Summary
The 21st century has continued to demonstrate the importance of the human factor in the creation of wealth and in which the degree of preparation and knowledge that you have is as important as the degree of motivation and commitment in achieving customer satisfaction. This process manifests itself in any country, region or organization mediated by the characteristics that identify them regardless of their size.
Similarly, today the importance of knowledge of the organizational climate is increasingly recognized as an element that serves as the basis for achieving high levels of productivity and competitiveness given the influence that it exerts on the behavior of workers, its diagnosis being fundamental for the design of business management instruments.
The process carried out in Cuba to revitalize non-state activity indicates the need to study the importance and role that they play within the planning system, as another form of management that will lead to increasing the efficiency of social work and promote development, so the analysis of the organizational climate and customer satisfaction in these forms of management will contribute to enhancing its results.
The authors of this article, in line with the aforementioned, set themselves as the objective of this article, to theoretically base the relationship between organizational behavior, the climate and customer satisfaction in SMEs.
Keywords: organizational behavior, organizational climate, internal customer satisfaction, external customer satisfaction.
Abstract
The XXI century has continued demonstrating the importance of the human factor in the creation of the riches in which the degree of preparation and knowledge that you possess is so important like the degree of motivation and and commitment in the achievement of the satisfaction of the customer. This process is shown at any country, region or organization mediated for the characteristics that identify themselves independently of its size.
Likewise, today the influence that this exerts on the workers' behavior gives recognition to more and more the importance of the knowledge of the organizational climate like element that serves as a base for the achievement of tall levels of productivity and given competitiveness itself, being fundamental your diagnosis for the design of instruments of management.
The process that carries himself to end in Cuba of revitalization of the activity not state-owned, suggests the need to study importance and the paper than they play within the system of planning, like another way to step that you will lead to raising the efficiency of the social work and increasing the power of development, which is why the analysis of the organizational climate and the satisfaction of the customer in these forms of step will contribute to increase the power of its results.
The authors of the present article in consonance they set for themselves as objective of present article with the previously indicated, basing the relation between organizational behavior, the climate and the satisfaction of the customer in the pymes theoretically.
Key words: Organizational behavior, the organizational climate, the internal customer's satisfaction, the external customer's satisfaction.
Introduction
In the knowledge society, the human factor plays an increasingly decisive role in organizations, therefore it is essential that an adequate organizational climate is maintained that contributes to making employees feel satisfied at work, which will positively result in customer satisfaction. Therefore, the studies of organizational climate and job satisfaction continue to be of great relevance, to know how it is perceived by workers, to be able to act on a series of factors that influence it.
These factors according to Aguilar, Pereyra and Alcázar, (2003) cited by García, (2017) are: management methods and styles, estimation systems, recognition, control and supervision, communication, problem solving, decision making and salaries, among others
To evaluate the climate of a company there are several methods that an expert in the area performs, but in small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) it is very difficult to implement them due to the costs and the low or no importance given to this issue. But it is very important that as a business owner you know some of the aspects that must be included in a climate study. (Rangel, 2012).
To be successful in a company it is necessary to have an excellent organizational climate since it is related to productivity and competitiveness (Toro, 2001), considering that productivity is how the means and resources are developed to achieve the proposed goals; and competitiveness are the strategies that are carried out with talent and creativity to make palatable products for the consumption and satisfaction of customers (Bernabé González, Arriola Miranda, & Salas Rivera, 2011, pp. 115-116 cited by Montero and Romero, 2016).
According to Pelaes (2011)
The importance of knowledge of the organizational climate is based on the influence it exerts on the behavior of workers, its diagnosis being fundamental for the design of business management instruments. It is evident that the existence of an adequate or optimal organizational climate will have a positive impact on the performance of the worker and the company in general. (p. 11)
Thus, probably the most important point in any company that prides itself on being a leader in customer satisfaction is that it is not a procedure, but it is really part of the culture of the organization.
In other words, it is a set of beliefs, values and norms, which are specific expectations of behavior that permeate the organization and that are not simply written down in a manual. Therefore, it is considered that an adequate organizational climate will directly influence the management of the company and, therefore, the satisfaction of its clients.
Cuban society is at a crucial moment of updating the organization and operation model of its economy, in order to recover the productive capacity of state companies and the entire nation, as well as incorporate other forms of economic management that allow use underutilized resources to make its socialist system more just, viable and efficient.
This has required, within other decisions, to incorporate the non-state sector of the economy, which includes: individual farmers, others grouped in credit and service cooperatives; "Self-employed workers"; non-agricultural cooperatives; the usufructuaries of lands and totally foreign capital.
In this regard, in the Central Report to the VII Party Congress it was stated: “… the recognition of the market in the functioning of the socialist economy does not imply that the Party, the Government and the mass organizations stop fulfilling their role in the society to face any situation that damages the population (Castro, 2016, p.8).
