Market Orientation, Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction in the Public Utility Companies

The study assessed the practicalisation of the market orientation construct in the public sector particularly the public utility companies and the linkage that exist between customer satisfaction, service delivery and market orientation. Survey design was utilized to gather data from 430 customers of the public utility companies in Ghana. Data analysis was done by means of descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression. Results indicate a weak market orientation practiced by the utility companies. Consequently, customer’s perception of service quality and satisfaction with the services with regards to the case company was affected. Market orientation concept has enjoyed tremendous review in the private sector compared to the public sector. This study is therefore adding to literature by extending the findings to the public sector where customer complaints abounds. The findings of the study provide deep insights into handling customer issues in the public sector. The empirical evidence from this study provides strategic decisions that can be replicated to improve market orientation in the public sector, improve the way services are rendered and customer expectation of the services of the utility companies. Keywords: Market orientation, Public sector, public utility companies, Service quality, Customer satisfaction, Ghana

Assessing the Impact of Relational Governance on the Supply Chain Performances of Manufacturing Firms in Ghana

Over the years, there have been many challenges in supply chain management across the globe especially in the developing countries. There were challenges of quality control, risk management, finding right distributors to handle distribution, fragmented markets and many others. The most challenging issue in the supply chain management is the unpleasant relationship between the firms and their partners leading to many inconsistencies, uncertainties and losses in their operations and transactions leading to the assessment of both the direct and indirect impact of relational governance on supply chain performance of the manufacturing firms in Ghana. The study sought to assess the impact relational governance has directly and indirectly on supply chain performance. Data were collected and gathered through a survey questionnaire responded by 147 manufacturing firms in Ghana. The structural equation modelling was used to test the hypothesis and also validate the results. Findings indicate that the relational governance has a positive effect on supply chain performance and at the same time has an indirect effect on supply chain performance through both information sharing and quality of information. The study provides a hard evidence that the higher levels of information sharing and quality of information can lead to enhanced effect of relational governance on supply chain performance. Keywords - Relational Governance, Information Sharing, Quality of Information, Supply Chain Performance, Manufacturing Firms. DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/12-12-01 Publication date: April 30th 202

Individual’s Cultural Orientation and Perceived Service Quality in the Hospitality Industry

The study assessed the effects of individual’s cultural orientation on perceived service quality in the hospitality industry. The study focused on nine (9) rated hotels (3 to 5-star rating) in Ghana. In all, 676 clients were selected from these hotels within a period of 3 months. The dimensions of Hofstede’s model were used in measuring individual’s cultural orientation, whiles SERVQUAL model was also used in measuring perceived service quality. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was run to check for the validity and reliability of the measurement instrument. The study concludes that, low power distance cultural orientation had a positive effect on all the dimensions of perceived service quality of high rated hotels. Low uncertainty avoidance had a positive effect on perceived service assurance, tangibility and responsiveness. It also had a negative effect on perceived service empathy. Low uncertainty avoidance however had no significant effect on perceived service reliability. Individualism cultural orientation had a negative effect on perceived service assurance, reliability, empathy and tangibility of rated hotels. It however had no significant effect on perceived responsiveness. Femininity had a positive effect on perceived assurance and service reliability. For perceived service empathy, tangibility and responsiveness, femininity however, had a negative effect. Finally, short-term cultural orientation also had a positive effect on all the dimensions of perceived service quality

Sustainability Reporting by Owner-Managers of SMEs: The Perspective of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)

Purpose: The study assessed how owner-managers’ psychological attributes (attitude towards behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control) influenced sustainability reporting among SMEs. Design/methodology/approach: The study was based on cross-sectional data gathered using a structured questionnaire as the research instrument. The population of the study comprised SMEs in Kumasi metro of Ghana. The study focused on 213 SMEs, and respondents were owner-managers. The data analysis was based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) run in Amos (v.23). Findings: Owner-managers’ attitude towards behavior had a significant positive influence on sustainability reporting among SMEs. Similarly, SME owner-managers’ subjective norms positively influenced sustainability reporting. Also, SME owner-managers’ perceived behavior control positively influenced sustainability reporting. Among these variables, however, attitude towards behavior had the greatest impact. Research limitations/implications: The study used a closed-ended questionnaire to solicit responses from respondents. Such a questionnaire acknowledges the presence of inherent problems of not permitting respondents to explicitly express their own views as they may wish. Practical implications: The findings of the study have an important implication for considerations by the government in trying to encourage owner-managers to adopt or improve sustainability reporting behavior among SMEs in Ghana. Social implications: This study contributes to solving the societal need for sustainability by identifying how owner-managers’ psychological characteristics influence sustainability reporting. Originality/value: The theory of planned behavior has been used widely in a number of studies, but very little is known about how it could predict sustainability reporting among SMEs, especially in developing countries

