FINANCIAL DISTRESS
4. Finding
Independent Value Creation Activities: Independent value creation activities undertaken by students in college arecomposing of personallearning and joint learning. Personal learning is learning activities undertaken individually without directinteracting with the other party, and joint learning islearning activities carried out jointly with other students. Some of independent learning activities are as follows.
a. Collecting of knowledge sources. Collecting information is an activity to collect materials and learning resources such as data, information, knowledge, or references required by students to achieve learning goals. The collection of materials and learning resources is done in several ways, namely: asking a friend, a senior or others (outside lecturers), reading books or records, viewing or listeningrelevant information from electronic information channels. Television, radio, internet, social media), going to library, observing student learning techniques, and through learning from experience. Participants described these activities in the following terms.
"When I learned in the morning, usually I read a book, and if there were important things in the book I would note. I were also looking for other references, for example from a book said that they quote from awriter, for example from Thomas Edison, later I would look again what it’s said in a part of anotherbook"……"Usually I watched television ornews; learning is not only focus on a book. For example, when Ilearnpositioning topic (in marketing), at the time Isaw a billboard in road or on public transport, there are information I can learn from"…."Once I get syllabus, I will search for books or journals in library. Although it’s not all I read, but at least I understand it and I came to know the author "….."Usually to look for information in group learning, I will immediately ask a friend, and also by giving my opinions….my expectation is came true when I give an opinion then there will be a response from my friend….I'll see new information or its also increasingly convinced me that this is true because my friend explain by giving example ... ".
In addition to this activity, participants also said that listening to music is also part of learning activities that promote concentration. Sources of information coming from Internet (google,ebook) are widely used in searching for information.
b. Critical thinking. Critical thinking is thinking activitiessuch as contemplation, precipitation, remember, stringing, imagine, and analyze information and knowledge gained in learning process. Some of being taught is rememberingprevious subject lecture, learning technique, subjects’problem solving, and the relationship amongtopics in lecture. Some of thinking phenomenon of participants is as follows.
"The way of my thinking is imagining, making analogy with available facts ... for some things I became more relax thinking and not deeply understand the topics... Oh look like this... But I will be relax to read, because eventually it will also be discussed in group”….."What I think is how to remember more easily, what’s the key to make information is easier to remember, and then my thinking leads to the completion method"…."For
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example, when there are topics discussed in class, delivered differently, and then we think there is athinking note,… means that what is presented is wrong, the truth is like this…"
c. Evident Finding. This activity is studenteffort to find argumentation or problems solving in learning through looking for supporting evidences. Some activities are matchingsubjectswith other sources (book) and looking for examples of applications.
"there were a group assignment and we had already done and discussed in class, whenwent back home, I would compare with literature ... oh there was a mistake in previous discussion because when we compared with a reference book, this is right ... usually I look for examples of ads on YouTube, to find examples of its application”
d. Sharing information or knowledge. This activity is mutual communication activities such as a conversation or discussion amongstudentsin groups. There are some activity, namely: informing a way to do assignment, discussing difficulty in understanding the subjects to other students, suggestinghow to improve learning, offering alternative learning resources outside the specified and other relevant information, responding when getting an explanation from another student, and answering questions of other students associated with course material. Participants described these activities in the following terms.
"The first is expressing each opinion of student, then it’s giving comments on the opinion, and discussing of how toclose gaps (difference opinion) that we comment on or less or misunderstandings to" ….."Merging the minds of many people into one thinking"
e. Personal interaction. Personal interaction is to communicate and relate well with other friends sothe friendships would be sustain. Description this activity is reflected such as: interacting with other students, listening explanations of other students, joking at the right moment, and sharing something fun (food). Expression of personal interaction phenomena in this activity is as follows.
