Title: Studying the impact of internal marketing on achieving competitive advantage: the role of employee happiness and perceived service quality

Authors: Ali Safari; Reza Salehzadeh; Asieh Dehbashi; Delaram Sarraf Yazdi

Addresses: Department of Management, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran ' Department of Management, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran ' Department of Management, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran ' Department of Management, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract: The purpose of this research is to analyse the impact of internal marketing on achieving competitive advantage with respect to employee happiness and perceived service quality as the mediator variables. Statistical population includes the employees of Isfahan Melli Bank in Iran. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire. The questionnaires were distributed to 220 employees, out of which 174 questionnaires were returned and analysed using structural equation modelling method. The findings showed that internal marketing has a positive significant effect on competitive advantage, service quality, and employee happiness. Employee happiness has a positive significant effect on service quality; and service quality has a positive significant effect on competitive advantage. Also, the results indicated that employee happiness has no significant direct effect on competitive advantage.

Keywords: internal marketing; employee happiness; perceived service quality; competitive advantage; Iran.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBEX.2017.085791

International Journal of Business Excellence, 2017 Vol.13 No.1, pp.1 - 15

Received: 24 Dec 2015
Accepted: 13 Mar 2016
Published online: 14 Aug 2017 *

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