Exploration of lead factors affecting service recovery

Abstract

This research attempts to explore the influence of empowerment on service recovery from the viewpoint of managers and also to probe into the possible differences in the adoption of service recovery strategies in different corporate cultures. Linear multivariate data analysis and nonlinear fuzzy neural network are combined to analyze data and verify the proposed hypotheses. Through the investigation into Chinese and Western food chain stores, it is shown that the more empowered employees will adopt more active failure recovery strategies; and tougher corporate cultures tend to have passive service recovery strategies, whereas minor corporate cultures tend to have active service recovery strategies. Customer relationship involvement reveals positive influences on the adoption of recovery strategies. The characteristic of this research is that, on the one hand, through the empirical conclusion of the nonlinear fuzzy neural network model, we not only measure the relationship among the variables more precisely, but also have less restrictive conditions. Also, according to organizational management factors, this research proposes and examines the influencing factors affecting service recovery strategies. It explores the responses to service recovery from the viewpoint of internal prevention in the organization, which is different from past research that focussed mostly upon consumers' views.

Keywords:

• empowerment
• service recovery
• corporate culture