ABSTRACT
Over the last twenty years, both academics and marketing practitioners have sought to develop systems and processes that can be used by organisations to improve service quality (Lewis, 1995). The concept of internal marketing has arisen as part of these efforts (Band, 1988; Berry, 1981; Gummesson, 1987). It is usually portrayed in the literature as being concerned with how groups within an organisation, who together constitute an ‘internal market’, co-operate with each other to ensure intra-organisational customer wants and needs are fulfilled. Management of process is typically based on the premise that individuals, groups and/or entire departments need to comprehend their role as internal suppliers servicing the product/service requirements of others who are their internal customers, and vice versa.
