İÇSEL PAZARLAMA TEMELİNDE İNSAN KAYNAKLARI UYGULAMALARININ MÜŞTERİ MEMNUNİYETİNE ETKİSİNİ BELİRLEMEYE YÖNELİK BİR ARAŞTIRMA

Today, the main purposes of businesses are to get a sustainable competitive advantage. Businesses are all in a constant struggle for this purpose. However, it has become increasingly difficult for businesses to differentiate themselves in this process. In the consistently changing competitive conditions, businesses need employees who are always open for developments and can adapt easily changing conditions and are willing to learn the nature of the work. So it can be said that human capital is more important than fixed assets today. Businesses primarily have to use their human resources effectively and efficiently in order to ensure continuity in today’s competitive environment. Also it is gaining importance for businesses to create a positive image for their employees as internal customers and in the thinking of their external customers in changing conditions. This image forming for both employees and customers means that they got positive results and their expectations are met in every field and experience that they communicated with the business. This creates both employee and customer satisfaction and also helps to increase their existing loyalty to business. Therefore, employee satisfaction for a business is as important as customer satisfaction. In addition, this is a process that must be managed very well. In this study, based on the understanding that human is one of the main sources of the competitive advantage in enterprises, it is advocated that as human resource practices provide satisfaction of the internal customers (employees), satisfied internal customers will also provide satisfaction of the external customers. As a result of this relationship, satisfied employees shall ensure satisfied customers. Developed research model was tested over 200 employees in a medium-sized company in accordance with the opportunities and the constraints of the researchers. Reliability and validity analysis was conducted before putting the research data into the SEM. It is intended with the reliability analysis to improve the internal consistency of the scale. In our study, Cronbach Alpha method is used for reliability analysis. As a result of the reliability analysis, Cronbach's Alpha value is found as 0.972. As a result of this, it can be said that the scale is reliable. Similar to the reliability analysis, validity analysis have also no specific criteria. So, Factor analysis was used for validity analysis. Results of the KMO test (0.946) and the Bartlett test (8893.103; p <0.001) –which are made to test assumption of the unit matrix and sample adequacy- demonstrated that the data is appropriate for making factor analysis. As a result of factor analysis, it is understood that total variance of all scale items have reached a value that 70.777%. When we look at the Cronbach's Alpha coefficients of the factors that are obtained, it can be observed that they are all at satisfactory levels (from 0.895 to 0.953). As a result of factor analysis, it is observed that C8 and CM2 coded scale questions did not take place under the factors that they need to be. Therefore they are removed from the scale and the test was repeated. In total, 49 research questions remained backward. These are grouped under seven different factors. Here is a striking detail, "Evaluation of the award and the performance" variables are located under the same factor. Therefore, these two variables are combined into a single factor in the research model. In confirmatory factor analysis of the scale used in the study, Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used. The Chi-square value obtained in the SEM results and fit index results are as follows: x2=1978,154 Df=1160 P=0,000 x2/df=1,705 IFI=0,906 CFI=0,905 NFI=0,800 TLI(NNFI)= 0,900 RFI=0,789 RMSEA=0,060 In short, when we look at the results of the fit indexes, it can be said that the model is fit as a whole. Ultimately, at a p <0.000 significance level, the result of the hypothesis test is as follows: Human resource practices that create employee (internal customer) satisfaction makes a direct positive effect on the external customer satisfaction. H1 hypothesis was accepted (r=0.536, p<0.000). Acting from the results; it is observed that human resource practices such as recruitment and selection, training and development, compensation, reward and performance appraisal, employee relations, career development, and finally, participation and empowerment have positive effects on the satisfaction of internal customers. Achieved results have provided evidence to a positive relationship between human resource practices and the satisfaction of the internal customers (employees). So, the results indicate that there is a positive relationship between human resources applications and internal customer satisfaction. The results indicate similarities with the results of other surveys in the relevant literature. It is also supported by many researchers that internal customer satisfaction provides external customer satisfaction. Zondiros et al. (2007: 1088) also noted in their study that ensuring and protection of employee satisfaction is very effective on the external customer satisfaction. The opinion is claimed that the efforts to protect satisfied employees will provide more external customer satisfaction. Jin and Cai (2010: 219) is accepted that employee satisfaction is the driving force for long-term success and external customer satisfaction. In contrast, it is stated that firstly internal customer satisfaction is related to the internal service quality in a business. Results are confirmed that there is a strong and positive relationship between internal customer service quality and internal customer satisfaction. The internal service quality provided by the business does not