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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De Keyser, A. and W. H. Kunz (2022): Living and working with service robots: a TCCM analysis and considerations for future research, Journal of Service Management, 33(2719), pp.165-196
Purpose: Service robots are now an integral part of people’s living and working environment, making service robots one of the hot topics for service researchers today. Against that background, the paper reviews the recent service robot literature following a Theory-Context-Characteristics-Methodology (TCCM) approach to capture the state of art of the field. In addition, building on qualitative input from researchers who are active in this field, the authors highlight where opportunities for further development and growth lie. Design/methodology/approach: The paper identifies and analyzes 88 manuscripts (featuring 173 individual studies) published in academic journals featured on the SERVSIG literature alert. In addition, qualitative input gathered from 79 researchers who are active in the service field and doing research on service robots is infused throughout the manuscript. Findings: The key research foci of the service robot literature to date include comparing service robots with humans, the role of service robots’ look and feel, consumer attitudes toward service robots and the role of service robot conversational skills and behaviors. From a TCCM view, the authors discern dominant theories (anthropomorphism theory), contexts (retail/healthcare, USA samples, Business-to-Consumer (B2C) settings and customer focused), study characteristics (robot types: chatbots, not embodied and text/voice-based; outcome focus: customer intentions) and methodologies (experimental, picture-based scenarios). Originality/value: The current paper is the first to analyze the service robot literature from a TCCM perspective. Doing so, the study gives (1) a comprehensive picture of the field to date and (2) highlights key pathways to inspire future work.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-12-2021-0488 [Google]
Pitardi, V., J. Wirtz, S. Paluch and W. H. Kunz (2022): Service robots, agency and embarrassing service encounters, Journal of Service Management, 33(2728), pp.389-414
Purpose: Extant research mainly focused on potentially negative customer responses to service robots. In contrast, this study is one of the first to explore a service context where service robots are likely to be the preferred service delivery mechanism over human frontline employees. Specifically, the authors examine how customers respond to service robots in the context of embarrassing service encounters. Design/methodology/approach: This study employs a mixed-method approach, whereby an in-depth qualitative study (study 1) is followed by two lab experiments (studies 2 and 3). Findings: Results show that interactions with service robots attenuated customers’ anticipated embarrassment. Study 1 identifies a number of factors that can reduce embarrassment. These include the perception that service robots have reduced agency (e.g. are not able to make moral or social judgements) and emotions (e.g. are not able to have feelings). Study 2 tests the base model and shows that people feel less embarrassed during a potentially embarrassing encounter when interacting with service robots compared to frontline employees. Finally, Study 3 confirms that perceived agency, but not emotion, fully mediates frontline counterparty (employee vs robot) effects on anticipated embarrassment. Practical implications: Service robots can add value by reducing potential customer embarrassment because they are perceived to have less agency than service employees. This makes service robots the preferred service delivery mechanism for at least some customers in potentially embarrassing service encounters (e.g. in certain medical contexts). Originality/value: This study is one of the first to examine a context where service robots are the preferred service delivery mechanism over human employees.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-12-2020-0435 [Google]
Schepers, J. and S. Streukens (2022): To serve and protect: a typology of service robots and their role in physically safe services, Journal of Service Management, 33(2720), pp.197-209
Purpose: Although consumers feel that the move toward service robots in the frontline so far was driven by firms’ strive to replace human service agents and realize cost savings accordingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has led customers to appreciate frontline robots’ ability to provide services in ways that keep them safe and protected from the virus. Still, research on this topic is scant. This article offers guidance by providing a theoretical backdrop for the safety perspective on service robots, as well as outlining a typology that researchers and practitioners can use to further advance this field. Design/methodology/approach: A typology is developed based on a combination of a theory- and practice-driven approach. Departing from the type of behavior performed by the service robot, the typology synthesizes three different service robot roles from past literature and proposes three new safety-related role extensions. These safety-related roles are derived from a search for examples of how service robots are used in practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: The typology’s roles are corroborated by discussing relevant robot implementations around the globe. Jointly, the six roles give rise to several ideas that jointly constitute a future research agenda. Originality/value: This manuscript is (one of) the first to provide in-depth attention to the phenomenon of service customers’ physical safety needs in the age of service robots. In doing so, it discusses and ties together theories and concepts from different fields, such as hierarchy of needs theory, evolutionary human motives theory, perceived risk theory, regulatory focus theory, job demand–resources theory, and theory of artificial intelligence job replacement.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-11-2021-0409 [Google]
Huang, M.-H. and R. T. Rust (2022): AI as customer, Journal of Service Management, 33(2721), pp.210-220
Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to note that customers are not necessarily human and to figure out how best to serve artificial intelligence (AI) customers. The authors also propose several major research streams, as examples, to help launch research on AI customers and how to serve them. Design/methodology/approach: The current paper is a conceptual one that draws upon research from many areas to support the ideas proposed. Findings: AI customer are proliferating. AI as customers can augment or replace human customers and can be the customer itself. Service providers may also be AI, which means that both humans serving AI customers and AI serving AI customers are relevant here. The authors show that even truly autonomous AI customers are likely to be more common in the future. The authors conclude that reverse engineering will probably not be successful in understanding AI customers and that an approach similar to how we research human consumer behavior is likely to be more useful. Originality/value: Virtually, the entire literature on customers and how to serve them assumes that customers are human. With the rapid advancement of AI, purchase decisions are increasingly made by AI, suggesting that it is now important and necessary to consider the possibility of AI customers and how best to serve them. This paper opens the door for such research.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-11-2021-0425 [Google]
Mozafari, N., W. H. Weiger and M. Hammerschmidt (2022): Trust me, I’m a bot – repercussions of chatbot disclosure in different service frontline settings, Journal of Service Management, 33(2722), pp.221-245
Purpose: Chatbots are increasingly prevalent in the service frontline. Due to advancements in artificial intelligence, chatbots are often indistinguishable from humans. Regarding the question whether firms should disclose their chatbots’ nonhuman identity or not, previous studies find negative consumer reactions to chatbot disclosure. By considering the role of trust and service-related context factors, this study explores how negative effects of chatbot disclosure for customer retention can be prevented. Design/methodology/approach: This paper presents two experimental studies that examine the effect of disclosing the nonhuman identity of chatbots on customer retention. While the first study examines the effect of chatbot disclosure for different levels of service criticality, the second study considers different service outcomes. The authors employ analysis of covariance and mediation analysis to test their hypotheses. Findings: Chatbot disclosure has a negative indirect effect on customer retention through mitigated trust for services with high criticality. In cases where a chatbot fails to handle the customer’s service issue, disclosing the chatbot identity not only lacks negative impact but even elicits a positive effect on retention. Originality/value: The authors provide evidence that customers will react differently to chatbot disclosure depending on the service frontline setting. They show that chatbot disclosure does not only have undesirable consequences as previous studies suspect but can lead to positive reactions as well. By doing so, the authors draw a more balanced picture on the consequences of chatbot disclosure.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-10-2020-0380 [Google]
Odekerken-Schröder, G., K. Mennens, M. Steins and D. Mahr (2022): The service triad: an empirical study of service robots, customers and frontline employees, Journal of Service Management, 33(2723), pp.246-292
Purpose: Recent service studies suggest focusing on the service triad consisting of technology-customer-frontline employee (FLE). This study empirically investigates the role of service robots in this service triad, with the aim to understand the augmentation or substitution role of service robots in driving utilitarian and hedonic value and ultimately customer repatronage. Design/methodology/approach: In study 1, field data are collected from customers (n = 108) who interacted with a service robot and FLE in a fast casual dining restaurant. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test hypotheses about the impact of service robots’ anthropomorphism, social presence, value perceptions and augmentation opportunities in the service triad. In study 2, empirical data from a scenario-based experimental design (n = 361) complement the field study by further scrutinizing the interplay between the service robot and FLEs within the service triad. Findings: The study provides three important contributions. First, the authors provide empirical evidence for the interplay between different actors in the “customer-FLE-technology” service triad resulting in customer repatronage. Second, the empirical findings advance the service management literature by unraveling the relationship between anthropomorphism and social presence and their effect on perceived value in the service triad. And third, the study identifies utilitarian value of service robots as a driver of customer repatronage in fast casual dining restaurants. Practical implications: The results help service managers, service robot engineers and designers, and policy makers to better understand the implications of anthropomorphism, and how the utilitarian value of service robots can offer the potential for augmentation or substitution roles in the service triad. Originality/value: Building on existing conceptual and laboratory studies on service robots, this is one of the first field studies on the service triad consisting of service robots – customers – frontline employees. The empirical study on service triads provides evidence for the potential of FLEs to augment service robots that exhibit lower levels of functional performance to achieve customer repatronage. FLEs can do this by demonstrating a high willingness to help and having excellent interactions with customers. This finding advocates the joint service delivery by FLE – service robot teams in situations where service robot technology is not fully optimized.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-10-2020-0372 [Google]
