An Integrative Critical Incident Approach to Quality Management in the Smartphone Market: Product, Service, and Content

Abstract

The explosive growth of the smartphone market and furious competition among global IT (Information Technology) leaders necessitate a better understanding of consumers quality perceptions of smartphones, their related services, and contents. In this study, a critical incident approach to quality perception and management is utilized to investigate how the quality of a smartphone device, product-related services, telecommunications services, and application contents influences owner intentions of future purchases. Specifically, critical incidents that smartphone owners may confront are hypothesized to engage in forming their satisfaction level or quality perceptions of smartphones, affecting their likelihood of future purchases with regard to the three major smartphone supply chain parties: the mobile device manufacturer, the telecommunications carrier and the application content provider. The proposed model was empirically examined by regression analyses of 795 smartphone users responses. The results can be summarized as follows: Smartphone owners are affected by the critical incidents associated with their smartphones which they experienced during the ownership cycle

the owners overall quality perceptions of smartphones are influenced by the critical incidents related to phone device, product-related services, telecommunication services, and application contents

the specific critical incident categories that significantly have an effect on each smartphone supply chain party differ with each other. Additionally, quality management through monitoring and managing critical incidents during the ownership period is verified to applicable in smartphone market in order to enhance quality perceptions of customers, leading to business prosperity as well as better quality design of smartphone products and services.

Keywords: Critical Incident

Quality Management

Integrative Approach

Supply Chain Management

Smartphone