Logistics service quality: where we are and where we go in the context of airline industry

Abstract

Purpose

In practice and in literature, logistics service quality is one of the key concepts in any service industry, including airlines. However, the breadth of content and the inconsistent accounts make comprehensive understanding of service quality elusive, thereby necessitating the conduct of a systematic review of the literature on service quality in the context of airlines. In doing so, this study aims to provide a clear, consistent and current overview of the literature, enabling the advancement of theory and research in service quality.

Design/methodology/approach

In particular, this study presents several aspects of logistics service quality based on the 52 articles reviewed published between 1993 and 2019. Content analysis was used to analyze the data in terms of key attributes of service quality from the selected articles.

Findings

Following an analysis, this study summarizes the antecedents and consequences, along with mediators and moderators, and develops a review framework of service quality.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides a starting point for understanding logistics service quality in a context of airline where choice of perspective (at three different perspectives) and framing of context (where logistics interfaces with marketing function, thereby ensuring a well-functiong synthesis of marketing and service activities in the value chain) are of decisive importance. It also expands an understanding of service quality in marketing field with an integration of logistics function as well as challenging some of the conventional knowledge of the applying logistics in service-based business like the airlines. However, this paper is restricted by several limitations that must be taken into account when applying its findings such as context-specific results,cross-sectional data and recall variables.

Originality/value

This paper provides a clear and consistent concept, as well as a current overview of the literature, which enables advancement in theory and research. It also reveals theoretical underpinnings of the research stream and outlines future research directions. Additionally, it challenges some of the conventional knowledge of the applying logistics on service-based business such as airline which broadens the scope of our thinking and provides a foundation for future study.

Citation

Thongkruer, P. and Wanarat, S. (2021), "Logistics service quality: where we are and where we go in the context of airline industry", Management Research Review, Vol. 44 No. 2, pp. 209-235. https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-12-2019-0544