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Communication effectiveness on IT service relationship quality

Jun-Gi Park (IT Policy and Strategy Research Institute, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea)
Seyoon Lee (Graduate School of Information, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea)
Jungwoo Lee (Graduate School of Information, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea)

Industrial Management & Data Systems

ISSN: 0263-5577

Article publication date: 4 March 2014

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effect of communication effectiveness (CE) on service quality (SQ) leading to relationship quality (RQ) in IT service relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

CE was decomposed into frequency, bi-directionality and quality of communication while SQ was decomposed into functional and technical qualities, and RQ into trust and relationship commitment. An empirical study is conducted testing the nomological research model consists of these dimensions, using survey method collecting data from 144 subjects.

Findings

The findings indicate that good SQ can impact relationship commitment only via the clients' trust, but not directly. Influence of functional quality is stronger on trust but technical quality also maintains significant impact. Detailed findings imply that, while communication is important element influencing perceptions of SQ, quality of bi-directional communication is more critical than simple but frequent communication.

Originality/value

This study explores the direct impact of CE on SQ leading to RQ in IT service context. Previous studies rarely tested the impacts of functional and technical SQ, simultaneously. Findings of this study add values to research on service relations as well as IT services research in terms of differentiating functional and technical service qualities.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean Government (NRF-2012S1A3A2033474).

Citation

Park, J.-G., Lee, S. and Lee, J. (2014), "Communication effectiveness on IT service relationship quality", Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 114 No. 2, pp. 321-336. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-04-2013-0186

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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