Linking eCommerce and human resource strategies: a case study in a large Australian retail bank

The implementation of eCommerce technologies has considerably changed how employees in the banking industry interact with customers. For example, some customers use electronic banking applications to such an extent that they find little or no need to go into a branch. This change has had a significant impact on the way that jobs are designed and the way that employees are being managed. The preliminary findings from the case study of a large bank in Australia indicate that moving customers out of the branch to an online environment has created unforeseen issues for the way employees interact with customers and this in turn has changed the way that they do their jobs. The key challenge for banks in the future is how to form effective relationships with customers without some kind of face-to-face interaction. This impacts how organisations recruit and retain their staff as well as the level and type of skills required for jobs redesigned after the implementation of eCommerce applications. It is also an important factor in employee satisfaction.

Hungry for change: the food banking industry in Australia

Purpose – Over the last 20 years, food banks in Australia have expanded nationwide and are a well-organised “industry” operating as a third tier of the emergency food relief system. The purpose of this paper is to overview the expansion and operation of food banks as an additional self-perpetuating “tier” in the response to hunger.

Design/methodology/approach – This paper draws on secondary data sourced from the internet; as well as information provided by Foodbank Australia and Food Bank South Australia (known as Food Bank SA) to outline the history, development and operation of food banks. Food banking is then critically analysed by examining the nature and framing of the social problems and policies that food banking seeks to address. This critique challenges the dominant intellectual paradigm that focuses on
solving problems; rather it questions how problem representation may imply certain understandings.

Findings – The issue of food banks is framed as one of food re-distribution and feeding hungry people; however, the paper argue that “the problem” underpinning the food bank industry is one of maintaining food system efficiency. Food banks continue as a neo-liberal mechanism to deflect query, debate and structural action on food poverty and hunger. Consequently their existence does little to ameliorate the problem of food poverty.

Practical implications – New approaches and partnerships with stakeholders remain key challenges for food banks to work more effectively to address food poverty.

Social implications – While the food bank industry remains the dominant solution to food poverty in Australia, debate will be deflected from the underlying structural causes of hunger.

Originality/value – This paper contributes to the limited academic literature and minimal critique of the food bank industry in Australia. It proposes that the rapid expansion of food banks is a salient marker of government and policy failure to address food poverty.

Reflections of environmental management implementation in furniture

The purpose of this paper is to present an overview of environmental management initiatives in the furniture retail area. The specific aim is to present reflections of participants implementing environmental initiatives in an Australian furniture retailer, Living Edge, in alignment with a secondary snapshot of environmental initiatives from other furniture retailers. Design/methodology/approachPrimary reflections from the retailer’s manager and external consultant, both involved in the implementation of environmental initiatives, are enriched with secondary review of environmental management system trends and examples from regions active in the designer furniture sector, including Europe, Southeast Asia and North America. FindingsAn integrated view has been distilled around environmental impact in the furniture supply chain and consumer pressure to minimise the impact. Stakeholders require furniture retailers to improve efficiency and profitability amid the countervailing market demand for environmental sustainability. Retailers may seek competitive advantage through effectively applied and communicated environmental management. The voluntary adoption of systems, international standards and innovative practices that conserve natural resources are amongst the key to success. A live case example of Australian experience is added to the knowledge base for the global retail furniture industry. Research limitations/implicationsOne Australian retailer is exemplified to highlight the lived experiences of implementing environmental initiatives. The secondary global review presents a cross-section rather than an in-depth analysis of furniture sector retailers. Originality/valueThere are limited Australian perspectives of designer furniture and its intersection with environmental issues, thus, the paper addresses this gap in the literature and adds to informed practice in a global industry.

Prediction intention to quit in the call centre industry: does the retail model fit?

Purpose – Models of workplace turnover are rarely assessed in contexts other than that in which they were developed. This reduces their generalizability and their usefulness in providing managers with guidance as to what they might do to reduce workers intentions to quit. The purpose of this study is to test a model derived from a study of shop floor retail salespeople in the call centre environment.

Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire measuring the variables in the model was completed by 126 call centre representatives recruited from 11 call centres in Melbourne, Australia.

Findings – Although the model was supported, the interactions among the variables differed. In particular, stressors played a bigger, albeit indirect, role in the intention to quit.

Practical implications – Call centre managers need to consider carefully the aspects of the work environment that may be stressful. If appropriately addressed, turnover may be reduced, and productivity increased.

Originality/value – This paper demonstrates that the model of turnover derived from shop floor salespeople is generally robust in the call centre setting. It provides management of call centres with some guidance as to the factors associated with turnover and areas that can be addressed to reduce it.

Implemetation of electronic commerce and human resource strategies in an Australian retail banking context

As organisations deploy eCommerce and internet technologies for competitive advantage and to satisfy increasingly demanding customers, they will need to develop human resource (HR) strategies that prepare their employees to work with these technologies effectively. Little systematic investigation has been undertaken to discover how companies manage their HR functions to achieve these outcomes. In the retail banking sector these issues have become very important with increased competition, industry changes and heightened competition. This paper examines HR management strategy in one Australian bank as it moves towards online service provision and adopts other eCommerce applications. The paper draws on theoretical insights from Porter’s (2001) views of competitive advantage from the internet and writers discussing the informational society (Castells, 2001) and post-fordist organisations (Clegg, 1990). An analysis of interview data from this case study shows the issues that one bank is dealing with as it seeks competitive advantage from its customer service offerings while it revises its HR strategies.