The so-called own-account workers are economic agents, who are located in the field of micro, small and medium private companies.
Based on the above, Raúl (2016) points out when analyzing these economic agents, it is about calling things by their name and not taking refuge in illogical euphemisms to hide reality. The increase in self-employment and the authorization of the hiring of the workforce has, in practice, led to the existence of medium, small and micro private enterprises, which today operate without the proper legal personality and are governed by law by a framework regulatory designed for natural persons
In the Central Report to the VII Congress of the Party it was stated: “… the recognition of the market in the functioning of the socialist economy does not imply that the Party, the Government and the mass organizations stop fulfilling their role in the society of confronting any situation that harms the population (Castro, 2016, p.8). Further on, he points out that the introduction of the rules of supply and demand is not at odds with the principle of planning. Both concepts can coexist and complement each other for the benefit of the country…
Castro (2016) stated in the Central Report to the VII Congress of the PCC that… as we aspire to greater efficiency and quality in the production and services of the state sector, we also favor the success of non-state forms of management, based on all cases, of strict compliance with current legislation. (p. 12).
According to the author's point of view, what is missing to materialize that purpose is:
- Understanding, on the part of national economic policy decision-makers, of the economic role of this type of companies and their potential for Cuba. Prepare legislation that allows their operation, since they currently do not have legal personality as companies. The legislation should promote the establishment of connections between the state-owned company and the micro, small and medium-sized private companies, in such a way that the latter could intervene in some phase of the production process Creation of an institution, whose fundamental mission is the development of SMEs. development bank or other microcredit financial institutions, specialized only in serving this market segment (Pérez, 2015, p. 35) Establishment of a wholesale market for these companies.
Another important issue in the international and Cuban experience is that there is a marketing strategy at the SME level, it is necessary; but what is needed is to achieve the link between the business owner, the employee (salaried worker) and customer satisfaction. From their knowledge, from the delimitation of their state, the income levels and their sustainability will depend on this form of management, for the complementarity that it must achieve in the national economy.
In addition to the evaluation of the business in its financial and quantitative levels, qualitative measures are required, which give timely notice of imminent changes in the market share of non-state forms of management.
Forecasters can monitor the attitudes of customers, distributors, and others. By knowing the changing levels of customer preference and satisfaction before they affect revenue, you can take action in time.
As of the 1993 constitutional reform, self-employment began to manifest itself in other economic activities as an alternative to employment, and to stimulate the Cuban economy, especially in the service sector. Today self-employment provides employment to a considerable sector of the population in Cuba. At present, 27% of the country's total workforce is located here -includes “self-employed”, agricultural cooperatives or not, and peasants- (Torres, 2015, p. 21). According to Everleny, at the end of 2014, "a figure of around 490 thousand licenses was granted." (Pérez, 2015, p. 33).
The revitalization of non-state activity requires recognizing the importance that it truly has, and expressing its role within the planning system, as another form of management that will lead to raising the efficiency of social work and promoting development.
Self-employed workers have a positive view of promoting self-employment in the country; and they agree that the main barrier to proper business management is the absence of a wholesale market that generates price increases and encourages the occurrence of illegalities.
The law regulates that its property has a complementary role and makes the business network more consistent for the benefit of the entire economy and its economic actors facilitate well-being and channel productive potentialities that contribute to the socioeconomic development of the country.
On the other hand, the demands of its own sustainability, associated with the competitiveness to be established within the sector and with the state sector and other forms of management, implies monitoring the level of satisfaction of the growing number of clients who come to the services it provides. this form of management.
In a general sense in Cuban society, services neglect marketing, they do not use formal management or marketing techniques, or because the demand is high, they do not consider it necessary. Also, managing service businesses, using only traditional marketing, is difficult.
The foregoing would be expressed in the particularities of the services; In a product business, the product is clearly standardized and placed on shelves, waiting for the customer to take it, pay for it and check out. Not so, in the production of the service, which is influenced by a multitude of highly variable elements.
The aim of this article is f theoretically undamentar the relationship between organizational behavior, climate and customer satisfaction in SMEs.
For the development of this work, analysis and synthesis methods and techniques were used to specify the theoretical and conceptual references that serve as the basis for the investigative process; logical and historical to establish the evolution and development of the object of study and the field of action and make an interrelation in logical order of the specific objectives elaborated, inductive, deductive to establish a generalization about
Organizational behavior and organizational climate
Personnel administration has been carried out from time immemorial when people needed to work in groups, through manufacturing and the manufacturing system, until just over the second half of the 20th century, when a cost factor is no longer considered. human, exceeding the scope or purpose of that administration, basically related to payroll, social security, administration of registrations and terminations and relations with the union. Now, human resource management assumes a large number of activities related to work organization in its interaction with people, highlighting key activities such as: personnel inventory, selection, performance evaluation, communication plans, training and career plans, studies of organizational climate and motivation, work organization, ergonomics,working conditions and safety and hygiene, HR strategic planning and optimization of workforce, payment systems, psychosocial stimulation, auditing, etc. The model in Figure 1 reflects a set of these key activities.
