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DOCTORAL DISSERTATION SUMMARY: Internal service quality in hotel industry – conceptualization and measurement
Matina Gjurašić
; University of Rijeka Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Croatia
Abstract
The results of descriptive statistical analysis show that hotel employees gave relatively high grades to the perceived internal service quality. They gave slightly lower average grades to organizational citizenship behavior, whereas the lowest grades were given to the application of internal market orientation in the hotel. Correlation analysis was conducted with the goal of determining the relationship between the constructs of application and measurement of internal service quality in the hotel. Statistically significant relationship exists between internal service quality and internal market orientation (r=0,709), whereas the relationship between internal service quality and organizational citizenship behavior is weaker with the coefficient of r=0,457 and with the coefficient of r=0,355 between internal market orientation and organizational citizenship behavior. By applying the method of multiple regression the relationship between internal service quality and the concepts of internal market orientation and organizational citizenship behavior was confirmed. To show the possibility of statistically significant differences between the constructs regarding demographic characteristics, Kruskal Wallis and Mann Whitney U tests were used. The results of the analysis show that there are no statistically significant differences regarding: sex, age and the area of education, whereas marital status and the level of education of the hotel employees affect the rating of the “internal service quality” concept. It is also necessary to point out that there are certain limitations to this research. This research, as most marketing research studies are, is conducted over a certain period of time, in this case at the peak of the tourist season, and the survey among the hotel employees during a longer period (pre-season and post-season) would contribute to a greater reliability of the results. A certain limitation is also the size of the sample and its structure, and to generalize the results better, the research should be conducted in other tourist destinations in Croatia as well. Furthermore, possible incomprehension of the questions might represent a possible weakness of the conducted research. Originality of the research Despite all that, the mentioned limitations do not diminish the contribution of the results in the theoretical, methodological and applicability sense. In the theoretical sense, determining key components for the internal service quality in the hospitality industry is scientifically founded. Extensive research on relevant scientific literature resulted in systematic review of the development of the following concepts: internal service quality, internal market orientation and organizational citizenship behavior in the hospitality industry. A conceptual model was also formed, which determines interdependence between internal service quality, internal market orientation and organizational citizenship behavior in the hospitality industry. Scientific contribution is also visible in proving that internal quality is a multidimensional concept in the hospitality industry. In the methodological sense, the scientific contribution is found in the adaptation of measuring instruments, which verified the basic metric characteristics and determined the specificity of the sample of respondents. The elements of internal service quality with which the employees are most satisfied are highlighted, and those with which they are least satisfied. The same was done for the elements of organizational citizenship behavior and internal market orientation. Furthermore, the scientific contribution is visible in the examining of work/family balance toward organizational citizenship behavior and internal service quality. Some statistically significant differences were determined in the aspects of internal service quality, internal market orientation and organizational citizenship behavior in relation to most independent variables used in the research. Previous research of internal service quality in the hotel business has rarely been observed in relation with internal market orientation and organizational citizenship behavior, especially in the context of Croatian hotel industry. In the applicability sense, new notions regarding the importance of the application of internal marketing activities, i.e. internal market orientation and organizational citizenship behavior with the aim of achieving internal service quality in a hotel organization, can help the hotel management to achieve business goals to the satisfaction of all the participants in the business processes.
Keywords
internal service quality; internal marketing; internal marketing orientation; organizational citizenship behaviour; hospitality industry.
Hrčak ID:
220336
URI
Publication date:
23.5.2019.
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