• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.11
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• pp.101-111
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• 2014

Purpose - This study aims to verify the construct of the service quality suitable to the characteristics of the business center, to develop the scale that can measure the service quality objectively, compare the diverse business centers in Korea, and present desirable methods of business center management and operation. Research design, data, and methodology - In the first stage, literature research and focus group interviews with current users and actual business experts of business centers were conducted. In addition, 69 early stage scale items were derived. In the second stage, a Delphi survey was conducted on the experts of business and academic circles. The measurement items in the early stage were supplemented and revised. The content validity rate (CVR) of 69 measures was computed and then the experts' opinions were used. As a result, the business center service quality scale, made up of 9 organizing factors and 36 measurement items, was constructed. In the third stage, a survey was conducted on the occupants who were currently using the business center. It was to confirm if the developed business center service quality scale could be actually utilized. The data of 435 samples collected were used. To refine the scale items, the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted repeatedly. Results - The business center service quality scale, made up of 8 factors and 33 items, was developed again. The 8 factors are reliability, speed, kindness, specialty, responsibility, appearance, convenience, and public interest. The reliability coefficient (Cronbach's Alpha) of each factor is greater than .7. Thus, it was confirmed that there was reliability in the measurement items. Further, the model suitability was verified using the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and the convergent validity and the discriminant validity were verified. This proved the construct validity. Through this process, the Korea Business Center Service Quality Scale was developed. Based on factor analysis, the developed business center service quality (BCSQ) scale consists of 4 aspects, 8 factors, and 33 items, comprising the "process quality" aspect: reliability (3 items), speediness (4 items), kindness (3 items) factors, the outcome quality aspect: expertise (3 items), responsibility (5 items) factors, the environment quality aspect: appearance (5 items), convenience (3 items) factors, and the public interest aspect: public interest (7 items) factor. However, according to CFA, the BCSQ scale consists of a total of 4 aspects, 8 factors, and 33 items, comprising the "process quality" aspect: reliability (3 items), speediness (3 items), kindness (3 items) factors, the outcome quality aspect: expertise (2 items), responsibility (4 items) factors, the environment quality aspect: appearance (3 items), convenience (2 items) factors, and the public interest aspect: public interest (3 items) factor. Conclusions - The BCSQ scale could serve as a diagnostic tool that will allow business center managers to determine service areas that are weak and in need of attention, and to improve the service quality of the business center.

• Journal of Information Processing Systems
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.1-20
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• 2010

Due to the convergence of voice, data, and video, today's telecom operators are facing the complexity of service and network management to offer differentiated value-added services that meet customer expectations. Without the operations support of well-developed Business Support System/Operations Support System (BSS/OSS), it is difficult to timely and effectively provide competitive services upon customer request. In this paper, a suite of NGOSS-based Telecom OSS (TOSS) is developed for the support of fulfillment and assurance operations of telecom services and IT services. Four OSS groups, TOSS-P (intelligent service provisioning), TOSS-N (integrated large-scale network management), TOSS-T (trouble handling and resolution), and TOSS-Q (end-to-end service quality management), are organized and integrated following the standard telecom operation processes (i.e., eTOM). We use IPTV and IP-VPN operation scenarios to show how these OSS groups co-work to support daily business operations with the benefits of cost reduction and revenue acceleration.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.123-134
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• 2009

The CRM(Customer Relationship Management) is a business strategy model which can reap higher profits and can provide a competitive edge to an enterprise in today's new business environments. Early next year (2009), the Capital Market Consolidation Act will be in effect in South Korea. This is required for a qualitative growth to provide QoS (Quality of Service) and ensure growth in finance, IT industry & service. Accordingly, the securities and insurance companies, banks and other financial institutions make efforts to improve their derivative financial product and also enhance their services. In this paper we design and implement a Channel Server model for a Scalable Service Channel Server to efficiently manage the high volumes of inbound customer interactions based on the requirements of a CRM center. The proposed Scalable Service Channel Server supports integration with other third party service and standardization of multiple inbound service channels. The proposed model can be efficiently used in an inbound CRM center of any banking, finance, securities and insurance establishments.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.91-96
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• 2016

