SERVICE QUALITY DIMENSIONS AS PREDICTORS OF PERCEIVED SERVICE QUALITY IN RETAIL ENVIRONMENT

The purpose of this paper is to determine service quality dimensions as predictors of perceived service quality in retail environment. Recent studies emphasised the multidimensional nature of service quality and multidimensional service quality measurement models. Literature reveals that SERVQUAL (Parasuraman et al. 1988) and RSQS (Dabholkar et al. 1996) are the most common instruments used to measure service quality in retail. Considering different market environments neither SERVQUAL nor RSQS should be solely applied to different service environments and in different cultures assuming that customers behave in the same way. Research should focus on discovering service quality dimensions that are adapted to specific environments and to adapt service quality dimensions to different cultures. Therefore, by using exploratory factor analysis service quality dimensions are determined in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hypermarket stores’ market). Those are: merchandising, physical environment and interaction with employees. Understanding service quality dimension as predictors of total service quality and their successful management is precondition for successful planning and implementation of service marketing activities in hypermarkets

PERCEIVED SERVICE QUALITY THROUGH PRISM OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS OF CUSTOMERS: HYPERMARKET STORES’ MARKET IN THE FEDERATION OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

There are dynamic changes occurring at the retail sale market. There is less emphasized manoeuvring space for differentiation. The retailers offer similar assortment of the products with similar prices and quality. This opens more space for differentiation based on providing excellent services. Service quality in retail can be important in creation and maintenance of relationship with customers, strengthening those relations and creating the loyal customers’ basis. Influence of demographic and socio-economic characteristics on perceived service quality (gender, age, income, and education) has been confirmed by reviewing previous researches. Therefore, there are differences between the customers in service quality perception in relation to gender, age, income, and education. The purpose of this paper is to research the influence of demographic and socio-economic characteristics on service quality perception in retail on hypermarket stores’ market in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The research has been conducted on the sample of 861 examinees. According to its characteristics the applied questionnaire is quota sample with control variables: city, shop, gender, and age. The obtained research results will disclose the role of demographic and socio-economic characteristics in perception of service quality, and give guidelines to vendors on hypermarket stores’ market for successful segmentation, market targeting, and creation of successful marketing strategies

Razumijevanje frazema kod hrvatskih učenika engleskoga jezika: Kontekst, kompozicionalnost i dob kao činitelji

There are many factors influencing the comprehension of idiomatic expressions in EFL context. These factors include, among others, age, context, familiarity and decomposability rate (the degree to which an idiom is susceptible to interpretation through simple analysis of the meanings of its individual components). For the purpose of determining how Croatian EFL learners of all levels (Elementary, Secondary, Undergraduate level, Graduate level) process idioms, a study was conducted by using multiple-choice questions and a Likert scale task in order to try and determine which of the abovementioned factors play greater role in idiom comprehension, i.e. if they influence processing to the same extent or if there exists a noticeable difference among them. The purpose of this paper is to set a direction for figurative language teaching in EFL situations by contributing to the existing body of knowledge on what facilitates the comprehension of idiomatic expressions.Brojni činitelji utječu na razumijevanje frazema u kontekstu učenja stranoga jezika. Oni su, između ostalog, dob, kontekst, poznavanje frazema te njegova kompozicionalnost (stupanj podložnosti frazema semantičkoj analizi pojedinih sastavnica). Istraživanje u kojem su korištena pitanja višestrukog izbora i Likertova skala provedeno je kako bi se utvrdio način na koji hrvatski učenici engleskoga jezika sa različitih obrazovnih razina (osnovna, sekundarna, preddiplomska, diplomska) razumijevaju frazeme te koji činitelji više utječu na njihovo razumijevanje, odnosno postoje li među činiteljima zamjetne razlike u utjecaju. Svrha ovoga rada je utvrditi smjer poučavanja figurativnog jezika u kontekstu poučavanja stranoga jezika nadograđujući postojeće znanje o činiteljima koji doprinose razumijevanju frazema

