Methods and Designs Used in Research - Essay Example

Running head: METHODS Methods and Design Paper ___________ ________________________ ________________ Methods and Design Paper Introduction This paper explains and elucidates the various methods and designs that could be explored and deployed in uncovering relationships between various constructs and variables in the proposed research probing various dimensions of the service quality in the special events industry. These explanations and elucidations are drawn from the examination and analysis of anointed bibliography in the research area of service quality where in the methodological approaches deployed by various researchers have been examined and briefly stated herein. In particular, continuing from the relationships identified earlier in respect to the proposed research in measuring service quality dimensions; this paper identifies the methods and design structures that could be most fruitfully deployed in bringing about the clarity in relationships between various constructs and variables so as to meet the research intent. The target object of the proposed research is to evaluate service quality performance versus customer expectations of the same. Methods and Designs used in Research The earlier paper on relationships had identified the primary constructs as: reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, tangibles, and business success in relation to services' quality. It is posited here that answers to the proposed research questions, will enable special event firms to ascertain if there is a positive relationship between their business successes and the service quality they proffer. This analysis can also help identify the negative gaps in service quality from expected levels as well as determine as to which SERVQUAL dimensions are critical in determining the level of success this type of company will experience in the marketplace. However prior to that it is important that it is examined how similar constructs have been examined in comparable research on service quality. Of particular interest here are the various methods and designs deployed in such research.Weekes et al (1996) have used SERVQUAL as a means of measuring consumer satisfaction making an attempt to isolate the key factors and attributes used by decision makers to determine supplier choice. The results of the study are used to strategize as to what communication action may increase awareness and loyalty in existing and potential buyers. This also lays bare the key attributes clients use as a measure of quality and satisfaction when consuming professional services. Botschen et al (1996) have used a very interesting technique for identifying the problems which the consumers might encounter in service encounters. The technique is called Sequence-oriented problem identification (SOPI).SOPI involves blue printing the sequence of steps that make up a service encounter, and asking customers to provide evaluations for each step they may experience in the service encounter process. In part, SOPI is a strategic tool that combines and extends blueprinting of services with the critical incident technique. The SOPI technique is illustrated with comparisons of findings from the research method with findings from the critical incident method in an empirical study of customers' evaluations of the augmented and core services in adult education courses of an Austrian enterprise. The SOPI results provide very specific information about problems experienced by customers that was not included in the critical incident method. Nick &Tyas (1997) had done interesting research in probing service quality perceptions of consumers. They maintain that definite noteworthy events encourse service dispensations are events in real space but affect service perceptions randomly. Whereas generalized views about service establishment are exaggerated views of the reality expressed in general terms by a group of individuals. They believe that both noteworthy events and generalized views affect scaled perceptions of service quality as measured by questionnaire techniques like Likert.In order to establish this they used SERQUAL questionnaire and in-depth interviews and concluded that noteworthy events play definitive role but evidence is there fro generalized views' role in forming service quality perceptions. Most engagingly they term generalized views as mythologies. Dawes and Rowley (1999) focus on negative perceptions of service quality and build on literature concepts of disconfirmation and dissonance. This paper reviews the origins and use of the concepts of dissatisfaction, dissonance, and disconfirmation, and introduces the concept of disaffection. A framework is proposed that places these four concepts on a grid on the basis of whether the term applies to one incident or many, and, whether the negative evaluation is likely to lead to change of attitude or action. The grid can be used to better understand the relationship between the various approaches that are used to provide organizations with feedback. Specifically reference is made to customer perceptions of service quality, such as