"To facilitate relationships, sometimes we share a meal or a joke to start or in the middle of critical condition, there is a friend who starting a humor... the more often is in the middle of group study sometimes we took a break.”
f. Helping.This activityis providing assistance to other students who are facing trouble orproblem, and making effortto increase learning achievement. Participants expressionson this activityare including:
helping other students who ask for helping in learning, helping other students who have trouble in understanding the course material, teaching other students on how to understand the course material, and advising to other students in learning. The phrase that expressed by a study group show that the help is given for those who request for assistance or it is given on their own initiative. Participants described these activities in the following terms
"At first, friend who needs help informs difficulties about reading, and then the team leader will ask the best group member who could understand the reading, to read the passage, after which he will explain to this friend"…..“There is also a friend that he was quite clever, and quickly understands the reading, when he had finished and made a summary, he will say something like “anyone needs help? ... He would give his own initiative to do so, when it is not there (who asked for help) he will continue other activities”…"What happens when we learn in group, if a friend has difficulty but he is not asking for help, then we will think that he's going through it in his own way in learning process"
Independent value creation activities, both personally and socially carried out with other students have similarity with creation activity in marketing literature. For example,there aretwo-dimensional of co-creation activities, namely customer participation behavior and extra role behavior or customer citizenship behavior (Yi and Ging 2013). The participation behavior consists of information finding, information sharing, responsive behavior, and personal interaction, while the extra role behavior consists of feedback, advocacy, helping, and tolerance. The value creation activity in present study adds critical thinking and evidence finding activities.
Customer Creation Value: There are values or benefits gained by students either through personal or joint learning. By personal learning, students get functional benefits, while by joint learning; they find not only functional benefits, but also social and relational benefits.
a. Functional benefits. Functional benefits perceived by participants including: learning subject is fitting with what student want to be learned, making easier to understand lecture material,learning time is
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flexible as I can or want, improving quality of learning, providing a solution for my learning difficulties, improve understanding course material, a way of learning that suits my way, more focused, able to own methods, and flexible or free. Some expressions associated with the functional benefits of learning are as follows.
"Personal learning makes me able to find information I need and possible to not be disturbed by other information that is not I need"…. "By personal learning, I feelfreer to decide what I learned and which chapter I will be more focused"…"For me, by individual learningI will get the information I want, if I learn in groups I get additional information from the discussion. For example, I have been getting information A, from the learning group I get information of A + B and A + C. Sometimes, I also get the information that I obtained cons before, so I also understand differences in the discussion”…."There is no interference, more flexible how I think, how I learn, and how I read”
b. Social benefits, social benefits are benefits associated with how others see a student with learning activities are being carried out. Students gain social benefits in terms of learning itself is a positive perception as someone who has a high intellectual. The expression given by participants are as follows:
"When I bring a book even though I have not read, but I felt others would assume that I'd like to read. It makes me ok, and my heart feel happy ... also when I read book, I feel others will think differently…when others are busy with cell phone, while I read book ... this is anti-mainstreamstudent .... "
c. Relational benefits. This benefits concern on how the increasing of intensity and quality of student relationships with other students. The quality of this relationship is asimportant capital for student life.
Some of the benefits ofjoint learning activities are “help me maintained close relationships with other students” and “the closer interaction with other students”.
The Role of Personality Characteristics: Personality traits in this study are viewedfromextroversion characteristic point of view, in which it states that everyoneis grouped into a continuum between extroverts and introverts. Extroversion is characterized by nature gregarious, active, assertiveness, positive emotion and warmth (Parvin, Cervoneand John 2005). These characteristics in this study were associated with two concepts value creation, which is done by the students in higher education services.
The relationship is shown by students who tend to be introvert would prefer toindividuallearning, while extrovert will tend to prefer to joint learning. Participant gives an overview of this relationship as follows.
"Extrovertstudent would prefer to group learning, while introvert student would prefer to individual learning. Introvert studenton my knowledge is not like disturbance, while extrovert student isno problem with disturbances.Introvert student usually more difficult to get along with others, while extrovert student is easier to get along with other people. Introvert student will be easier to learn themselves and not easy to talk when in group discussion. Extrovert student will quickly bored to learn on their own, more often be "nosy"
when in group learningand be more as ice breaker ..."
