Considered Service-specific journals were Journal of Service Research, Journal of Service Management, Journal of Services Marketing, Journal of Service Theory and Practice, Service Industries Journal, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, and Service Science.
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Ostrom, A. L., J. M. Field, D. Fotheringham, M. Subramony, A. Gustafsson, K. N. Lemon, M.-H. Huang and J. R. McColl-Kennedy (2021): Service Research Priorities: Managing and Delivering Service in Turbulent Times, Journal of Service Research, 24(2426), pp.329-353
Transformative changes in the societal and service context call out for the service discipline to develop a coherent set of priorities for research and practice. To this end, we utilized multiple data sources: surveys of service scholars and practitioners, web scraping of online documents, a review of published service scholarship, and roundtable discussions conducted at the world’s foremost service research centers. We incorporated innovative methodologies, including machine learning, natural language processing, and qualitative analyses, to identify key service research priorities that are critical to address during these turbulent times. The first two priorities— technology and the changing nature of work and technology and the customer experience —focus on leveraging technology for service provision and consumption. The next two priorities— resource and capability constraints and customer proactivity for well-being —focus on responding to the changing needs of multiple stakeholders. Further, we identified a set of stakeholder-wants from the literature and include research questions that tie key stakeholder-wants to each of the four priorities. We believe the set of research priorities in the present article offer actionable ideas for service research directions in this challenging environment.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705211021915 [Google]
Kuppelwieser, V. G. and P. Klaus (2021): Revisiting the Age Construct: Implications for Service Research, Journal of Service Research, 24(2426), pp.372-389
People in the older consumer segment spend more money on services than those in other segments, making them a desired target for service providers. This universal trend has led researchers to start discussing this trend’s implications for service research and marketing practice. These discussions’ results are ambiguous because service researchers and managers face the problem of having to choose between three main age constructs: chronological age, cognitive age, and future time perspective (FTP). Unfortunately, current age-related research lacks an understanding of their real value, as only a few studies have combined them to discuss their specific impact. Recognizing this gap in the literature, this article compares the three age constructs in behavioral and perceptional settings. We highlight each age construct’s merits and weaknesses as well as exploring which construct delivers the best results in which service context. Bayesian analyses of our data reveal that chronological age has its merits as a control variable but does not sufficiently discriminate between age groups’ behavior and perceptions. Cognitive age is useful if customers’ own age perceptions are included but only identifies age differences in specific service settings. FTP consistently detects age-related differences in customers’ perceptions and in their behavior in all contexts.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1094670520975138 [Google]
Vink, J. and K. Koskela-Huotari (2021): Building Reflexivity Using Service Design Methods, Journal of Service Research, (2426), pp.1
The transformative potential of service design rests on its ability to enable people to intentionally shape institutionalized social structures. To avoid simply reproducing social structures unconsciously, people need reflexivity—an awareness of existing social structures. Scholars suggest that the use of service design methods can enhance people’s reflexivity. However, the theoretical underpinning of this effect remains unclear, which in turn limits the realization of service design’s transformative potential in practice. In response, using an abductive approach that combines theoretical and empirical inputs, we develop an integrative framework that explains the mechanisms by which service design methods can increase people’s reflexivity. The current study contributes to the evolving service design discourse with an alternative categorization of service design methods, based on their affordances for different modes of reflexivity. The framework also reveals the underlying processes by which the use of service design methods can support people’s work with institutionalized social structures as design materials to enable transformation. This research supports a more thoughtful use and strategic development of service design methods to support transformative aims.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705211035004 [Google]
Yue, Y., H. Nguyen, M. Groth, A. Johnson and S. Frenkel (2021): When Heroes and Villains Are Victims: How Different Withdrawal Strategies Moderate the Depleting Effects of Customer Incivility on Frontline Employees, Journal of Service Research, 24(2426), pp.435-454
Withdrawal from work by frontline employees (FLEs) is generally perceived by managers as counterproductive or anti-service behavior. However, there may be detrimental effects of continuing to provide a service, particularly after an FLE has experienced incivility. The possible beneficial effects of withdrawal on frontline service employees’ well-being have rarely been investigated. In this article, we conducted two studies to examine the moderating role of on- and off-task withdrawal behaviors on the relationship between customer incivility and employees’ emotional exhaustion. In Study 1, we examined parking officers’ reactions to customer incivility. We found support for the role of off-task withdrawal as a resource-replenishing strategy, which mitigated the relationship between customer incivility and emotional exhaustion. In Study 2, we examined a sample of nurses in a large hospital to compare the replenishing potential of both on-task and off-task withdrawal strategies. We found that off-task withdrawal served a replenishing function, while on-task withdrawal aggravated nurses’ feeling of emotional exhaustion as a result of customer incivility. These results highlight different resource implications, including recovery benefits of short-term withdrawal behaviors at work, and provide important theoretical and practical implications for the management of customer incivility and frontline service employees’ well-being and performance.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1094670520967994 [Google]
Voorhees, C. M., J. M. Beck, P. Randhawa, K. B. DeTienne and S. A. Bone (2021): Assessing the Effects of Service Variability on Consumer Confidence and Behavior, Journal of Service Research, 24(2426), pp.405-420
This research examines the effects of service variability on consumer confidence and behavior across multiple transactions in a service relationship. This article integrates discussions of service relationships and models of service variability. Leveraging a field study, the authors track over 12,000 experiences across 3,084 consumers for a 2-year period and model the impact of variability in these experiences on consumer relationships. The results reveal variability in a service relationship can significantly impact consumer confidence and that the nature of this relationship is nonlinear, revealing that small variations in quality will have strong effects on confidence and that these effects plateau as variability increases. Despite these overall effects, we also demonstrate that the positive benefits of service improvement strategies can offset these effects. Finally, in a second study, the results suggest firms can insulate themselves from the effects of variability by encouraging consumer involvement in relational investments (i.e., loyalty programs) that provide consumers with both interpersonal (i.e., status) and economic resources (i.e., points). Taken together, the results demonstrate that consumers integrate evaluations across transactions when evaluating a service provider, thus focusing on a single transaction, in isolation, may not accurately capture consumers’ perceptions of the service relationship.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1094670520952145 [Google]
Troebs, C.-C., T. Wagner and W. Herzog (2021): Do Customer Discounts Affect Frontline Employees?, Journal of Service Research, 24(2426), pp.390-404
Customer discounts continue to be one of the most central promotional tools. While discounts effectively serve important corporate objectives, they may also exhibit additional unanticipated effects on internal stakeholders involved in the value creation process. This research examines the impact of customer discounts on frontline service employees. One experimental study and two field investigations are presented. The findings underline that customer discounts made salient by their redemption, frequency, and depth (i.e., magnitude) reduce frontline employees’ experienced task significance as well as their perceived appreciation by the firm. Discounts also exert destructive indirect effects on frontline employees’ workplace responses including their intrinsic motivation, ambivalent identification, and turnover intentions as mediated by task significance and appreciation. These indirect effects are for the most part driven by perceived appreciation, serving as a key mechanism in employees’ cognitive processing of customer discounts. The present findings provide first evidence that customer discounts can provoke undesired effects upon firms’ service workforce in tandem with fulfilling promotional objectives and stimulate the need for a better coordination between firms’ service and promotional activities.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1094670520933694 [Google]
Lavoie, R., K. Main, J. Hoegg and W. Guo (2021): Employee Reactions to Preservice Tips and Compliments, Journal of Service Research, 24(2426), pp.421-434
