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- The moderating effect of channel use on the quality-loyalty relationship in multi-channel e-servicesPublication . Sousa, RuiPurpose – Services provided through the internet (e-services) are typically offered as part of a broader Multi-Channel (MC) service package, combining these services with services delivered through traditional channels (e.g. phone, physical facilities). Customers of e-services display heterogeneity in channel use, ranging from customers with a high Degree of Focus on the Internet (DFI) channel (internet-oriented customers) to customers with a low DFI (low focus on the internet and strong reliance on traditional channels). The purpose of this study is to examine whether a customer’s DFI moderates the relationship between e-service quality (eSQ) and e-loyalty behavioral intentions in an MC e-service. Design/methodology/approach – Perceptual and objective data were collected from multiple sources in a major retail MC e-banking service (survey of online customers, transactional data and customer database). Findings – First, there is high diversity in DFI among e-service customers; second, a customer’s DFI negatively moderates the quality-loyalty relationship. Research limitations/implications – The study should be extended to other types of e-services. Practical implications – eSQ seems to be a more important driver of e-loyalty behavioral intentions for low DFI customers than for high DFI (internet-oriented) customers. Different strategies may need to be employed to drive retention across customers with different levels of DFI. Specifically, driving e-loyalty among internet-oriented customers may require complementing eSQ investments with additional retention mechanisms (e.g. building communities or creating switching barriers). DFI should be recognized as a useful and readily available customer segmentation variable for devising loyalty strategies. Originality/value – The study pioneers the examination of the impact of channel use on the quality-loyalty relationship. It breaks new ground in proposing DFI as a relevant customer segmentation variable for e-service research and practice. External validity is enhanced by the use of objective (rather than self-reported), real-world data to measure customer channel use.
- Service encounters, experiences and the customer journey: defining the field and a call to expand our lensPublication . Voorhees, Clay M.; Fombelle, Paul W.; Gregoire, Yany; Bone, Sterling; Gustafsson, Anders; Sousa, Rui; Walkowiak, TravisService researchers have emphasized the importance of studying the service experience, which encompasses multiple service encounters. Although the reflection on a series of service encounters has increased, the scope of research in this space remains narrow. Service research has traditionally concentrated on understanding, measuring and optimizing the core service delivery. While this focused lens has generated extraordinary knowledge and moved service research and practice forward, it has also resulted in a narrowly focused research field. The authors present a framework to guide comprehensive service experience research. Broadly, they define (1) pre-core service encounter, (2) core service encounter, and (3) post-core service encounter as distinct periods within a service experience. Further, they review the literature and put forward important research questions to be addressed within and across these periods. Finally, they argue that researchers need to consider simultaneously all periods of the service experience to make valuable contributions to the literature.
- Customer use of virtual channels in multi-channel services: does type of activity matter?Publication . Sousa, Rui; Amorim, Marlene; Rabinovich, ElliotThis paper examines whether customer use of virtual channels varies with the type of service activities (e.g. information search, transactions) they engage in. Based on data from a multichannel bank, we first investigate the impact of customer distance to the nearest branch on the degree of use of virtual channels (internet and phone, aggregated), for different types of activities. Second, when customers do resort to virtual channels to conduct activities, we look at their relative channel preferences (internet vs. phone) for different types of activities. The results inform design decisions about which activities to offer through virtual channels.
- Guest EditorialPublication . Sousa, Rui; Oliveira, Pedro
- Design-manufacturing integration and manufacturing complexityPublication . Thomé, António Márcio Tavares; Sousa, RuiPurpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose that the effectiveness of organizational designmanufacturing integration (ODMI) practices is contingent upon the degree of complexity of the manufacturing environment. The paper submits that the level of use of ODMI ought to match the level of complexity of the manufacturing environment. The paper puts forward the hypothesis that when a misfit occurs between ODMI and complexity (high use of ODMI practices in low complexity environments or low use of ODMI practices in high complexity environments) manufacturing operational performance declines. Design/methodology/approach – The paper tests the hypothesis based on a survey database of 725 manufacturers from 21 countries. The measurement model was assessed with confirmatory factor analysis and the hypothesis was tested with linear regression. Findings – A misfit between the level of ODMI use (job rotation and co-location) and manufacturing complexity (product and process complexity) has a negative effect on manufacturing operational performance dimensions of quality, delivery and flexibility. Post hoc analyses also suggest that firms that operate in different environments in what concerns the rate of change in process technologies suffer differentiated negative impacts of ODMI-complexity misfit. Research limitations/implications – Future studies could extend this research to other dimensions of design-manufacturing integration, such as technological practices. Practical implications – Manufacturers with high levels of complexity should invest strongly in ODMI practices. However, manufacturers with low levels of complexity should invest in these practices with caution since the expected payoffs may not outweigh the effort. Originality/value – The study assesses fit as a simultaneous set of contingency factors, applying profile-deviation analysis to ODMI and operational performance relationships. By focusing on plantlevel manufacturing complexity, this study complements existing studies of product development complexity which tend to focus on project-level complexity.