Flavián, C., A. Pérez-Rueda, D. Belanche and L. V. Casaló (2022): Intention to use analytical artificial intelligence (AI) in services – the effect of technology readiness and awareness, Journal of Service Management, 33(2724), pp.293-320
Purpose: The automation of services is rapidly growing, led by sectors such as banking and financial investment. The growing number of investments managed by artificial intelligence (AI) suggests that this technology-based service will become increasingly popular. This study examines how customers’ technology readiness and service awareness affect their intention to use analytical AI investment services. Design/methodology/approach: Hypotheses were tested with a data set of 404 North American-based potential customers of robo-advisors. In addition to technology readiness dimensions, the potential customers’ characteristics were included in the framework as moderating factors (age, gender and previous experience with financial investment services). A post-hoc analysis examined the roles of service awareness and the financial advisor’s name (i.e., robo-advisor vs. AI-advisor). Findings: The results indicated that customers’ technological optimism increases, and insecurity decreases, their intention to use robo-advisors. Surprisingly, feelings of technological discomfort positively influenced robo-advisor adoption. This interesting finding challenges previous insights into technology adoption and value co-creation as analytical AI puts customers into a very passive role and reduces barriers to technology adoption. The research also analyzes how consumers become aware of robo-advisors, and how this influences their acceptance. Originality/value: This is the first study to analyze the role of customers’ technology readiness in the adoption of analytical AI. The authors link the findings to previous technology adoption and automated services’ literature and provide specific managerial implications and avenues for further research.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-10-2020-0378 [Google]
Amelia, A., C. Mathies and P. G. Patterson (2022): Customer acceptance of frontline service robots in retail banking: A qualitative approach, Journal of Service Management, 33(2725), pp.321-341
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore what drives customer acceptance of frontline service robots (FSR), as a result of their interaction experiences with FSR in the context of retail banking services. Design/methodology/approach: Applications of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and service robot acceptance model frame the exploration of customers’ interaction experiences with physical FSR to explain acceptance. A thematic analysis of information obtained through observations, focus groups and participant interviews was applied to identify themes. Findings: This study identifies 16 dimensions that group into five main themes that influence customer acceptance of FSR in retail banking services: (1) utilitarian aspect, (2) social interaction, (3) customer responses toward FSR, (4) customer perspectives of the company brand and (5) individual and task heterogeneity. Themes 1 and 2 are labeled confirmed themes based on existing theoretical frameworks used; themes 3–5 are additional themes. Practical implications: This study provides actionable suggestions to allow managers to reflect on their strategy and consider ways to design and improve the delivery of services that involve FSR. Originality/value: This study adds to our limited knowledge of how human-robot interaction research in robotics translates to a relatively new research area in frontline services and provides a step toward a comprehensive FSR acceptance model.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-10-2020-0374 [Google]
Mele, C., T. Russo-Spena, M. Marzullo and A. Ruggiero (2022): Boundary work in value co-creation practices: the mediating role of cognitive assistants, Journal of Service Management, 33(2726), pp.342-362
Purpose: How to improve healthcare for the ageing population is attracting academia attention. Emerging technologies (i.e. robots and intelligent agents) look relevant. This paper aims to analyze the role of cognitive assistants as boundary objects in value co-creation practices. We include the perceptions of the main actors – patients, (in)formal caregivers, healthcare professionals – for a fuller network perspective to understand the potential overlap between boundary work and value co-creation practices. Design/methodology/approach: We adopted a grounded approach to gain a contextual understanding design to effectively interpret context and meanings related to human–robot interactions. The study context concerns 21 health solutions that had embedded the Watson cognitive platform and its adoption by the youngest cohort (50–64-year-olds) of the ageing population. Findings: The cognitive assistant acts as a boundary object by bridging actors, resources and activities. It enacts the boundary work of actors (both ageing and professional, caregivers, families) consisting of four main actions (automated dialoguing, augmented sharing, connected learning and multilayered trusting) that elicit two ageing value co-creation practices: empowering ageing actors in medical care and engaging ageing actors in a healthy lifestyle. Originality/value: We frame the role of cognitive assistants as boundary objects enabling the boundary work of ageing actors for value co-creation. A cognitive assistant is an “object of activity” that mediates in actors’ boundary work by offering novel resource interfaces and widening resource access and resourceness. The boundary work of ageing actors lies in a smarter resource integration that yields broader applications for augmented agency.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-10-2020-0381 [Google]
Paluch, S., S. Tuzovic, H. F. Holz, A. Kies and M. Jörling (2022): “My colleague is a robot” – exploring frontline employees’ willingness to work with collaborative service robots, Journal of Service Management, 33(2727), pp.363-388
Purpose: As service robots increasingly interact with customers at the service encounter, they will inevitably become an integral part of employee’s work environment. This research investigates frontline employee’s perceptions of collaborative service robots (CSR) and introduces a new framework, willingness to collaborate (WTC), to better understand employee–robot interactions in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on appraisal theory, this study employed an exploratory research approach to investigate frontline employees’ cognitive appraisal of service robots and their WTC with their nonhuman counterparts in service contexts. Data collection consisted of 36 qualitative problem-centered interviews. Following an iterative thematic analysis, the authors introduce a research framework of frontline employees’ WTC with service robots. Findings: First, this study demonstrates that the interaction between frontline employees and service robots is a multistage appraisal process based on adoption-related perceptions. Second, it identifies important attributes across three categories (employee, robot and job attributes) that provide a foundation to understand the appraisal of CSRs. Third, it presents four employee personas (supporter, embracer, resister and saboteur) that provide a differentiated perspective of how service employee–robot collaboration may differ. Practical implications: The article identifies important factors that enable and restrict frontline service employees’ (FSEs’) WTC with robots. Originality/value: This is the first paper that investigates the appraisal of CSRs from the perspective of frontline employees. The research contributes to the limited research on human–robot collaboration and expands existing technology acceptance models that fall short to explain post-adoptive coping behavior of service employees in response to service robots in the workplace.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-11-2020-0406 [Google]
Su, L. J., M. K. Hsu and B. Huels (2022): First-time versus repeat tourists: resistance to negative information, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, 32(2736), pp.258-282
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the literature regarding negative information’s impact on consumer behavior in the context of tourism services. In addition, this paper empirically examines the likely difference between first-time and repeat tourists in terms of their: resistance to negative information. Design/methodology/approach Using a sample of 539 visitors to Mount Yuelu, a popular tourist destination in China, this study explores the differences between first-time and repeat tourists regarding how destination social responsibility (DSR) and service quality (SQ) influence tourist resistance to negative information. Findings The effect of SQ on resistance to negative information is stronger for repeat tourists than for first-time tourists. In addition, the study identifies that DSR and SQ have a positive impact on tourists’ resistance to negative information. Finally, findings indicate that destination identification partially mediates the relationship between DSR, SQ and tourists’ response to negative information, respectively. Research limitations/implications The findings provide valuable theoretical and empirical insights into the driving factors that influence consumer resistance to negative information. Practical implications The paper brings together DSR, SQ and tourist-destination identification to better understand the impact that visitation frequency (first-time versus repeat tourists) has on how tourists resist negative information about a tourist destination. Social implications Negative information that is generated about a destination may cause the number of future tourism visits to decline. Findings of this paper provide insight as to the framework that can make tourists more resistant to said negative information. Originality/value This study contributes to the services marketing and tourism literature by investigating the degree to which DSR and SQ affect tourist resistance to negative information as mediated by tourist-destination identification and moderated by visiting frequency.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-04-2020-0076 [Google]
Huo, M. L., Z. Jiang, Z. M. Cheng and A. Wilkinson (2022): Restaurant employees’ attitudinal reactions to social distancing difficulties: a multi-wave study, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, 32(2737), pp.302-322
Purpose Grounded in the job demands-resources (JD-R) theory, this study investigates how the difficulty in social distancing at work, resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, may lead to intention to quit and career regret and how and when these effects may be attenuated. Design/methodology/approach Three-wave survey data were collected from 223 frontline service workers in a large restaurant company during the COVID-19 crisis. Findings The results show that difficulty in social distancing reduced employees’ work engagement, and consequently, increased their turnover intention and career regret. These relationships were moderated by external employability, such that the influence of difficulty in social distancing weakened as external employability increased. Originality/value Social distancing measures have been applied across the globe to minimize transmission of COVID-19. However, such measures create a new job demand for service workers who find it difficult to practice social distancing due to the high contact intensity of service delivery. This study identified personal resources that help service workers cope with the demand triggered by COVID-19.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-08-2021-0180 [Google]