Perceptions of power and dependence between retail buyers and fresh produce suppliers within the Australian fresh produce industry

The research aims to gain a deeper understanding of direct buyer-supplier relationships within the Australian fresh produce industry. Specifically, dependence and power within the buyer-supplier relationship are considered in terms of their antecedents and their relationships their-in. In-depth interviews with buyers and suppliers provided the means by which to expose perceptions with regard to the relative importance of dependence and power within the relationship. The research reveals that relationship antecedents (trading offer: price and quality) impact power and dependence and are, in tum, impacted by them.

CSR orientation and organisational performance in the Australian retail industry

This paper aims to contribute to current business ethics literature by conceptualising the relationship between organisational culture, corporate strategy, and target stakeholders and the formation of a CSR orientation. The paper will further explore whether corporate social responsibility policies and practices will result in an overall improved positional advantage for the firm and, as a consequence, positively enhance organisational performance. These relationships will be examined within the context of the retail industry in Australia, focusing on the food, clothing and textiles, and footwear sectors.

How intimate are Australian e-business retail supply chains?

The adoption of electronic commerce strategies is becoming an important means of assisting industries, and indeed whole economies, to gain significant net benefits. The extent to which e-commerce-based strategies, such as quick response and efficient consumer response, might have an effect on local economies depends in part on how readily they are being adopted. The dominant form of adoption of these strategies is to be found in the business-to-business forms of e-commerce. To be successful, business partners must be in a position to develop customer intimacy through sharing of information, to improve their stock replenishment practices, and enhance their levels of online customer support. This paper presents the initial results of a national survey completed in the retail sector of the Australian economy, that assesses how well Australian industry is responding to these e-commerce challenges.

Globalisation and manufacturing strategy in the TCF industry

Purpose – The textiles, clothing, and footwear (TCF) industry has struggled in Australia since the government commenced dismantling tariffs. By sourcing from Asia, middlemen undercut established suppliers, and retail chains set benchmark low prices with their imported “house” labels. The policy-makers predicted that local producers would become more efficient, and export to make up for lost sales, but the media paints a picture of rising imports, retrenchments, and factory closures. The research objective was to discover what strategies the survivors (actually) employ in adapting to the pressures of globalisation.

Design/methodology/approach – More than 30 companies were involved in the study, ranging from small family businesses to subsidiaries of big multinationals. Each case study was based on an interview with a senior executive, normally followed by a plant tour. This methodology suits a fresh topic, as it avoids preconceptions and imposes no bounds.

Findings – Results show that the policy change was based on “pie in the sky” forecasts. Increasingly, TCF production is transferred to cheap offshore locations, generally via subcontracting plus the “badging” of foreign designs. To survive, local factories should focus on quality and customer service, preferably in niche markets (like uniforms), or for specific customer groups, and develop technologically advanced products. A move down the supply chain into retailing can also assist. Large multinational corporations that engage in foreign direct investment dominate the management literature.

Originality/value – This paper presents a different perspective, neglected in international operations management, whereby domestically oriented businesses attempt to defend themselves against the adverse consequences of globalisation.

An empirical investigation of customer satisfaction and loyalty across two divergent bank segments

Customer satisfaction is an important indicator for customer loyalty, and numerous studies have identified the benefits that customer loyalty delivers to an organisation. Nevertheless, research also suggests that satisfied customers still defect. This study investigated the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty intentions within the Australian banking industry for two distinct customer segments, retirees and university students. Results indicate no significant difference in the satisfaction levels of either group; however, there were differences with respect to two of the five behavioural intentions dimensions: loyalty and switch. Satisfaction was found to have a significant impact on three of the five behavioural intentions dimensions: loyalty, pay more and external response, suggesting that management should initiate service policies aimed at securing improvements in customer satisfaction. However, there are also other constructs at work aside from satisfaction in determining future behavioural intentions.

Testing the factor structure of the behavioral-intentions battery: an empirical study of the Australian banking industry

The five-factor ‘Behavioural-Intentions Battery’ was developed by Zeithaml, Berry and Parasuraman (1996), to measure customer behavioural and attitudinal intentions. The structure of this model was re-examined by Bloomer, de Ruyter and Wetzels (1999) across different service industries. They concluded that service loyalty is a multi dimensional construct consisting of four, not five, distinct dimensions. To date, neither model has been tested within a banking environment. This research independently tested the ‘goodness of fit’ of both the four and five-factor models, to data collected from branch bank customers. Data were collected via questionnaire with a sample of 348 banking customers. A confirmatory factor analysis was conducted upon the two opposing factor structures, revealing that the five-factor structure has a superior model fit; however, the fit is ‘marginal’.

Identifying competency requirements for the financial planning industry in Australia: implications for educators

Compulsory superannuation was introduced in Australia in July 1992, and has led to significant growth in funds under management.  Reserve Bank of Australia data (2004) shows that in September 2004 Australians has AUD$ 767 billion invested in managed funds.  A large portion of this investment is based on the recommendation of financial planners.  This paper provides a brief history of the development of the financial services industry in Australia, with particular reference to the development of the role of the financial planner in investment decisions.

The paper focuses in detail on the set of professional skills required by financial planners given that the widely reported ASIC survey (2003), identified gaps between client expectation and competencies of financial planners.  Birkett (1996) described professional skills as the dominant individual attribute that describes a competent professional.  The individual attributes of a financial planner includes two categories: cognitive and behavioural skills.  The paper provides strong support for the view that financial planning educators should ensure adequate development of behavioural skills to enable financial planners to meet the needs of the investors they serve.