Internal marketing, service quality and customer satisfaction : an Islamic banking perspective

Abstract: Purpose – The study explores the extent to which internal marketing influences employees’ perceived ability to deliver service quality in the Islamic banking industry in Oman. Additionally, the influence of perceived service quality on customer satisfaction is established. Design/methodology/approach – Data was obtained from retail banking branch employees at the customer front line of Islamic banks in Oman using electronic and person-administered surveys, and 272 responses were deemed suitable for data analysis. The measurement and structural models were measured through Structural Equation Modelling. Findings – The findings show that internal promotion, internal process and internal purpose are enablers of employees’ perceived ability to deliver service quality in the Islamic banking industry of Oman. In addition, service quality was found to have a strong positive influence on customer satisfaction in Islamic banks. Research implications – This study demonstrates that internal product, internal price, internal promotion, internal process and internal purpose are influencers of service quality, and the latter has a direct relationship with customer satisfaction in Islamic banking. Managerial implications – The findings can guide the Islamic banking sector in Oman on how internal marketing can foster service quality, ultimately leading to positive customer satisfaction experiences. Originality/value – The internal marketing mix model is predominately a western model, which has been tested primarily in mature western markets. This study reflects on 10 internal marketing mix elements, which have been tested for the enablement of service quality and customer satisfaction in Oman

Developing an intention to use amongst non-users of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) System: An emerging market perspective

Urbanisation and over-reliance on private transportation in many countries has led to governments seeking ways to reduce the pressure on roads, reduce carbon emissions, and increase transportation routes from less-developed areas into urban areas. To achieve this, the bus rapid transit (BRT) system has been implemented in \u3e40 cities worldwide. This study aims to determine whether non-users of the BRT in South Africa would consider future adoption of the BRT, using the technology acceptance model (TAM) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). This study is important from a developing country and especially a South African perspective, as this system has been facing low adoption rates and financial losses. Non-probability convenience sampling was used to obtain 227 responses from non-users of the BRT. Results from a confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling showed that perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control all influenced the non-user\u27s intention to adopt the BRT. To change non-user perceptions of and attitudes to the BRT, an educational campaign to illustrate how easy it is to use the BRT is recommended. An experiential marketing and social media campaign is recommended to build favourable attitudes towards the brand