Azer, J. and M. Alexander (2022): COVID-19 vaccination: engagement behavior patterns and implications for public health service communication, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, 32(2738), pp.323-351
Purpose COVID-19 vaccinations face a backdrop of widespread mistrust in their safety and effectiveness, specifically via social media platforms which constitute major barriers for the public health sector to manage COVID-19 (and future) pandemics. This study provides a more nuanced understanding of the public’s engagement behavior toward COVID-19 vaccinations. Design/methodology/approach Using Netnography, this study explores the public’s interactions with vaccine communications by the WHO via Facebook. From WHO posts about the COVID-19 vaccination 23,726 public comments on Facebook were extracted and analyzed. Findings Building on crisis communication, health and engagement literature, this paper identifies and conceptualizes seven patterns of engagement behavior toward the COVID-19 vaccination and develops the first framework of relationships between these patterns and the extant vaccine attitudes: vaccine acceptance, hesitancy and refusal. Practical implications This paper helps policymakers identify and adapt interventions that increase vaccine confidence and tailor public health services communications accordingly. Originality/value This research offers the first typology of patterns of engagement behavior toward COVID-19 vaccinations and develops a framework of relationships between these patterns and the existing understanding in health literature. Finally, the study provides data-driven communication recommendations to public health service organizations.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-08-2021-0184 [Google]
Willmott, T. J., E. Hurley and S. Rundle-Thiele (2022): Designing energy solutions: a comparison of two participatory design approaches for service innovation, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, 32(2739), pp.353-377
Purpose Participatory design involves users and other key stakeholders in processes that aim to ensure solutions generated meet their needs. This paper compares the processes and outcomes of two participatory design approaches (design thinking and co-design) to examine their utility in co-creating innovative service solutions for reducing household energy demand. Design/methodology/approach Design thinking and co-design were implemented in two independent convenience samples of household energy users in Queensland, Australia. Workshops were conducted online using Zoom and Padlet technology. Informed by the capability-practice-ability (CPA) portfolio, a critical analysis based on the research team’s experiences with implementing the two participatory design approaches is presented. Findings The key distinguishing features that set design thinking apart from co-design is extent of user involvement, solution diversity and resource requirements. With a shorter duration and less intensive user involvement, co-design offers a more resource efficient means of solution generation. In contrast, design thinking expands the solution space by allowing for human-centred problem framing and in so doing gives rise to greater diversity in solutions generated. Research limitations/implications Mapping the six constellations of service design outlined in the CPA portfolio to the research team’s experiences implementing two different participatory design approaches within the same context reconciles theoretical understanding of how capabilities, practices and abilities may differ or converge in an applied setting. Practical implications Understanding the benefits and expected outcomes across the two participatory design approaches will guide practitioners and funding agencies in the selection of an appropriate method to achieve desired outcomes. Originality/value This paper compares two forms of participatory design (design thinking and co-design) for service innovation in the context of household energy demand offering theoretical and practical insights into the utility of each as categorised within the CPA portfolio.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-03-2021-0040 [Google]
Hur, W. M., Y. Shin and H. Hwang (2022): How and when does job crafting contribute to franchised restaurant managers’ service performance? The moderation of headquarter control systems, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, 32(2740), pp.378-399
Purpose This study aims to explore how and when managers’ job crafting contributes to their service performance. The first objective of the research was to assess the mediating relationship between franchised restaurant managers’ job crafting, work engagement and service performance. Its second objective was to examine the moderating effect of organizational control systems on the job crafting-work engagement relationship. Design/methodology/approach The authors administered paper-and-pencil surveys to 235 franchised restaurant managers in South Korea. The authors tested their hypotheses via Process 3.5 macro and bootstrapping. Findings The results confirmed the mediating effect of work engagement on the relationship between job crafting and work engagement. Furthermore, this relationship was more pronounced when the headquarters used a high level of outcome-based control systems and a low level of behavior-based control systems. Originality/value Distinct from studies that have examined service employees’ job crafting, this study uncovers the role of managerial job crafting in service performance. The findings contribute to service theory and practice by providing novel insights into the interplay between managerial job crafting and organizational control systems.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-10-2021-0214 [Google]
Sahi, G. K., S. K. Roy and T. Singh (2022): Fostering engagement among emotionally exhausted frontline employees in financial services sector, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, 32(2741), pp.400-431
Purpose This study investigates the role of personal resource (i.e. psychological empowerment) in reducing the negative impact of emotional exhaustion of frontline employees on their engagement. It also examines the moderating effects of ethical climate and transformational leadership in mitigating the negative influence of emotional exhaustion on engagement among frontline service employees (FLEs). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 671 frontline employees from financial services sector. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and hierarchical regression analysis (HRA) were used to test the hypothesized relationships. Findings Results show that the impact of emotional exhaustion on employee engagement is greatly affected by psychological empowerment. Transformational leadership moderates the negative effects of emotional exhaustion on psychological empowerment, while ethical climate weakens the negative impact of emotional exhaustion on employee engagement. Practical implications Service firms need to provide enough autonomy to emotionally exhausted frontline employees so that they feel valued. The emotionally exhausted employees can be engaged if they are empowered to discharge their job most effectively and a climate is ensured which can keep them motivated toward accomplishing their targets. A fair and just treatment shall boost their morale to perform better and to strengthen their staying intentions. Originality/value The novelty of our study lies in examining and fostering engagement among emotionally exhausted FLEs. It shows that job resources at the individual level (i.e. psychological empowerment), team level (i.e. transformational leadership) and organizational level (i.e. ethical climate) can help in encouraging work engagement among emotionally exhausted FLEs.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-08-2021-0175 [Google]
Minguez, A. and F. J. Sese (2022): How does relationship length influence donation amount over time for regular members of nonprofit organizations – the moderating role of donation frequency, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, 32(2742), pp.432-451
Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a U-shaped relationship exists between the length of time a donor has been a regular member in a nonprofit organization and the amount donated over time. In addition, this research analyzes whether this relationship is moderated by donation frequency. Design/methodology/approach Using a database of 6,137 members from a collaborating nonprofit organization, a longitudinal study is conducted over an eight-year period (2013-2020). A set of ordinary least square (OLS) regression analyses are carried out to empirically test the proposed hypotheses. Findings This study finds a nonlinear, U-shaped relationship between donation amount and relationship length. This effect can be explained through the dynamic evolution of two dimensions of commitment: affective (decreasing over time) and normative (increasing over time). The results also reveal that these effects, however, become flatter for members who engage in more frequent donations. Originality/value The results provide novel insights revealing the nonlinear nature of the relationship between the length of time a donor has been a member of a nonprofit organization and the amount donated, and underscores the moderating role of donation frequency, which makes the U-shaped relationship flatter, thus increasing the amounts donated. Despite their relevance in the service ecosystem, nonprofits have been under-represented in prior work. This study offers important practical insights into the effective management of the regular donor portfolio.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-05-2021-0084 [Google]
Xu, X. Y., M. Hu and X. D. Li (2022): Coping with no-show behaviour in appointment services: a multistage perspective, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, 32(2743), pp.452-474
Purpose This study aims to help businesses cope with consumers’ no-show behaviour from a multistage perspective. It specifically identifies no-show reasons at each stage of appointment services and proposes the corresponding coping strategies. Design/methodology/approach By focusing on an outpatient appointment service, we interviewed 921 no-show patients to extract no-show reasons, invited 18 hospital managers to propose coping strategies for these reasons using a Delphi method and evaluated the proposed strategies based on EDAS (Evaluation based on Distance from Average Solution). Findings The results reveal ten reasons for no-show behaviour (i.e. system service quality, overuse, did not know the appointment, self-judgment, forget, waiting time, lateness, uncontrollable problems, time conflict and service coordination), which have nine coping strategy themes (i.e. prepayment, system intelligence, target, subjective norm, system integration, ease of navigation, reminder, confirmation and cancellation). We classify the ten reasons and nine themes into scheduling, waiting and execution stages of an appointment service. Originality/value This study provides a package of coping strategies for no-show behaviour to deal with no-show reasons at each appointment service stage. It also extends the research in pre-service management through appointment services.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-08-2020-0196 [Google]
Carida, A., M. Colurcio, B. Edvardsson and A. Pastore (2022): Creating harmony through a plethora of interests, resources and actors: the challenging task of orchestrating the service ecosystem, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, (2744), pp.
