The purpose of this research is to examine the mediating effect of enterprise competitiveness on the relationship between operational service quality management and customer perception level of freight forwarders’ services in East Coast region of Peninsular Malaysia. Data were collected from 106 customers of freight forwarders through accessible random sampling method. Usable data were analyzed through Partial Least-squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) approach using Smart PLS-SEM software version 3.2.8. The validity of the survey questionnaire was confirmed using content validity, structural validity and expert validity. The results revealed that operational service quality management influences customer perception toward service providers’ services. Meanwhile, enterprise competitive mediates the relationship between operational service quality management and customer perception on service providers’ services. The enterprise competitiveness was found to be a driver for better customer perception on freight forwarder service providers. Besides, it has a strong mediating effect which ultimately effect on both customer perception level of satisfaction and could enhance customer perception on operational service quality management through words of mouth. These findings would therefore offer the freight forwarders’ management teams a new perspective in developing a better operational service quality management strategies and practices with emphasis on enterprise competitiveness. It also demonstrates the significance of enterprise competitiveness in donimating towards consumer perception in service preference and future repurchase intension.

Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
    2.1 Operational Service Quality Management
    2.2 Customer perception level
    2.3 Enterprise Competitiveness
3. Conceptual Research Framework
4. Method
5. Results
    5.1 Measurement Model
    5.2 Discriminant Validity
    5.3 Structural Model
    5.4 R-Square value (R2) and Predictive relevance (Q2)
    5.5 Model Fit
6. Discussion
7. Conclusions and implication
References

• Mohd Fakrul Hasib Musa(Faculty of Maritime Studies, University Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia)
• D. N. Shariff(Faculty of Maritime Studies, University Malaysia Terengganu) Corresponding Author
• Shaian Kiumarsi(Graduate School of Business, Universiti Sains Malaysia)
• Dahlan Abdullah(Faculty of Hotel and Tuorism Management, University Teknologi MARA)
• W.A Mariam(Faculty of Maritime Studies, University Malaysia Terengganu)
• Madzli Harun(Faculty of Maritime Studies, University Malaysia Terengganu)