Quantum Computers - An Emerging Cybersecurity Threat

Quantum computational supremacy may potentially endanger the current cryptographic protection methods. Although quantum computers are still far from a practical implementation in information processing and storage, they should not be overlooked in the context of cybersecurity. Quantum computers operate with qubits - units of information that are governed by the fundamental principles of quantum physics, such as quantum superposition of states and quantum coherence. In order to address the new challenge that quantum computers pose to cybersecurity, the very principles of their operation have to be understood and are overviewed in this contribution

Dynamical dislocation lines in the charge density wave systems

The topological aspects of the conversion of collective charge density wave transport into the Ohmic one in front of extended barriers are discussed in the frame of Gor'kov's model. It is shown that simultaneous phase slips form a family of dislocation lines. The shape and dynamics of these lines depend on the morphology of the barrier. They influence the amplitude of the narrow band noise, but do not modify its fundamental frequency

PERCEIVED CUSTOMER VALUE AND PERCEIVED RELATIONSHIP QUALITY IN RETAIL

Quality relationships with customers are the very essence of relationship marketing. It is necessary to create and deliver customer value to develop relationship marketing successfully, and to gain sustainable customer loyalty. Having in mind contemporary customers who look for higher customer value the question arises as to whether delivery of higher value is a key to creation of long-term profitable relationships with customers on the retail market. In this paper influence of perceived customer value on perceived relationship quality in retail will be researched. Perceived value has been determined as two-dimensional, as emotional and economic value. Relationship quality in retail will be measured by satisfaction and trust dimensions. The obtained research results will enable better understanding of relationship between the two concepts in retail. It will also provide presumptions for successful management of relationship quality according to perceived customer value dimensions

RESEARCH ON CONSUMER ATTITUDES TOWARDS CAUSE-RELATED MARKETING

Na tržištu već izvjesno vrijeme svjedočimo svojevrsnomu prijenosu moći s ponuđača na potrošače koji postaju sve informiraniji, zahtjevniji i zaštićeniji s jasno izraženim kritičkim stavom spram svijeta koji ih okružuje. Marketinške aktivnosti poduzeća promatraju pod povećalom te pravodobno i žustro reagiraju u slučaju nepravilnosti. Društveno odgovorna orijentacija poduzeća postala je imperativ. Ne razmišlja se o usvajanju društveno odgovorne orijentacije poduzeća, nego kako to učiniti na najbolji način. Jedan od koncepata koji se može primijeniti u svrhu diferenciranja i postizanja pozicioniranja poduzeća kao onoga koje je društveno odgovorno i brine za svoju zajednicu jest marketing opće dobrobiti (engl. cause-related marketing). Pojednostavljeno, riječ je o konceptu marketinga koji podrazumijeva suradnju neprofitnoga i profitnog sektora te potrošača s ciljem povezivanja poduzeća i određenoga društvenog problema da bi se ostvarila korist za sve sudionike. U radu će se istražiti stavovi potrošača prema aktivnostima marketinga opće dobrobiti, utjecaj percipiranih aktivnosti marketinga opće dobrobiti na stav prema poduzeću te utjecaj percipiranih aktivnosti marketinga opće dobrobiti na kupovne navike.For a certain period of time, we are witnessing a unique transfer of power from the suppliers to the consumers who have become more informed, demanding and protected with a clearly articulated view towards the world around them. Companies’ marketing activities are observed under scrutiny and in the event of the irregularity, the reaction is timely and vigorous. Corporate social responsibility has become an imperative. Companies do not think to practice social responsibility or not to practice. They are thinking about how to do it in the best possible way. One of the concepts that can be applied for the purpose of differentiation and positioning of a company as the one which is socially responsible and which cares about its community is known as cause-related marketing. Simply, it is a marketing concept that involves cooperation between non-profit and profit sector and consumers with the aim of linking companies and certain social problem to obtain a benefit for all. This paper will research consumer attitudes towards cause-related marketing activities; the influence of perceived cause-related marketing activities on their attitude towards a company and influence of perceived cause-related marketing activities on purchasing habit