Purpose There is a need to understand value co-creation in service ecosystems that engage multiple actors with different goals. This study aims to extend the understanding of value co-creation by considering the orchestration of service ecosystems with reference to resource-integration processes. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory case study approach is used to analyze actors’ roles in resource orchestration within a service ecosystem, gathering data from the macro, meso and micro levels of an Italian hospitality and tourism services ecosystem. Findings A framework is devised that highlights the intersection between orchestration and resource integration for value co-creation processes across the macro, meso and micro levels in service ecosystems. This extends the understanding of service ecosystem dynamics, especially how new value co-creation structures emerge, by emphasizing the circular causality between system levels. Findings show how orchestrating resource integration activities initiate and institutionalize non-linear value co-creation processes. Practical implications Resource integration orchestration within and between ecosystem levels is a possible response to societal challenges and for creating economic, cultural and social value across the community. The study offers policymakers insights into developing new competencies for developing actions according to a logic of socially and sustainable value. Originality/value This study advances the understanding of service orchestration by expanding the concept and the feasibility of service ecosystem orchestration. It offers insights into the importance of orchestrating resource integration to the emergence and vitality of service ecosystems themselves. The study responds to the need for empirical studies on value co-creation.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-06-2021-0110 [Google]
Riedel, A., D. Messenger, D. Fleischman and R. Mulcahy (2022): Consumers experiencing vulnerability: a state of play in the literature, Journal of Services Marketing, 36(2745), pp.110-128
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a state-of-the-art review of research on consumers experiencing vulnerability to describe the current situation of the consumers experiencing vulnerability literature and develop an up-to-date synthesised definition of consumers experiencing vulnerability. Design/methodology/approach: This systematic review, guided by the PRISMA framework, takes a multi-disciplinary approach to identify 310 articles published between 2010 and 2019 examining consumers experiencing vulnerability. Descriptive analysis of the data is undertaken in combination with a thematic and text mining approach using Leximancer software. Findings: A definition of consumers experiencing vulnerability is developed- “unique and subjective experiences where characteristics such as states, conditions and/or external factors lead to a consumer experiencing a sense of powerlessness in consumption settings”. The findings reveal consumers experiencing vulnerability have often been classified using a uni-dimensional approach (opposed to a multi-dimensional), focussing on one factor of vulnerability, the most prevalent of these being economic and age factors. A lack of research has examined consumers experiencing vulnerability based upon geographical remoteness, gender and sexual exploitation. Originality/value: This paper is one of the first to examine consumers experiencing vulnerability using a systematic approach and text mining analysis to synthesise a large set of articles, which subsequently reduces the potential for researchers’ interpretative bias. Further, it is the first to generate a data-driven definition of consumers experiencing vulnerability. It provides targeted recommendations to allow further scholarly, policy and practical contributions to this area.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-12-2020-0496 [Google]
Cao, Z., Q. Xiao, W. Zhuang and L. Wang (2022): An empirical analysis of self-service technologies: mediating role ofcustomer powerlessness, Journal of Services Marketing, 36(2746), pp.129-142
Purpose: As self-service technologies (SSTs) become more prevalent, service providers are actively encouraging customers’ involvement with these technologies, sometimes even forcing their customers to use SSTs. This paper aims to examine the influence of the SST-only (vs full-service) mode on customers’ negative attitude toward SST providers through the mediating mechanism of powerlessness and explores how SST familiarity and SST anthropomorphism moderate the impacts of the SST-only mode on powerlessness. Design/methodology/approach: Three experiments were performed, study 1 tested the main and mediating effect and studies 2 and 3 verified the moderating effects. Findings: The results suggest that customer perceived powerlessness mediates the relationship between SST-only (vs full-service) mode and negative attitude toward SST providers. When the levels of SST familiarity and SST anthropomorphism are high, the impacts of SST-only on powerlessness are attenuated. Alternative mediating mechanism of powerlessness is examined and ruled out. Research limitations/implications: Future research should investigate other moderators that may reduce the impacts of SST on customer powerlessness. These moderators could be service-operating procedures, SST interface design, types of service situations and customer characteristics. In addition, other consequences of powerlessness, other than the negative attitude toward SST providers and intention to switch investigated here, should be investigated as well. Practical implications: This research provides guidelines helping service providers to improve their customers’ SST usage experience by showing both SST familiarity and SST anthropomorphism may alleviate the negative effects of SST-only mode on customer perceived powerlessness more effectively. Originality/value: This research examines the role of customers’ psychological reactions toward the SST-only mode, particularly from the perspective of power and control.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-07-2020-0271 [Google]
Dodds, S. and N. Palakshappa (2022): Service inclusion: the role of disability identity in retail, Journal of Services Marketing, 36(2747), pp.143-153
Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore the role of identity for consumers with disabilities in a retail context. Understanding disability identity is critical to ensuring inclusion in service environments. Despite the growing call to understand the role of identity in consumer services, research on disability identity and the impacts of identity on service inclusion remains minimal. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative methodology generated data through personal narratives from people with disabilities revealing deep insights into the complexity of identity in a fashion retail context. Findings: Emergent themes detail five consumer disability identities – authentic unique self, integrated self, community self, expressive self and practical self – seen when viewing service experiences from the perspective of people with lived experience of disability. Individual and collective agency also emerged as key themes that enable people with disabilities to feel a sense of inclusion. Originality/value: This research explores the service experiences of people with disabilities in a retail context through a disability identity lens. The authors contribute to service literature by identifying five consumer disability identities that people with a disability adopt through their service experience and present a typology that demonstrates how each identity impacts on agency, with implications for service inclusion.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-06-2021-0217 [Google]
Plaud, C. and B. Urien (2022): Bereavement meanings and the conditions for successful social support service encounters, Journal of Services Marketing, 36(2748), pp.154-167
Purpose: Bereavement is far reaching and has a significant impact on many lives as widow(er)s are faced with countless changes to their everyday routines, their relationships and their consumption patterns. It is in this context that the purpose of this study is to examine the links between the meanings of bereavement for widows and the types and sources of social support sought. This deepens the understanding of the reasons for the success or failure of service encounters and thus contributes to consumer well-being. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative study was carried out to gain more insight into this issue. A total of 24 in-depth interviews were conducted with French widows 59 years of age and older. To fully understand the diversity of bereavement experiences, the authors examined the following factors: life trajectory, life, as the spouse’s/partner’s death, support received and/or solicited and the success or failure of service encounters. Findings: The findings suggest that bereavement experiences hold different meanings related to the types and sources of the preferred support. The following six classes were identified: dealing with administrative and financial issues, maintaining parental roles, enduring the memories of the circumstances of the spouse’s/partner’s death, reorganizing daily life, facing the loneliness of widowhood and expressing the affects of bereavement. These classes help to identify the conditions for the success or failure of service encounters. Originality/value: The following two avenues emerge that contribute to the well-being of widows: “loss-oriented” and “restoration-oriented” bereavement classes of meanings. The former is embodied by widows primarily seeking “nurturant support” who expect self-oriented and relationship-focused service behaviour on the part of service providers, and the latter by widows primarily seeking “action-facilitating” support who expect “task-oriented” service behaviour from service providers. These results should allow service providers to be aware of when to prioritize the task, the self and/or the relationship, to provide a successful service encounter for consumers of bereavement services.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-03-2020-0096 [Google]
Akareem, H. S., M. Wiese and W. Hammedi (2022): Patients’ experience sharing with online social media communities: a bottom-of-the-pyramid perspective, Journal of Services Marketing, 36(2749), pp.168-184
