{"title":"Elevating service startup survival through strategic service quality","authors":"Haili Zhang, Michael Song","doi":"10.1108/ijqss-07-2022-0067","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Purpose</h3>\n<p>The purpose of this paper is to unravel the specific service quality dimensions that significantly influence startup survival, providing actionable insights for service managers and entrepreneurs.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\n<h3>Design/methodology/approach</h3>\n<p>Empirical data were collected from 372 service startups over a period of seven years. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the data.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\n<h3>Findings</h3>\n<p>The results indicate that the tangible dimension of service quality emerges as the most critical determinant of startup survival. Additionally, the reliability and responsiveness of the service also significantly affect startup survival. Furthermore, the assurance and empathy dimensions have a positive, albeit modest, influence on the survival prospects of service startups.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\n<h3>Research limitations/implications</h3>\n<p>This study contributes to the service literature by investigating the relative importance of each dimension of service quality in relation to the survival of service startups.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\n<h3>Practical implications</h3>\n<p>The empirical findings empower service startups to make informed decisions, allocate resources judiciously and prioritize aspects of service quality that have a significant impact on their survival and success.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\n<h3>Social implications</h3>\n<p>The social implications indicate the significance of service quality dimensions not only for the success of service startups but also for the overall well-being of customers, local economies and the competitive landscape of the service sector.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->\n<h3>Originality/value</h3>\n<p>This study contributes to service science by uniquely highlighting the critical role of tangibles in startup survival, challenging conventional beliefs about the primacy of service reliability.</p><!--/ Abstract__block -->","PeriodicalId":14403,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1108/ijqss-07-2022-0067","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"MANAGEMENT","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to unravel the specific service quality dimensions that significantly influence startup survival, providing actionable insights for service managers and entrepreneurs.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical data were collected from 372 service startups over a period of seven years. The Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the data.
Findings
The results indicate that the tangible dimension of service quality emerges as the most critical determinant of startup survival. Additionally, the reliability and responsiveness of the service also significantly affect startup survival. Furthermore, the assurance and empathy dimensions have a positive, albeit modest, influence on the survival prospects of service startups.
Research limitations/implications
This study contributes to the service literature by investigating the relative importance of each dimension of service quality in relation to the survival of service startups.
Practical implications
The empirical findings empower service startups to make informed decisions, allocate resources judiciously and prioritize aspects of service quality that have a significant impact on their survival and success.
Social implications
The social implications indicate the significance of service quality dimensions not only for the success of service startups but also for the overall well-being of customers, local economies and the competitive landscape of the service sector.
Originality/value
This study contributes to service science by uniquely highlighting the critical role of tangibles in startup survival, challenging conventional beliefs about the primacy of service reliability.
期刊介绍:
The International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences seeks to explore various aspects of quality and services as closely interrelated phenomena in the context of ongoing transformation processes of organizations and societies. Thus the journals'' scope is not limited to micro perspectives of organizational and management related issues. It seeks further to explore patterns, behaviors, processes, mechanisms, principles and consequences related to quality and services in a broad range of organizational and social/global processes. These processes embrace cultural, economic, social, environmental and even global dimensions in order to better understand the past, to better diagnose the current situations and hence to design better the future. The journal seeks to embrace a holistic view of quality and service sector management and explicitly promotes the emerging field of ‘quality and service sciences’.The journal is an open forum and one of the main channels for communication of multi- and inter- disciplinary research and practices.