Preservice tips are becoming increasingly common in the marketplace (e.g., online food delivery, quick-service restaurants). While prior research has investigated how the practice of preservice tipping is perceived by customers, how preservice tipping impacts the perceptions and behaviors of employees remains unexplored. Does tipping early actually elicit better service? Through a series of four studies, our research compares the effectiveness of tips—a financial incentive, with compliments—a nonfinancial incentive. The results indicate that early tips and compliments are both effective in obtaining better service, but the relative effectiveness of a tip versus a compliment depends on the service context. In closed service contexts—which involve a continuous, relatively short interaction—tips are superior. For example, when getting a drink at a bar, buying a sandwich at a quick-service restaurant, or dropping off a car for valet parking, tipping early should lead to better customer service. In contrast, in open service contexts—which involve multiple interactions over a more extended period and provide an opportunity for a social connection—compliments become more effective. The results have practical implications for customers wishing to enhance their service experiences and for managers in motivating their employees.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1094670520960231 [Google]
Feng, S. and T. V. Krishnan (2021): Contract Length Determination in the B2B Service Industry: Role of Economic Factors, Business Relationship, and Learning, Journal of Service Research, (2426), pp.1
In B2B markets, when firms sign contracts for transactions pertaining to the exchange of services that are delivered over a period of time, one critical decision they make is the length (or duration) of the contract. If the services are hired for a long project, companies often sign multiple, successively run contracts with the same vendor. This is prevalent in projects such as when multinational companies hire consulting firms like Accenture to streamline and digitize their business processes, when big banks in developing countries hire firms like Tata Consultancy Services to extend banking facilities into rural markets, and when oil companies hire rig firms to drill oil wells. From a traditional economic perspective, companies would decide on an optimal contract length that is not too long or too short; the former disables the firms from reacting to market changes while the latter makes negotiation costs expensive. However, when a company signs a series of successive contracts with a service-firm, both companies get to learn about the other company’s goals and operations dynamically, which might influence the length of each contract in the series. Thus, determining the contract length in a series of successive contracts is more challenging. In this study, we build a contract length determination model that considers both the economic factors and the dynamic learning. The model provides managers with a theoretical yet practical tool to make optimal decisions on contract length. We use data from the oil-drilling industry to empirically test the proposed model.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705211032500 [Google]
Choi, S., A. S. Mattila and L. E. Bolton (2021): To Err Is Human(-oid): How Do Consumers React to Robot Service Failure and Recovery?, Journal of Service Research, 24(2426), pp.354-371
Robots are the next wave in service technology; however, this advanced technology is not perfect. This research examines how social perceptions regarding the warmth and competence of service robots influence consumer reactions to service failures and recovery efforts by robots. We argue that humanoid (vs. nonhumanoid) service robots are more strongly associated with warmth (whereas competence does not differ). This tendency to expect greater warmth from humanoid robots has important consequences for service firms: (i) consumers are more dissatisfied due to lack of warmth following a process failure caused by a humanoid (vs. nonhumanoid; Study 1); (ii) humanoids (but not nonhumanoids) can recover a service failure by themselves via sincere apology, restoring perceptions of warmth (Study 2A); (iii) humanoids (but not nonhumanoids) can also effectively provide explanations as a recovery tactic (Study 2B); and, importantly, (iv) human intervention can be used to mitigate dissatisfaction following inadequate recovery by a nonhumanoid robot (Study 3), supporting the notion of human-robot collaboration. Taken together, this research offers theoretical implications for robot anthropomorphism and practical implications for firms employing service robots.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1094670520978798 [Google]
Azzari, C. N., N. A. Mitchell and C. A. Dadzie (2021): Harmonious homegoings: alleviating consumer vulnerability through service fluidity and compassion, Journal of Services Marketing, 35(2426), pp.722-739
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of service flexibility in addressing consumer vulnerability for chronically-traumatized consumers within the funerary context. Design/methodology/approach: Using phenomenological philosophy and a grounded approach, data was collected and analyzed through 12 depth interviews with funeral service providers, coupled with observations and photographs of three second-line funeral processionals. Findings: Study results include the following three primary roles of service providers in supporting chronically-traumatized consumers: the role of service fluidity in addressing trauma, mitigating vulnerability via service providers as community members and alleviating suffering through compassionate service. Service flexibility and value co-creation efforts were executed through an expansive service ecosystem of vendors. Practical implications: When consumers experience vulnerability that demands reliance upon service industries, service providers can intentionally implement fluidity and agility in service design, adopt understanding and altruistic practices, and operate with empathy and compassion to orchestrate mutually-beneficial service outcomes. Social implications: Rooted in transformative service research, providers are advised to consider modifying services to improve well-being and mitigate vulnerability for chronically-traumatized consumers via fluidity, community and compassion. Originality/value: This study contributes originality to the body of service marketing literature by illustrating how service providers alleviate vulnerability for chronically-traumatized consumers through three adaptive service strategies.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-06-2020-0237 [Google]
Bae, H., S. H. Jo, H. J. Jung and E. Lee (2021): Factors affecting the diffusion of mobile social network services in an aging society: value of informative, hedonic and ubiquitous services, Journal of Services Marketing, 35(2426), pp.834-846
Purpose: This paper aims to identify factors affecting the continued intention to use mobile social network services (m-SNS) among middle-aged and older adults in Korea, based on the focal characteristics of mobile services and SNS. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected through an online questionnaire to understand m-SNS usage from 358 people aged over 40 years in Korea. Findings: Results show that middle-aged and older users of m-SNS are strongly motivated to seek information; they prefer to use m-SNS on a habitual basis because of the ubiquitous connectivity of mobile services. Furthermore, they perceive the usefulness of m-SNS in expanding their social networks. These results can be used to identify factors that affect continued use of m-SNS by the middle-aged and older generation in Korea. Originality/value: This paper expands the literature on SNS acceptance among middle-aged and older adults, the population that, in future, is expected to constitute the majority of m-SNS users. This paper can also help understand factors that affect mature consumers’ continued use of m-SNS.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-05-2020-0174 [Google]
Celik, A. A. and E. Yakut (2021): Consumers with vulnerabilities: in-store satisfaction of visually impaired and legally blind, Journal of Services Marketing, 35(2426), pp.821-833
Purpose: The purpose of this paper, focusing on the visually impaired and legally blind consumer, is to explore the relationship between the perceived consumer vulnerability on customer satisfaction and the effect of satisfaction on the intention of repurchase and recommendation as the determinants of store loyalty in an apparel store context. Design/methodology/approach: A survey was conducted on 216 visually impaired and legally blind consumers in the province of Manisa, Turkey, concerning their apparel shopping store experiences to examine how the perceived vulnerability influences visually impaired and legally blind consumers’ satisfaction, recommendation and repurchase intentions. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings: The results of the study revealed that as the visually impaired and legally blind consumers perceive themselves more vulnerable, they become more satisfied with the store, and that the more they are satisfied with the store, the more their intention to recommend that store and purchase intention from that store increases. However, the authors’ investigation showed no significant differences between the consumers who were born blind and who became blind later in their life. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the literature by extending the understanding of visually impaired and legally blind consumers’ perceived vulnerability in the brick-and-mortar stores and demonstrates how it is related to satisfaction as a major driver of post-purchase intentions like recommendation and repurchase. It also exhibits the fact that blind consumers – both congenitally blind and subsequently blind – cope with this vulnerability through their own solutions to go on their lives, and they do not perceive themselves as vulnerable, as it is perceived by the able-bodied.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-05-2020-0191 [Google]
De Vos, S., R. Crouch, P. Quester and J. Ilicic (2021): Mixed emotions and credence service use: insights from at-risk gamblers, Journal of Services Marketing, 35(2426), pp.740-754
