Abstract

The external supply of logistics services is part of a trend toward outsourcing non-core logistics activities. The scope of third-party logistics may range from a relatively limited combination of activities (e.g. transportation and warehousing) to a comprehensive set of logistics services. The authors first discuss the characteristics of business logistics in manufactoring industry, to be taken into account in logistics outsourcing. They particularly point out the motivations for logistics outsourcing, the possibilities of outsourcing, as well as supplier selection. Finally they analyze the outsourcing in the reverse logistics. Vanjska opskrba (outsourcing) logističkih usluga predstavlja dio opće sklonosti tvrtki da prenesu pojedine aktivnosti na za to specijalizirane tvrtke, koje mogu te aktivnosti izvesti na visokoj razini. Ovo područje naziva se trećim dijelom logistike, a kreće se od relativno ograničene kombinacije aktivnosti (primjerice transporta i skladištenja), pa sve do sustavnog pristupa brojnim logističkim i inim aktivnostima. Autori u ovoj raspravi najprije posvećuju pozornost značajkama poslovne logistike u industrijskim proizvodnim tvrtkama, koje zavrjeđuju da budu uzete u razmatranje glede vanjske opskrbe logističkim uslugama (outsourcing). Posebice se prikazuju mogućnosti i motivi za odabir vanjskih opskrbljivača logističkim uslugama, kao i način selekcioniranja ponuđača. Na kraju se analiziraju osobitosti outsourcinga povratne logistike.

Abstract

Despite growing literature on the different aspects of airline service quality in relation to behavioural intentions, less attention has been paid to some specific aspects of in-flight services. The focus of the present research is, therefore, on a multiple conceptual model of the quality of in-flight services in relation to passengers’ perception of value, followed by recommendations (word of mouth - WOM) of airlines, as well as the quality and comfort of airline seats. The study is performed using two databases of reviewers’/passengers’ opinions regarding the quality of in-flight airline services and airline seat comfort. Our research results reveal that the perceived comfort of the airplane seat is the most important factor of passengers’ perceived quality of in-flight airline services, which also considerably affects the passengers’ perception of value, and consequently moderates behavioural intentions (in our research, expressed through positive WOM). The analysis of the relative importance of the components of perceived airline seats’ comfort shows that seat width is the most significant factor that contributes to the overall perceived comfort of the airline seat. Kljub obsežni literaturi o različnih vidikih kakovosti letalskih storitev v povezavi z vedenjskimi namerami potnikov, so bili nekateri posebni vidiki kakovosti letalskih storitev med samim letom v preteklosti deležni manjše pozornosti. Tako je v ospredju pričujoče raziskave multipli konceptualni model zaznane kakovosti letalskih storitev med letom, v povezavi z zaznano vrednostjo s strani potnikov, kateri sledi priporočilo (“od ust do ust”) letalske družbe, kot tudi udobje ter zaznana kakovost letalskih sedežev. Raziskava temelji na dveh podatkovnih bazah, ki vsebujejo mnenja potnikov o zaznani kakovosti letalskih storitev med letom ter o udobnosti letalskih sedežev. Rezultati raziskave kažejo, da je zaznana kakovost letalskih sedežev s strani potnikov, najpomembnejši dejavnik zaznane kakovosti letalskih storitev med letom, ki hkrati znatno vpliva na zaznano vrednost storitve ter posledično oblikuje vedenjske namere (v naši raziskavi izražene s pozitivnim priporočilom “od ust do ust”). Analiza relativne pomembnosti posameznih komponent zaznane kakovosti letalskih sedežev pa kaže, da je širina sedeža najpomembnejši dejavnik, ki prispeva k celokupnemu zaznanemu udobju letalskega sedeža.