Purpose - Although various studies have been conducted on the stress of service employees, there are still lack of studies regarding job stress and job satisfaction of call center workers. Especially there are quite few studies on the job stress according to employment type. This study focused on job stress and job satisfaction for call center employees and the correlation between the two factors and aimed to provide basic materials for seeking for the plans to reduce job stress and improve job satisfaction. Research design, data, and methodology - Frequency, percentage, and mean value were calculated through descriptive statistics in order to find out demographic characteristics, level of job stress, and job satisfaction. Differences in job stress according to employment type were calculated by using one-way ANOVA. Correlation between job stress and job satisfaction were identified through empirical analysis with Pearson's correlation coefficient. 150 materials were used for final analysis. The collected materials were analyzed to get statistics by using SPSS 20. Results - First, as for the job stress of call center workers, overall mean value was 2.54 in 4-point scales. Among the six sub-factors, job demands had the highest score, which was 2.67. Second, as for the job stress according to employment type, others showed higher score than mean value followed by contract job and full-time job in that order, in terms of job insecurity and organizational system. In terms of inappropriate remuneration, contract job showed higher score than mean value followed by others and full-time job. Third, as for the satisfaction with job, the mean value was 2.37 in 4-point scale and "very much satisfied" was only 3.3%. Lastly, in terms of job stress and job satisfaction, all sub-factors except for job demands showed significant correlation. The more job stress increased, the more job satisfaction decreased. Conclusions - First, as a result of analyzing job stress according to the employment type of call center workers, job stress increased more when the employment type was not full-time. Therefore, it was assumed that self-rescue efforts should be followed for effective employment management of call center business where contract employment takes most part as well as efforts to transfer them to full-time job. Second, decrease in job satisfaction of call center workers may affect the performance of an organization as well as service quality of the company providing the service. Therefore, various supports are required to decrease job stress and increase job satisfaction for call center workers through the expansion of rest area or break time. Third, I could recognize that there were lack of academic research on call center business in the whole service industry. Therefore, further research should be conducted more actively in the future. In particular, this study has special significance in the aspect that there were few studies on the job stress of call center workers according to employment type.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.8
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• pp.333-344
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• 2020

This research has four specific objectives: (1) identifying factors that affect customer satisfaction with less than container load (LCL) cargo services of logistics companies in HoChiMinh City (HCMC), (2) measuring the level of impact of the factors, (3) testing the difference in satisfaction among groups of customers with different characteristics in terms of type of business and time of using LCL cargo services, and (4) proposing some management implications to improve the quality of LCL cargo services. Researchers interviewed 210 customers who enjoyed the LCL cargo service in HCMC for at least the last six months, using the convenient sampling method. SPSS 20 was used to analyze the reliability of the scale through the Cronbach's alpha coefficient, then exploratory factor analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used. The results identified the six factors that influence positively customer satisfaction of LCL cargo services of logistics companies in HCMC, by decreasing importance: service process, image, resource, price, management, and outcomes. The results show that there is no difference in customer satisfaction with LCL cargo services by types of business as well as time of using services. The research suggests some implications for the management of logistics companies in HCMC to enhance customer satisfaction.

• The Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business
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• v.7 no.7
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• pp.323-334
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• 2020

The quality of hospital services remains a concern of both the manager and the patient. The study aims to identify factors affecting outpatient satisfaction at private general hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, establishing a scale for measuring them. Some 450 outpatients who were treated in five top private hospitals in Ho Chi Minh city (HCMC) in 2019 - An Sinh General Hospital, Hoan My General Hospital, Columbia Asia International Hospital, FV Hospital, and Vu Anh International General Hospital - were interviewed directly in the last quarter of 2019 to obtain the information. The SERVPERF model, plus the cost, together with the SPSS software, have been used to process information by Cronbach's alpha analysis, Exploratory Factor analysis, and linear regression analysis. The results show that there are five factors influencing outpatient satisfaction at private general hospitals in HCMC, in which four factors affects positively in the order of decreasing importance: treatment outcome, doctors and nurses' professional capacity, facilities and environment of the hospital, hospital care, and the treatment time factor affects negatively. The results of the study provide private hospital in HCMC managers with a number of suggestions to increase the level of hospital service quality, so that increase outpatients satisfaction.