complaints procedures, surveys, suggestion boxes, focus groups and representation and consultation. In a very enlightening research, which is relevant to the proposed research Minor et al (2004) explore if musical performance elicit additive satisfaction or is it more than the sum of satisfaction of all individuals in the audience. They develop a model of audience satisfaction with live performances using the techniques of qualitative data analysis and survey results. Their conclusions indicated that the event settings had a determinate role to play in setting up the levels of consumer satisfaction.Eda et al (2003) use a new approach to the exploratory and evaluative research of service-quality dimensions by employing correspondence analysis (CA).This avoids the use of statistical analysis and uses a graphical interpretation of the SERQUAL data. The study concludes that CA can be used effectively in evaluating the service-quality and displaying the differences in the expectations/perceptions of distinct consumer groups. Adenekan Dedeke (2003) follows a very thought provoking and practical approach in defining service quality; here service quality is framed as being dependent on composite results that a service provider and its systems offer a customer. In contrast to the approach that depicts service quality as a discrepancy construct, this paper frames the concept as a fulfillment-oriented construct. To implement a context-dependent Services quality instrument, paper argues for use of a service quality grid to classify firms according to their outcomes and dominant service-encounter interactions. Three kinds of dominant interactions are introduced: customer-to-staff, customer-to-technology, and customer-to-product/services. Three main and important recommendations are proposed. First, it is important providers to define their services in terms of the dominant service interactions. Second, providers should develop their service-quality instruments around the dominant interactions of their particular sector. Third, they should develop service-quality question items using the paired criteria approach to capture customer experiences during service interactions. Lee et al (2000) deals with three issues in the area of perceived service quality. They use a gap model and a performance model in comparison. Secondly, they investigate the direction of causality between service quality and satisfaction. Finally, it examines whether the influences of some dimensions of service quality vary across service industry types. They conclude that the performance model appeared to be superior to the gap model. This paper also shows that perceived service quality is an antecedent of satisfaction, rather than vice versa. Finally, tangibles appeared to be a more important factor in the facility/equipment-based industries, whereas responsiveness is a more important factor in the people-based industries. Similarly Berry, Parasuraman, & Zeithaml (1994) have identified service design (mapping), surprising customers and teamwork as three of the ten lessons for improving service quality. These formed dimensions on their SERVQUAL model. These dimensions are apparently quite important for special event industry as well. While service design and mapping and teamwork can be descriptive; surprising customers can be a very interesting causal dimension in special event industry and can be measured with consumer response each time a surprise element is instilled in special event(s).It can meet all the three prerequisites of a causal relationship as well. Getz O'Neill, & Carlsen (2001) have described service mapping and illustrated it in the context of evaluating and improving service quality at special events. However these short term operational tactics apart the special event firm must always keep on course for what Berry (1999) says ' sustaining long-term success'. Saget(2006) also says that," that event marketing is a strategic, dynamic discipline linked to a firm's business objectives and sales goals. The key, according to Saget, is a great BLT-Brand recognition, Lead generation, and Thought leadership. low(1992),however describes an important construct which has not only long term implications for a service provider but often survives the firm offering such services viz.expectations of customers. Clow says," that the location of the facility and tangible cues were found to be more important for the hedonistic-type services. In addition, hedonistic-type services tend to be more episodic in terms of the impact of the last service encounter upon consumer expectations" (Clow, 1992). Methods and Designs applicable in proposed Research The identified constructs for the proposed research were reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, tangibles, and business success in relation to services' quality. The firm under research address would be a typical special events organizing firm. Special events, by their, very nature are one time events which are characterized by complex settings which can at the least be elaborate. Such events also aim at elicit special interest of a special audience which often can be specific interest