The level of management maturity in the Polish food sector and its relation to financial performance

The impact of the level of customer satisfaction on the quality of e-commerce services

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of surveys conducted in the field of level of e-commerce services quality. The criteria of quality of e-commerce services were identified. On this basis the hierarchy of importance of the adopted criteria for e-commerce service quality were proposed.

Design/methodology/approach

The level of customer satisfaction was measured using the Servqual method. In order to compare two groups: the quality of e-commerce services before purchase and the quality of e-commerce services after the purchase, a student’s t-test was used. To check if the relations between variables are sufficient to carry out the factor analysis (sampling adequacy), the Keizer–Meyer–Olkin test was used. The scope of the research included 23 selected criteria of customers satisfaction.

Findings

A comparison of the Servqual weighted and unweighted results shows that customers valued the guarantee/safety dimension the most. It can therefore be expected that customers perceive e-commerce services with increasing trust and consider them increasingly reliable which is also confirmed by the growing tendencies in the forecasts of e-commerce services in Poland.

Originality/value

Research allows to know the opinion and expectations related to the quality of services provided in the analysed area and to develop the strategy of company. The most important indicator of the quality of e-commerce services remains reliability (weighting = 0.34). However, the noticeable difference in opinions concerns the tangible elements index compared to the results of the Berry and Parasuraman team and amounted to 0.20.

The Level of Maturity of Quality Management Systems in Poland—Results of Empirical Research

This paper examines the problem of measuring the maturity of quality management systems. The main scope of the study is to measure the level of maturity of quality management systems in organizations with an implemented quality management system compliant with the requirements of ISO 9001 in Poland; however, this paper also investigates which factors influence the level of maturity. An analysis of the maturity level of the quality management system in the surveyed organizations showed that the highest level of maturity occurs in those areas and activities that directly result from the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard and direct market pressure, and this level of maturity must be implemented. This can be included in case areas such as customer orientation, process approach, or evidence-based decision-making. However, a lower level of maturity is observed in the case of “soft” aspects of quality management related to leadership and human resource management. The problems are also related to the implementation of corporate social responsibility (CSR). In this respect, the surveyed organizations show numerous shortcomings which lead to low assessments of their level of maturity, for example, in ensuring openness and ethical behavior in contact with the public. The following hypothesis was formulated for the research objective: H1—control variables, such as the size of the organization (H1a), time of existence of the enterprise (H1b), business profile (H1c), market position (H1d), financial condition (H1e), and ratio of management to the normalization processes (H1f), affect the level of maturity of an enterprise’s quality management system.

Food integrated management systems: dairy industry insights

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the management systems integration from both sector and size perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

Extant literature is reviewed focussing on food-related management topics. A single case is used to delve into the understanding of integrated management systems (IMSs) using the contingency approach. Data are drawn from documents and archives, on-site observations and by interviewing employees of all hierarchy levels.

Findings

This case shows how size and sector-related constraints may condition integration in terms of IMS scope, strategy, level, audits, resources, motives, benefits and difficulties. Traceability is identified as an integration “catalyst” for multiple MSs in food companies. It is further discussed, how an environmental management system would be embedded within the existing integrated structure.

Research limitations/implications

Conclusions bring to light the sustained business leverage provided by food IMSs. Thus, food industry managers are driven to streamline the quality, food safety and environmental processes following an IMS approach. Future research on multiple cases of different size would reflect a wider IMS sector-specific perspective. Research on other sectors is expected to provide different particular aspects of integration, as well.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first in-depth study on the adoption of an integrated generic and sector-specific MS from the contingency perspective. The case visualizes the contribution of integration when addressing the critical food safety and quality operations and the significant environmental aspects.