Purpose: Despite having inadequate resources, highly impoverished patients tend to seek and share health information over social media groups to improve each other’s well-being. This study aims to focus on access to health-care information for such patients and aims to provide an understanding of how online health-care communities (OHCs), as transformative service mediators, can be platforms for patients with chronic and nonchronic health conditions to share their experiences in a base-of-the-pyramid (BOP) context. Design/methodology/approach: A large-scale survey among 658 respondents was conducted in a very low-income country. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. Findings: A model of patients’ experience sharing (PES), motivations and consequences for health-care services are introduced and tested. The result supports the PES model for patients with chronic health conditions, showing that utilitarian, hedonic and social value dimensions directly influence PES and indirectly influence patients’ continuance intention with OHCs and patient efforts. However, a mediating effect of PES was found only between the value dimensions and patients’ efforts. A negative moderation effect of medical mistrust was found in the relationship between utilitarian value and PES for both chronic and nonchronic patient groups. Originality/value: This study is a pioneering attempt to develop and test a PES model in a BOP market.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-12-2020-0512 [Google]
Tanouri, A., A.-M. Kennedy and E. Veer (2022): A conceptual framework for transformative gamification services, Journal of Services Marketing, 36(2750), pp.185-200
Purpose: Although the concept of transformative gamification is mentioned in previous research, no research has provided a theoretically based explanation of how gamification can lead to transformative change. This paper aims to provide the explanation for the first time by combining storytelling elements with cognitive behavioural therapy logic and incorporating these into a framework to show the process of transformative behaviour change through gamification. The proposed framework not only furthers the theoretical understanding of transformative gamification services but also provides practical insight into design and implication of such services. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is based on critical analysis and synthesis of literature from different fields of research such as transformative service research (TSR), gamification, game studies, social marketing, storytelling and journalism. Ergo, several propositions based on the extensive literature review are proposed and aggregated in a conceptual framework. Findings: This paper argues that apart from game mechanics that are often considered as an inseparable aspect of gamification services, immersive storytelling and a mechanism to encourage reflection are the pivotal components of transformative gamification services. In addition, this paper suggests that although reflection and immersive storytelling are often considered as opposite sides of the spectrum, they can have a synergistic effect once they work in tandem in gamification services. Originality/value: This paper proposes a novel framework and an operational definition for transformative gamification services. It contributes to TSR, gamification and health promotion research through differentiating this concept from similar concepts, such as mHealth, propelling gamification to a more meaningful and user-centric version and providing service researchers with a practical guide to make use of gamification as a tool to serve TSR.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-12-2020-0527 [Google]
Chi, M., P. Harrigan and Y. Xu (2022): Customer engagement in online service brand communities, Journal of Services Marketing, 36(2751), pp.201-216
Purpose: Online service brand communities (OBCs) are an essential services marketing channel and relationship marketing tool, in which social capital (SC) is a critical success factor. Underpinned in social identity and social exchange theories, this paper aims to explore the effects of SC on customer brand engagement (CBE), considering the roles of collective psychological ownership (CPO), customer citizenship behaviour (CCB) and perceived community support (PCS). Design/methodology/approach: The research model was tested using survey data from 256 participants; 137 from the Xiaomi Community and 119 from the Huawei Fan Club. Partial least squares-structural equation modelling analysis was used. Findings: SC drives CBE. CPO and CCB are important mediators, whilst PCS is an important moderator. Practical implications: Brand marketers need to foster SC in OBCs to achieve the maximum level of customer engagement. The authors provide recommendations as to how to build structural, relational and cognitive SC, as well as CPO, CCB and PCS. In short, brand marketers need to foster an interactive, empowering and supportive environment. Originality/value: The authors further service research around the humanisation of technology. Specifically, OBCs are social spaces for brands and customers, and a key enabler of relationship marketing principles, such as CBE. The authors test the roles of structural, cognitive and relational SC in engagement in OBCs, through CPO and CCB. This holistic picture of engagement in OBCs is an important foundation for future service research.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-09-2020-0392 [Google]
Chou, C. Y., W. W. C. Leo and T. Chen (2022): Servicing through digital interactions andwell-being in virtual communities, Journal of Services Marketing, 36(2752), pp.217-231
Purpose: Applying social exchange theory as the theoretical basis, this paper aims to examine the impacts of two forms of digital social interaction on social well-being and helping behavior of customers: moderator–customer interaction quality and customer–customer social support. Furthermore, this paper investigates customer exchange ideology as a moderator of these impacts. Design/methodology/approach: This paper adopted a purposive sampling method for survey materials sent to customers of firm-hosted virtual communities (FHVCs) using a consumer panel service company. The self-administered survey was developed from existing scales, and 265 usable responses were obtained. Findings: Both forms of digital social interaction within FHVCs positively impact social well-being, which in turn positively influences helping behavior in the community. Social well-being is decomposed into social integration and social contribution, and each partially mediates the impact of customer–customer social support and moderator–customer interaction quality on helping behavior. This finding provides greater explanatory power for the role that digital social interactions have in predicting customer helping behavior in an FHVC. In addition, an exchange ideology positively moderates the impact of customer–customer social support on helping behavior via social integration. Originality/value: This paper demonstrates that resource exchange dynamics occur digitally within FHVCs, which then affect social well-being and helping behaviors in customers. From a practical point of view, this study indicates the potential that digital interactions have in generating social and economic value through helping behaviors.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-01-2021-0009 [Google]
Pandey, D., S. Mukherjee, G. Das and J. Z. Zhang (2022): Improving base-of-the-pyramid consumer welfare through mobile technology services, Journal of Services Marketing, 36(2753), pp.232-244
Purpose: Recent development and democratization of digital technologies call for studying base-of-the-pyramid (BOP) consumers’ interactions with these technologies. This study aims to explore how BOP consumers interact with mobile information and communication technology (mICT) and improve their welfare. Design/methodology/approach: Following an extensive literature review, content analysis of the reviewed articles and reports was conducted to build this article’s conceptual foundation. Findings: This study has conceptualized five mechanisms in which mICT improves the lives of BOP customers through enhanced access and control of resources. In particular, the authors characterize a converging nature of mICT and related applications (social media, internet of things, artificial intelligence and sharing economy) as resources for social change. The authors find a striking contrast between BOP and affluent consumers regarding their motivations and barriers to adopting mICT-based applications. Implications to research, technology design and policymaking are discussed. Originality/value: The intersection of mICT and BOP is under-researched. With this paper, we tried to address this research gap. Further, this study has brought out several important research questions in each application, serving as a springboard for future researchers.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-05-2021-0179 [Google]
G, R., A. Jose, S. Mathew, D. P. Chacko and A. Asokan-Ajitha (2022): Towards a theory of well-being in digital sports viewing behavior, Journal of Services Marketing, 36(2754), pp.245-263
Purpose: Social television (Social TV) viewing of live sports events is an emerging trend. The realm of transformative service research (TSR) envisions that every service consumption experience must lead to consumer well-being. Currently, a full appreciation of the well-being factors obtained through Social TV viewing is lacking. This study aims to gain a holistic understanding of the concept of digital sports well-being obtained through live Social TV viewing of sports events. Design/methodology/approach: Focus group interviews were used to collect data from the 40 regular sports viewers, and the qualitative data obtained is analyzed thematically using NVivo 12. A post hoc verification of the identified themes is done to narrow down the most critical themes. Findings: The exploration helped understand the concept of digital sports well-being (DSW) obtained through live Social TV sports spectating and identified five critical themes that constitute its formation. The themes that emerged were virtual connectedness, vividness, uncertainty reduction, online disinhibition and perceived autonomy. This study defines the concept and develops a conceptual model for DSW. Research limitations/implications: This study adds to the body of knowledge in TSR, transformative sport service research, digital customer engagement, value co-creation in digital platforms, self-determination theory and flow theory. The qualitative study is exploratory, with participants’ views based on a single match in one particular sport, and as such, its findings are restrained by the small sample size and the specific sport. To extend this study’s implications, empirical research involving a larger and more diversified sample involving multiple sports Social TV viewing experiences would help better understand the DSW concept. Practical implications: The research provides insights to Social TV live streamers of sporting events and digital media marketers about the DSW construct and identifies the valued DSW dimensions that could provide a competitive advantage. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the exploration is the first attempt to describe the concept of DSW and identify associated themes.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-06-2020-0247 [Google]