Purpose: This paper aims to explore the power of appeals based on fear mixed with challenge co-designed with vulnerable consumers in motivating the use of credence services. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative phase (Study 1), comprising focus groups of self-identified at-risk gamblers, revealed a series of conceptual themes for advertising stimuli that were then tested empirically (Study 2) on the likelihood to use credence services in a gambling context. Individual characteristics such as tolerance of ambiguity were also tested for their potential moderating influence. Findings: In comparison to appeals based on single emotions, fear mixed with the challenge has a significantly stronger impact on intentions to use credence services in at-risk gamblers. Findings confirm the indirect positive impact of fear mixed with the challenge via sequential mediators of involvement with advertising and attitude towards credence service advertising. The moderating role of tolerance of ambiguity on credence service use intentions was confirmed. Originality/value: The potential of a fear mixed with challenge appeal to motivate vulnerable consumers to seek credence services has not been investigated to date. The findings contribute to both the transformative service research and advertising literature streams by providing valuable insights into promotional campaigns aimed at vulnerable consumers such as at-risk gamblers.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-07-2020-0308 [Google]
Furrer, O., J. Yu Kerguignas and M. Landry (2021): Customer captivity, negative word of mouth and well-being: a mixed-methods study, Journal of Services Marketing, 35(2426), pp.755-773
Purpose: When customers feel that they have no choice but to stay with their current provider to obtain a service that they need, they feel captive. This study aims to investigate customer captivity as a type of vulnerability and evaluate its effects on customers’ service evaluation and word-of-mouth (WOM) behavior, as well as to identify solutions that reduce customers’ feelings of captivity and improve their well-being. Design/methodology/approach: This sequential, quantitative–qualitative, mixed-methods study draws from a survey of 1,017 customers and a qualitative analysis of 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews. Moderated mediation analysis is used to test the quantitative hypotheses; a thematic analysis explores the qualitative data. Findings: The results of the quantitative study show that captivity emotions and price unfairness perceptions are two manifestations of customer captivity, which directly and indirectly affect service evaluations and WOM behavior. The findings of the qualitative study highlight how captive customers use emotional support-seeking negative word-of-mouth (NWOM) as a solution to reduce their captivity emotions and improve their well-being, by reinforcing their social ties and regaining a sense of control. Research limitations/implications: This study advances transformative service research by demonstrating how captivity affects customers’ well-being and customer vulnerability literature by investigating captivity as a type of vulnerability. It contributes to service marketing literature by identifying customer captivity as a boundary condition for generic service evaluation models. Practical implications: Captive customers seek emotional support and consequently spread NWOM. Therefore, it is critical for service providers to reduce customers’ captivity feelings and implement adequate solutions to prevent NWOM and decrease the risk of negative impacts on their profitability. Originality/value: Any customer can become vulnerable, due to contextual circumstances. This study focuses on customer captivity as a type of vulnerability and proposes adapted solutions to improve customers’ well-being.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-07-2020-0311 [Google]
Leino, H. M., L. Hurmerinta and B. Sandberg (2021): Balancing service inclusion for primary and secondary customers experiencing vulnerabilities, Journal of Services Marketing, 35(2426), pp.692-705
Purpose: Secondary customers often experience secondary vulnerabilities that manifest in family-centred transformative services as other- and self-related customer needs. Yet, a relational perspective on primary and secondary customers’ needs is lacking. The study analyses secondary customers’ needs and their relationship to primary customers’ needs to enhance well-being in customer entities. The service inclusion lens is used to understand customers’ experiences of vulnerability. Design/methodology/approach: The study uses an exploratory approach. The data consists of ethnographic observations and interviews of elderly residents (primary customers), their family members (secondary customers) and nurses in two nursing homes. Findings: Primary and secondary customers’ needs are interrelated (or unrelated) in four ways: they are separate, congruent, intertwined or discrepant. The vulnerability experiences fluctuate in intensity and over time, individually reflecting on these need dimensions. Research limitations/implications: The study contributes to service research concerning customers’ experiences of vulnerability, secondary customers and their inclusion in services. Primary customers’ service inclusion may increase/decrease secondary customers’ service inclusion and their experience of vulnerability. Moreover, secondary customers’ inclusion is often necessary to foster primary customers’ inclusion and well-being. Practical implications: Fostering service inclusion and well-being for primary and secondary customers requires balanced inclusion and acknowledging the needs of both groups. Service providers may need to act as moderators within customer entities if discrepant needs occur. Originality/value: The study addresses the under-researched areas of family members’ customer needs, their relation to primary customers’ needs, experiences of secondary vulnerability and context-related vulnerability.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-07-2020-0305 [Google]
Muñoz-Mazón, A., A. Orea-Giner, J. J. Fernández Muñoz, C. Santiago and L. Fuentes-Moraleda (2021): Risk perception before travelling: solutions for consumers with vulnerabilities, Journal of Services Marketing, 35(2426), pp.791-806
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the tourism service experience of consumers with vulnerabilities. Moreover, this research analyses the pre-core service encounter in the tourism services sector, which is one of the most important phases in the service experience. The objective is to understand how vulnerability might influence risk perceptions when people travel. To this end, this study focusses on individuals with coeliac disease (CD) and non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) as a specific group to test the hypotheses. For the millions of individuals with CD or NCGS, food is one of the most critical elements of a trip and the reason for vulnerability perception. The research also proposes measures suggested by survey respondents to improve the information search process of vulnerable travellers before a trip. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-method was used based on a survey of 813 responses from people diagnosed with CD and NCGS. The individuals were placed in three groups according to their perception of how strongly their disease impacts their trips: low impact, medium impact and high impact. Findings: The results confirm that people with a high-risk perception due to their vulnerability spend more time searching for information prior to the trip than people without this perception. In this sense, individuals that feel more vulnerable, tend to use more personal information sources and also make greater use of online information sources. The participants affected by CD and NCGS proposed measures to reduce their perceived vulnerability. These proposals are based on information about the disease, specific information from the tourist industry at the destination and various online, as well as offline information channels. Originality/value: The novelty of this research is mainly found in the study in the study of how consumers with vulnerabilities behave during the information process before travelling. From a holistic approach and based on both, marketing service theory and the risk perception perspectives, this research is focussed on vulnerable individuals affected by CD and NCGS to find answers to the problems they face during the pre-core service encounter.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-07-2020-0304 [Google]
Robertson, N., Y. Tsarenko, M. J. Polonsky and L. McQuilken (2021): Vulnerability in in-vitro fertilisation transformative services: an interplay of individual and institutional factors, Journal of Services Marketing, 35(2426), pp.706-721
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the factors driving and mitigating the experienced vulnerabilities of women undergoing the transformative service of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), and how this influences women’s evaluations and intentions. Design/methodology/approach: The conceptual framework was tested using quantitative data collected via an online survey of Australian women who have undergone IVF treatment. Hayes’ PROCESS macro was used to analyse the data. Findings: The results indicate that women’s persistent goal-striving alongside their perceived personal sacrifices influence the association between their need for parenthood and their experienced vulnerability. Institutional factors such as IVF clinic technical and interpersonal quality influence these consumers’ IVF experience evaluations and word-of-mouth (WoM) intentions. Research limitations/implications: This study’s results are limited to women who are undergoing IVF treatment. Further empirical work is needed to deepen the understanding of the role played by partners and other family members in women’s IVF experiences. Practical implications: IVF clinics can reduce women’s experienced vulnerability by encouraging women who have a good probability of succeeding to persist in the pursuit of the goal of conceiving a child via IVF. This can be achieved by enabling and empowering them so that they give themselves the best chance during treatment, thus facilitating their control. Managing the expectations of those women with a lower probability of success is also recommended. The importance of the technical and interpersonal quality delivered by IVF clinics in influencing the positive evaluations and behavioural intentions of women experiencing vulnerabilities is further highlighted. Originality/value: This study contributes to the transformative service research literature by: examining the IVF transformative experience, which has been largely overlooked; focussing on the intersection of transformative services and consumers experiencing vulnerability, which is an emerging research area; and testing a framework quantitatively that intermingles individual and institutional factors as antecedents and consequences of consumers’ experienced vulnerabilities, advancing the existing conceptual and qualitative work.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-07-2020-0306 [Google]