Human Resource Optimization
Figure 1. Conceptual model of human resources management (HRM).
Source. Harper and Lynch (1992).
Indeed, the field of organizational behavior attempts to help managers interact with people so that improvements in productivity, customer satisfaction and a better competitive position can be achieved through better administrative practices. Thus, managers must be in a position to obtain better results from both their own actions and those of their employees.
As stated by Guillén and Guil (2000), the success of a company depends on the way its employees perceive the organizational climate; In other words, if the members of the company consider that the climate is positive or negative, it is due to their perceptions. When they usually value it as adequate, warm or positive, it is because they consider that it allows and offers possibilities for the development of work performance, providing stability and integration between their activities in the organization and their personal needs. However, the organizational climate can also be perceived as negative by employees when they observe an imbalance between their needs, the structure and the procedures of the same.
In the same way, to fulfill the organizational objectives, the correct and suitable personnel in the company are needed, for this reason it is essential to plan the human talent that the work areas will require competent personnel to carry out the work. The planning of human talent provides the organization with providing the appropriate personnel at the exact and necessary moment, this is a procedure to anticipate and avoid the displacement of people within the company (Hernández, 2008).
Molina (2011) mentioned that organizational behavior is the factor from which the work environment is derived. Organizational behavior implies the following aspects; organizational structure, motivation, organizational commitment, power, communication, teamwork and organizational climate.
Organizational behavior "… is the field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups and structures have on behavior within organizations, in order to apply this knowledge to improve the efficiency of organizations." (Robbins (2004), cited by Bustillos (2016), p. 33).
Likewise, Schermerhorn (2004) and Chiavenato (2009) defined organizational behavior as the study of people and groups that act in organizations, showing the interaction between people and organizations.
These authors highlight how the main characteristics of organizational behavior are:
- It is an applied scientific discipline that is linked to practical issues and its purpose is to help people and organizations achieve higher levels of performance. It focuses on contingencies by identifying different situations in the organization in order to manage them and obtain the maximum It uses scientific methods when formulating hypotheses and generalizations about the dynamics of behavior in organizations and is responsible for empirically testing them.It is closely related to various areas of study such as organizational theory, organizational development and people management or human resources.
As can be seen in this characterization, aspects such as people and organizations associated to achieve higher performance levels or obtain the maximum benefit are highlighted, that is, organizational behavior is oriented towards how to better organize people, groups and organizations to obtain a result superior in performance.
The organizational behavior component emphasizes the way in which the individual relates within the company with his coworkers, based on their values, attitudes, interests, hierarchical level, motivations, etc. Behaviors are the result of: individual aspects such as attitudes, perceptions, personality, values, and stress level of motivational aspects such as needs, efforts, motives, etc., leadership aspects such as style, power management, policies, etcetera. The way that employees see reality and interpret it is a circular process in which the results in the company confirm their perception.
Sudarski (1974), cited by Portela, Ramírez and Ramos (2001) proposes that the organizational climate is the reflection of a motivational group situation, which obeys different behavioral patterns as a consequence of different social needs.
The organizational climate is “a group of characteristics that describe an organization and that distinguish it from other organizations; they are of relative permanence in time and influence the behavior of the people of the organization ”. (Gibson, 1990, cited by Del Toro, J., Salazar, MC and Gómez, J. (2011) p.206).
Likewise, Daft & Steers (1992), cited by Portela, Ramírez and Ramos (2001) stated that the work environment influences motivation, performance and employee satisfaction, which leads to the organizational climate creating expectations in the worker and generate the possible answers regarding productivity in their work.
For the purposes of this article, the author assumes the criteria of Molina (2011) from which he summarizes the criteria that were addressed by previous authors and responds to the meaning of this thesis, where the organizational climate isolated from the rest of the aspects, no less important, that addresses organizational behavior.
The work environment is a factor to which all members of the organization are linked and which can be perceived by both workers and clients, it is the workers and executives who help to establish it “through daily behavior, the way in which they interact with each other, the behavior within the organization and the interaction with the company itself ”. (Pereira, 2014, p.1)
This is because the way the members of the organization perceive their physical and human environment, has either a positive or negative impact on the performance of their duties, work productivity, the organization's image and opinion. and degree of customer loyalty with the organization, since part of the functions to be fulfilled by employees are related to customer service, whether internal or external, and this function is not exempt from the repercussions of the work environment, which at a certain moment may motivate or demotivate in an intrinsic way in any organization regardless of whether it is large or small and has a significant impact on the performance of all workers and managers.
