Investigating TQM Strategies for Sustainable Customer Satisfaction in GCC Telecommunications
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- What are the effects of process management on customer satisfaction in the GCC telecommunications sector?
- How does customer focus influence customer satisfaction in the GCC telecommunications sector?
- What are the effects of continuous improvement practices on customer satisfaction in the GCC telecommunications sector?
- What are the effects of employee engagement and empowerment on customer satisfaction in the GCC telecommunications sector?
2. Theoretical Frameworks Relevant to TQM and Customer Satisfaction
2.1. Deming’s System of Profound Knowledge (SoPK)
- Appreciation for a System: Understanding the organization as a system of interrelated processes and people working together towards a common goal. In TQM, this means optimizing the entire system to improve customer satisfaction.
- Knowledge of Variation: Recognizing the variability in processes and distinguishing between common cause variation and special cause variation. TQM strategies aim to reduce variability to ensure consistent and reliable service quality, directly impacting customer satisfaction.
- Theory of Knowledge: Basing management decisions on knowledge and facts rather than assumptions. Continuous learning and improvement, driven by data, help organizations adapt to changing customer needs, ensuring sustainable satisfaction.
- Psychology: Understanding human behavior and motivation, fostering employee engagement and collaboration. TQM strategies emphasize creating a culture of respect and involvement, essential for sustaining high levels of customer satisfaction.
2.2. Kano Model
2.3. Service Quality Theory
2.4. Customer Relationship Management
3. Literature Review
3.1. Synergy between Sustainability, Customer Satisfaction, and TQM
3.2. Effects of Process Management on Customer Satisfaction
3.3. Influence of Customer Focus on Customer Satisfaction
3.4. Effects of Continuous Improvement Practices on Customer Satisfaction
3.5. Effects of Employee Engagement and Empowerment on Customer Satisfaction
3.6. Comprehensive Model and Variables
4. Methodology
Data Collection and Preparation Process
- Data Access and Extraction: Multiple telecommunications firms in the GCC were contacted and their performance reports requested. While some firms responded positively and provided the necessary reports, others did not reply, which influenced our final sample. For the firms that provided the reports, relevant data were manually extracted. Key performance indicators such as Net Promoter Score (NPS), training hours per employee, average internet download speed, first-call resolution percentage, and the number of escalated complaints per 100,000 subscribers were identified and recorded.
- Data Verification: To ensure accuracy, the extracted data were cross-verified with other available sources and reports. This step was crucial for maintaining consistency across different firms’ reporting standards.
- Data Standardization: The data were then standardized to align with uniform metrics and formats. This involved converting different units of measurement to a common standard where necessary and normalizing the data to ensure comparability.
- β0 is the regression constant, and β1 to β4 are the regression coefficients
- εit is the error term
- i represents the three (3) telecom firms from the first to the third, while t is the time period in quarters, from the first quarter in 2019 to the last quarter in 2023 (1st to 20th).
5. Results
6. Discussion
6.1. Effect of Process Management on Customer Satisfaction
6.2. Effect of Customer Focus on Customer Satisfaction
6.3. Effect of Continuous Improvement Practices on Customer Satisfaction
6.4. Effect of Employees’ Engagement on Customer Satisfaction
7. Implications
7.1. Practical Implications
- The significant positive impact of employee engagement on customer satisfaction suggests that telecom firms should invest more in employee training and development programs. By enhancing employees’ skills and knowledge about telecommunications products and services, companies can improve their service delivery, thereby increasing customer satisfaction.
- The positive effect of process management on customer satisfaction highlights the importance of optimizing business processes. Telecom firms should focus on improving their internet download speeds and other service quality metrics to provide a better customer experience. Implementing advanced process management techniques can lead to faster and more reliable services, which are crucial for maintaining customer satisfaction in a highly competitive market.
- The role of customer focus, though not statistically significant, should not be underestimated. Companies need to continue investing in understanding customer needs and preferences through effective CRM systems and feedback mechanisms. This investment will help firms tailor their services to meet customer expectations more accurately, thereby fostering customer loyalty and satisfaction.
7.2. Theoretical Implications
8. Conclusions, Limitations, and Future Directions
8.1. Research Conclusion
8.2. Limitations and Future Directions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Nature of Variable | Research Variable | Symbol | Measure of Variable | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dependent Variable | Customer Satisfaction | NPS | Net promoter score (NPS) | [46,47] |
Independent Variable | Employee engagement | EE | Training hours per employee | [43,44] |
Independent Variable | Process management | PM | Average internet download speed (Mb/s) | [39,48] |
Independent Variable | Customer Focus | CF | First-call resolution (%) | [41] |
Independent Variable | Continuous improvement practices | CIP | The number of escalated complaints per 100 k subscribers | [40,49] |
Variable | Obs | Mean | Std. Dev. | Min | Max |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
NPS | 60 | 77.550 | 4.176 | 69.000 | 85.000 |
Employee engagement | 60 | 32.684 | 7.953 | 15.500 | 50.450 |
Continuous improvement practices | 60 | 13.633 | 2.834 | 8.000 | 21.000 |
Customer focus | 60 | 77.902 | 3.137 | 70.840 | 81.972 |
Process management | 60 | 102.860 | 7.729 | 89.300 | 121.000 |
NPS | Employee Engagement | Continuous Improvement | Customer Focus | Process Management | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
NPS | 1 | ||||
Employee engagement | 0.9306 | 1 | |||
Continuous improvement | −0.2748 | −0.2095 | 1 | ||
Customer focus | 0.5779 | 0.5458 | −0.3818 | 1 | |
Process management | 0.8757 | 0.8541 | −0.2629 | 0.4239 | 1 |
Source | SS | df | Ms | Number of Obs | 60 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
F(4, 55) | 124.56 | |||||
Model | 926.5647 | 4 | 231.6412 | Prob > F | 0.000 | |
Residual | 102.2853 | 55 | 1.8597 | R-squared | 0.9006 | |
Adj R-squared | 0.8934 | |||||
Total | 1028.85 | 59 | 17.4381 | Root MSE | 1.3637 | |
NPS | Coef. | Std. Err. t | t | P > t | [95% Conf. | Interval] |
Training hours | 0.3168 | 0.0473 | 6.7 | 0.0000 | 0.2220 | 0.4117 |
Number of escalated complaints | −0.0386 | 0.0693 | −0.56 | 0.5800 | −0.1775 | 0.1003 |
First-call resolution | 0.1440 | 0.0724 | 1.99 | 0.0520 | −0.0011 | 0.2891 |
Average internet speed | 0.1662 | 0.0454 | 3.66 | 0.0010 | 0.0752 | 0.2571 |
_cons | 39.4101 | 7.1594 | 5.5 | 0.0000 | 25.0623 | 53.7579 |
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Alsaqer, S.; Katar, I.M.; Abdelhadi, A. Investigating TQM Strategies for Sustainable Customer Satisfaction in GCC Telecommunications. Sustainability 2024, 16, 6401. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156401
Alsaqer S, Katar IM, Abdelhadi A. Investigating TQM Strategies for Sustainable Customer Satisfaction in GCC Telecommunications. Sustainability. 2024; 16(15):6401. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156401
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlsaqer, Saud, Ihab M. Katar, and Abdelhakim Abdelhadi. 2024. "Investigating TQM Strategies for Sustainable Customer Satisfaction in GCC Telecommunications" Sustainability 16, no. 15: 6401. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16156401