Stavros, C., K. Westberg, R. Russell and M. Banks (2021): How positive service experiences contribute to service captivity, Journal of Services Marketing, 35(2426), pp.774-790
Purpose: Service captivity is described as the experience of constrained choice whereby a consumer has no power and feels unable to exit a service relationship. This study aims to explore how positive service experiences can contribute to service captivity in the alternative financial services (AFS) sector for consumers experiencing financial vulnerability. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 31 interviews were undertaken with Australian consumers of payday loans and/or consumer leases. Findings: The authors reveal a typology of consumers based on their financial vulnerability and their experience with AFS providers. Then they present three themes relating to how the marketing practices of these providers create a positive service experience, and, in doing so, can contribute to service captivity for consumers experiencing financial vulnerability. Research limitations/implications: The benefits derived from positive service experiences, including accessible solutions, self-esteem, and a sense of control over their financial situation, contribute to the service captivity of some consumers, rendering alternative avenues less attractive. Practical implications: AFS providers must ensure a socially responsible approach to their marketing practices to minimize potentially harmful outcomes for consumers. However, a systems-level approach is needed to tackle the wider issue of financial precarity. Policymakers need to address the marketplace gaps, regulatory frameworks and social welfare policies that contribute to both vulnerability and captivity. Originality/value: This research extends the understanding of service captivity by demonstrating how positive service experiences can perpetuate this situation. Further, specific solutions are proposed at each level of the service system to address service captivity in the AFS sector.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-08-2020-0332 [Google]
Zainuddin, N., J. Robinson, J. Algie and M. Randle (2021): Defining and explicating value re-creation to solve marketplace problems for consumers with vulnerabilities, Journal of Services Marketing, 35(2426), pp.807-820
Purpose: This paper aims to examine driving retirement and its impact on the well-being of older citizens. The concepts of value creation and destruction are used to understand older consumers’ experiences with the self-service consumption activity of driving. This paper formally introduces the concept of value re-creation, as a means of restoring the overall value lost from the destruction of certain components of previous value structures. In doing so, this paper explores the different ways that resources across the micro, meso and macro levels of the ecosystem can be re-aligned, in order for older citizens to maintain their well-being after driving retirement. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative, individual-depth interview approach was undertaken with 26 participants living in New South Wales, Australia. The participants comprised of both drivers approaching driving retirement age, as well as driving retirees. Thematic analysis was undertaken to analyse the data. Findings: The findings identified that emotional value in the forms of freedom, independence/autonomy and enjoyment, functional value in the forms of convenience and mobility and community value are created from driving. Driving retirement destroys certain components of this value (e.g. enjoyment and convenience) irrevocably, however freedom, independence/autonomy, mobility and social connectedness can still be maintained through re-aligning resources across the micro, meso and macro levels of the ecosystem. New components of value are also created from driving retirement. These include peace of mind, which contributes to the re-creation of the emotional value dimension, and cost savings, which creates the new value dimension of economic value. These changes to the value structure effectively re-create the overall value obtained by individuals when they retire from driving. Originality/value: The main contribution of this work is the formal introduction of the concept of value re-creation at the overall and value dimension level, and development of a conceptual model that explains how this value re-creation can occur. The model shows the resource contributions required across all levels of the ecosystem, expanding on existing conceptualisations that have predominantly focussed on resource contributions at the individual and service levels.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-07-2020-0316 [Google]
Bountali, O., S. Çetinkaya and V. Ahuja (2021): On the Impact of Treatment Restrictions for the Indigent Suffering from a Chronic Disease: The Case of Compassionate Dialysis, Service Science, 13(2426), pp.133-154
We analyze a congested healthcare delivery setting resulting from emergency treatment of a chronic disease on a regular basis. A prominent example of the problem of interest is congestion in the emergency room (ER) at a publicly funded safety net hospital resulting from recurrent arrivals of uninsured end-stage renal disease patients needing dialysis (a.k.a. compassionate dialysis). Unfortunately, this is the only treatment option for un/under-funded patients (e.g., undocumented immigrants) with ESRD, and it is available only when the patient?s clinical condition is deemed as life-threatening after a mandatory protocol, including an initial screening assessment in the ER as dictated and communicated by hospital administration and county policy. After the screening assessment, the so-called treatment restrictions are in place, and a certain percentage of patients are sent back home; the ER, thus, serves as a screening stage. The intention here is to control system load and, hence, overcrowding via restricting service (i.e., dialysis) for recurrent arrivals as a result of the chronic nature of the underlying disease. In order to develop a deeper understanding of potential unintended consequences, we model the problem setting as a stylized queueing network with recurrent arrivals and restricted service subject to the mandatory screening assessment in the ER. We obtain analytical expressions of fundamental quantitative metrics related to network characteristics along with more sophisticated performance measures. The performance measures of interest include both traditional and new problem-specific metrics, such as those that are indicative of deterioration in patient welfare because of rejections and treatment delays. We identify cases for which treatment restrictions alone may alleviate or lead to severe congestion and treatment delays, thereby impacting both the system operation and patient welfare. The fundamental insight we offer is centered around the finding that the impact of mandatory protocol on network characteristics as well as traditional and problem-specific performance measures is nontrivial and counterintuitive. However, impact is analytically and/or numerically quantifiable via our approach. Overall, our quantitative results demonstrate that the thinking behind the mandatory protocol is potentially naive. This is because the approach does not necessarily serve its intended purpose of controlling system-load and overcrowding.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2021.0276 [Google]
Chen, T., Y. Jeffrey Hu, M. Rahman and J. Sun (2021): The Effects of Sister-Store Presence and Market Competition on Product Assortment: Evidence from Book Retailing, Service Science, 13(2426), pp.155-171
When consumers? preferred products are not carried by the retail chain store they visit, they may switch to purchasing these products from nearby sister stores of the same chain or from nearby competing stores. Such within- and across-chain substitution effects are enhanced as store-level product assortment information becomes increasingly available to consumers. It is important for scholars and practitioners to understand the effect of sister-store presence and market competition on retail product assortment strategies. In this paper, we obtain store-level product assortment data from a nationwide bookstore chain and study how sister-store presence and market competition can have an impact on the retail chain?s product assortment. In addition, we explore how this impact differs for niche and popular products. Our results show that having at least one sister store nearby reduces product assortment and such effects are stronger for niche products although having a competing store nearby increases product assortment and such effects are stronger for popular products.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2021.0275 [Google]
Newhouse, L. J. and M. L. Brandeau (2021): Who Are the Gatekeepers? An Examination of Diversity in INFORMS Journal Editorial Boards, Service Science, 13(2426), pp.109-132
Publishing in respected scholarly journals is critical to academic success. However, if journal editorial boards fail to reflect the diversity of thought in a field, worthy work may be overlooked. This study assesses the level of diversity in the editorial boards of the 16 INFORMS journals. We examine gender, whether an individual is an underrepresented minority, and institutional affiliation, and perform a network analysis to identify coauthor relationships between editorial board members. We find that the editorial boards have low levels of diversity: women comprise just under 20% of the editorial board members; fewer than 1% of editorial board members are underrepresented minorities; and 10 institutions (less than 5% of the total) account for more than 25% of the editors. We find a high level of connectivity between editorial board members (as measured by coauthor relationship) for some of the INFORMS journals, suggesting the influence of an ?in crowd? of like-minded individuals. INFORMS can and should work to end this state of affairs: we provide a set of actionable recommendations for broadening diversity and reducing connectivity on the INFORMS journal editorial boards. In this way, INFORMS journals can support a diversity of backgrounds and views, enabling the publication of a broader range of ideas and invigorating academic discourse in our profession.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2021.0274 [Google]