The author agrees with Pereira (2014) regarding the importance of studying the influence of the work environment on customer service, the latter ensures that employees ensure that customers are fully satisfied with the service provided and thus the organization you can be totally confident that they will visit again because they feel comfortable with the way they are being treated.
To carry out the evaluation of the organizational climate, there are various techniques and tools that do not differ in their essence, as there is a unified criterion among the various authors of those that encompass the organizational climate.
One of the most widely used techniques is that of Moos's Work Environment Sc ale (WES) (1974/1989). This instrument, composed of 90 items with a true / false dichotomous response, assesses the following dimensions of the organizational climate:
- Implication. This dimension measures the extent to which employees feel involved in their work. Cohesion. This dimension is based on the relationships of friendship and support in which workers live with each other. This dimension refers to the support and encouragement that management gives to their employees. Autonomy. This factor refers to the degree to which the organization encourages its workers to be autonomous and to make their own decisions. Organization. This element refers to the point where the climate encourages planning and effectiveness at work. Pressure. This dimension is based on the pressure that management exerts on employees to get the job done. This dimension measures the extent to which regulations and policies are clearly explained to workers.This factor refers to the regulations and pressures management can use to control employees. Innovation. This trait measures the importance that management can give to change and new ways of carrying out work. This dimension refers to the efforts that management makes to create a healthy and pleasant physical environment for its employees.
The dimensions of involvement, cohesion and support make up the factor of interpersonal relationships; the dimensions of autonomy, organization and pressure are grouped in the self-realization factor; and finally, the dimensions of clarity, control, innovation and comfort give rise to the stability / shift factor.
An important aspect to consider when conducting studies on organizational climate is to refer to the dimensions that allow it to be evaluated so that it contributes to raising the results of organizations and that according to Cardona et al. (1989), are the following:
- Compliance: It is the degree to which people feel that there are many limitations imposed externally on the work group, excess of laws, policies, rules or practices to which they must conform instead of rejecting the work as they see fit. Degree to which members feel they are rewarded and recognized for good work, rather than being ignored, criticized or punished when something goes wrong Responsibility: Degree to which members of the organization are given personal responsibility for achieving the organizational goals that they correspond. Members experience that they can make decisions about how to do a job without having to check with each of their supervisors. Standards of Excellence:It is the emphasis that the organization places on outstanding performance and production, including the degree to which individuals experience setting challenging goals and objectives for themselves and communicating their commitment to them Safety: Feelings of the organization members for the which experience stability at work, physical, psychological and social protection. Supportive warmth: Feeling experienced by people, for which friendship is considered a valued norm in the group, there is trust and mutual support. A feeling of good relations prevails in the work environment Salary: Feeling experienced by individuals in the organization that salary is satisfactory to meet basic needs in relation to their reference group,and the possibility of achieving higher remuneration according to job opportunities. Organizational clarity: Degree to which the people in the group experience that things are well organized and the objectives clearly defined. (p. 148).
From these assumptions, in an attempt to define the author, the author estimates that the organizational climate is a phenomenon that intervenes and mediates between the factors of the organization and the motivations that translate into a behavior that has consequences on the situation (productivity, satisfaction of the internal and external customer, turnover, profits, etc.).
Gordon and Cummings, cited by Vásquez (1990), take into account eight dimensions to measure the organizational climate, which are: organizational clarity, integration and degree of organizational cooperation, management style, performance orientation, organizational vitality, compensation, human resource development and decision making. (p.114).
Bustos and Miranda (2001) pointed out that the concept of organizational climate has important and diverse characteristics, among which the following stand out:
- Climate refers to the characteristics of the organization's environment in which its members work. These characteristics can be external or internal. These characteristics are perceived directly or indirectly by the members who work in that environment, the latter determines the organizational climate, since each member has a different perception of the environment in which they operate.The organizational climate is a temporary change in attitudes of people that can be due to several reasons: final days of the annual closing, process of reduction of personnel, general increase in salaries, etc. For example, when motivation increases, there is an increase in the organizational climate, since there is a desire to work, and when motivation decreases, it also decreases,either out of frustration or for some reason that made it impossible to satisfy the need. These characteristics of the organization are relatively permanent over time, they differ from one organization to another and from one section to another within the same company.The climate, together with the organizational structures and characteristics and the individuals that compose it, form a highly dynamic interdependent system.
According to Peláez (2010), organizational climate is understood to be the set of qualities, attributes or relatively permanent properties of a specific work environment that are perceived, felt or experienced by the people who make up the business organization and that influence their behavior.
Taking into account the above, for the purposes of this work it is assumed that the organizational climate intervenes in personal and organizational variables, therefore, the organizational climate can be confused with certain factors such as motivation, satisfaction, environment and culture organizational, which is also part of the context of the organization.
