Business, Enterprise & Management
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://eresearch.qmu.ac.uk/handle/20.500.12289/5
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Item On track for first-tier complaint handling: A review of organisational complaint handling in regulated sectors with an Ombudsman for the Office of Rail and Road [Project Report](Office of Road and Rail, 2018-10-30) Williams, Jane; Brennan, Carol; Vivian, Nial1. The Office of Rail and Road (ORR) is the combined economic and health and safety regulator for the GB rail network and the economic monitor for England’s strategic road network. One of ORR’s strategic objectives is to support better rail customer service. Effective complaint handling forms part of the customer experience and there is a strong business case for systems and processes to be of the highest quality. 2. In August 2018, Queen Margaret University was commissioned to conduct a critical review of complaint handling in regulated consumer sectors where there is an ombudsman scheme. A key objective is to ensure that ORR can learn from and apply any lessons to the rail sector. The research identifies good practice and learning points in complaint handling to inform how first-tier complaint handling can be improved in the rail sector. First-tier complaint handling is defined as complaint handling which takes place inhouse usually at the organisation that is responsible for service delivery. 3. From the research, it was clear that significant design activity in relation to complaint handling procedures continues to take place. Regulators are taking an active role in relation to monitoring the market and designing new systems and processes, and amending rules and guidance.Item Customers' Perceptions of Quality Assurance in Scottish Hostels.(2002-10) Frew, Andrew J.; Robb, C.; Brennan, CarolItem Involving older people in the development of financial products and services.(Queen Margaret University, 2009-07) Brennan, Carol; Ritch, Elaine; Coull, YvonneContext - For older people, financial awareness is increasingly relevant in a complex market where the implications of making ill-informed decisions can be costly both financially and emotionally (National Statistics 2007). This pilot research study provided an opportunity to focus on the suitability of selected financial products for older people. Bank accounts and equity release products were selected for this study by an expert advisory panel. New marketing initiatives were being used to promote bank accounts including forms of insurance to the ‘50+’ market. Also older people are now expected to provide for their retirement and it is anticipated that equity release will be one product which may be used to fund and maintain consumer lifestylesItem Greening the curriculum(2009-11-27) Brennan, Carol; Schrder, MonikaItem Consumer overindebtedness: a review of the quality of money advice services in Scotland(2007-10) Brennan, Carol; Gallagher, KellyLevels of consumer borrowing and debt in the UK and globally continue to rise. Credit makes a vital contribution to the success of the UK economy by driving economic activity and allowing consumers flexibility in how they choose to access the marketplace and manage their finances. Although most consumers manage their borrowing effectively, for a minority, the ease of access to credit results in overindebtedness. As a consequence, the need for money advice is prevalent. In the UK in recent years, services have been developed to assist consumers in financial difficulty. In Scotland, additional funding has been made available to enable further service developments in local government or voluntary sector provision. This paper reviews the literature on consumer overindebtedness, the development of money advice services and discusses the quality of these services in Scotland. It is likely to be of interest in other countries where consumer overindebtedness is rising and where money advice services are being developed to assist those experiencing problems. The review found that the rising levels of overindebtedness justify the case for developing money advice services but that there are many quality issues which require to be managed. Implications for the money advice profession were identified together with suggestions for the development of services in other countries.Item Young people's perceptions of complaints procedures in local government(2002-12) Brennan, Carol; Galloway, Alison; Thompson, SusanThis study examined 46 young people aged 16-24 years and evaluated their knowledge and awareness of the formal complaints procedures used by local government. Two areas in Scotland, one city (Edinburgh) and one town (Stirling), were chosen to participate in the study. Six focus groups, three in each area, were carried out to identify the level of awareness among the respondents and to permit a cross-section of educational backgrounds to be obtained. A questionnaire was used to assemble a profile on each participant. After analysis of the focus groups, a focused interview with the Corporate Complaints Officers from two councils was undertaken. Each interview incorporated an in-depth discussion regarding the formal complaints procedure while focusing on the young people within their constituency. The research revealed that young people's knowledge and awareness of local government complaints procedures is low, regardless of educational background and area of residence. For a minority, social factors such as confidence and competence do play a role although it is mainly organizational barriers, such as lack of information and access, which are the main causes of the problem. A number of young people indicated that they would complain if they knew how to execute a complaint successfully. The service providers were knowledgeable that awareness is low among this age group.Item A review of the 'consumer interest' in organic meat(2003-10) Brennan, Carol; Gallagher, Kelly; McEachern, M. G.The study aims to provide a critical review of the literature on the consumer interest in the UK in organic food, with a particular focus on organic meat. Given that people are more likely to purchase products if they have faith in them, the regulation of organic food standards is reviewed to explore issues affecting consumers. This is followed by a review of the organic meat sector. Aspects of the consumer interest considered in this paper include consumer information, consumer access, consumer safety, consumer