Dedicated to
the memory of my father,
Peter Henry Jeffers,
From whom I learned the virtue perseverance,
And to my mother
Millicent Hildred Jeffers,
Who taught me love.
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承认,承认书,感谢
Sincere thanks to my adviser, Waleed A. Muhanna, for his knowledgeable
guidance and support through this tremendously challenging project. I also wish to thank,
Barrie Nault, Martha Cooper, Kay Nelson and other committee members for giving me of
their time and support.
I am grateful to the Center for Information Technology Management (CITM), at
The Ohio State University and the Director, Kay Nelson, for assistance in covering the
cost of this research survey.
I am extremely grateful to Bernard La Londe, professor emeritus and Director of
the Supply Chain Management Research Center at the Ohio State University, for
contributing freely of his time and insightful knowledge of the 3PL industry, in
developing my survey instrument.
I am deeply indebted to my wife, Christiana, who has given me her unwavering
support throughout.
-----------VITA=resume
November 8, 1954…..Born: Port-of-Spain, Republic of Trinidad & Tobago
1977………………...B.S. Economics, University of the West Indies,
Republic of Trinidad & Tobago
1983………………...M.S. Transportation Planning and Engineering,
Polytechnic University of New York
1993…………………M.B.A. Computer Information Systems, Baruch College,
City University of New York
1998 – present………Graduate Teaching and Research Associate, The Ohio State
University
FIELD OF STUDY
Major Field: Accounting and Management Information Systems
Specializing in Management Information Systems
--------TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Dedication...........................................................................................................................iii
Acknowledgments................................................................................................................v
Vita......................................................................................................................................v
i
List of Tables......................................................................................................................ix
List of Figures......................................................................................................................x
Chapters
1.
Background and introduction..................................................................................1
1.1 Research question..................................................................................5
1.2 Overview of related IT research…........................................................8
1.3 Contribution of research......................................................................11
2.
IT, customer service and firm performance: literature review..............................14
2.1 The role of information in modern organizations...........................................15
2.2 Strategic significance of customer service......................................................18
2.2.1 Definition of Customer Service......................................................20
2.3 Customer Satisfaction and firm performance..................................................22
2.3.1 Customer loyalty, retention and firm value.....................................23
3.
Theoretical framework and hypotheses...............................................................28
3.1 Human resources IT complementarities.........................................................31
3.2 Business process IT complementarities..........................................................34
3.3 Managerial IT capability................................................................................37
3.4 Research hypotheses......................................................................................39
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
4.1
Summary of variables and measurement scales....................................... 58
4.2
PL survey response data description.........................................................60
5.1
Rotated factor pattern for dependent variables..........................................66
5.2
Rotated factor pattern for independent variables.......................................66
5.3
Rotated factor patterns for 3PL customer service
performance model....................................................................................67
5.4
Summary of items included in models after
principal component analysis...................................................................68
5.5
Correlation table of variables of models 1 & 2
(MINITAB 13 Output)...........................................................................69
5.6
Summary of ANOVA results – replication of Powell approach:
depend variable is customer service performance(CSP)............................70
5.7
Summary of ANOVA results – Four main-effect variables:
dependent variable is customer service performance (CSP).....................71
5.8
Summary of ANOVA results – interaction of IT and non-IT resources,
dependent variable is customer-service performance CSP).....................76
5.9
Summary statistics of model ANOVA runs.............................................77
6.1
Summary of findings by hypothesis..........................................................80
LIST OF FIGURES
Figures Page
1.1
Research model of firm performance.....................................................................7
5.1
Predictive model of customer service performance (CSP)....................................62
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