- Challenges at the marketing–operations interface in omni-channel retail environmentsPublication . Bijmolt, Tammo H. A.; Broekhuis, Manda; Leeuw, Sander de; Hirche, Christian; Rooderker, Robert P.; Sousa, Rui; Zhu, Stuart X.To compete in today’s omni-channel business context, it is essential for firms to co-ordinate their activities across channels and across different stages of the customer journey and the product flow. This requires firms to adopt an integrative approach, addressing each omni-channel design decision from a dual demand-side (marketing) and supply-side (operations) perspective. However, both in practice and in academic research, such an integrative approach is still in an immature stage. In this article, a framework is developed with the following key decision areas: (i) assortment & inventory, (ii) distribution & delivery and (iii) returns. These affect both the customer journey and the product flow. As a consequence of the resulting interdependencies between the firm’s functions, addressing the issues that arise in the three decision areas requires an integrated marketing and operations perspective. For each of the areas, the key decisions that affect or involve both the customer journey and product flow are identified first. Next, for each decision, the marketing and operational goals and the tensions that arise when these goals are not perfectly aligned are described. The opportunities for relieving these tensions are also discussed and possible directions for future research aimed at addressing these tensions and opportunities are presented.
- Designing and developing OM research – from concept to publicationPublication . Caniato, Federico; Doran, Des; Sousa, Rui; Boer, HarryPurpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify similarities and differences between qualitative-based and quantitative-based research, and to present recommendations for designing and conducting the research so that the possibilities of publishing it in leading Operations Management (OM) journals are improved. Design/methodology/approach: The paper takes its outset in contributions made at the 2016 European Operations Management Association Young Scholars Workshop. The theme of the workshop was “Designing and developing research projects in Operations Management – from concept to publication.” Taking the perspectives of the case researcher, the survey researcher and the editor/reviewer, the authors present and discuss the views on and experiences with designing research for publication. Findings: The authors identify a number of recommendations that researchers should use when designing, conducting, and presenting their research for publication. The recommendations include the need to clearly and concisely establish relevance, account for choice of methodology as well as the operationalization, sampling, analytical, and validation methods used, and demonstrate the contribution of the paper in the discussion section. Furthermore, the authors draw attention to the importance of developing a publication strategy as early as possible. Other important aspects include the title of the paper, keywords selection, and rejection criteria. Finally, the authors stress the importance of “total quality management” in designing and executing OM research. Originality/value: Going beyond the standard author guidelines found at journal web sites, the authors present a collection of viewpoints, which are based on the authors’ experiences as reviewers, editors, and evaluators of OM research projects and their designs.
- The impacts of e-service quality on customer behaviour in multi-channel e-servicesPublication . Sousa, Rui; Voss, ChrisA large number of e-services are multi-channel (MC), combining the Internet with other channels of service delivery, such as the phone and physical facilities. As a result, online customers frequently engage in MC behaviour. Existing research examining the impact of quality on behavioural intentions in e-services has not adequately recognised theirMC nature. In order to address this gap, this study sets out to examine the following twopronged impacts of e-service quality on customer behaviour in an MC e-service: (i) the impact on e-loyalty behavioural intentions; (ii) the impact on customer channel behaviour. Perceptual and objective data were collected from multiple sources in a major retail MC e-banking service. Two basic groups of online customers in terms of channel behaviour were found – Internet-Focused (IF) and MC – with the latter exhibiting a balanced use of channels and being more loyal, older, less educated and less experienced with the e-service. Data analyses revealed that e-service quality had a strong impact on e-loyalty intentions; but did not have an impact on customer channel behaviour. E-service quality does not seem to be an effective lever for influencing customer channel behaviour; however, it is a key driver of e-loyalty intentions. The results raise the possibility that migration of customer interactions to the Internet channel may reduce e-loyalty intentions.
- Compras online: clique para devolverPublication . Sousa, Rui Soucasaux
- Architectures for multichannel front-office service delivery modelsPublication . Sousa, Rui; Amorim, MarlenePurpose – Multichannel (MC) service providers have been adopting a wide diversity of front-office service delivery models, i.e. different ways of employing channels to support the delivery of the service activities that involve customer interaction. Despite this, we are still faced with a paucity of concepts to understand the myriad of possible choices. The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework and basic design architectures to provide a structured understanding of the diversity of operational design choices for MC front-office service delivery models, their efficacy implications, and how they fit with the provider’s service strategy. Design/methodology/approach – The study employs the analytical conceptual approach. The authors logically develop the architectures based on the operations management theory and provide corresponding empirical illustrations based on secondary sources, direct observation, and case studies. Findings – The authors propose two theoretically meaningful dimensions to characterize and distinguish between delivery models (channel redundancy and channel span) and put forward four anchor architectures for such models: generalist, parallel, constricted, and centralized. The authors identify the operational efficacy implications (effectiveness and efficiency) of the different architectures, and develop a set of propositions and design principles for selecting appropriate architectures. Research limitations/implications – Future research should develop empirical measures for the dimensions underlying the architectures. Originality/value – The study extends existing service process classifications by capturing the MC traits of front-office processes. The authors offer design principles to assist firms in selecting architectures that are aligned with their service strategy. The framework and architectures provide seminal concepts to support a wealth of future empirical studies.
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