Hsieh, J.-K. and H.-T. Li (2022): Exploring the fit between mobile application service and application privacy, Journal of Services Marketing, 36(2755), pp.264-282
Purpose: With the popularity of mobile applications and increasing consumer awareness of application privacy, this paper aims to introduce a new construct of service-privacy fit (i.e. the perceived degree of match between the service of a mobile application and a privacy permission request) to predict consumers’ mobile application adoption. Design/methodology/approach: Four experiments were carried out to test the hypothesized relationships. The first study investigated the direct impact of service-privacy fit on application adoption and the mediators of benefit expectancy and privacy concerns. The second, third and fourth studies further applied the moderated mediation model to analyze the moderating roles of benefit message type, regulatory focus type and privacy assurance. Findings: The results show that service-privacy fit influences application adoption not only directly but also indirectly via the mediators of benefit expectancy and privacy concerns. Furthermore, the findings confirm the moderators of benefit message type, regulatory focus type and privacy assurance. Originality/value: Drawn from the perspectives of task-technology fit and information boundary theory, this paper introduces a new construct of service-privacy fit as a determinant of application adoption. Grounded in privacy calculus theory, it further explains this relationship through mediating effects of benefit expectancy and privacy concerns. Furthermore, this paper proposes that benefit messages and privacy assurance are effective coping strategies to increase the benefit expectancy and reduce the privacy concerns of applications. Based on the perspective of regulatory fit theory, this study further shows that the effects of coping strategies rely on personal traits. The findings enrich the existing knowledge of mobile application adoption and application privacy, suggesting that practitioners should consider mobile consumers’ perception of service-privacy fit when developing applications.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-01-2021-0023 [Google]
Esmark Jones, C., S. Waites and J. Stevens (2022): Influence of social media posts on service performance, Journal of Services Marketing, 36(2756), pp.283-296
Purpose: Much research regarding social media posts and relevancy has resulted in mixed findings. Furthermore, the mediating role of relevancy has not previously been examined. This paper aims to examine the correlating relationship between types of posts made by hotels and the resulting occupancy rates. Then, the mediating role of relevancy is examined and ways that posts can increase/decrease relevancy of the post to potential hotel users. Design/methodology/approach: Within the context of the hotel industry, three studies were conducted – one including hotel occupancy data from a corporate chain – to examine the impact of social media posts on relevancy and intentions to stay at the hotel. Experimental studies were conducted to explain the results of the real-world hotel data. Findings: The findings show that relevancy is an important mediator in linking social media posts to service performance. A locally (vs nationally) themed post can decrease both the relevancy of a post and the viewer’s intentions to stay at a hotel. This relationship, however, can be weakened if a picture is included with the post, as a visual may increase self-identification with a post. Originality/value: These results have important theoretical and practical implications as social media managers attempt to find the best ways to communicate to their customers and followers. Specifically, there are lower and upper limits to how many times a hotel should be posting to social media. The data also show many hotels post about local events, such as school fundraisers or a job fair, that can be harmful to stay intentions, likely due to the irrelevant nature of local posts to customers who are likely to stay in a hotel. National posts are seen as more relevant and likely to increase stay intentions, and the inclusion of a picture can help local posts seem more relevant.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-08-2020-0361 [Google]
Cook, L. A., M. P. Fitzgerald and R. Sadeghein (2022): Consumer effort in service encounters: the overlooked impact of surface acting, Journal of Services Marketing, 36(2757), pp.297-309
Purpose: One shift in the retail landscape is the workload transfer from the retailer to the consumer. This study aims to explore consumer perceived effort and the consequences of this workload transfer. Design/methodology/approach: Two scenario-based experiments were conducted. Partial least squares modeling was implemented on the experimental survey data to explore how different dimensions of effort (i.e. mental, physical and emotional) and surface acting contribute to perceptions of effort and value. Findings: Surface acting increases consumer effort perceptions. Consumers’ value perceptions decline as perceived effort increases. Effort perceptions attenuate when consumers have a choice. The paper also brings attention to the shortcomings in the current conceptualization of surface acting and perceived effort, and reconceptualizes effort as a formative construct. Practical implications: This paper cautions marketers about the potential negative implications of shadow work. Service marketers should provide a choice between face-to-face (F2F) and self-service technologies whenever possible. In addition, marketers should develop and implement strategies for reducing consumer surface acting. Originality/value: This study includes an extended conceptualization and new operationalization of consumer surface acting, revised thinking about measuring consumer effort and a unique approach to accounting for effort perceptions of traditional F2F service vs SST.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-12-2020-0504 [Google]
Ciuchita, R., J. Heller, S. Köcher, S. Köcher, T. Leclercq, K. Sidaoui and S. Stead (2022): It is Really Not a Game: An Integrative Review of Gamification for Service Research, Journal of Service Research, (2733), pp.1
Gamification has attracted considerable practitioner attention and has become a viable tactic for influencing behavior, boosting innovation, and improving marketing outcomes across industries. Simultaneously, studies on the use of gamification techniques have emerged in diverse fields, including computer science, education, and healthcare. Despite the broad popularity of gamification in other fields, it has received only limited attention in the service literature. Moreover, the findings of extant studies on gamification in the service field are inconclusive and suggest an incomplete understanding of the employment of gamification in service contexts. Thus, this study aims to integrate the growing but scattered cross-disciplinary literature on gamification and to emphasize its relevance to service research. Specifically, we first conceptualize gamification for service and differentiate it from related concepts. Then, using a systematic literature review, we identify 34 empirical articles that reflect this gamification conceptualization and can be connected to relevant service research themes (e.g., customer participation, experience, and loyalty). Employing activity theory, we derive four higher-order functions of gamification: production, consumption, exchange, and distribution. Finally, we develop a research agenda to generate a better understanding of the central aspects within each of the identified gamification functions and stimulate future academic efforts on gamification in services.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705221076272 [Google]
Belk, R. (2022): Artificial Emotions and Love and Sex Doll Service Workers, Journal of Service Research, (2734), pp.1
Realistic looking humanoid love and sex dolls have been available on a somewhat secretive basis for at least three decades. But today the industry has gone mainstream with North American, European, and Asian producers using mass customization and competing on the bases of features, realism, price, and depth of product lines. As a result, realistic life size artificial companions are becoming more affordable to purchase and more feasible to patronize on a service basis. Sexual relations may be without equal when it comes to emotional intimacy. Yet, the increasingly vocal and interactive robotic versions of these dolls, feel nothing. They may nevertheless induce emotions in users that potentially surpass the pleasure of human-human sexual experiences. The most technologically advanced love and sex robots are forecast to sense human emotions and gear their performances of empathy, conversation, and sexual activity accordingly. I offer a model of how this might be done to provide a better service experience. I compare the nature of resulting “artificial emotions” by robots to natural emotions by humans. I explore the ethical issues entailed in offering love and sex robot services with artificial emotions and offer a conclusion and recommendations for service management and for further research.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705211063692 [Google]
Stead, S., R. Wetzels, M. Wetzels, G. Odekerken-Schröder and D. Mahr (2022): Toward Multisensory Customer Experiences: A Cross-Disciplinary Bibliometric Review and Future Research Directions, Journal of Service Research, (2729), pp.1
An in-depth understanding of multisensory customer experiences could inform and transform service experiences across the touchpoints of customer journeys. Sensory research in service and marketing disciplines mostly refers to individual senses in isolation. However, relevant insights could be gleaned from other disciplines to explore the multisensory nature of customer experiences. Noting the fragmented state of research surrounding such topics, the current article presents a systematic, objective overview of the content and theoretical foundations underlying the notion of multisensory customer experiences. Seeking a holistic understanding and research agenda for service research, the authors adopt both text mining and co-citation analyses overlaying findings from the cross-disciplinary foundation to uncover relevant theoretical, conceptual, and methodological developments. The resulting research agenda encourages scholars to employ diverse theories and methods to investigate multisensory stimuli, their integration, and perception, as well as the link between multisensory customer experiences and emotions. These insights then can inform the design of multisensory omnichannel service experiences.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705221079941 [Google]