Yu, X., S. Shen and H. Wang (2021): Integrated Vehicle Routing and Service Scheduling Under Time and Cancellation Uncertainties with Application in Nonemergency Medical Transportation, Service Science, 13(2426), pp.172-191
In this paper, we consider an integrated vehicle routing and service scheduling problem for serving customers in distributed locations who need pick-up, drop-off, or delivery services. We take into account the random trip time, nonnegligible service time, and possible customer cancellations, under which an ill-designed schedule may lead to undesirable vehicle idleness and customer waiting. We build a stochastic mixed-integer program to minimize the operational cost plus expected penalty cost of customers? waiting time, vehicles? idleness, and overtime. Furthermore, to handle real-time arrived service requests, we develop K-means clustering-based algorithms to dynamically update planned routes and schedules. The algorithms assign customers to vehicles based on similarities and then plan schedules on each vehicle separately. We conduct numerical experiments based on diverse instances generated from census data and data from the Ford Motor Company?s GoRide service, to evaluate result sensitivity and to compare the in-sample and out-of-sample performance of different approaches. Managerial insights are provided using numerical results based on different parameter choices and uncertainty settings.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2021.0277 [Google]
Engen, M., L. Fuglsang, T. Tuominen, J. Sundbo, J. K. Møller, A. Scupola and F. Sørensen (2021): Conceptualising employee involvement in service innovation: an integrative review, Journal of Service Management, 32(2426), pp.702-751
Purpose: Employees are considered as important contributors to service innovation, but the literature is not unanimous about what employee involvement in service innovation entails. To advance theoretical understanding of the topic, this paper develops a conceptual framework for analysing employee involvement in service innovations, reviews existing research on the topic and proposes a research agenda. Design/methodology/approach: Different modes of employee involvement in service innovation are distinguished based on two dimensions: (1) the intensity of employee influence on service innovation and (2) the breadth of the innovation activity in which employees are involved. This conceptual framework is abductively developed through a literature review of empirical service innovation studies to identify and analyse whether and how these modes of employee involvement are manifested in the service innovation literature. Findings: The findings delineate six modes of employee involvement in the reviewed service innovation studies. Employees are primarily seen as having a strong influence on situated innovation activities but a limited influence on systemic innovation activities. The findings show that more research is needed to assess the connections between different modes of employee involvement. Practical implications: The findings can be used by practitioners to assess the possibilities different modes of employee involvement may bring to service innovation activities. Originality/value: The proposed conceptual framework and the analysis of current research and research gaps in service innovation studies provide a clear research agenda for progressing multidimensional understanding of employee involvement in service innovation.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-11-2019-0348 [Google]
Jovanovic, J. and D. Morschett (2021): International resource configuration of product-related services in the digital age – An analysis of its antecedents, Journal of Service Management, 32(2426), pp.813-834
Purpose: Although many manufacturers depend on international sales, and product-related services continue to increase in importance, little is known about how manufacturers should deliver their product-related services across borders. This paper examines the international configuration decision of industrial service offerings across borders by investigating the impact of different service characteristics and the servitization strategy on this decision. Additionally, the paper sheds light on how digitalization and administrative heritage impact this decision. Design/methodology/approach: 116 industrial goods manufacturers from Switzerland and Germany were surveyed. Findings: Servitization leads companies to centralize their service resources in their home countries. However, most service characteristics do not impact decisions regarding centralization, except for knowledge intensity, which leads to more centralization of resources. This implies that the resource configuration does not depend on each service individually but on the overall service strategy. Furthermore, the digital readiness of the host country directly and positively impacts resource centralization. Notwithstanding other variables, larger companies tend to decentralize service resources more than smaller companies. Originality/value: This paper is among the first to study the international configuration impact of servitization and of individual service characteristics, thereby adding important knowledge regarding the provision of product-related services in the international context. Additionally, different aspects of digitalization are included to analyze its impact on companies and host countries.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-11-2020-0424 [Google]
Li, L. P., J. A. Fehrer, R. J. Brodie and B. Juric (2021): Trajectories of influential conceptual articles in service research, Journal of Service Management, 32(2426), pp.645-672
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to diagnose the trajectory of influential conceptual articles in developing a research stream. The authors uncover the knowledge diffusion through influential conceptual articles and identify characteristics that make conceptual articles influential in their field. Design/methodology/approach: This study draws on scientometrics, specifically an integrated approach combining quantitative citation counts with qualitative citation practices analysis that offers a comprehensive understanding of the nature and context of citations. The authors use the case of customer engagement – a prominent contemporary marketing and service research stream – to explore the trajectory of influential articles in shaping a new research stream. Findings: This research shows that influential articles contribute to the reciprocal knowledge diffusion within and outside their home discipline. They provide anchor points for conceptual framing, conceptual refining and conceptual reconciliation – three application patterns of citations that are pivotal to navigate theory discovery and theory justification in a research field. Research limitations/implications: The study analyzes the early impact period of two influential customer engagement articles to understand the developments leading to the establishment of a new research stream. Future research drawing on automated citation and bibliometric methods may consider extended time periods. Originality/value: This study traces the trajectory of influential articles in marketing and service research. The authors identify characteristics of influential conceptual articles, and recommend practices to develop a conceptual paper with the potential for an influential trajectory. It shows that while marketing and service research has a tradition of “borrowing” theories from other fields, seminal articles “lend” theories to other fields.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-04-2021-0121 [Google]
Mazzarella, F., A. May and V. Mitchell (2021): A methodological framework for crafting situated services, Journal of Service Management, 32(2426), pp.752-782
Purpose: This paper discusses how service design can be used to activate a transition of textile artisan communities towards a sustainable future. Design/methodology/approach: Two participatory case studies were undertaken with textile artisans in the UK and South Africa. These led to the development of an original methodological framework for “crafting situated services” – services designed to be meaningful to the local communities within which they are embedded. An evaluation study assessed the originality of the framework, its relevance for tackling real-world problems, its extensibility and the rigour of the research process. Findings: The framework brings together a variety of roles, methods and tools that designers can adopt in order to enter communities, make sense of sustainable futures, facilitate the co-design of situated services and activate legacies within communities. Building on emerging anthropological approaches, the framework makes a bridge between service management and service design for social innovation, advancing the field towards design for social entrepreneurship. Originality/value: Arguing against the idea of the designer “parachuting” into communities to create services regardless of the local context, the concept of “situated services” is proposed in this paper, alongside a process for “crafting” meaningful social innovations. This requires the service designer to adopt a more situated and embedded approach to designing with communities in order to align with their needs and aspirations, interweave places, time, people and practices within the process, and co-design contextually better services.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-05-2020-0188 [Google]
Tabaei Aghdaei, Z., J. R. McColl-Kennedy and L. V. Coote (2021): Hierarchy of customer goals: conceptual framework and new insights, Journal of Service Management, 32(2426), pp.673-701
