate the competition between two retailers selling substitutable products in the same market through both group and individual purchasing mechanisms. The profit function of duopoly retailers is represented, using a game theoretic approach to evaluate the conditions under which group buying is offered. Additionally, we address the challenge of determining individual and group prices, as well as the optimal group size. The numerical analysis reveals that in collectivist-dominated markets, where group buying is easily viable, offering group prices may not be beneficial for retailers. While, in individualist-dominant markets, retailers tend to provide both group and individual prices.

Marketing strategies to improve service quality at sports and fitness venues: a systematic review

The sports and fitness industry has seen accelerated growth with increasing public awareness about the relevance of health and well-being. Nowadays, facilities such as gyms, stadiums, swimming pools and fitness centers have become essential elements of lifestyle in society. Marketing strategies are important to attract and retain customers. The programs offered should be viewed as service products that have sales value. Therefore, implementing effective marketing strategies is necessary to compete, satisfy customer needs and increase customer loyalty. This research aims to conduct a systematic review of existing literature regarding marketing strategies for sports and fitness venues using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) method. This study includes research published in the last 10 years from indexed journal sources and identifies important findings regarding the effectiveness of various marketing strategies in service and retaining customers. The research results shows that personalization of service, utilization of technology, deep understanding of customer needs, and high service quality are key strategies that can increase perceived value, satisfaction, and customer loyalty in the sports and fitness sector.

Value‐Added Service Strategies for Retailers Oriented to Uncertain Demand

ABSTRACTWhereas retailers pursue providing value‐added services (VAS) to capture additional markets and maximize profits, market demand uncertainty decreases retailers' incentives to provide VAS. Therefore, we analyze retailers' VAS provision strategies in the market demand uncertainty. We then investigate the VAS provision strategies and explore the impact of market demand uncertainty, competitive effects, and market loss effects on retailers' VAS provision strategies. We prove that when the market loss effect is high, the retailers provide VAS that even face lower consumer preferences. When the market loss effect is low, neither retailer offers VAS, even when consumer preferences are high. When the market loss effect and consumer preferences match each other, only one retailer offers VAS as an equilibrium strategy. The competition effect and market demand uncertainty exacerbate this result. Notably, the combination of VAS cost, competition effect, and market loss effect puts the retailer in a prisoner's dilemma under market demand uncertainty. Interestingly, the competition effect mitigates situations where retailers suffer from the prisoners' dilemma. Besides, the competition effect and market demand uncertainty exacerbate the difficulties of extracting optimal social welfare in different scenarios.

Towards value‐based rehabilitation: an analysis of South African policies for people with disabilities

AbstractSouth Africa has progressively established good healthcare policies and actively promotes the rights of people with disabilities. However, as the healthcare sector is moving towards value‐based care to achieve universal health coverage, it remains unclear whether South African rehabilitation policies provide sufficient guidance for delivering value‐based rehabilitation services for people with disabilities. This article attempts to ascertain whether the content of South African rehabilitation policies is aligned with value‐based care. Rehabilitation policies were identified through a literature search (including grey literature) and discussions with stakeholders in the health policy field. A framework for value‐based care was created for deductive policy content analysis. A qualitative descriptive approach was used to describe the content that correlates with the framework's components. The National Rehabilitation Policy and the Framework and Strategy for Disability and Rehabilitation Services were included in this study. Both documents aligned with the value‐based framework, however, various barriers in South Africa challenge value‐based rehabilitation services. We conclude that South Africa's rehabilitation policies can guide value‐based rehabilitation services. However, these policies need to be operationalized and supported by empirical data on disability and rehabilitation services. A concerted effort is required from the government to ensure the allocation of resources for the implementation of policy.

Structural relationships between workation attachment, workationer power, workation relationship quality, and workation intention

This research aims to examine the structural relationships between the dimensions of workation attachment, workationer power, the dimensions of workation relationship quality, and workation intention. It demonstrates that the proposed model aligns well with the collected data based on a convenience sample comprising 494 workationers in Bangkok using structural equation modeling. The analysis outcomes contribute to the tourism marketing theory by providing additional insights into the dimensions of workation attachment, workationer power, the dimensions of workation relationship quality, and workation intention. The findings from this study can aid workation managers in formulating and executing market-oriented service strategies to enhance the dimensions of workation attachment, workationer power, and workation relationship quality and foster workation intention.