Therefore, a good climate or a bad organizational climate will have positive and negative consequences for the organization, defined by the perception that members have of the organization. Among the positive consequences are the following: achievement, affiliation, power, productivity, low turnover, satisfaction, adaptation, innovation, etc. The negative consequences include the following: maladjustment, high turnover, absenteeism, little innovation, low productivity, etc.
For Soto (2011) the factors that influence the organizational climate and to which attention must be paid when trying to improve the climate in the company are:
- Relationships between colleagues Relations between staff and bosses Leader and leadership style Internal (and external) communication Work space Work conditions Motivation in the company Salary policy Image of the company facing the outside Its own way of being and feeling of the person Factors not related to the job
Based on the bibliographic review, the size of SMEs and the lack of empirical contrast on the climate and customer satisfaction in non-state SMEs under current conditions in Cuba, for the purposes of this work will only be considered as dimensions for the study of the organizational climate the following:
- Organizational cohesion, integration and cooperation: expresses the perception that the employees of an SME have about the relationships that are established between its members and the attitude that is assumed to comply with its reason for being Support: this dimension refers to the support and encouragement given by management to its employees, as well as the degree to which good relationships are manifested in the work environment.Objective orientation: shows the emphasis that the SME places on setting objectives and achieving high performance, as well as the degree of participation and commitment of the employees with them Autonomy and responsibility: degree with which the members of the organization receive personal responsibility to achieve the organizational objectives that correspond to them.Members experience that they can make decisions about how to perform a job without having to verify it with each of their supervisors Organizational clarity: degree to which people in the group experience that the process of creating goods or services are well organized and the objectives, regulations and policies are clearly defined.Working conditions: expresses the degree to which employees recognize that the means, tools and work areas are adequate to achieve customer satisfaction.Wage: Sentiment experienced by individuals in the organization that the salary is satisfactory to meet the basic needs in relation to its reference group, and the possibility of achieving a higher remuneration according to job opportunities. Customer satisfaction:perception of the way in which the customer is individually and collectively satisfied and of the employees' commitment to the quality of the products and / or services offered.
These dimensions should serve as the basis for first, measuring their presence in Cuban SMEs, second, how they influence customer satisfaction and third for the development of action plans aimed at improving the work environment within SMEs that allow the correct satisfaction of customer needs and loyalty to the organization
Customer satisfaction in SMEs. Indicators for your study
Organizations are worrying about providing the best possible working conditions and thus obtaining better benefits, therefore, those who receive the service or acquire the product, due to the supply and demand of the market, have gone from being simple "buyers" to being "Customers", that is, to be the axis of operation of the organizations.
According to Pereira (2014), The quality with which the customer service is provided can become an added value that service organizations provide to the people who visit them, and thus exceed their expectations, since it is a very powerful tool, however, if not It is known to cultivate, this can create confusion, disagreement and disappointment to the same people who visit the organization or even to the same collaborators since they are also internal customers. (p.1).
Shneider (1998) cited by Toro (2000), considered that the quality of service and customer satisfaction have become fundamental pillars of the survival and success of companies. Furthermore, customer satisfaction is not a simple phenomenon, but on the contrary it is multi-caused.
Measuring the results of the quality of the service is quite a different operation from measuring the quality of a product, because the service is, basically, a personal experience, it is the basis to retain customers and perpetuate the profitability of the company.
Gerson (1994) stated that customer satisfaction is the perception that the customer has that their expectations were met or exceeded. "A client is satisfied when his needs, real or perceived, are met or exceeded" (Gerson, 1994, p. 57).
For this reason, over the years it has been seen the need to deepen and create strategies that allow improving and evaluating customer service and attention as a way to meet the needs in this field and at the same time increase productivity and sustainability of Organizations and business.
On the other hand, Cheang and Kelly (1996), stated that there are several levels that, when measured, determine the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of the client in relation to what they want to acquire, these are: (a) precision, (b) adequacy, (c)) aesthetics, (d) availability, (e) costs, (f) support, (g) functionality, (h) quantity, (i) price, (j) relevance, (k) speed, (l) service, (m) specificity, (n) timeliness, (o) completeness, and (p) performance.
Thus, as the service is the set of benefits that the client expects from the product or basic service, as a consequence of the price, image and reputation of the same. The service is something that goes beyond kindness and courtesy. (Jacques, 1991, p. 3).
For Picazo and Martínez (1991), customer service is the relationships established between the company's staff and the customers with whom it deals directly. The service is therefore intangible, that is to say that the benefits that the customer receives, and defines the product as something tangible, is the present reality at the time of sale; In conclusion, every product is a service, since the product is the package of benefits that has a specific value for its purchaser and that is held in his mind through a presentation concept different from the others (p. 48).
According to Serna and Gómez (1996), customer service is the set of strategies that a company designs to better satisfy the needs and expectations of its external customers than its competitors. (p. 17). For Leland and Bailey (1997), customer service consists of satisfying the multitude of less obvious customer needs (p.5).
