Title: Demand for courier services: determinants for customer organisations in a developing country

Authors: Mutawakilu A. Tiamiyu; Oserere E. Eigbe

Addresses: Africa Regional Centre for Information Science, University of Ibadan, 6 Benue Road, P.O. Box 22133, Ibadan, Nigeria ' Africa Regional Centre for Information Science, University of Ibadan, 6 Benue Road, P.O. Box 22133, Ibadan, Nigeria

Abstract: This study modelled the demand for courier services by customer organisations in a developing country, specifically Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria, using the price of service, customer organisation variables and variables from the SERVQUAL and logistics service quality models as predictors. PLUM ordinal regression analyses were performed on data collected with a validated questionnaire administered on 74 purposively and conveniently sampled customer organisations. All the courier services reported low demand and customer organisation size inversely predicted demand for human messenger services. However, organisation attitude to quality in operations and communications and the perceived value of couriered packages did not predict demand. Price inversely predicted demand for only NIPOST services (government-operated) and service quality variables predicted demand for most services. Customer organisation factors predicted demand for NIPOST services, while service factors predicted demand for some services. Nigerian courier services should build upon these findings to improve service quality to boost demand by customers.

Keywords: demand; courier services; customer organisation factors; price; SERVQUAL model; logistics service quality model; consumption process; organisation attitude to quality; courier package value; Nigeria.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSEM.2018.097791

International Journal of Services, Economics and Management, 2018 Vol.9 No.3/4, pp.177 - 207

Received: 21 Oct 2017
Accepted: 19 Oct 2018
Published online: 09 Feb 2019 *

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