guest article by Anu Helkkula, Hanken School of Economics
Thank you, Bart Larivière for nominating me. I met Bart when we both were PhD students in the 2010 La Londe Service Management Conference, and I have been delighted by his success in publishing.
Thinking about who are my academic role models was compelling – so many great people that I have had the pleasure of knowing both thru their work and personally. Already during my Master’s studies in the 80’s, Professor Christian Grönroos’ Service Management and Marketing books inspired me. In those days academic research in service was still in its infancy and Grönroos was a true pioneer. During my 20 years in practice, before switching to an academic career, I was inspired by Professor Evert Gummesson’s approach to Relationship Marketing and qualitative research that had a big contribution in making qualitative research more acceptable in academic journals; as well as Professor Kaj Storbacka’s Customer Relationship Management, which was a big thing at the end of the 90s and in the first decade of the millennium, aiming to strategize and manage relationships with customers.
When I started my PhD studies in 2005, I was lucky to get Christian Grönroos as my Degree Supervisor, and Professors Tore Strandvik and Maria Holmlund as my supervisors. Hanken researchers have a great heritage and excellence in service and relationship research, which has been truly inspiring and foundational to my own research.
During a PhD course in service innovation, Professor Bo Edvardsson, Karlstad University, triggered me in writing a publication-based PhD instead of a monograph. Research published by him and other researchers in Service Research Center in Karlstad has continuously been a source of inspiration for me in their unconventional ways of thinking about service and service innovation that are useful in practical service innovation projects.
My PhD defense in 2010 with PhD Degree Supervisor Professor Christian Grönroos, Hanken, and Opponent Professor Stephen Vargo, University of Hawaii at Manoa
My PhD defense in 2010 with PhD Degree Supervisor Professor Christian Grönroos, Hanken, and Opponent Professor Stephen Vargo, University of Hawaii at ManoaService-Dominant (S-D) Logic has boosted service research since 2004. Professor David Ballantyne from Otago University introduced me to S-D logic, which became a true source of inspiration to my own research. Professors Stephen Vargo and Robert Lusch had integrated different fields of research in service and activated a worldwide academic discussion on service. In their research they also integrate Service research with Consumer Culture Theory (CCT). CCT strongly contributes to service research by its phenomenological approach to experience, value and foundational sociality. Professors Eric Arnould, Southern Denmark University, and Hope Schau, University of Arizona recently wrote their commentaries on Service Experience Co-creation in the Journal of Service Management.
I also admire people in the academia, who have contributed by their practice in integrating people and resources together. Professor Jay Kandampully, in addition to his own publications, has whole-heartedly served the academic community in advancing publishing as Editor in Chief of Journal of Service Management, which is one of my favorite journals. Professor Roderick Brodie, University of Auckland, has in addition to his active publishing, arranged research conferences and is an AE in the Journal of Service Research, another favorite journal. Of women I admire Professor Cristina Mele, University of Naples, Federico II, who is the foundational matriarch of the Naples Forum on Service. In addition to her publication and teaching activities, Professor Maria Holmlund has been a devoted department head at Hanken during my years in the Marketing Department. Professor Irene Ng, University of Warwick, has passionately linked practice and research in innovative ways. I also admire Professor Janet McColl-Kennedy for her continuous publishing of inspiring, multiply-awarded service research.
A special thanks to my co-authors Carol Kelleher, Elina Jaakkola, and Leena Aarikka-Stenroos, Minna Pura (née Pihlström), Maria Holmlund, Kristina Heinonen, Lizz Gill, and my many Hanken and Aalto colleagues for sharing the research path with me, as well as to my PhD students, who with their great questions open up new paths in research.
I would next like to throw the ball to Australia and nominate Professor Tracey Danaher (née Dagger), Monash University, who commented on my PhD manuscript in a doctoral colloquium in the ANZMAC conference 2009 in Melbourne, and has an amazing publishing record in highly ranked journals. I am in specific interested in her research in healthcare.
Anu Helkkula is Director of Hanken PhD Programme &
Research Services Manager
Centre for Research and International Affairs
Hanken School of Economics, Helsinki