A key aspect to consider in the strategic design of an organization is to determine the client's preferences and to what extent the products and services provided by the organization correspond to or satisfy the client's needs, in the same way it is necessary to accompany the design strategic market research, customer behavior study and competition.
Kotler (2006) defines customer service as increasing value for the customer, rather creating a long-term relationship with him. In other words, it is to express to customers that the company has a commitment to them and they will always be important to it, each one is more than just a customer, a number or an indistinct source of income, but is someone with values, with who shares a relationship of respect and integrity.
Customer service is based on constant concern for customer preferences, both at the level of interaction with them and with the design of the service, providing assistance to users in such a way that this results in a higher degree of satisfaction without forget the behavior of costs so that it does not affect the liquidity and solvency ratios of the company.
Studies of demand and customer behavior allow managers to make financial decisions, allowing them to know the average income per customer and variable expenses, define collection and payment policy, as well as making short, medium and long-term investments.
Leland et al. (1997), stated that the relationship between external and internal customers constitutes what is called the customer chain, since each interaction between internal customers is an important link in the chain of events that always ends at the feet of the external customer. (p. 5).
Unlike Albrecht et al. (1988), who spoke of the service cycle, focused on the client, Picazo et al. (1991), made reference to service engineering, taking it as an approach aimed at improving and innovating the processes that are necessary to provide differentiated services, as well as to develop an organization that encourages the creation of value for the client and as a result achieve substantial and sustainable competitive advantages.
Larrea (1991), stated that:
… said satisfaction is the result of the impressions received throughout the creation of the service, minus the expectations that the client brings with him when coming into contact with the service activity (this satisfaction is experienced individually and varies from one individual to another). (p. 73).
On the other hand, Sewell (1994), stated that there are seven commandments of customer service, which are:
- Ask customers what they want and offer it again and again Comply with customers on what is offered Always say yes to customer questions Every employee who deals with customers should have the authority to serve their customers Complaints Encourage customers to say things they don't like Show respect to people Be attentive to them. Find out who are the best, and how they do things. Analyze and improve them.
Sanders (1997) cited by Portela (2011), mentioned some important elements to take into account in customer service: friendly, personalized and attentive treatment and impeccable product quality.
Larrea (1991), stated that companies that are focused on this characteristic, that is, on satisfaction, are distinguished because: (a) the fundamental corporate orientation is the customer compared to other options; (b) proximity to the customer is a more important action criterion than technology or cost; (c) the economic activity has no other ultimate purpose than the satisfaction of economic needs, with companies being the managing bodies socially responsible for generating goods that provide such satisfaction. This is how economic activity has as its objective the satisfaction of human needs by means of scarce goods susceptible to alternative uses; and (d) that the purpose of the company is, consequently, the creation of customers. (p. 32).
Picazo et al. (1991), and Leland et al. (1997), agree in the approach that there are different types of clients, but differ in the explanation of each one of them; these differences are:
- The external client for Picazo et al. (1991), are those intermediaries that have a direct relationship with the company and towards which a perceptible added value and quality of service must be manifested, the deal is mandatory because it has a direct effect on other intermediaries and on the final consumer (p. 148); while for Leland et al. (1997), are the people who are served directly or by telephone when they buy products or services (p. 5). The internal customer for Picazo et al. (1991), is the company's staff, since each individual within the organization must be fully convinced of what they receive, that is, of the actions that they are responsible for carrying out and that are aimed at providing a quality service to the external client because he feels it and experiences it (p. 148).
For Leland et al. (1997), are the people who work within the company and are counted on to obtain services, products and information necessary to carry out the work (p. 5).
Unlike Leland et al. (1997), Picazo et al. (1991) stated that there is a last type of client that is the final consumer, which is the user of the product, that is, who will validate how much of it is said or announced, they are the ones who are fully convinced of the added value of the product. product or the superior benefit that it provides in relation to the competition, also takes into account how the service is offered.
Leland et al. (1997), stated that the relationship between external and internal clients constitutes what is called the chain of clients, since each interaction between internal clients is an important link in the chain of events that always ends at the feet of the external client. (p. 5).