Xu, A. J., R. Loi, C. W. C. Chow and V. S. Z. Lin (2022): Driving Retail Cross-Selling, Journal of Service Research, (2730), pp.1
Cross-selling is one of the most important sales strategies retail organizations adopted to drive business revenue and increase customer lifetime value. While considerable efforts have been devoted to developing data-based cross-selling models, little is known about how and when store managers can drive frontline service employees (FSEs) to cross-sell. Drawing on work meaningfulness literature, we propose that a high-quality resource exchange relationship with the store manager (i.e., leader–member exchange, LMX) endows FSEs’ work with meaningfulness of serving others, which in turn promotes their engagement in cross-selling. We further contend that when store managers possess high person-organization fit, the impact of their LMX relationships on FSEs’ work meaningfulness of serving others and subsequent cross-selling would be stronger. A three-wave survey data from 166 FSEs and their store managers in a retail chain in China (i.e., Study 1) and an experiment among 120 U.S.-based working employees (i.e., Study 2) support our predictions. The present research offers important theoretical and practical implications for retailing management area.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705221087399 [Google]
Pandey, A. and S. Tripathi (2022): To go or to let it go: A regulatory focus perspective on Bundle Consumption, Journal of Service Research, (2731), pp.1
Despite the widespread reliance on service bundles across industries (examples include theater season-tickets, vacation packages, and annual sports passes), the impact of consumer-specific factors on the post-purchase consumptions of such bundles has received limited academic attention. Drawing on regulatory focus theory, we show that a consumer’s regulatory orientation influences the consumption of service bundles, and that the impacts are mediated by construal level. Using six studies (including a field study and a quasi-field experiment using Twitter data) we illustrate that prevention-focused individuals demonstrate concrete construal and are better able to resolve the ambiguity in allocating costs and benefits to individual bundle components, leading to higher consumption. By examining the role of a consumer’s regulatory orientation, our work advances the theoretical understanding of consumer behavior in response to the bundling of services. We make an important methodological contribution by demonstrating how text-mining can be innovatively utilized to analyze consumer posts on Twitter to infer regulatory focus and understand service bundle consumption. Our studies provide practical guidance to managers seeking to infer (using publicly available Twitter data and consumer-provided inputs during purchase) and prime (using advertisements and nudges) regulatory focus to understand/influence service consumption.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705211067101 [Google]
Golmohammadi, A., D. K. Gauri and H. Mirahmad (2022): Social Media Communication and Company Value: The Moderating Role of Industry Competitiveness, Journal of Service Research, (2732), pp.1
Existing research demonstrates that industry competitiveness influences the effectiveness of marketing actions. However, limited scholarly attention has been paid to how service companies should communicate on social media under different levels of industry competitiveness. The current research seeks to address this gap in the literature by analyzing social media communication, brand impression, and financial data from two large samples of service companies and by employing state-of-the-art methods of machine learning. Study 1 demonstrates that industry competitiveness positively (negatively) moderates the impact of persuasive tone (volume) of social media communications on company value. We argue that these effects stem from investors’ expectations about the impact of these communication styles in facilitating differentiation and improving brand impressions in a congested competitive environment. Consistent with this mechanism, Study 2 reveals that as an industry becomes more cluttered, persuasive tone (volume) becomes more (less) effective in impacting consumers’ brand impressions. The findings provide important insights for service companies that operate under different levels of industry competitiveness.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705211072429 [Google]
Tuunanen, T., M. Salo and F. Li (2022): Modular Service Design of Information Technology-Enabled Services, Journal of Service Research, (2735), pp.1
The literature has proposed ways to modularize information-technology-enabled services (ITeS) with limited success. We argue that applying design principles (DPs) can address this gap and revitalize the service modularization literature. With a qualitative research study, we develop exemplar DPs and a set of prioritized DPs for ITeS. We contribute to the literature by demonstrating how complex service systems, specifically ITeS, can be modularly designed. Our DPs show how different ITeS design elements or service attribute combinations impact the outcome-driven design of service experience. Based on the findings, we present a modular service design framework and a service design method that adopts DPs to create effective modular ITeS designs. We also offer ways to conceptualize and apply service modularization to improve the adoption of the modular service design by service designers and managers.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705221082775 [Google]
Pei, Z., X. Dai, T. Z. Yu, L. Zhao and Q. C. He (2022): Dynamic Rebalancing Strategy in Free-Float Bicycle Sharing Systems: Orbit Queues and Two-Sided Matching, Service Science, 14(2781), pp.35-59
In populous metropolitan areas, the free-floating bicycle-sharing system (FFBSS) acts as an innovative urban mobility as a service, which provides an ease-of-use feature and extra flexibility in contrast to the traditional shared bicycles with docks. In consideration of customer behaviors, such as abandonment and retrial, which occur in FFBSS, a redistribution strategy for shared bicycles among different user-density locations is presented with an aim to diminish the total operational cost while enhancing the overall service level. To formulate the user and multitype shared bicycle-arrival patterns as nonhomogeneous queues, our results provide a tractable analytical paradigm for a time-varying balancing strategy for FFBSS. The bicycle variation at each virtual zone after each redistribution is determined via a nonstationary queueing model, in which the service time, patience time, and research delay are all subject to general distribution. Then, the bicycle-deployment strategy is evaluated with respect to average queueing length and abandonment rate during a normal workday based on a tailored nonhomogeneous probabilistic matching queue. To verify the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the proposed bicycle-redistribution strategy, multiple simulation runs are conducted with respect to various times of the day. It shows that the resulting optimal rebalancing strategy is batch-based in synchrony with the time heterogeneity in the traffic demand. Furthermore, several managerial insights are provided to shed light on the rule of thumb in practical FFBSS redistribution coordination.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2021.0287 [Google]
Jia, H. W., S. Q. Shen, J. A. R. Garcia and C. Shi (2022): Partner with a Third-Party Delivery Service or Not? A Prediction-and-Decision Tool for Restaurants Facing Takeout Demand Surges During a Pandemic, Service Science, (2782), pp.
Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants become more reliant on no-contact pick-up or delivery ways for serving customers. As a result, they need to make tactical planning decisions such as whether to partner with online platforms, to form their own delivery team, or both. In this paper, we develop an integrated prediction-decision model to analyze the profit of combining the two approaches and to decide the needed number of drivers under stochastic demand. We first use the susceptible-infected-recovered (SIR) model to forecast future infected cases in a given region and then construct an autoregressive-moving-average (ARMA) regression model to predict food-ordering demand. Using predicted demand samples, we formulate a stochastic integer program to optimize food delivery plans. We conduct numerical studies using COVID-19 data and food-ordering demand data collected from local restaurants in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, from April to October 2020, to show results for helping restaurants build contingency plans under rapid market changes. Our method can be used under unexpected demand surges, various infection/vaccination status, and demand patterns. Our results show that a restaurant can benefit from partnering with third-party delivery platforms when (i) the subscription fee is low, (ii) customers can flexibly decide whether to order from platforms or from restaurants directly, (iii) customers require more efficient delivery, (iv) average delivery distance is long, or (v) demand variance is high.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2021.0294 [Google]
Karniouchina, K., K. Sarangee, C. Theokary and R. Kubler (2022): The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Restaurant Resilience: Lessons, Generalizations, and Ideas for Future Research, Service Science, (2783), pp.
Pandemics cause business disruptions that have serious implications for the design and delivery of services, leading to adverse performance consequences for services industries. Focusing on the restaurant industry, the authors present a conceptual framework of restaurants’ resilience during a pandemic that is grounded in existing services and strategy research, secondary and qualitative sources, and insights obtained from social media data. This framework is tested via an empirical analysis of the Yelp COVID-19 data set. Several interesting trends in consumer preferences are identified including a rapid shift toward third-party app delivery models. Surprisingly, the analysis shows that partnering with third-party app delivery services before COVID improved firms’ resilience, whereas during the pandemic, these partnerships have a negative impact on restaurant survival. Furthermore, the study documents some important differences between the drivers of restaurant survival before versus during the pandemic, highlighting critical changes in consumer preferences that may shape the industry in the future.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2021.0293 [Google]
Kasnakoglu, B. T., Y. Kalender and H. Gokkaya (2022): Types of Consumer Operant Resources and Co-creation in Dialogical Service Relationships, Service Science, (2784), pp.