Research on the Impact of Digital Transformation on the Sustainable Development Capability of the Information Service Industry

Digital transformation is a trend in the information service industry that is gaining traction. Enterprises can benefit from the development of innovative business models as well as improved service quality and efficiency, thereby promoting sustainable development of the information services industry. A rapid advancement in technology has led to the introduction of new digital technologies such as cloud computing, big data, artificial intelligence, etc. Several fields of the information service industry are slowly becoming impacted by these technologies, creating new opportunities and challenges for its sustainable growth. Information services can be optimized through digital transformation and work efficiency can be improved. Digital technologies facilitate the transmission of information and facilitate the processing of information, which helps enterprises respond to market changes quickly and enhance their competitiveness. Furthermore, businesses can use digital technology to better understand and meet the needs of their customers. Using big data, companies can gain a deeper understanding of customer behavior and preferences, enabling them to adjust their service strategies accordingly. Despite the benefits of the digital transformation, it has brought some problems and challenges, such as privacy and security concerns, as well as an increased demand for employees with specialized skills. As a result, enterprises should pay attention to solutions to these issues during the digital transformation process, such as strengthening data security measures, providing employee training and skill upgrades.

Strategies for Climate-Resilient Imaging Services: AJR Podcast Series on Sustainability, Episode 3.

Strategies for Climate-Resilient Imaging Services: AJR Podcast Series on Sustainability, Episode 3.

Exploring the Psychological Mechanism of How the Multidimensional Service Quality of Fitness Centers Affects Consumer Satisfaction and Loyalty Depending on the Level of Exercise Involvement.

This study aimed to examine the influence of core services and the physical servicescape and social servicescape on consumer satisfaction and loyalty via perceived price fairness, flow experience, and rapport in fitness centers. Additionally, the present study explored how exercise involvement moderates the relationship between perceived price fairness, flow experience, rapport, and consumer satisfaction. For these purposes, targeting adults using fitness centers in South Korea, a total of 763 participants were sampled based on a cross-sectional design and used for data analyses involving confirmatory factor analysis for measurement validation and latent moderated structural equation modeling for hypothesis testing. The results showed that the core services, physical servicescape, and social servicescape enhance perceived price fairness, flow experiences, and rapport between staff and consumers, respectively. The study findings also indicated that exercise involvement significantly moderates the effect of price fairness and flow experience on satisfaction but not rapport. These insights offer practical and theoretical implications for fitness center management, emphasizing the importance of tailored service strategies in retaining loyal customers.

Assessing the Experiential Service Quality, Perceived Image, Experiential Satisfaction, and Revisiting Intentions of Public Zoo Visitors

The role of zoos in wildlife management has been revolutionized from basic conservation sites into research institutions, public education, and recreational desti-nations for public visitors. Building upon this evolution, the present study delves into the intricate interrelationships between public zoo experiential service quality, the perceived image of these institutions, experiential satisfaction, and visitors' intentions to revisit. Questionnaires were administered to 330 visitors via purposive sampling at the Kuala Lumpur National Zoo. The study hypotheses were supported, highlighting the significant and positive interrelationship between interaction quality, physical environment quality, enjoyment quality, educational quality, zoo image, experiential satisfaction, and visitor’s revisit intention. The study provides practical managerial implications for the public zoo in delivering superior services, essential in improving visitor satisfaction. Excellent service quality ensures visitor satisfaction, enabling zoo management to meet visitor's expectations and encourage return visits, thus enhancing the zoo’s sustainability. The study results urge public zoo management in developing and implementing out of the box market-orientated service strategies by enhancing the interaction, enjoyment, educational quality, and physical environment perceived by future visitors.

Analisis Strategi Optimalisasi Share Market pada Produk Simpanan Berjangka : Studi Kasus Produk Simpanan Berjangka di KSPPS BMT Fastabiq

KSPPS BMT Fastabiq has a term savings product. The savings have not been recognized and used by people outside Cepogo Village. The purpose of this study was to determine how the strategy of optimizing market share in term savings products. The method used in this research uses qualitative research methods using data from interviews directly with managers and tellers. data collection techniques used through interviews and observations. The results showed that KSPPS BMT Fastabiq uses several strategies to increase market share in term savings products including promotional strategies (word of mouth, ball pickup and social media), product excellence (uncertain profit sharing system every month and get a deposit note) service strategies (employee services and room facilities) KSPPS BMT Fastabiq has several obstacles in increasing term savings products lack of understanding of the uncertain profit sharing system every month and the lack of marketing department at KSPPS BMT Fastabiq.

Integrating Smart Computility for Subflow Orchestration in Remote Virtual Services.