Pelaes (2010) listed different possible dimensions for the study of services, they are:
- Monetary: The monetary dimension refers not only to the price but also to the margin and cash flow, both for the client and the borrower Time: The time dimension refers to the operational aspects, the waiting queues, the times response, delays, among others Adaptability: Adaptability refers to the organization's ability to adapt to meet the particular needs of the client Predictability: Predictability is the degree of consistency, uniformity, and defined ranges of variability in the provision Innovation: Innovation refers to the borrower's abilities to develop services, to improve operations, and change the state of affairs by influencing the environment Accessibility: Accessibility implies ease, visibility,comfort and quality of access to the service one wants.Action of people: The action of people refers to the interpersonal relationship between two or more individuals - treatment, empathy, care, etc.Environmental: The environmental issue is the dimension related to the facilities, physical environment and others surrounding the main service. Security: Security for the client and the borrower is strengthened thanks to guarantees and backflow mechanisms that reduce the intangibility and uncertainty of some service.Security for the client and for the borrower is strengthened thanks to guarantees and back-flow mechanisms that reduce the intangibility and uncertainty of any service.Security for the client and for the borrower is strengthened thanks to guarantees and back-flow mechanisms that reduce the intangibility and uncertainty of any service.
These dimensions constitute a guide to carry out customer satisfaction studies, an aspect that is at the center of the management processes of modern organizations, be it large, medium, small or a micro-company, they all need to know what their customers think of the product or service that is provided to them, the truth is that customer satisfaction is more important than ever.
An error commonly made by executives is to consider customer satisfaction only by the opinion they have about the product they have purchased, forgetting their opinion of the service and the attention received throughout the process, aspects that together contribute to customer loyalty.
To get crystal clear on how to achieve customer satisfaction is taking into account the expectations they have, if it is unknown what the customer expects from the product or service that is offered, it will never be possible to provide something that really compromises them and build loyalty with the organization. Hence the importance of identifying what they expect from the organization in terms of products and services. It is the only way to satisfy your needs.
To determine what the basic needs of clients are, Barreiro (2016) recommends the Kano model, a theory developed by Professor Noriaki Kano from the University of Tokyo. This model distinguishes three different types of attributes that, together, constitute the experience lived by the user of the products and services. Those attributes are as follows:
- Basic attributes: These are the basic characteristics that customers expect to find in a product or service. These are usually taken for granted and, if not met, the result is customer dissatisfaction. Desirable attributes: These are characteristics that increase or decrease the level of customer satisfaction. For example, speed, ease of use, price, etc. Contrary to basic attributes, desirable attributes are not taken for granted. Motivating attributes: These are unexpected characteristics that leave customers delighted, because they go beyond what they expect from the product and therefore, they are impressed.
Summarizing, the bibliographic review, the author considers that customer satisfaction goes through several moments that must be manifested in unison, although they are given an order for their study:
- First: Determine what the basic needs of clients are Second: Know what clients think about the organization and its members Third: Know their opinion of the service and care received throughout the process Fourth: Communicate, to Involve, engage and retain the customer, as their criteria have been used Fifth: Take care of messages and communication channels Sixth: Make improvements in the company that show how important customers are.
Customer satisfaction is within the reach of every organization and should be the engine of all actions, from the products offered to the services associated with it. In a world where traditional strategies can be copied by the competition, it is becoming increasingly necessary to offer external clients an exceptional service, distinguished by the work, the being and the know-how of the members of the organization.
At actualidadempresa.com, customer satisfaction is defined by the quotient between performance and expectations, where:
- Performance is the assessment made by the customer of the quality of the product and quality of service received after the purchase. Expectations is what the customer expects to receive at the time of their purchase decision.
This site provides a set of instruments and techniques that support the application of the European model of excellence and self-evaluation of business management that could be used in other contexts, adapting it, which would allow providing empirical tests that determine its validity.
The organizational climate and customer satisfaction of non-state SMEs
Starting from the criterion that the elementary role of workers and managers consists of carrying out their work with quality and aligned towards customer satisfaction; this role will be reinforced as the organizational climate is strengthened and improved.
When talking about productive organizations, it is necessary to touch on the subject of human resources, since it requires the participation of people and a constant relationship with companies; The factors that affect productivity are motivation, job satisfaction, and the work environment, among others. Cequea and Nuñez, (2011) cited by Argüelles-Ma, Quijano, Fajardo and Medinablum (2016).
One way to conceive interpreters of quality in customer service is the model of the service triangle of Albrecht and Zemke, cited by Pérez (2006). These two authors find it useful to think of the organization and the customer as two deeply related aspects in a triangular analogy, represented by service policy, people, and systems, which revolve close to the customer in creative interaction. This dependency, more than a structure, composes a process, which requires the organization to contain the client in the conception of the business.
Strategy occupies an important place in this, which contains the general guidelines of the organization directed towards the client. Generally, it is created by the marketing department and its function is to position the entire organization towards quality of customer service. The service policy specifies the value that is expected for customers, the value is a transcendental motivator of the purchase decision and therefore as the competitive position that will be sustained in the market.
The customer orientation policy is determined by the effort to accommodate the offer to the needs and demands of the customer to satisfy it, the adjustment of the products so that they adapt or anticipate the expectations of the customers and achieve the highest quality in the service the customer, as well as worrying about receiving constant feedback from customers and users.
