Effect of Reliability of Information Systems on Links Between Cross- Functional Co-Ordination and Customer Satisfaction: Empirical Evidence from Tanzania Port Operations

Abstract

This study assessed the influence of reliable information system on the relationshipbetween cross-functional co-ordination and customer satisfaction based on theempirical evidence drawn from Tanzania ports ' operations. Specifically, the study hadset out to assess the influence of cross-functional co-ordination on customersatisfaction with Tanzania ports and examine the moderating effects of informationsystem reliability on cross-functional co-ordination and customer satisfaction. Thestudy adopted a positivism philosophy alongside an explanatory deductive case studyresearch design. Moreover, it and applied quantitative methods whose primary datawere generated using self-administered structured questionnaires. The data came fromsample of 298 respondents drawn from a population of 1,325 agents using simplerandom sampling, with 228 coming from five Tanzania ports of Dar es Salaam, Tanga,Mtwara, Mwanza, and Kigoma.Data were subjected to the use of Smart PLS 3.0 for Structural Equation Modelling forhypothesis testing. Also, the Port Service Quality (PSQ) theory and Relational CoordinationTheory (RCT) helped to operationalise the interactions of threeconstructs €”cross-functional co-ordination, reliability of information systems, and portcustomer satisfaction. The assumption was that little is known about the use a studymodel, we have multiplied the combined effect of cross-functional co-ordination letalone the moderation effects of reliable information systems on port customersatisfaction. The research discovered a considerable moderating impact of reliabilityof information systems on the relationship between cross-functional co-ordination andport customer satisfaction. Moreover, the IPMA results affirm the highest levels ofimportance and performance of cross-functional co-ordination in predicting portcustomer satisfaction. Thus, cross-functional co-ordination positively influences portcustomer satisfaction.Keywords: Cross-functional co-ordination, customer satisfaction, reliability of informationsystems