• International Commerce and Information Review
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.169-201
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• 2011

There was a new wave in grocery business with development of information and technology, thus a movement from traditional stores to online stores, In order to expand the scale of traditional supermarket and to satisfy the customers' needs, they provide offline and online services simultaneously. This paper is based on the previous studies which had been researched in developed countries from late 1990s to early 2000s and the purpose of this study is to introduce the idea and operation system of e-Grocery business. Moreover, we suggest the alternatives on delivery service methods in order to satisfy the customers' needs through analyzing the current condition of e-Grocers in Korea. According to the result of this study, Korean e-Grocers offer only attended home delivery services. In our opinion, Korean supermarkets have to take hybrid model which Tesco.com is using. There are some alternatives to increase the profits of Korean e-Grocers and to provide better services to their customers as follows: As an alternatives for delivery services, picking service is the easiest and cheapest way to apply for supermarkets. This is very useful for working women and also it is possible to order by smartphone recently. They can order the goods to the closest local supermarkets from working place, and then they pick them up on the way home from working off. In order to improve the quality of delivery services, to use the reception box will be the way to provide better services to the customers. The reception box is a way to protect the quality of goods such as fresh-cut product, which require the freshness through the temperature adjustment, and also to keep the safety of ordered goods through locking system Through this system, supermarkets are able to use attended or unattended services under the customers' satisfaction. However, using the reception box is expensive, so shared reception box will be an alternative. As an alternative for development of e-Grocery business, the advertisement for e-Grocery business has to be supported in order to attract potential customers in e-Grocery business. Furthermore, the main concerns of e-Grocery business such as the sanitation and safety of goods, and convenience must be guaranteed in order to keep the loyal customers and to attract new customers.

• Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.61-118
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• 2008

