http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/10 Wed, 08 Jul 2026 16:47:06 GMT 2026-07-08T16:47:06Z http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/4064416 The Nurturing of Relationships in Commercial and Retail Banking ABSTRACTThe objective of this paper is to develop a better understanding of the factors associated with nurturing relationships between relationship managers and their clients in the banking industry. The Nominal Group Technique and a content analytical approach were both used to respectively collect and interpret the data. Results found the nurturing of relationships to be endogenous and asymmetrical in nature. The consequence is a personal, individualistic process maintained on behalf of the bank. The complexity associated with managing commercial portfolios requires commercial account managers to be more involved with their clients in the nurturing process than retail branch managers. http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/4064416 http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/4064418 The Impact of Perceived Physical Environments on Customers' Satisfaction and Return Intentions ABSTRACTThe purpose of this research was to investigate the impact of physical environments on customer satisfaction and their subsequent return intentions within a service industry. Drawing from data collected from spectators at three Midwestern Conference ice hockey arenas, the effects of physical environment on customer satisfaction, the effect of customer satisfaction on their return intentions, and the direct relationship between the perceptions of physical environments and customers' return intentions were investigated. Structural equation modeling (e.g., LISREL) was employed to test the causal relationships among the hypothesized relationships. Based on customer surveys, the findings are that physical environments had a significant effect on customer satisfaction, and customer satisfaction, in turn, plays a significant role in determining customer's return intentions. Physical environments, however, did not have a significant effect on customers' return intentions. http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/4064418 http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/4064417 Financial Distribution Channels: Technology versus Tradition ABSTRACTThis research examined the survey responses of 801 financial customers who provided information regarding their usage of, and attitudes towards, financial distribution channels. The study found that whilst the trend within the banking industry is to replace human tellers with self-service distribution channels, such as ATMs and telephone banking, the strength of customer intentions for usage of human tellers within the next two years supports the concept that the branch will still play an instrumental role in the delivery of services to customers in the future. http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/4064417 http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/4064419 The Role of Organizational Communications on Employee Perceptions of a Firm ABSTRACTThe quality of service customers receive is due, in part, to the commitment employees have towards their employer. A critical component of employee commitment to a firm is organizational communication. Organizational communication exists in many forms and has both internal and external audiences. This study focuses on internal communications from the perspective of public relations and internal marketing and their relationship to an employee's perception of the firm where they work. A positive relationship was found between effective internal communications and perception of the firm. Implications of these findings are discussed. http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/4064419