The burgeoning domain of the metaverse has sparked significant interest from a diverse array of industries, including healthcare services. However, the metaverse and its associated applications present various challenges to existing networks. First, to meet the increasing demands of the metaverse, there is a need for enhanced bandwidth, reduced latency, and improved packet loss control. Furthermore, the transmission mechanism should exhibit flexibility to automatically adapt to the diverse hybrid needs of different healthcare services. In this article, a multipath transmission-based paradigm tailored for the metaverse-based healthcare services is developed. Significantly, we devise an orchestration framework to reconcile edge-side subflow management with diverse healthcare applications. Using machine learning techniques, the framework can produce near-optimal subflow adjustment strategies for client nodes and miscellaneous services. Comprehensive experiments are performed on applications with diverse requirements to validate the adaptability of the framework to the application needs. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method enables the network to autonomously adapt to changing network conditions and service requirements. This includes applications' preferences for high throughput, low delay, and high stability. Moreover, the test results show that the proposed approach can notably decrease the occurrences of network quality falling below the minimum requirement. Given its adaptability and impact on network quality, this work paves the way for future metaverse-based healthcare services.

IoT-enabled smart cities towards green energy systems: a review

<span>Integration of internet of things (IoT) in smart city management to improve various functions and living standards due to increasing population growth has dramatically evolved ubiquitous and essential services at various stages of urbanization. Hence, smart cities need to be eco-friendly by improving various sectors like education, health, and transport to provide an urban and sustainable quality of life through solving complicated green energy networks, controlling toxic pollution risks, and public safety. Linking optimized green energy systems with the production and automation of advanced applications is crucial to compose implementation strategies for smart city services. This paper aims to conduct a review on eco-friendly plans and infrastructure of IoT-enabled smart cities by exploiting green energy approaches. This study performs critical observations, ideas, and analyses of recent research in the context of our mentioned research theme. This paper points out the technical and functional challenges of an optimal performance-based green IoT-enabled smart city infrastructure. In this sense, this study organizes observations of relevant initiatives, technologies, and experiences in IoT-enabled smart cities, as well as how to embed it with green energy. Moreover, it can provide significant directions to intellectuals and authorities to develop IoT-enabled smart city applications for prospective research.</span>

The Impact of channel role on the outsourcing of after-sales service with asymmetric retailer competition

After-sales service is support provided to a customer after purchase, which potentially leads to higher customer satisfaction and is demand-enhancing. Using a game-theoretic model in which a manufacturer determines its after-sales service and distribution channel strategies in the presence of two asymmetric retailers, we identify channel position as an important criterion in determining the outsourcing of after-sales service. Specifically, outsourcing to a third-party provider, due to its lack of channel interaction, is never an optimal choice for the manufacturer unless the third-party has a significant cost advantage in providing after-sales service. However, because of the channel role of the retailers, the manufacturer outsources to the large retailer rather than undertaking the after-sales service in-house, when the competing small retailer is less competitive and the cost of service provision is high. The trade-off between the manufacturer outsourcing the service and undertaking that in-house involves whether the manufacturer accommodates the small retailer in the market. When service provision is outsourced, the large retailer enjoys a lower wholesale price if the small retailer is present, and therefore the large retailer subsidizes the manufacturer to induce the manufacturer to accommodate the small retailer. However, the manufacturer, when undertaking the service by itself, forgoes the small retailer. Finally, we show that when the manufacturer adopts a multi-retailer distribution channel, the large retailer benefits because improved after-sales service increases demand and consumer valuation of the product. We also demonstrate the robustness of our key results in multiple extensions.

Impact of family members’ perception bias on service strategies of elder care institutions

Family members play an important role in the decision-making process of the elderly in accepting elder care services, which inevitably influences the operational strategy of elder care institutions (ECIs). Previous literature has focused on the disagreements between the elderly and their family members, but a research gap remains in examining the effects of family members’ perception bias on ECIs’ decisions to outsource service and on the elder care service market in general. Our study bridges this gap by employing a game-theoretic model that incorporates monopoly and duopoly markets to explore these effects. Our findings indicate that family members’ perception bias for ECIs’ services negatively impacts ECIs’ prices, demand, and profit. Moreover, we find that in the monopoly market, an ECI should adopt the outsourcing strategy to reduce losses if family members’ perception bias is higher. In the duopoly market, when family members’ perception bias is higher, if one ECI adopts the outsourcing strategy, then the other ECI should opt for the self-providing strategy, and vice versa. Furthermore, we observe that a higher perception bias decreases family surplus and social welfare in the monopoly market. However, it may sometimes benefit family surplus and social welfare in the duopoly market. Our results offer insightful takeaways for ECIs’ operational strategies and policymakers’ welfare policies in the elder care service market.