MANAGING TEMPORARY WORKERS BY DEFINING TEMPORARY WORK AGENCY SERVICE QUALITY

This study investigates and defines the concept of service quality of a temporary work agency (TWA) from the perspective of temporary workers as the TWA's internal customers. Specifically, we conducted two surveys using two separate samples of temporary workers to (1) develop a measure of TWA service quality based on service literature and (2) test the newly developed measure's reliability, factor structure, and validity. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis results show that an effective temporary work agency is one that offers reliable placement services, appears interpersonally supportive in interacting with the temporary workers, provides individualized and customized service, is furnished with appealing tangible facilities and equipment, and offers services that are conveniently accessible before, during, and after the temporary job assignments. Structural equation modeling results further suggest that TWA service quality is directly related to temporary workers' customer satisfaction with the TWA and perceived TWA service value and is indirectly related to temporary workers' customer loyalty to the TWA. Research and practical implications of this research are discussed. (C) 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.