The purpose of this research is to construct research framework for international franchising based on existing literature and to identify research components in the framework. Franchise can be defined as management styles that allow franchisee use various management assets of franchisor in order to make or sell product or service. It can be divided into product distribution franchise that is designed to sell products and business format franchise that is designed for running it as business whatever its form is. International franchising can be defined as a way of internationalization of franchisor to foreign country by providing its business format or package to franchisee of host country. International franchising is growing fast for last four decades but academic research on this is quite limited. Especially in Korea, research about international franchising is carried out on by case study format with single case or empirical study format with survey based on domestic franchise theory. Therefore, this paper tries to review existing literature on international franchising research, providing research framework, and then stimulating new research on this field. International franchising research components include motives and environmental factors for decision of expanding to international franchising, entrance modes and development plan for international franchising, contracts and management strategy of international franchising, and various performance measures from different perspectives. First, motives of international franchising are fee collection from franchisee. Also it provides easier way to expanding to foreign country. The other motives including increase total sales volume, occupying better strategic position, getting quality resources, and improving efficiency. Environmental factors that facilitating international franchising encompasses economic condition, trend, and legal or political factors in host and/or home countries. In addition, control power and risk management capability of franchisor plays critical role in successful franchising contract. Final decision to enter foreign country via franchising is determined by numerous factors like history, size, growth, competitiveness, management system, bonding capability, industry characteristics of franchisor. After deciding to enter into foreign country, franchisor needs to set entrance modes of international franchising. Within contractual mode, there are master franchising and area developing franchising, licensing, direct franchising, and joint venture. Theories about entrance mode selection contain concepts of efficiency, knowledge-based approach, competence-based approach, agent theory, and governance cost. The next step after entrance decision is operation strategy. Operation strategy starts with selecting a target city and a target country for franchising. In order to finding, screening targets, franchisor needs to collect information about candidates. Critical information includes brand patent, commercial laws, regulations, market conditions, country risk, and industry analysis. After selecting a target city in target country, franchisor needs to select franchisee, in other word, partner. The first important criteria for selecting partners are financial credibility and capability, possession of real estate. And cultural similarity and knowledge about franchisor and/or home country are also recognized as critical criteria. The most important element in operating strategy is legal document between franchisor and franchisee with home and host countries. Terms and conditions in legal documents give objective information about characteristics of franchising agreement for academic research. Legal documents have definitions of terminology, territory and exclusivity, agreement of term, initial fee, continuing fees, clearing currency, and rights about sub-franchising. Also, legal documents could have terms about softer elements like training program and operation manual. And harder elements like law competent court and terms of expiration. Next element in operating strategy is about product and service. Especially for business format franchising, product/service deliverable, benefit communicators, system identifiers (architectural features), and format facilitators are listed for product/service strategic elements. Another important decision on product/service is standardization vs. customization. The rationale behind standardization is cost reduction, efficiency, consistency, image congruence, brand awareness, and competitiveness on price. Also standardization enables large scale R&D and innovative change in management style. Another element in operating strategy is control management. The simple way to control franchise contract is relying on legal terms, contractual control system. There are other control systems, administrative control system and ethical control system. Contractual control system is a coercive source of power, but franchisor usually doesn't want to use legal power since it doesn't help to build up positive relationship. Instead, self-regulation is widely used. Administrative control system uses control mechanism from ordinary work relationship. Its main component is supporting activities to franchisee and communication method. For example, franchisor provides advertising, training, manual, and delivery, then franchisee follows franchisor's direction. Another component is building franchisor's brand power. The last research element is performance factor of international franchising. Performance elements can be divided into franchisor's performance and franchisee's performance. The conceptual performance measures of franchisor are simple but not easy to obtain objectively. They are profit, sale, cost, experience, and brand power. The performance measures of franchisee are mostly about benefits of host country. They contain small business development, promotion of employment, introduction of new business model, and level up technology status. There are indirect benefits, like increase of tax, refinement of corporate citizenship, regional economic clustering, and improvement of international balance. In addition to those, host country gets socio-cultural change other than economic effects. It includes demographic change, social trend, customer value change, social communication, and social globalization. Sometimes it is called as westernization or McDonaldization of society. In addition, the paper reviews on theories that have been frequently applied to international franchising research, such as agent theory, resource-based view, transaction cost theory, organizational learning theory, and international expansion theories. Resource based theory is used in strategic decision based on resources, like decision about entrance and cooperation depending on resources of franchisee and franchisor. Transaction cost theory can be applied in determination of mutual trust or satisfaction of franchising players. Agent theory tries to explain strategic decision for reducing problem caused by utilizing agent, for example research on control system in franchising agreements. Organizational Learning theory is relatively new in franchising research. It assumes organization tries to maximize performance and learning of organization. In addition, Internalization theory advocates strategic decision of direct investment for removing inefficiency of market transaction and is applied in research on terms of contract. And oligopolistic competition theory is used to explain various entry modes for international expansion. Competency theory support strategic decision of utilizing key competitive advantage. Furthermore, research methodologies including qualitative and quantitative methodologies are suggested for more rigorous international franchising research. Quantitative research needs more real data other than survey data which is usually respondent's judgment. In order to verify theory more rigorously, research based on real data is essential. However, real quantitative data is quite hard to get. The qualitative research other than single case study is also highly recommended. Since international franchising has limited number of applications, scientific research based on grounded theory and ethnography study can be used. Scientific case study is differentiated with single case study on its data collection method and analysis method. The key concept is triangulation in measurement, logical coding and comparison. Finally, it provides overall research direction for international franchising after summarizing research trend in Korea. International franchising research in Korea has two different types, one is for studying Korean franchisor going overseas and the other is for Korean franchisee of foreign franchisor. Among research on Korean franchisor, two common patterns are observed. First of all, they usually deal with success story of one franchisor. The other common pattern is that they focus on same industry and country. Therefore, international franchise research needs to extend their focus to broader subjects with scientific research methodology as well as development of new theory.