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to: (1) better understand the structure (hierarchy) of customer goals providing conceptual clarity; and (2) propose a hierarchy of customer goals conceptual framework that explicates how healthcare customer goals are linked to drivers and outcomes, thus building theory and informing practice. Design/methodology/approach: The research draws on 21 in-depth interviews of patients with a chronic disease. Drawing principally on construal-level theory and using manual thematic analysis and Leximancer, this article provides new insights into customer goals. Findings: In a first, the authors identify a two-dimensional structure for each of the three main goal types, which previously had been viewed as unidimensional. The authors develop a conceptual framework linking drivers of goal setting (promotion/prevention focus world view and perceived role) with goal type (life goals, focal goals and action plan goals and their respective subgoals) and outcomes (four forms of subjective well-being). Visual concept maps illustrate the relative importance of certain health-related goals over others. Research limitations/implications: The usefulness of the authors’ conceptual framework is demonstrated through the application of their framework to goal setting among healthcare customers, showing links between the structure of goals (life goals, focal goals and action plan goals) to drivers (promotion/prevention focus world view and perceived role) and outcomes (subjective well-being) and the framework’s potential application to other service settings. Originality/value: This study contributes to healthcare marketing and service management literature by providing new insights into goal setting and proposing a novel hierarchy of customer goals conceptual framework linking drivers, goal types and outcomes.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-03-2020-0087 [Google]
Wagstaff, S., J. Burton and J. Zolkiewski (2021): Should we cooperate? Game theory insights for servitization, Journal of Service Management, 32(2426), pp.835-859
Purpose: An abundance of literature suggests that organisations adopting a cooperative approach achieve greater rewards than those that act in opposition or isolation. An emerging body of work also highlights the multiple actors involved in servitization. Despite this, in some contexts the benefits of servitization are not apparent. This paper examines business relationships in the oil industry and how they affect levels of servitization. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed method study employing qualitative and quantitative methods was used to fully explore the context. In the quantitative phase, 48 oil industry specialists responded to a scenario based on game theory. This aimed to determine if the relationships between their respective organisations are cooperative or adversarial. Abduction drove a second qualitative phase. This consisted of a series of semi-structured interviews used to explore the servitization level and influence of servitization on relationships and vice versa. Findings: The statistical results suggest that all parties used adversarial strategies despite the publicised intent to work cooperatively. The interviews suggested that increasing (decreasing) servitization could increase (decrease) cooperation and, in turn, value co-creation but revealed nuances to this effect. It also adds to our understanding of the darker side of servitization by illustrating the impact of mimetic isomorphism. Originality/value: The findings add to understanding of the complex dynamics around servitization by showing that it is only at advanced levels of servitization that cooperative behaviour is observed, and base and intermediate levels result in non-cooperative behaviour and thus illustrate the importance of adopting a multi-actor lens to explore servitization.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-11-2020-0430 [Google]
Wu, L., A. Fan, Y. Yang and Z. He (2021): Robotic involvement in the service encounter: a value-centric experience framework and empirical validation, Journal of Service Management, 32(2426), pp.783-812
Purpose: Taking a mixed-method approach, this research developed and validated a novel, value-centric experience framework delineating robotic involvement in the service encounter and its subsequent impact on customers’ experiences. Design/methodology/approach: Focused on robotic restaurant businesses where robots are mainly involved in food production processes, this research utilized online customer review data and a multistage, mixed-method design for empirical examination. Automated thematic analysis was first adopted to facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the empirical reality as reflected in online customer reviews. Following an analytic induction process, a theoretical framework was developed integrating prior literature with the empirical reality to uncover the relationships across robotic involvement, experiential values and evaluative outcomes. A theory-driven, dictionary-based content analysis together with path analysis further enabled empirical validation of the developed theoretical framework. Findings: The current research developed and validated a value-centric experience framework to theorize robotic involvement in the service encounter and its downstream impact on customers’ experiences. Specifically, this framework conceptualizes robotic involvement as a five-dimensional composition of robotic visibility, competency, performanism, co-creativity and prominence. In addition, the framework specifies seven dimensions of experiential values revolving around high-tech–high-touch robotic service encounters, namely sensorial, utilitarian, hedonic, social, agentic, epistemic and aesthetic values. Following empirical validation, this framework sheds light on robotic involvement and experience design for high-tech–high-touch service businesses aiming to incorporate robots in their service encounters. Originality/value: Drawing on classic service role theory and consumption value theory, this research developed and validated a novel theoretical model connecting robotic involvement dimensions with experiential consumption values and downstream customer evaluative outcomes. This research and theoretical framework open an exciting avenue for future research in robotic services and customer experiences.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-12-2020-0448 [Google]
Seger-Guttmann, T. and K. Amit (2021): Who trusts whom? The case of immigrant service professionals, Service Industries Journal, (2426), pp.1-21
This study examined the effect of ethnicity on trust relations in day-to-day service encounters with various minority groups. Service encounters were explored in a 2×2 scenario-based, between-subject experimental design. Jewish-Israeli and Arab-Israeli respondents (
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2021.1978986 [Google]
Vitezić, V. and M. Perić (2021): Artificial intelligence acceptance in services: connecting with Generation Z, Service Industries Journal, (2426), pp.1-21
This paper aims to examine willingness to accept artificial intelligence (AI) devices, focusing on the so-called Gen Z population. This study presumes that specific knowledge of a business process is important for AI adoption in hospitality services. A research model, grounded in the artificially intelligent device use acceptance (AIDUA) framework, used data collected from 786 respondents. The model was tested using PLS-SEM methodology. The modified framework was supported by Gen Z, with hedonic motivation having the greatest effect on Gen Z members’ emotions and their willingness to use AI devices in hospitality. The frequency of smartphone usage played a significant moderating role between the perceived effort of AI usage and emotions. This study helps AI designers and business managers when designing and implementing AI devices in a hospitality environment. Based on this study’s findings, policymakers and educational institutions can try to advance their curricula, emphasizing the importance of new technologies.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2021.1974406 [Google]
Akgunduz, Y., C. Alkan and Ö. Adan Gök (2021): How are the exchange relationships of front office employees reflected on customers?, Service Industries Journal, (2426), pp.1-24
In the hotel business, the performance of employees in face-to-face contact with customers, such as front-office employees, is decisive in achieving customer satisfaction. These employees’ performance impresses through their relationship with their managers and customers. That is, there is an exchange relationship of the form manager-employee to employee-customer. Based on Leader-Member Exchange Theory (LMX) and Social Exchange Theory (SET), the current study focuses on LMX, customer-employee exchanges (CEEX), customer-oriented extra role behavior (COERB), and the mediating effect of job dedication in these exchange relationships. Data was collected from front office employees in İzmir, Turkey, yielding 165 valid questionnaires. SEM was used to test the research hypotheses. The results show that high-quality LMX and CEEX increase front office employees’ COERB. In addition, job dedication partially mediates the relationships between LMX and COERB, and CEEX and COERB. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2021.1971198 [Google]
Moin, S. M. A., J. Devlin and S. McKechnie (2021): Introducing a composite measure of trust in financial services, Service Industries Journal, (2426), pp.1-27
Existing trust scales generally measure aspects of trustworthiness and not trust per se. Trust is a broader concept encompassing attributes of the trustee, trustor and the situation/context. The purpose of this study is to develop a composite measurement scale for trust in financial services that incorporates elements of these three facets of trust. The study draws on interdisciplinary theories and adopts a broadly quantitative approach to develop, test and validate a five-dimensional scale for measuring trust in financial services. The trust scale for financial services developed through this study has five dimensions (5Cs): character-competence, congruence, communication, commitment and context. The scale provides a holistic conceptualisation of trust and displays solid psychometric properties. A comprehensive interdisciplinary trust scale for financial services, with strong reliability and validity, holds important managerial implications, its ability to capture the attributes of the trustee, trustor and financial system attesting to its suitability as a diagnostic tool to measure trust more robustly. Our trust scale has significant practical implications, offering useful insights for policymakers, commercial organisations and other stakeholders. This is the first trust scale for financial services that captures the attributes of trustee, trustor and context, reconcilling tensions between the conceptualisation and operationalisation of trust. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2021.1969366 [Google]