Implications: The findings in this study expands the understanding of independentvalue creation (Grönroos and Voima 2013) in higher education,especiallyon value creation done by the student personally (personal value creation) and value creation performed with other students (social value creation). There are some managerial implications from the findings. Firstly, university needs to make value creation activities, either personally or socially as part of a commitment to improve quality of higher education services. The facilitator role for student learning activities needs to be strategies for improving graduates quality. Emphasis on value creation has become complement for value co-creation activities. Important feature of independent value creation is the lack of control of university on value creation activities done by students. For marketers, independent value creation activity on higher education can be a guide in managing services outside of education. Uniqueness of customer and exchange in higher education provides guidance on how customers make independent value creation, both in the sense of personal independence and jointly with other customers. Personal self-learning students in higher education services could be a model of customer management to improve benefits. The view that customers as learner canbe a guide for service providers to facilitate customers in better way.Secondly, universities need to synchronize students’ independent value creation activities with their value co-creation activities. This would encourage the integration of student value creation activities, which influence to increase value or benefits. Synchronization of independent value creation and value co-creation in higher education can be through the provision of internet and e-learningmedia, in which not only studentscan get learning materials, but also can communicate and share knowledge with both faculty member and other students. Similarly,internet playsa central role for customer value creation and co-creation activities with marketers, because it can be not only as media of dissemination of information or product promotion, but also as a medium of communication with and among customers.
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Thirdly, universities should facilitate student independent personal value creation through creating a productive atmosphere by providing self-learning facility including books, libraries, cubicle, and internet access at campus locations. It would encourage an atmosphere that allows students to focus in independent learning, getting flexibility of where, how and when to learn. At the level of other services, marketers need to provide a means for independent value creation activities, such as products information that are easily to be accessed by customers. Brochures, websites, billboards, and various other media are not only aimed at raising awareness and purchase, but also facilitate independent value creation activities.Fourthly, the facilitationrole for independent social value creation activities could be conducted by providing better physical facilities allowing students perform joint learning. Provision of discussion rooms at each campus area will increase chancesfor students to learn together. Also, itis important to encourage students to work together as a method of learning, through group assignment in which structurally inherent in teaching. Encourage students to create value with outside parties such public, stakeholders with the subject matter (eg: business), or their family will increase benefits of student learning activities.Fifthly, at cognition level, it is important to provide an understanding of how independent value creation activities to students. It is conductedthrough disseminate information of the technique of effective independent learning. Availability of the information through verbal communication and internet plays an important role.
Finally, universities need to provide information guiding to how to increase productivity in independent value creation, associated with both education benefits and how to access the services. Information ofeducation benefits, how to obtain the educational benefits for student goals. Aspects of how to get the greatest benefit from the study highlight the need in communication. For example, information about English language learning success tips, tricks applying for jobs, and so on. The method intended is how customers can understand on how to independently get greater potential benefits provided by product.
Detailed and massive spread information would help process of independent value creation. Also, in the case of independent value creation performed with other customers, it should be provided with information, customers’ media, and management of the media in order customer value creations can be productive.
5. Conclusion
This study extends an understanding of customer value creation, which is performed independently or through no direct interaction with provider. The limitationof independentvalue creation topic studied in literature motivate the present study to elaborate independentvalue creation performedpersonally (personal value creation) and jointly with other customers (social value creation). Both type of value creation complete customer value creation carried out by direct interaction with provider (co-creation).
In addition, control and two-way communication are to be conceptual boundaries of independent value creation with co-creation. At the time of value creationperformed throughno direct interaction with provider in whichthey do not control the activities, independent value creation is conducted. Thus, independent value creation is value creation without direct interaction with providers, even thoughit’s involving othercustomers’ interaction.
Independent value creation activities are performed through both personally and socially. In higher education, independent value creation undertaken through some activities, namely : collectingknowledge sources, critical thinking, getting evidence or resolve problems, doing physical activities, sharing information, doing personal interaction, and helping. Moreover, the activities were done fully through social value creation, but it’sonly partially carried out through personally value creation. Some activities done through personal value creation arecollectingknowledge sources, critical thinking, getting evidence or problem solving, and doing physical activities.Value or benefit gained by students in personal value creation activities is more as functional value, namelygetting more focused in activities and flexibility in time, method, and place. Enjoyment value is only occurs in a few students. Meanwhile, through social value creation, students got some value, including:functional, relational and social value.
