29,237 research outputs found
COBRA framework to evaluate e-government services: A citizen-centric perspective
E-government services involve many stakeholders who have different objectives that can have an impact on success. Among these stakeholders, citizens are the primary stakeholders of government activities. Accordingly, their satisfaction plays an important role in e-government success. Although several models have been proposed to assess the success of e-government services through measuring users' satisfaction levels, they fail to provide a comprehensive evaluation model. This study provides an insight and critical analysis of the extant literature to identify the most critical factors and their manifested variables for user satisfaction in the provision of e-government services. The various manifested variables are then grouped into a new quantitative analysis framework consisting of four main constructs: cost; benefit; risk and opportunity (COBRA) by analogy to the well-known SWOT qualitative analysis framework. The COBRA measurement scale is developed, tested, refined and validated on a sample group of e-government service users in Turkey. A structured equation model is used to establish relationships among the identified constructs, associated variables and users' satisfaction. The results confirm that COBRA framework is a useful approach for evaluating the success of e-government services from citizens' perspective and it can be generalised to other perspectives and measurement contexts. Crown Copyright © 2014.PIAP-GA-2008-230658) from the European Union Framework Program and another grant (NPRP 09-1023-5-158) from the Qatar National Research Fund (amember of Qatar Foundation
Community Development Evaluation Storymap and Legend
Community based organizations, funders, and intermediary organizations working in the community development field have a shared interest in building stronger organizations and stronger communities. Through evaluation these organizations can learn how their programs and activities contribute to the achievement of these goals, and how to improve their effectiveness and the well-being of their communities. Yet, evaluation is rarely seen as part of a non-judgemental organizational learning process. Instead, the term "evaluation" has often generated anxiety and confusion. The Community Development Storymap project is a response to those concerns.Illustrations found in this document were produced by Grove Consultants
Trends in quality management research in higher education institutions
The purpose of this study is to determine the state of research in quality management in higher education institutions based on a review of the academic literature. The aim is to provide universities with the best evidence for informing their focus and models for quality improvement. Despite qualityâs role growing in importance as universities strive to compete in an increasingly underfunded market for students and research funds the review shows that current research is limited in volume and scope.
To ensure the widest coverage in our systematic literature review we use three databases: ScienceDirect, ABI/Inform, and Emerald.
The findings show that the three most common topics are quality management implementation issues, quality management models, techniques and tools, and quality management dimensions. The key quality management enabling dimensions found are: people management, process management and information and analysis, while the results dimension is predominantly focused on an understanding of stakeholdersâ requirements and feedback on their perceptions of performance. We find in this literature that students are discussed as both end customers as graduates and participants in the learning process who have views on their experience. Also provided is an analysis that shows popular journal outlets, research methodologies used and country focus. The paper concludes with recommendations for the development of quality management for universities, and a future research agenda.
This article is the first literature of research in quality management in Higher Education Institutions following the model used in previous literature reviews on quality management and operations management
Cross-cultural comparisons of consumer satisfaction ratings : a perspective from Albert Hirschmanâs theory.
Purpose This paper seeks to propose Albert Hirschmanâs theory of âexit, voice and loyaltyâ as a complementary conceptual framework to Hofstedeâs cultural dimensions and use them in conjunction to compare consumer satisfaction with services across cultures. Design/methodology/approach A model of satisfaction with complex services (higher education) is developed and then tested in two different cultures, Colombia and Spain, with a sample of 879 students. Structural equation modeling based on the partial least squares algorithm is used to test the proposed model. Findings Colombian students are more satisfied with the educational system than Spanish ones. This is explained by cultural and contextual differences that pose greater restrictions on accessibility to higher education, provide fewer choice alternatives and present more switching costs for the Colombian student. Originality/value This study applies the conditions of Hirschmanâs theory in an international setting, offering a rich basis for understanding differences in consumer satisfaction that accounts for intra national diversityCustomer satisfaction; National cultures; Higher education; Students; Colombia; Spain;
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Improving customer satisfaction: changes as a result of Customer Value Discovery
Objective: To identify Gold Standard Services for customers in an academic library and determine whether interventions following the identification of customer value increased student satisfaction. Methods: âCustomer Discovery Workshopsâ were undertaken with academic staff and undergraduate onâcampus students to provide managers and library staff with information on the services and resources that customers valued, and what irritated them about existing services and resources. The impact of interventions was assessed two years after the research using a university student satisfaction survey and an independent national student satisfaction survey. Results: The findings resulted in significant changes to the way forwardâfacing customer services were delivered. A number of value adding services were introduced for the customer. Overall customer satisfaction was improved. Evidence Based Library and Information Practice 2008, 3:1 34 Conclusions: The Customer Value Discovery research has created a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. An operational plan was introduced to track activity and performance against the objectives identified in the customer value research. However, there is a constant need to innovate
Achieving excellence in construction
The UK construction industry at its best is excellent. Nonetheless there is a
deep concern that the industry as a whole is underachieving. Problems such as low and
unreliable profitability, a lack of research and development, a shortage of skills, usage of
tender price evaluations, and a fragmented industry structure, are widely recognised by the
industry. These problems must be tackled in order to modernise (Egan, 1998). Developed
using Eganâs principles âConstructing excellenceâ has been formed to help the industry deliver
world -class products and services. In general management practice the principles of business
excellence models are used to realise the similar objective of âdelivering world-class products
and services. This enables the application of business excellence models in construction.
EFQM excellence model & MBNQA are two well known internationally recognised
excellence models. This paper compares Eganâs principles with those of widely used business
excellence models to identify areas that may point the way forward in achieving excellence in
constructio
Towards a network government? A critical analysis of current assessment methods for e-government
Contemporary public administrations have become increasingly more complex, having to cordinate actions with emerging actors in the public and the private spheres. In this scenario the modern ICTs have begun to be seen as an ideal vehicle to resolve some of the problems of public administration. We argue that there is a clear need to explore the extent to which public administrations are undergoing a process of transformation towards a netowork government linked to the systematic incorporation of ICTs in their basic activities. Through critically analysing a selection of e-government evaluation reports, we conclude that research should be carried out if we are to build a solid government assessment framework based on network-like organisation characteristics
Performance measurement applications in facilities management: An investigation into the future directions
Facilities Management (FM) is very frequently described as, âan integrated approach to
operating, maintaining, improving and adapting the buildings and infrastructure of an
organisation in order to create an environment that strongly supports the primary objectives of
that organisationâ. The practical and strategic relevance of FM to organisations in all sectors of
the economy is now increasingly recognised. Accordingly, organisations seek to improve their
competitiveness by introducing a core business philosophy and restructuring to release senior
management time and improve effectiveness. Managements have begun to realise that for
organisations to benefit from their enormous investment in facilities, they have to begin
managing them actively and creatively with commitment and a broader vision. Formulation of
techniques that are capable of assessing âfacilities performanceâ in terms of quality, cost and
effectiveness, is therefore critical for âOrganisationalâ and âFMâ advancements. Research has
emphasised that there is a clear need to measure FM performance which would integrate both
the business and facilities domains. Accordingly, this paper summarises a literature review of
current leading-edge performance measurement and management practices within facilities
management organisations and conceptual models of performance measurement and
management from other industries. Accordingly, the paper identifies the directions to develop
performance measurement systems in FM with specific links to measure facilities relationships
with those of the core business
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