Kwon, Y. and Y. Yi (2021): When perspective-taking fails to inhibit customer aggression toward service employees, Service Industries Journal, (2426), pp.1-21
The current research proposed boundary conditions for the inhibiting effect of perspective-taking on customer aggression toward service employees. In Study 1, we recruited participants (
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2021.1972976 [Google]
Kandampully, J., A. Bilgihan and D. K. Li (2021): Unifying technology and people: revisiting service in a digitally transformed world, Service Industries Journal, (2426), pp.1-21
Trade is as ancient as civilization; it has been an essential part of every society as a means of acquiring and/or exchanging goods and services. Trade, therefore, has always depended heavily on human interaction between the ‘producer and customer’ on the foundation of interdependence through communication, friendship, trust, and relationship. Over the past 100 years or so, varying degrees of a new element – digital technology –have been incorporated into the relationship between the producer and consumer. The introduction of technology to the concept of trade was intended to mutually benefit both producer and customer. However, technology’s role and its influence as part of this delicate interdependent relationship have not been well understood or discussed in the literature. Our study illustrates the critical role of the human factor and the growing importance of technology in all industry sectors and in societies. We call for the growing need for a unified approach where humans and technology will not only co-exist but, more importantly, will collectively bring about many positive changes to benefit both the firm and the society, or in other words, both producer and customer. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2021.1965578 [Google]
Stringam, B., J. H. Gerdes and C. K. Anderson (2021): Legal and Ethical Issues of Collecting and Using Online Hospitality Data, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, (2426), pp.1
In “Web Scraping for Hospitality Research: Overview, Opportunities, and Implications,” Han and Anderson present the tools and methods for collecting online data through data scraping. Although the article describes in detail the processes for gathering data, and presented recent court rulings that allow data scraping in the United States, it did not adequately address the ethical collection of online data. The internet has opened up new opportunities to research interesting questions and to collect data much faster than has been possible in the past. The emergence of online databases and social media sites enables new lines of research while at the same time introducing new ethical questions for both researchers and institutional research boards (IRBs). Using web-based data for research is not new. However, as Han and Anderson point out, a 2019 ruling (
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/19389655211040434 [Google]
Schwartz, Z., T. Webb and J. Ma (2021): Hotel Analytics: The Case for Reverse Competitive Sets, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, (2426), pp.1
Hotel industry practitioners and scholars expressed concerns regarding the reliability of the commonly used comparative performance indices, given the subjective nature of the competitive (comp) sets. This study explores the potential of two alternative comp sets: reverse and name-back. It is demonstrated that they have a higher level of integrity as they moderate the values of a traditional comp set–based RevPAR (revenue per available room) index, are simple to implement, and are more dynamic. The study shows analytically and empirically that the two are likely to mitigate biases and that the reverse comp set appears to be more effective than the name-back. Multiple practical implications are outlined and discussed.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/19389655211036656 [Google]
Schamel, G. and F. J. Santos-Arteaga (2021): Metrics on Restaurant Ordering Behavior, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 62(2426), pp.386-404
The academic literature analyzing the behavior and interactions among commensals at a table generally resorts to experimental settings with volunteer decision makers or focuses on receipts issued at actual restaurants. The experimental approach widens the potential scope of the phenomena that can be analyzed but is subject to observer effects, with decision makers being aware of the fact that their actions are being monitored. The approach using receipts is not subject to observer effects but limited in its scope by lacking interactions with the commensals and the data that can be collected. In the current article, we make extensive use of a data set collected by restaurant personnel following specific instructions. They gathered information on a number of decisions made at the table throughout the whole meal without the commensals being aware that they are being monitored. As a result, we are able to examine empirically the importance that the choices of the first-person ordering (the leader) may have for the decisions made by the other commensals at the table. In particular, we study the similarity of orders—in terms of dishes, drinks, and prices—between the table leader and the other commensals. Our results reveal that table leaders, both male and female, have a considerable influence on the choices made by other commensals under a variety of different scenarios. We also describe the differences arising when males and females act as table leaders, as well as the influence that specific payment arrangements have on the ordering behavior of the commensals.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/19389655211020252 [Google]
Masset, P. and J.-P. Weisskopf (2021): New York Restaurants: A Wine Odyssey Between 1865 and 1920, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 62(2426), pp.297-312
We examine the existence of wine in New York City restaurant menus over the period 1865 to 1920 for a sample of 850,000 restaurant menu items and 51,000 wines. Wine was already commonly present on menus in 1865, and its offering increased up until 1914 before dropping with the outbreak of First World War (WWI). Casual restaurants offered a narrower wine selection. Special menus displayed a significantly higher probability of containing wine but with a more limited choice indicating that wine was especially appreciated on special occasions. French wines, especially from Bordeaux and Champagne, were the most represented on menus followed by wines from Germany. The average selling price of a bottle of wine was around US$40 in 2018 terms. Prices, however, fluctuated widely over time and wine type. Notably, American wines were about 50% less expensive than French or German wines.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/19389655211009852 [Google]
Lorey, T. (2021): The Success of Rosé Wine in France: The Millennial Revolution, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 62(2426), pp.357-370
Rosé wine consumption in France has tripled since 1992 and, in 2020, accounts for a third of the total national consumption. The objective of our article is to analyze the revolutionary success of rosé wine in France in the Millennial Generation. We mobilize the concept of social representation, which constitutes an understanding of the social transformations in progress for a given social group. We carry out in-depth qualitative research based on conversations with millennial rosé wine consumers. Our results show that the representations of rosé wine for this group are based on five dimensions: (a) product quality and refusal of sophistication, (b) color of the rosé wine, (c) freedom, (d) immediate pleasure and sharing with friends, and (e) its feminine personality. This transgressive capital explains the consumption behaviors of the Millennial Generation reflecting the group’s will to break traditional wine codes familiar to previous generational groups. This sociocultural model differs from that of the Baby Boomer Generation, which was marked by the valorization of terroir and sophistication and based on masculine archetypes and red wine. Rosé wine thus marks a generational and sociological break in the representations of wine in France, which we can describe as a rosé wine revolution in the 21st century. The predictive capacity of the Millennial Generation suggests a growth in rosé wine consumption in the years to come. We recommend to rosé wine producers seven strategic axes, which reconcile the point of view of the producer and the consumer.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1938965521993135 [Google]
Liu, A. and H. Song (2021): Analysis and Forecasts of the Demand for Imported Wine in China, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 62(2426), pp.371-385
The aim of this study is to investigate the long-term determinants of China’s imported wine demand and to forecast wine imports from 2019 to 2023 using econometric methods. Auto-regressive distributed lag models are developed based on neoclassical economic demand theory to investigate the long-term determinants of China’s demand for imported bottled, bulk, and sparkling wine from the top five countries of origin. The empirical results demonstrate that income is the most important determinant of China’s imported wine demand, and that price only plays a significant role in a few markets. Substitute and complement effects are identified between wines from different countries of origin and between imported wines and other liquids. China’s imported wine demand is expected to maintain its rapid growth over the forecast period. Bottled wine will continue to dominate China’s imported wine market. France will have the largest market share in the bottled wine market, Spain will be the largest provider of bulk wine, and Italy will hold the same position for sparkling wine. This is the first study to use a single equation with the general to specific method rather than a system of equations to estimate and forecast China’s demand for imported bottled, bulk, and sparkling wines from different countries of origin. The more specific model setting for each country of origin improves forecasting accuracy.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1938965520981070 [Google]