Limitation and research implications: This study is subject to some of limitation, which will effect on the interpretationof findings. Firstly, the scope of higher education in the study is not distinguishededucation types. The field of education will have a difference in learning, where different knowledge is very likely different ways of learning. Secondly, the judgment sampling would provide weaknesses in representation of higher education institution. Finally, interview techniques used in this study less include group dynamics in elaborating data compared to group discussion.
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Model of Improvement Operational Performance Based on Quality Management, Creativity Innovation, Imitating and Role of Strategic Human Resources
Marno Nugroho Diponegoro University
Sultan Agung Islamic University (UNISSULA) Semarang, Indonesia [email protected]
Abstract: This study aims to examine the influence and contribution of Human Resources Strategic to build the creativity of imitation, innovation and quality management initiatives in order to improve operational performance of Small and Medium Enterprises. At the present time, it is impossible to find an industry that is not continuously required for innovation and reorientation to adjust to the dynamics of the environment, especially the market. Factors influencing the success of HR management come from individual and organizational factors (Koberg, 1999; Scott, 2011). An important point related to the resource-based viewpoint (RBV) and knowledge management of a company is a company must have inherent capabilities resources and difficult to imitate. The indicators built include awareness of creating innovation and imitation. How HR Strategic is seen as stakeholders of the company will contribute to greater competitive advantage through organizational learning. Therefore, HR Strategic will give contribution to attitude and capability. The uniqueness of this research is to integrate aspects of HR and Operations together in a sustainable organizational learning. With a sample of 224 SMEs and 7 hypotheses proposed are all supported, I hope this model can be used as a further model of SME development and new research agenda.
Keywords: Quality Management, Knowledge Management, Imitating Creativity, Innovation, Strategic Human Resource Management
1. Introduction
The rapid environmental changes and competition require each company manager to be proactive to the changes that occur. Company managers need to utilize all the potential that exists within the company.
Therefore, to know the dramatic environmental changes not only belongs to the manager itself, but also to the employees, so that they can be independent and able to contribute to advancing the organization (Marno, 2012). The concept of quality management still brings different interpretations; it means that there is no agreement of the expert related to quality management. The difference is based on the terminology used in the literature. Feigenbaum (1991) uses the term total quality control, Lascelles and Dale (1991) uses the term total quality improvement, and Ishikawa (1985) uses companywide quality control, and strategic quality management (Garvin, 1988). The difference in quality management concept is often unclear and creates confusion. Small and medium enterprises in the competitive environment still have some drawbacks, such as: difficult access to capital, low product reliability, difficult to adjust to customer demand, limited human resources and production equipment, and difficult to access the market. Human resource management paradigm changes with the changing demands of the environment and employees. Competency-based and Strategic Human Resources are paradigm examples of Human Resources management (Marno, 2010). HR is seen as a unique asset, competitive and highly desirable for the survival of the organization.
The tendency of empirical research on HRM strategy is rarely associated with operational management, in particular, quality management. It is possible because of the difference concept between the operational Management and HRM (Human resource management). However, some research such as conducted by Sohel Ahmed, (2003), John W. Boudreau (2002) and Lilian M. de Menezes (2010) integrate those two. A research conducted by Pfeffer (1998), S. Ahmad (2003) about seven Operational management practices underlies HRM correlation with OM (operation management) to be the framework of the research. The emphasis of problem in this research is how to construct and test the HR Strategic Empowerment Model integrated with Operational Management, particularly, quality management in SMEs Operational Performance Improvement through Innovation and Imitating Creativity. Meanwhile, the purpose of this study is to examine the role of strategic human resources in improving Operational Performance for Small and Medium Enterprises by reviewing the extent to which an understanding of small and medium enterprises and cultural in an effort to improve the quality of imitating, innovation and organizational learning creativity to improve operational performance .