Inhaltsangabe:Abstract: This thesis resolves the need for an industry award for service excellence in retailing, based on a comprehensive framework to foster management quality. A service excellence framework is developed and the design for a new service excellence award is proposed. The proposed framework is based on the Industrial Excellence Award. In addition to the original four fundamental processes a fifth component is introduced: the customer. To complete the framework, the seven components of management quality known from the IEA are adopted. This framework is the structure for the self-assessment questionnaire that will be the core of the new ¿Best Retailer¿ service excellence award. Through an extensive literature review, success factors and empirically tested items for questionnaires were identified and assigned to the corresponding sections in the questionnaire. The result is a collection of questions that - if appropriately considered by management ¿ can help introducing service excellence in the retailing industry. The modus operandi of a possible future award competition is suggested to stay close the example of the IEA in order to leverage the existing brand. This should help to popularize the new award, to create outstanding showcases quickly, and to disseminate excellent management quality in the industry. Inhaltsverzeichnis:Inhaltsverzeichnis: AcknowledgementsII List of abbreviations:3 Executive Summary5 1.Introduction6 2.Retailing8 2.1Developments and Trends8 2.1.1Modern History of Retailing and Retailing Formats8 2.1.2Past and Future Trends11 2.2Strategies & Concepts18 2.2.1Retailing Classifications18 2.2.2Positioning20 2.2.3Strategies for Competitive Advantage21 2.2.4Scientific Concepts in Retailing23 2.3Success Factors in Retailing28 2.3.1Employees29 2.3.2Technology32 2.3.3Customer Service33 3.Service37 3.1Strategies and Concepts39 3.1.1Service Business Classifications39 3.1.2Strategies for Service firms41 3.1.3Excellence42 3.1.4Service Concepts in Literature49 3.2Service Management57 3.2.1Service Management Functions59 3.2.2The Service Process61 3.2.3The Service System61 3.3New Service Design & Development63 3.3.1The Service Concept64 3.3.2The Service Positioning Matrix64 3.3.3NSD Process Cycle66 3.3.4NSD-Innovation Matrix67 3.3.5Service Blueprinting68 3.4Service Quality and Customer Satisfaction69 3.4.1Overall Service Quality69 3.4.2Service Process Quality72 3.4.3Perceived Service [...]