The link between organizational climate and job satisfaction is approached from different positions. (Abrajan, Contreras and Montoya, 2009) stated that according to the bibliographic review carried out by them, the tendency is appreciated that the definitions of job satisfaction, on the one hand, establish the relationship between the work environment and the worker, including that of Spector (2002), who establishes that job satisfaction produces important aspects related to employees and organizations, from job performance to health and longevity, that of Hegney, Plank and Parker (2006), who point out that “job satisfaction Work in the workplace is largely determined by the interaction between the staff and the characteristics of the environment ”, that of Staw and Ross (1985) which states:"Satisfaction is the concordance between the person and his position", and can be intrinsic and extrinsic.
Intrinsic satisfaction refers to the nature of the job's tasks, as well as people's perception of the work they do. Extrinsic satisfaction is related to other aspects of the work situation, such as benefits and salary. Both variants constitute the combination of several facets and that of Newton and Keenan (1991), which presents satisfaction as an effect of both the individual's personality and the work environment.
According to Subauste (2013) the evaluation of the “organizational climate uses as a fundamental element the perceptions that the worker has of the structures and processes that occur in a work environment… That is why there may be a climate of satisfaction, resistance, participation or as StudsTirkel says "Healthiness". (sp)
The practice has been in charge of demonstrating that the existence of a favorable organizational climate will positively affect the performance of the workers and the organization, this creates a contagious enthusiasm that can be perceived by the client for the way in which it is served, generating satisfaction and the beginning of a loyalty to the supplier of the product or service.
Rogg, Schmidt, Shull, and Schmitt (2001) also present a study that demonstrates the degree to which the organizational climate mediates the relationship between human resource management and customer satisfaction in more than 300 small companies, that is, as the GRH impacts on the organizational climate and this in turn on customer satisfaction.
This thesis is intended to demonstrate how the scientific literature relates the organizational climate with customer satisfaction. In the treatment of this relationship, Schneider, Macey, Lee and Young (2009) cited by Pupo and García (2014) stand out, who suggest the existence of a close and significant relationship between a service climate generated in the organization, financial results and customer satisfaction, which becomes a competitive advantage for the entity when taking into account the effect that these produce from administrative practices, which should be aimed at generating and maintaining a climate such that promotes service excellence (Cable, 2007).
Pupo and García (2014) in their research reviewed the works of Cooil, Aksoy, Keiningham, and Maryott, (2009) it was suggested that the organizational climate is an important predictor of customer satisfaction. They raise the importance and need to study the organizational climate in the area of services and its relationship with results and organizational success. These authors refer to Heskett, Sasser and Schlesinger (1997); Schneider, Whitey and Paul (1998); Gelade and Young (2005); Schneider et al. (2005) as students of the relationship between the organizational climate and customer satisfaction and argue that in this relationship the satisfaction of the internal customer mediates. They also describe the relationship between a positive perception of the worker and customer satisfaction in both directions.
Similarly, Manning, Davidson, and Manning (2004) carry out a study based on a scale to measure the organizational climate in the tourism and hospitality industry in which they show how measuring the climate in that sector becomes an important tool predictive of customer satisfaction. These authors start from an instrument developed by (Davidson et al., 2002) for the tourism industry that demonstrated the significant relationship between the variables described and the financial situation of the hotels studied.
(Rogg, Schmidt, Shull, & Schmitt, 2001) also present a study that demonstrates the degree to which the organizational climate mediates the relationship between human resource management and customer satisfaction in more than 300 small companies, that is, HRM impacts on the organizational climate and this in turn on customer satisfaction.
Segredo, García, López, León and Perdomo (2015) cited by Tintaya (2017) assume that the organization with a good work environment will show correlatively better levels of internal and external user satisfaction. Conversely, the organization with a low work environment will present low levels of satisfaction from its respective users.
Subauste (2013) recognizes that good companies build a model of the factors that, in their opinion, lead to customer satisfaction. highlighting among the most important factors the characteristics of the service, the ability of the company to respond to the user's questions and needs and the guarantees that are attached to the service. A second important aspect of the process of achieving customer satisfaction is building an evaluation-reward system that supports that strategy. For a long time, companies rewarded employees and their units based on financial performance. However, many firms now have a multiple-guess criteria and reward their employees and areas according to meeting user satisfaction goals.
Conclusions
After having carried out this study, the author has reached the following conclusions:
There is an interrelation between the organizational climate, based on various dimensions such as motivation, leadership, communication and job satisfaction, and customer satisfaction, the latter as a multi-caused phenomenon.
In the consulted literature, there is agreement regarding conceiving as an important factor in achieving customer satisfaction, is the presence of a favorable work environment.
Although the models for evaluating customer satisfaction analyzed are different, they are not exclusive and, if possible to apply to other contexts, always make the necessary adjustments so that they respond to the particularities of the organizations, regions or countries in which they are apply.
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