LaTour, K. A., A. Joy and R. Noujeim (2021): Developing Wine Appreciation for New Generations of Consumers, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 62(2426), pp.337-345
Wine education poses a paradox to the industry: consumers both say they desire to know more about wine, yet they also report being overwhelmed and confused. In addition, the traditional analytic approach to wine education has involved teaching consumers a “grid” with rules for analysis that rely heavily on language which younger consumers in particular report disliking. A holistic approach to learning about wine was shown to be effective for more expert consumers, but those researchers did not consider how the learning approach affected their overall liking of the wine. Our first study considers teaching young consumers (Gen Z and millennials) through a holistic technique (involving drawing the wine’s taste) to a more verbal analytic approach (writing decompositional tasting notes) with consumers having some prior wine education and those without any. We find that the holistic approach led to greater liking for the wine, particularly with consumers having no prior wine education. We also found that consumers with prior wine education desired a more eudaimonic approach to their learning than new wine consumers. Both levels of prior experience desired a hedonic learning experience. Although we and other research groups have found younger consumers receptive to wine education, some have suggested that the wine industry is losing touch with younger consumers. We partnered with a digitized wine tasting platform, QUINI, to determine generational differences in their consumers’ engagement. In preparation for Study 2 we mined 3 years of data, and then conducted an online survey of three generations of their wine consumers in terms of their interest and education in wine. We discuss our results and implications for how managers might seek to engage new wine consumers, particularly in the virtual world.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1938965520978382 [Google]
Kwon, W., M. Lee and J. T. Bowen (2021): Exploring Customers’ Luxury Consumption in Restaurants: A Combined Method of Topic Modeling and Three-Factor Theory, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, (2426), pp.1
This study explores customers’ perceptions and underlying factors related to luxury consumption in restaurants. Although many studies have explored customers’ consumption of luxury goods, very few of these studies involved luxury hospitality services. Furthermore, hospitality literature has rarely discussed the emerging identification of inconspicuous consumption in luxury. By applying topic modeling to analyze online customer reviews, the current study identifies the essential elements of visiting luxury restaurants. Moreover, it elicits the asymmetric role of the identified factors in accelerating overall customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction through impact-asymmetry analysis, which adopts the three-factor theory. Findings suggest that many inconspicuous factors exist in luxury consumption and that the mechanisms that affect satisfaction differ among a satisfier, a dissatisfier, and a hybrid. The acknowledgment of the asymmetric effects will help practitioners in luxury restaurants enhance their understandings of customer perceptions and efficiently improve service management and marketing.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/19389655211037667 [Google]
Capitello, R., K. L. Sidali and G. Schamel (2021): Wine Terroir Commitment in the Development of a Wine Destination, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 62(2426), pp.313-323
New conceptualizations propose the concept of terroir as referring to a place of distinctiveness that is able to create marketing value. However, the knowledge regarding the role of terroir in tourism marketing is still scarce. Specifically, the concept of resident commitment has received little attention in research on tourism marketing, and therefore there is a gap in knowledge on the components of resident commitment and the role it can play in the construction or renewal of a tourist destination. To fill this gap, the purpose of this study is to analyze the role of residents’ commitment in consideration of terroir as referring to both a winegrowing region and a place of residence. The study aims to determine how residents’ commitment interacts with the brand dimensions identified in the marketing literature and consumer behavior research. In our theoretical framework we presented the wine terroir commitment (WTC) as a multidimensional grassroots construct and we empirically verified it by conducting a survey in a wine region, the Eisacktal Valley in South Tyrol (Italy). The findings show that Terroir Identification and Terroir Loyalty are two important antecedents of WTC as they mediate the exogenous latent variables of Terroir Prestige, and Wine Involvement as well as Resident Commitment and Terroir Experience, respectively. In the conclusions, we derive some recommendations for scholars and practitioners.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1938965521993084 [Google]
Brewster, Z. W., K. Gourlay and G. R. Nowak, III (2021): Are Black Restaurant Servers Tipped Less Than White Servers? Three Experimental Tests of Server Race Effects on Customers’ Tipping Behaviors, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, (2426), pp.1
A limited number of published studies have presented evidence indicating that restaurant customers discriminate against Black servers by tipping them less than their White coworkers. However, the cross-sectional, localized, and small samples that were analyzed in these extant studies do not support any unqualified claim that consumer racial discrimination in tipping practices is a widespread phenomenon. Thus, in an effort to further clarify the relationship between restaurant servers’ race and customers’ tipping practices, we present results from three survey experiments designed to assess the causal effect of servers’ race on customers’ tipping intentions. In three independent, demographically diverse, and relatively large samples of U.S. consumers, we found no evidence to conclude that all else being equal consumers discriminate against Black restaurant servers by tipping them less than comparable White servers. Furthermore, the null effects of servers’ race on customers’ tipping practices were not found to be sensitive to variation in service quality, dining satisfaction, servers’ sex, customers’ sex, or customers’ race. Our results challenge the generalizability of the previously observed server race effects on customers’ tipping practices and point toward the need for future research that aims to advance our understanding of the conditions under which customers’ tipping practices are sensitive to the perceived race of their server. The implications of our results for restaurant operations and directions for future research are also discussed.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/19389655211036652 [Google]
Bonn, M. A., Y. Chun, J. J.-E. Yoo and M. Cho (2021): Green Purchasing by Wine Retailers: Roles of Individual Values, Competences and Organizational Culture, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 62(2426), pp.324-336
The wine industry impacts the environment due to its massive scale of production, distribution, and retail. Wine retailers’ green purchasing is essential for changing environmental initiatives because purchasing is a key function for managing an upstream supply chain and to further achieve sustainability throughout the entire supply chain. Thus, this study was designed to identify important drivers of wine retailers’ green purchasing by incorporating both individual factors (values and competences) and organizational culture. Hierarchical linear modeling was employed to analyze the nested data obtained from 457 purchasing managers working for 10 wine retail companies in the United States. Results documented that individual values (social desire and moral attitudes), cognitive competence, and organizational culture such as the ethical behavior of top management, positively and directly influenced wine retailers’ green purchasing behavior. In addition, the study findings revealed that the effects of individual values and cognitive competence on wine retailers’ green purchasing behavior were positively enhanced when organizational culture was formed based on top management’s ethical behavior, codes of conduct and incentives. Implications for developing effective methods for improving wine retailers’ green purchasing behavior are presented and discussed.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1938965520978166 [Google]
Adalja, A., F. Livat, B. Rickard and A. Susskind (2021): Old World and New World Sparkling Wines: Consumer Decisions and Insights for Retailers, Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 62(2426), pp.346-356
The objective of this research is to examine consumer demand for sparkling wines. We developed a laboratory experiment to collect data on consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for selected wines from France, Spain, and the United States (Finger Lakes) under different information treatments. Our results suggest that expenditures and consumption frequency for all wines are most important to WTP and notably that familiarity with sparkling wines was relatively important for the “local” U.S. wine among the consumers in our sample. We discuss the important implications of our findings for managers of small U.S. wineries building their reputations and for restaurants and other food service outlets interested in attracting a broader consumer base.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1938965520978168 [Google]
