1. The Research Model and Hypotheses
This research tests the moderating effects of internal orientation and
market orientation of the relationships between commitment and
transportation services. The relationship between the variables and the
research model are as follows.
First, firms which make a high commitment with customers in the
market would adjust their process following customer needs. They should
make better relationships with customers compared with competitors and
then they are closer with the customers than competitors. As a result of the
commitment, they could adjust the mutual processes through high
communication with customers and, as a result, mutual collaboration
appears high. The commitment of inter-firm relationships could enhance
mutual dependence and it is connected with high transportation services.
Therefore, commitment has a positive effect on transportation services.
Second, internal orientation such as collaboration between departments,
work standardization, and process improving in firms is connected with a
high level of transportation services. Improvement of inefficient internal
processes and standardization of work management could strengthen
commitment in work and could attain high transportation services through
the elimination of overlapped and inefficient activities. In addition, a
cooperative attitude between departments could provide a high quality of
services for customers as well as promoting commitment with customers
through cooperative work processes. Therefore, internal orientation has a
moderating effect between commitment and transportation services.
Third, if firms create information on customer needs in the market,
disseminate it internally and respond to it, they could internally use
external information and, in addition, workers could enhance their
commitment to customers. Achieving commitment through market
orientation could highly increase their transportation services. Therefore,
market orientation has a moderating effect between commitment and
transportation services. This research model is as follows in .