audience. Hence a high degree of responsiveness to consumers' expectations would be as important as an equivalently high degree of reliability in meeting them. Deep empathy can ensure better reading of consumer expectations. Tangibles go on to define the elaborate and complex settings of such events. Assurance of meeting service quality expectations would mean business success. While SERQUAL 1991 version can be and adequate tool it is felt that two of the above important theoretical concepts can be applied in eliciting correct data from consumers. One is SOPI.SOPI involves a sequential view of service interactions and is, thereby, a highly suitable construct for special events. Herein consumers may be asked to volunteer experience problems with the service viz.special event(s) which are presented to respondent in sequenced manner. Secondly the theoretical construct suggested by Adenekan Dedeke(2003)can be used to fine tune the above design by superimposition. This superimposition would come by considering the three guidelines presented in this discussion viz.first, it is important providers to define their services in terms of the dominant service interactions; second, providers should develop their service-quality instruments around the dominant interactions of their particular sector and, third, they should develop service-quality question items using the paired criteria approach to capture customer experiences during service interactions. References Weekes, David J Scott, Mark E &Tidwell.Paula M.(1996) Measuring quality and client satisfaction in professional business services. Journal of Professional Services Marketing.14(2). Botschen, Gunther,Bstieler, Ludwig &Woodside, Arch G.(1996). Sequence-oriented problem identification within service encounters. Journal of Euro-Marketing.5 (2). Nick, Johns &Phil,Tyas.(1997). Customer perceptions of service operations: Gestalt, incident or mythology The Service Industries Journal.17(3). Dawes, Jillian & Rowley, Jennifer.(1999). Negative evaluations of service quality - a framework for identification and response. Journal of Marketing Practice.5(2). Minor ,Michael S, Wagner Tillmann, Brewerton F J & Hausman Angela.(2004). Rock on! An elementary model of customer satisfaction with musical performances. The Journal of Services Marketing.18(1) Eda Antilgan,Serkan Akinci &Safak Aksoy.(2003). Mapping service quality in the tourism industry. Managing Service Quality.13(5). Adenekan Dedeke.(2003). Service quality: A fulfilment-oriented and interactions-centred approach. Managing Service Quality.13(4). Lee Haksik, Lee Yongki & Yoo Dongkeun.(2000). The determinants of perceived service quality and its relationship with satisfaction. The Journal of Services Marketing.14(3). Berry, L. L., Parasuraman, A., & Zeithaml, V. A. (1994). Improving service quality in America: Lessons learned. The Academy of Management Executive, 8(2). Getz, D., O'Neill, M., & Carlsen, J. (2001). Service quality evaluation at events through service mapping. Journal of Travel Research, 39(4), 380-390. Berry, L. L. (1999). Discovering the soul of service: The nine drivers of sustainable business success. New York: The Free Press. Saget, A. (2006). Event marketing: Beyond logistics and planning. Chicago: Kaplan Publishing. Clow, K. E. (1992). Conceptual and empirical identification of the variables impacting the expectations consumers have of a service encounter. ProQuest, 53 (08), 2896. (PQ No. 744686191) Other Readings: Berry, L. L., Zeithaml, V. A., & Parasuraman, A. (1990). Five imperatives for improving service quality. MIT Sloan Management Review, 44 (4). Bruner, G. C., James, K. E., & Hensel, P. J. (2001). Marketing scales handbook: A compilation of multi-item measures. Chicago: American Marketing Association. Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V. A., & Berry, L. L. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research. Journal of Marketing, 49. Axelrod, M. (1991, November 18). Agent/broker: Referral marketing: You only get what you give. National Underwriter, 95(46), 7. Trochim ,William M.K.(2006). Establishing a Cause-Effect Relationship. Research Methods Knowledge Base. Love, L. and Crompton, J. (1996), "A conceptualization of the relative roles of festival attributes in determining perceptions of overall festival quality", paper presented to the Research Symposium, annual conference of the International Festivals and Events Association (unpublished). Long, D. (1999). When The Price Is RightStick to It! Special Events Magazine. Retrieved August 10, 2006, from http://specialevents.com/mag/meetings_price_ri ght_stick/index.html. O'Neill, M., Getz, D., & Carlsen, J. (1999). Evaluation of service quality at events: The 1998 coca-cola masters surfing event at Margaret River, Western Australia. Managing Service Quality, 9(3), 158. Parasuraman, A. (1987). Customer-oriented corporate cultures are crucial to service marketing success. The Journal of Services Marketing, 1 (1). Setthawiwat, A., & Barth, J. E. (2002). The impact of special event promotions on full- service restaurant customers. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 5(3), 37- 49. Read More