Customer’s Perception on Cargo Handling and Delivery in ABC Transport
CHAPTER ONE
Objective of the study
The objective of the study is to ascertain customer perception on cargo handling and delivery in ABC transport. The specific objectives are;
- To find out from ABC transport customers their perception on service delivery
- To find out the factors that affect customer satisfaction in ABC transport
- To find out perception of customers on cargo handling by ABC transport
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
INTRODUCTION
Our focus in this chapter is to critically examine relevant literature that would assist in explaining the research problem and furthermore recognize the efforts of scholars who had previously contributed immensely to similar research. The chapter intends to deepen the understanding of the study and close the perceived gaps.
Customers’ perceptions of logistics service
Several studies (Chen et al., 2015; Naomi, 2015) discuss the importance of using Kansei engineering on capturing customers’ perception of logistics service attributes on the elements of logistics services. According to Naomi (2015), the decisions on buying the product or using the services is based on the customers’ perception. The perception of ease to operate a site system, transaction until purchased-goods delivered. These ordering procedures refer to the efficiency and effectiveness of processes provided by logistic service providers (Bienstock et al., 1997). In terms of delivery time, a study by Davis and Mentzer (2006) stated that customer loyalty is highly dependent on aspects related to the quality of logistics services such as reliability, communication, timeliness, and responsiveness. Timelines refer to the estimated delivery time, which refers to the time taken between placing an order and receiving it by the customer. In the research findings done by Chen et al. (2015) show that the delivery factors captured by Kansei words from customer perceptions indicate that most customer’s feeling on delivery factors are like high quality, reliable, familiar, specialized, on time and convenient.
Other important factors affecting logistics service quality is picking-up services and packaging services. Kansei engineering was used to capture customer’s perceptions of logistics services and found that pick-up services are one of the services attributes that most considered by customers (Chen et al., 2015), while a study by Hsiao et al. (2017) and Chen et al. (2015) found that packaging services greatly affects customer perceptions in assessing provider logistics services. Moreover, other factors affecting logistics service quality has been discussed widely such as costs (Avlonitis & Indounas, 2005), warranty services (Parasuraman, 2000), (Ribbink & Grimm, 2014) and (Wang et al., 2003), tracking service (Saura et al., 2008), and (Lewis & Soureli, 2006), shipping area service (Bansal et al., 2004), home delivery service (Boyer et al., 2003a), availability of delivery information (Chen et al., 2015) and claim handling (Firnstahl, 1989) and (Spreng et al., 1995).
The relationship between logistics service quality logistics performance has been studied previously. Most of them investigated the attributes of logistics service quality (servqual) and their relationship to logistics performance. Gefen (2002) and Rezi, Chandra, Budiman, Putra, & Rizki (Rezi et al.) investigated the relationship between service quality and logistics performance through customer loyalty and found that there is a positive relationship between service quality and customer loyalty.
Chapter Three
Research methodology
Research Design
The research design adopted in this research work is the survey research design which involves the usage of self-designed questionnaire in the collection of data. Under the survey research design, primary data of this study will be collected from customers of ABC transport company in Aba, Owerri and Asaba in order to determine the customers’ perception on cargo handling and delivery in ABC transport. The design was chosen because it enables the researcher to collect data without manipulation of any variables of interest in the study. The design also provides opportunity for equal chance of participation in the study for respondents.
Population of Study
The population of study is the census of all items or a subject that possess the characteristics or that have the knowledge of the phenomenon that is being studied (Asiaka, 1991). It also means the aggregate people from which the sample is to be drawn.
Population is sometimes referred to as the universe. The population of this research study will be Seventy-five (75) selected customers of ABC transport company in Aba, Owerri and Asaba in order to determine the customers’ perception on cargo handling and delivery in ABC transport
Sample Size and Sampling Techniques
The researcher made use of stratified sampling technique because all the members have the same probability of occurrence. The researcher narrowed down the samples to ABC transport company customers from Aba, Owerri and Asaba in order to determine the customers’ perception on cargo handling and delivery in ABC transport
In this study, the researcher used the [TARO YAMANE FORMULA] to determine the sample size.
Yamane (1967:886) provides a simplified formula to calculate sample sizes.
CHAPTER FOUR
Method of Data Collection
Basically, the source of data collection used in this study is primary and secondary. The primary source involves the use of questionnaire. The secondary source is by means of research into journals, published work in the library as well as newspaper articles.
The researcher adopted questionnaire in collecting relevant information for the study. The questions asked in the questionnaire were accompanied by multiple choice answers from which the respondents were asked to pick one.
The main reason for using this method of collecting data is to enable the researcher believe that this method will provide the necessary information as well as the ease with which the method will facilitate data collection. This will ensure balance and comprehensive information reliable enough for conclusion to be drawn.
Validity and Reliability of Research Instruments
Validity here refers to the degree of measurement to which an adopted research instrument or method represents in a reasonable and logical manner the reality of the study (Prince Udoyen: 2019).
Nworgu (1991) contended that after the items in a questionnaire have been written, it is mandatory to subject the questionnaire to validation process.
He maintained that in this way the items can be reviewed in terms of their clarity, the appropriateness of the language and expressions, the suitability of each item with references to the research question. It is expected to answer the adequacy of the quantity of items in the questionnaire.
In respect of this he says; after the items have been written, the next crucial step is to subject the questionnaire to a validation process. This is an extremely important exercise that cannot be skipped in the development of an instrument.
The questionnaires were being validated by the investigator’s project supervisor and some of his colleagues. Each of them was given a copy of questionnaire for critical review and were finally ratified and approved by the investigator’s project supervisor.
Although, the responses of the respondents may be bias, the questionnaire would still be able to capture the needed information based on the respondents’ opinion. To allow for the elements of bias that may be contained in the responses, 1% level of significance would be allowed in the data testing. This will take care of error, bias etc. that may be in the data collected.
Reliability is referred to as the degree to which the instrument consistently measures what it intends to measure (Ojo, 2003). His responds to this research study indicated that the questionnaire was well structured to achieve the purpose of the research thereby meeting the test of reliability. The reliability of the research instrument would be tested through test-re-test reliability. In this method the same measuring instruments is used to take separate measurement on the same research population or sample at different times. The higher the correlation between the two measurements, the higher the reliability of the measuring instruments.
Method of Data Analysis
The data analysis method will deal with how the necessary data collected, through primary source will be properly processed and presented for meaningful analysis. The method that will be adopted to analyze data collected will be less of manual and more of computer aided method. The computer aided package known as statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) will be employed to analyze data in the form of frequency tables in knowing the customers’ perception on cargo handling and delivery in ABC transport.
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