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Although an increasing number of studies is being performed in the field of service management, less work is being done on an integrated framework of service quality and product quality, especially that supported with evidence from developing countries. As a result, little is known about the distinction between service quality and product quality, their respective antecedents, and their distinctive contributions to performance in service industries in the developing world. Generalization of related findings from developed countries is not necessarily appropriate. Unlike most related studies that are based on evidence from developed countries, focuses attention on the distinction between, and respective antecedents of, service quality and product quality in the Chinese context. Gives much emphasis to the importance of a positive bank reputation. The findings are based on structural equation models developed by AMOS.

This paper reports the development of the Hong Kong consumer satisfaction index (HKCSI) – a new type of consumer‐oriented economic performance indicator representing the quality of products (commodities and services) sold in Hong Kong as evaluated by Hong Kong consumers – as well as the findings of HKCSI from 1998 to 2000, each year with more than 10,000 successful telephone interviews on about 60 products. According to Hong Kong's special economic structure, the HKCSI is constructed from a consumption point of view concentrating on products and the products’ consumers, rather than from the popular production point of view focusing on firms and the firms’ customers. Key features of HKCSI include: the direct introduction of consumer characteristics (such as age, education, and income) in model construction; the wide coverage of services, especially free services; and the adoption of a product weighting system based on consumer price index (CPI), not on gross domestic product (GDP). In this paper, a theoretical framework of consumer satisfaction is first presented after investigating the relevant literature, and then the large‐scale consumer survey scheme adopted to collect the data and the structural equation modeling technique employed to estimate the indexes are discussed. New considerations in the HKCSI in such areas as model structure, indicator and questionnaire design, and product classification are elaborated upon. Next, the estimated results are analyzed focusing on the reliability and validity of the model, on the relationships among consumer satisfaction and its antecedents and consequences, and especially on the effects of consumer characteristics on consumer satisfaction and the implications of such effects for marketing practice. The results are generally consistent across different products, broadly acceptable and in agreement with previous findings, and are also relevant to Hong Kong's special situation. The paper concludes with a summary and some remarks on problems in the present study and future research directions.

Presents over sixty abstracts summarising the 1999 Employment Research Unit annual conference held at the University of Cardiff. Explores the multiple impacts of globalization on work and employment in contemporary organizations. Covers the human resource management implications of organizational responses to globalization. Examines the theoretical, methodological, empirical and comparative issues pertaining to competitiveness and the management of human resources, the impact of organisational strategies and international production on the workplace, the organization of labour markets, human resource development, cultural change in organisations, trade union responses, and trans‐national corporations. Cites many case studies showing how globalization has brought a lot of opportunities together with much change both to the employee and the employer. Considers the threats to existing cultures, structures and systems.

Unlike previous studies which emphasize market oriented performance from the perspective of firms or customers, but mainly internally, the paper proposes that firms should prioritize customer‐focused performance defined totally externally from the perspective of targeted customers, which are the fundamental drivers of purchasing or repurchasing behaviors of customers and consequently the key to successful competition in the customer‐centered era. Then, the role of customer‐focused performance in the overall business performance system is examined. After the components and dynamics of customer‐focused performance are analyzed, much attention is given to its key determinants in perspective of a resource‐based view, which aims mainly at bridging the current gaps between strategic management and service management. In addition, important propositions are presented and future implications are discussed.

It is well known that service quality, customer satisfaction and customer value are becoming the most important factors of business success for either manufacturers or service providers. However, many different conclusions have been reached and related studies are rather fragmented, especially with regard to customer value. Furthermore, there are few related studies with service quality, customer satisfaction and customer value and their influences on customers’ future behaviors in the telecommunication industry as the focus. In this paper, attention is paid to the measurement model of service quality in China’s mobile phone market based on the well‐known SERVQUAL model, but with modification on the basis of focus group discussions and expert opinions to reflect the specific industry attributes and the special culture of China. Emphasis is then paid to the study of the dynamic relationships among service quality, customer value, customer satisfaction and their influences on future behaviors after the key drivers of customer value and customer satisfaction are identified. All of them are based on the development of structural equation models by using PLS‐GRAPH Package.

In today’s turbulent environments, competition has gone far beyond the traditional product‐based competition and taken on an increasingly new look, with its nature and rules changing fundamentally. Accordingly, firms are competing with one another at multiple levels at the same time and as a result building and enhancing multi‐layer competitive advantage is becoming the focus of competition for any firm to succeed. Tries to develop an effective framework for companies to deal with the challenges of turbulent environments by integrating existing theories and techniques together and applying them as a whole Finally, provides an integrated framework with a practical example of Haier Group as a perspective of organizational learning, where there is successful competition in a turbulent environment and where the model is implemented practically.

Examines the tenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.