For information about the alert system methodology go here
For article of the JBR special issue edited by Jonas Holmqvist, Yves Van Vaerenbergh, and Christian Grönroos on language use in services (Eleven articles on the different roles language use can take in service contexts) please go here
Chang, S. E., W.-C. Shen and A. Y. Liu (2016): Why mobile users trust smartphone social networking services? A PLS-SEM approach, Journal of Business Research, 69(11), pp. 4890-4895
Through advanced mobile technologies, mobile users can access updated information and adjust plans during travel accordingly. Such mobile services can integrate with social networking services (SNS) to share and access information on the go. Not much research exists on mobile social commerce, specifically about users’ trust in travel information and advice from smartphone SNS. This study presents a quantitative survey to explore what influences users’ trust in travel advice acquired from smartphone SNS (TTASS). The findings show that (1) mobile users’ trust in travel advice acquired from smartphone SNS significantly associates with their perceived value of smartphone SNS (PVSS) and enjoyment of SNS activity (ESA); (2) ESA significantly associates with mobile users’ privacy concerns (PC) and perceived risk (PR), and such PR significantly associates with PC; and (3) PVSS significantly associates with ESA and PR. These findings can help managers and decision makers in the tourism industry keep pace with research on consumer attitudes and innovations in smartphone SNS, and make favorable tactics to benefit from mobile social commerce in the ubiquitous commerce environment.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.04.048 [Google]
Chirumalla, K. (2016): Organizing lessons learned practice for product–service innovation, Journal of Business Research, 69(11), pp. 4986-4991
Many companies adopt lessons-learned practices to transform gained experiences into useful knowledge for future benefit. Researchers have examined lessons-learned practices in project-based organizations that primarily develop pure products or services in various disciplines and industrial sectors. However, little research exists on the lessons-learned practices in manufacturing companies offering integrated product–service combinations. Therefore, this study performs three case studies in two large manufacturing companies undergoing a servitization journey to becoming product–service providers. The study identifies ten requirements under three main categories—content, process, and technology—for better organized lessons-learned practice. Drawing from the requirements analysis, this study develops a method for representing lessons learned in product–service innovation contexts.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.04.065 [Google]
De Fuentes, C. and R. Porcuna (2016): Main drivers of consultancy services: A meta-analytic approach, Journal of Business Research, 69(11), pp. 4775-4780
This meta-analysis incorporates the results from 34 separate studies examining fee models for consultancy services whereby the consulting firm provides both audit and advisory services to its customers. The findings indicate a number of key determinants of consultancy bills: client size, audit fees, auditors being from a “Big Audit Firm,” client’s financial difficulties, and prior experience with the legal auditors. Conversely, the meta-results fail to correlate the variable of interest with several constructs commonly used in consultancy models such as the auditee’s inherent risk, the client’s financial debt, or the audit opinion. The study also explores the influence of three moderators: the Sarbanes–Oxley Act, the legal environment, and the type of statutory auditor. The overall moderator results are robust but fail to group prior data into homogeneous sets. The findings are relevant for policy makers, audit scholars, and stakeholders.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.04.029 [Google]
Fróes Lima, C. A., B. M. Luz, S. T. Takemoto, P. Jr.Barisson, R. A. T. Tezzin, L. E. A. Peres, T. N. Anarelli and A. F. da Silva (2016): Strategic modeling to improve services and operation to energy industries’ customers, Journal of Business Research, 69(11), pp. 4862-4869
Continuous analyses of demanded services at the energy companies are the shortest path to recognize and anticipate customers’ requests, reinforce and manage the communication and operational flows. Energy utilities need to increase their operational efficiency concerning costs and agility to improve useful media and evaluate customers’ expectations and requirements. Operational effectiveness must pursue the demands, considering the amount of services that the companies provide at their relationship channels, the communication facilities and the systems’ infrastructure. The companies need to organize a huge amount of historical and online data to represent and forecast customers’ relationship scenarios. Resources evaluation ensure regional requirements and weather conditions best attendance response, adequately addressing faults at the energy distribution grid, motivate customers to use alternative media and improve relationship channels. Reaching this scenario, big data treatment techniques provide the necessary agility to achieve the monthly/hourly volume of data (millions of registers per month) and permit communication clusters’ views.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.04.044 [Google]