choice and consumer representation. As the literature on organic food/meat in the UK is extensive, it was therefore necessary to be selective with regard to the publications suitable for this review. Most of the literature selected for this paper has been drawn from UK publications, although several European and international sources have also been used. The review found that there is a considerable level of interest in the UK organic meat sector. As the regulation of organic food produced is set at varying standards across the European Union, this could lead to consumers being misled regarding the quality of products offered. It was also found that, although consumers perceive organic foods as healthier, more nutritious and tasting better than non-organic products, the literature shows that this may have only a limited basis on fact. Contamination of organic products with pesticides and even genetically modified ingredients is always possible. Organic farmers are permitted to use other ingredients in organic meat products that may be harmful to health. Escherichia coli and Salmonella risks associated with conventional meat also appear to affect organic meat. Consumers need clear, accurate and reliable information about organic meat. They also need to be provided with safe products, a choice of organic products, access to organic products and to be represented effectively.Item Consumer empowerment: global context, UK strategies and vulnerable consumers(2008) Brennan, Carol; Coppack, MartinGlobalization has created new consumer needs and wants, and resulted in consumer confusion regarding the increasing complexity of products and services. This has stimulated global interest in educating and empowering consumers. The UK government has made a very ambitious commitment to ensure that the framework for consumer empowerment and support is at the level of the best in the world by 2008. The government, many consumer organizations and regulators believe that empowered consumers are key to the success of competitive markets. Two national strategies to co-ordinate activities in the UK have been developed by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The OFT consumer education strategy aims to deliver targeted, effective consumer education by increasing co-ordination and making the best use of available resources. The FSA is leading a financial capability strategy designed to deliver change to improve the UK's financial capability. Both strategies share a vision of educated and confident consumers making informed choices about the products and services they buy, and both aim to empower vulnerable consumers. Given the global interest and the development of national strategies, it is useful to consider what is meant by the term consumer empowerment. Is there a shared view of consumer empowerment internationally? Does the education of consumers result in empowered consumers? To what extent do the national strategies address the empowerment of vulnerable, disadvantaged, excluded or susceptible consumers? These questions will be addressed in this article which reviews the global context for the consumer education and empowerment agenda and considers key UK developments, with particular reference to the needs of vulnerable consumers. The study found that the language of consumer empowerment is gaining prominence in policy and strategy documents at the highest levels internationally in the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Community, and nationally in the UK.Item Plastic bag politics: modifying consumer behaviour for sustainable development(2009-03) Ritch, Elaine; Brennan, Carol; Macleod, CalumThe adverse environmental impacts of plastic bags, including production energy costs, limited lifespan, increasing landfill content and inability to biodegrade, provide symbolic and practical evidence of a 'throwaway' consumer culture which acts as a significant barrier to sustainable consumption in particular and sustainable development in general. Decoupling consumer behaviour from plastic bag use is therefore an important challenge in the pursuit of sustainable consumption as a precursor to achieving sustainable development. This article provides a critical evaluation of that challenge, set within the theoretical framework of sustainable development. It examines the adverse environmental impacts of plastic bag use and evaluates initiatives by governments and businesses internationally to change consumer behaviour regarding the use of plastic bags in line with sustainable development principles. The politics of this agenda are analysed using a combination of consumer policy and public policy perspectives. Finally, the article draws conclusions regarding the earlier analysis.Item The vulnerable healthcare consumer: an interpretive synthesis of the patient experience literature(Blackwell Publishing, 2012-11) Hare, Caroline; Law, James; Brennan, CarolThe increased policy emphasis on the 'patient experience' places the health consumer in centre stage as the driver for healthcare delivery. This poses challenges for service providers to meet the needs of more vulnerable groups, notably those with disabilities, who are often more likely to be both in greater need of services and, at the same time, less able to access them. This paper reports an interpretive synthesis of qualitative research studies in the UK and US on the experience of vulnerable patient groups using a broad range of health services. An interpretive review method was adopted to capture the complexity of the data. Eighteen papers were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria for the review. Seven key themes were identified: life experience, service design, point of delivery, accessibility, availability, specialist education/training and consumer typology. Although policy makers and providers often refer to the need for greater consumerism in the development of health services, our review suggests that it may be appropriate to consider a model of 'mediated consumerism' for some groups of service users. While some concerns are common to both mainstream and vulnerable consumers, others such as accessibility of services, and the resulting experience of health care, are particular to specific vulnerable groups. Accessing the experiences of these more vulnerable groups therefore warrants close attention in the development of both policy and practice in health service delivery.
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