create a strong impact on most of the employees but it can be said that it provides external customer and employee satisfaction.Chandler (2010: 551) in his study at hotels in India examines the effect of the service quality on customer satisfaction and effects of human resource practices on hotel performances. According to the results, human resource practices improve the quality of services and in addition, customer satisfaction shows a positive impact on hotel performance. When the findings are analyzed it was observed that the employee relations, compared to other human resource practices are more effective on the employee satisfaction (0.923; p<0.001). In the literature review it is seen the researches that supporting this conclusion. Erdil et al. (2004: 24) in a study on the textile sector employees were identified that components such as management style, working conditions, friendship environment and sense of appreciation affect employees' job satisfaction positively and significantly. Improving working conditions and bringing them into line to the expectations of employees increase the efficiency of the work and makes employees to feel themselves precious. This will increase the satisfaction of employees. Therefore, managers should be trained about the issues such as their attitudes and behaviors to employees, the expectations of employees and teamwork. The staff wants managers to act fairly to them among the issues such as helping them, valuing, teaching job details, disclosure, developing skills, and changes in work. Employees also have an effect on job satisfaction of each other. Therefore, they should be trained in teamwork. Unity and solidarity among workers is important. It is required to create a working environment in this direction. From the findings of our investigation, there seems to be a positive and significant impact of the career development on employee satisfaction (0.851; p<0.001). Career development support that applied in business affects employees' perceptions positively. And this will also provide career satisfaction. In this context businesses should provide the necessary support on their employees’ needs and expectations about career development. In this way, businesses will be sent positive signals to their employees that they were willing to improve the welfare of them. Giving the educational opportunities accordance with career development can satisfy the employees. If we examine our research findings we can see that another important variable of influencing employee satisfaction is training and development (0.840; p<0.001). It is understood from this study which is made about employee satisfaction of call center employees that training and development programs in businesses is very important. So businesses must apply training and development programs for their employees. A well-designed and accessible knowledge transfer should be made with experienced instructors. These programs should be practical and provide learning experience. Providing the training and development needs of employees in this way will lead them to work in a comfortable and friendly working environment. In this way, employees’ sense of belonging can be enhanced. If we look at our research findings we can understand that participation and empowerment variable affects employee satisfaction (0.834; p<0.001). To ensure the participation of employees in decisions and to provide employees feel precious in business will make them happy. The effectiveness of the decisions that taken in the company depends on factors such as the nature of the decision, the acceptance of the decision by the employee and commitment of the employees to the company. It is impossible that employees participate in all decisions taken in the company. But it is important that employees accept the decisions that they are not participate. Because sooner or later all decisions will be applied by the employees. If we look at our research findings we can understand that rewarding and performance evaluation variable affects employee satisfaction (0.775; p<0.001). Results show that the rewarding practices of the call center positively affect the satisfaction of employees. Reward system provides remaining of qualified employees in the company. The system also provides satisfied and motivated employees. Therefore reward system is a tool that motivating employees in business. Distribution of the awards in a fair way according to the performance of the workers is very important for employee satisfaction. In addition, to make regulations about the wage increases based on performance, the upgrade processes and a variety of social rights and to do these according to their performances and to inform them about all would be useful. If we look at our research findings we can understand that salary variable affects employee satisfaction (0,702; p<0.001). For employee satisfaction, qualifications of staff, shown efficiency and market conditions should be considered while determining salary. A fair pricing system should be applied. In several studies, it was understood that only the salary is not sufficient for employee satisfaction. It has been claimed (Al-Zoubi, 2012: 9) that salary can be effective on the level of satisfaction when with other business factors. If we look at our research findings we can understand that recruitment and selection method variable affects employee satisfaction (0.626; p<0.001). Our study shows that, there is a positive relationship between the shape of the recruiting activities and the perceived employee satisfaction. These results demonstrate that, businesses need to give importance to the recruitment practices. Finally, from the examination of the regression coefficients of the research model, it can be claimed that internal customer (employee) satisfaction effects positively and significantly the external customer satisfaction.