Kazeminia, A., M. Hultman and R. Mostaghel (2016): Why pay more for sustainable services? The case of ecotourism, Journal of Business Research, 69(11), pp. 4992-4997
This study draws on dual-processing theory and post-materialism assumptions to uncover the role of attitudinal and materialistic values in determining the degree to which consumers are willing to pay premium prices for sustainable tourism services. Findings from a large-scale survey of Swedish potential ecotourists reveal that, while attitude and environmental beliefs relate positively to willingness to pay premium (WTPP) for ecotourism, materialistic values exert a negative effect. In line with the theory of affect heuristics, study results further suggest that by giving rise to the intensity of feelings toward the offering, ecotourism interest alters the interplay of affective and evaluative antecedents, so that greater interest amplifies the influence of affective attitude and materialistic values on WTPP while simultaneously attenuating the effect of environmental beliefs.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.04.069 [Google]
Koval, O., S. Nabareseh, P. Klimek and F. Chromjakova (2016): Demographic preferences towards careers in shared service centers: A factor analysis, Journal of Business Research, 69(11), pp. 4798-4803
Talent attraction and employee retention are some of the main challenges that currently affect the growth of the shared service industry worldwide. Due to the market dynamics and the structure of the labor force, shared service centers (SSCs) in the region compete to attract well-trained candidates with appropriate knowledge and skills. To assess gender preferences towards careers in the SSCs, the article collects 1283 responses using an online questionnaire from university students in the Czech Republic. Respondents vary by study year, gender, age, course of study, and work preferences. The article analyzes gender and age preferences towards careers in the shared services. The article further ascertains the main factors that influence career decisions using the same demographic features. Using the factor analysis technique, the article further analyzes the variables with strong inter-correlations to evaluate the formation of preferences in SSCs. The research results provide insights into the target age and gender of students with job aspirations in SSCs. The findings could help recruitment agencies renew and redirect their search for talents in SSCs.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.04.033 [Google]
Mostaghel, R. (2016): Innovation and technology for the elderly: Systematic literature review, Journal of Business Research, 69(11), pp. 4896-4900
As life expectancy increases, so does the number of elders. This increase poses a challenge regarding the ability of maintaining the costs for providing services to this group. In search of solution, practitioners have found technology to improve the life style of the elderly and reducing the costs in long term. This demographic change leads to opportunities for disruptive innovation as well. Elders’ acceptance of innovative technology in their everyday life is a success key factor for the governments, technology providers, healthcare providers, and other major players in elders’ life. This study systematically reviews the existing literature and identifies the actors in elders’ life. In addition, the study provides a comprehensive review of elder’s innovative technology adoption, including the impacts and costs. The study also offers suggestions and guidelines for future research.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.04.049 [Google]
Rönnberg Sjödin, D., V. Parida and M. Kohtamäki (2016): Capability configurations for advanced service offerings in manufacturing firms: Using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis, Journal of Business Research, 69(11), pp. 5330-5335
The present study contributes to the servitization literature demonstrating capability configurations that lead to successful advanced service offerings. Drawing on a data set of 131 Swedish manufacturing firms, the present study utilizes a configurational comparative method, namely fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), to identify influential capability configurations. This study identifies four capability configurations that enable advanced service offerings in manufacturing companies. The results highlight the importance of a configurational approach towards understanding service capabilities and suggest two key paths based upon service development capabilities and mass service customization capabilities that firms may follow in achieving advanced service offerings.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.04.133 [Google]