Raziskovanje razmerja med vladno institucionalno podporo in izvozno strateško uspešnostjo

The study presented in the article examined the mediating role played by internationalisation in both government financial support–export strategic performance and government non-financial support– export strategic performance relationships. The moderating role of a strategic alliance in the relationships between government financial support and degree of internationalisation, and between government nonfinancial support and degree of internationalisation, was also considered. The study entailed a cross-sectional survey and included 301 indigenous export firms in Ghana. The reliability and validity of the data was tested using confirmatory factor analysis, with structural equation modelling as the primary means of analysis, run using Amos (v.23). It was concluded that both government financial support and non-financial support had a direct positive influence on export strategic performance. These relationships were partially mediated by the degree of internationalisation. Strategic alliance positively moderated the relationships between government financial support and degree of internationalisation, and also between government non-financial support and degree of internationalisationČlanek skozi raziskavo proučuje posredniško vlogo internacionalizacije pri razmerju med finančno vladno podporo in izvozno strateško uspešnostjo ter pri razmerju med nefinančno vladno podporo in izvozno strateško uspešnostjo. Obravnava tudi moderatorsko vlogo strateškega zavezništva v razmerju med finančno vladno podporo in stopnjo internacionalizacije ter med nefinančno vladno podporo in stopnjo internacionalizacije. Del raziskave je presečna anketa, ki je vključevala 301 izvozno podjetje v lasti staroselcev v Gani. Zanesljivost in veljavnost podatkov smo preverili s potrditveno faktorsko analizo, pri čemer je bilo primarno sredstvo analize modeliranje strukturnih enačb, ki smo ga izvedli s programskim orodjem Amos (v.23). Ugotovili smo, da sta tako finančna kot nefinančna vladna podpora neposredno pozitivno vplivali na izvozno strateško uspešnost. Med tema razmerjema je delno posredovala stopnja internacionalizacije. Strateško zavezništvo je pozitivno moderiralo tako razmerje med finančno vladno podporo in stopnjo internacionalizacije kot razmerje med nefinančno vladno podporo in stopnjo internacionalizacij

The effects of corporate rebranding on customer satisfaction and loyalty: Empirical evidence from the Ghanaian banking industry

The study examined whether or not the rebranding activities in the Ghanaian banking industry, had any influence on customers’ perception on service quality, their level of satisfaction and their level of loyalty. These relationships were ascertained by running a moderation and linear regression analyses. The study identified that, rebranding had no statistically significant effect on perceived service quality, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, in the Ghanaian banking industry. Rebranding had no moderating effect on the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction. It also had no moderating effect on the relationship between service quality and customer loyalty. And finally, rebranding did not have a moderating effect on the relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. It was concluded that, rebranding activities in the Ghanaian banking industry had no significant effect on customers’ attitude towards the brand. Banks and other financial institutions must therefore be circumspect when it comes to investment in rebranding activities and be more interested in making investments that will positively influence the attitude of their customers

Analyzing the health supply chain risks during COVID-19 pandemic: The moderating role of risk management

The outbreak of COVID-19 severely affected the achievement of the sustainable development goals. The American Hospital Association estimated an average loss of US\50.7 billion per month for US hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the less developed economies, it costs about US\52 billion per month to effectively manage COVID-19. This current study, therefore, sought to assess how risk management practices could moderate the relationship between supply chain risk and healthcare delivery, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey research design was adopted, with a quantitative research approach. The study adopted purposive sampling technique to select 216 respondents (senior/management members from procurement, stores/inventory, pharmacy, and administration) of the selected public hospitals. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was run in Amos (v.23), to estimate the path coefficients. The study concludes that supply chain risk had a significant negative effect on healthcare delivery among public hospitals in Ghana. Also, supply chain risk management had a significant positive effect on healthcare delivery among public hospitals in Ghana. Finally, it was concluded that risk management practices positively moderated the negative effect on supply chain risk on healthcare delivery