The evaluation of the relationship between customers’ knowledge management and their loyalty to academic libraries

A systematic review of library service quality studies: Models, dimensions, research populations and methods

The study systematically reviews the studies based on a search of published articles from 2010 to 2021 on library service quality with the aim of determining which models of service quality are the most commonly used by librarians as a means of measuring service quality. In addition, the paper makes an effort to determine the variety of dimensions by which these qualitative evaluations were carried out, the types of libraries that have reported such qualitative studies, and the data collection strategies (research population, sample size and data collection instruments) adopted by the authors. The findings indicate that the SERVQUAL and LibQual models are the most frequently adopted models. The empathy, reliability, tangible, assurance, responsiveness, effect of library, information control and library as place are the prominent dimensions. The researchers rely heavily on questionnaire-based survey research methods with sample sizes of less than 100 respondents, mostly reported in academic libraries.

What do experts say about the conditions affecting customer knowledge management in academic libraries? An integrated perspective

Purpose

The purpose of the present study was to design an axial coding pattern for customer knowledge management (CKM) to identify the conditions affecting it from the perspective of experts in public university libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study used a qualitative approach. To collect and analyze data, the grounded theory method with a three-stage strategy of open, axial and selective coding was employed. The research instrument was a semi-structured in-depth interview and the data were categorized using MAXQDA 10 software. The sample of the study consisted of 26 experts from Iranian public universities who were selected through a combined targeted non-random sampling procedure (targeted and snowball). The necessary data were obtained through specialized interviews with 9 faculty members and 17 managers of public university libraries.

Findings

In the present study, 106 open coding, 35 axial concepts, and 16 selective general categories were identified as the conditions affecting CKM development in academic libraries in the form of causal conditions, intervening conditions, strategies conditions, context conditions, and consequences conditions around the core layer of CKM development. The identification of these conditions led to the development of a paradigmatic pattern for the research.

Originality/value

There is no record of research on developing empirical studies in libraries using an analysis of the conditions affecting CKM development in the form of an axial coding pattern. The present research contributed to closing this research gap. The axial coding pattern proposed in this study can serve as a guide for implementing CKM in academic libraries as well as increasing customer loyalty.