This study investigates different types of operant resources and their effects on cocreation by considering the moderation effects of cocreation potential and the provider’s positive attitude. The contextual nature of operant resources is discussed based on how consumers activate resources in different service situations. The first study explores whether context-specific resources contribute to cocreation more than general resources. This hypothesis is found to be valid only for certain service contexts. In-depth interviews are conducted in the second study to understand the phenomenon more deeply. The qualitative study reveals three distinct types of resources: general, context-specific, and interpersonal resources. In the third study, a scenario-based experimental study is conducted to test the hypotheses, which are confirmed. We conclude that context-specific resources more directly shape cocreation, moderated by perceived level of cocreation potential. The relationship between potential and resources is then moderated by the provider’s positive attitude.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2021.0296 [Google]
Viglia, G., S. Kumar, N. Pandey and Y. Joshi (2022): Forty years of The Service Industries Journal: a bibliometric review, Service Industries Journal, 42(2758), pp.1-20
Established in 1981, the Service Industries Journal (SIJ) has over 40 years of history. This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the journal. The bibliographic coupling of the journal reveals that major themes in the journal are service management, service innovation, service adoption and service experience, service quality and customer satisfaction, management of service quality, consumer behavior, service firms, and service and relationship marketing. The research published in the journal has gone from primarily being of conceptual-qualitative nature to an empirical-quantitative one, with a collaboration network that has become more global over time. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2021.2003341 [Google]
Kapuściński, G. and B. Richards (2022): Destination risk news framing effects – the power of audiences, Service Industries Journal, 42(2759), pp.107-130
This media effects study reflects on the practices tourists employ in making destination risk judgments on the basis of news coverage of terrorist attacks and events of political instability. Through qualitative research, insights are gained into the link between news media representations of risk and individual destination risk information processing. The paper discusses the nuanced ways in which audiences interpret destination risk by drawing on a blend of their knowledge of hazards and portrayals of risk embedded in news reports. The findings point towards a cognitive-transactional model of media effects, which recognise the active role and power of audiences in determining effects. Consideration is given to psychological mechanism underlying framing effects and destination marketing practice.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2018.1441402 [Google]
Al-Hawari, M. A. (2022): Online customer relationships: switching cost drivers for different relationship lengths, Service Industries Journal, 42(2760), pp.59-80
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of selected online drivers on perceived switching costs, with consideration of the personality trait of Openness to Experience. The research explores how these relationships vary with varying lengths of relationship. Data were collected from online banking users using paper-based surveys and were tested using structural equation modeling. Openness to Experience influences online trust and satisfaction positively, perceived switching costs negatively, but not online loyalty. Online satisfaction affects online loyalty positively, but not perceived switching costs. Online trust predicts online loyalty and perceived switching costs positively. Online loyalty enhances perceived switching costs significantly. The explanatory power of the model fluctuates over different relational periods and is best when customers’ relationships reach medium-term duration. The research adds new insights to the customers’ online relationship literature and provides managers with new ways to customize online banking services for better online relational strategies. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2018.1513495 [Google]
Yoon, D. J. (2022): Rude customers and service performance: roles of motivation and personality, Service Industries Journal, 42(2761), pp.81-106
On the basis of the self-determination theory, we develop and test an integrative framework that explains when and why customer incivility impairs employee service performance. Using multisource data collected through two waves in a shopping mall, we found that the strength of the mediated relationship between customer incivility and employee service performance (via employee intrinsic motivation) varied based on employee core-self evaluations; the negative indirect effect of customer incivility via intrinsic motivation on service performance was weaker for employees with high levels of core-self evaluations than for employees with low levels of core-self evaluations. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2020.1826453 [Google]
Huang, C.-C., W.-Y. Liang, D.-W. Wen, P.-H. Ting and M.-Y. Shen (2022): Qualitative analysis of big data in the service sectors, Service Industries Journal, 42(2762), pp.206-224
Nowadays, service sectors are facing a data tsunami. Previous studies on service sectors have been conducted using questionnaire surveys and have been subjectively analyzed using statistical analysis techniques. Such techniques make it difficult for non-statisticians to integrally explore the overall nature of questionnaire data in the big data paradigm. To further discover the quantitative and qualitative nature of a data set, granularity computing is used to make up for the weaknesses of statistical techniques and a rough set (RS) based solution approach is proposed. The Multi-Value Rule Generation (MVRG) algorithm is developed to analyze questionnaire data and deal with the roughness problem of multiple-values in outcome features. The rules resulting from the MVRG algorithm exhibit both the relationships between dependent and independent variables and the content of the relationships. Rules, rather than numerical charts, can be understood by non-statisticians. Two cases of tourism and hospitality are restudied and comparisons between the proposed approach and traditional analytical techniques are made to validate the complementary benefits of traditional statistical analysis. This comparison shows that the proposed solution approach provides further hidden knowledge behind the data set. The MVRG algorithm can complement statistical methods in finding hidden knowledge and providing comprehensive rules to non-statisticians. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2018.1509957 [Google]
Hofer, K. M. and G. Knight (2022): International services marketing: an integrative assessment of the literature 国际化服务行业市场营销：综合文献分析, Service Industries Journal, 42(2763), pp.225-248
Despite the considerable importance of the services sector in international marketing, scholarly research in the area is limited and unsystematic. This article examines the domain and literature of international services marketing in 41 academic journals from 1999 to 2018 and provides a future research agenda. The investigation reveals 942 published articles, or approximately 2% of all articles published in the journals during the period. Research in the area is under-represented, particularly in premier journals. Scholarly use of theories, models, and other theoretical perspectives is relatively sparse. We devise an integrative summary of thematic areas and contrast this with the revealed literature. After identifying the top publication outlets for recent research, we highlight the most salient theoretical perspectives and thematic areas. This article identifies gaps in the literature, proposes a research agenda, and specifies avenues for advancing scholarship in international services marketing. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2020.1862091 [Google]
Lee, H.-S., S.-C. Chong and B.-K. Sia (2022): Financial services and globalisation in belt and road countries, Service Industries Journal, 42(2764), pp.249-276
The forging of an affirmative image of the new Silk Road strategy in the international community has given rise to opportunities for financial services under the pressing trends of globalisation. The objective of this study was to examine the roles of financial development and globalisation on the economic growth of BRI countries in the twenty-first century Maritime Silk Road from various perspectives. The findings imply that insurance services are more important than banking services in influencing the growth of BRI countries; overall globalisation effects are beneficial to growth; and the impacts of financial services on growth tend to depend on aspects of globalisation.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2019.1576640 [Google]
Bavik, A. and C.-F. Kuo (2022): A systematic review of creativity in tourism and hospitality, Service Industries Journal, 42(2765), pp.321-359
Employee creativity has become an essential concept in tourism and hospitality literature in the last two decades. Nevertheless, empirical evidence on creativity has developed into a fragmented area of research with a variety of definitions and conceptual lenses. The current study suggests that this discrepancy of extant research impedes theoretical and empirical advancement. This study systematically reviews studies in the tourism and hospitality field to strengthen future work on employee creativity. The study results show that leadership is the most powerful predating and moderating factor in employee creativity. The results also show that positive organizational culture and climate factors greatly influence employee creativity. Finally, this study proposes a combined framework of creative qualities, which can be used as a managerial tool in tourism and hospitality, and other similar service-oriented industries.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2041605 [Google]
Ikhide, J. E., A. T. Timur and O. A. Ogunmokun (2022): The potential and constraint of work gamification for employees’ creative performance, Service Industries Journal, 42(2766), pp.360-382
Drawing on the affordance theory, this paper theorizes about how workplace creativity could be influenced by employees’ interaction with game design elements incorporated into work systems. To comprehensively capture possible relationships, two vital theoretical frameworks -ability-motivation-opportunity (AMO) and affordance theory, were employed to provide theoretical guidance and a basis upon which propositions were established. A review of literature in the field reveals that gamified work system, through the improvement of ability-, motivation- and opportunity-enhancing practices supports dimensions including employee’s motivation and competence which are prerequisites for a creative outcome. Furthermore, contrary to the common opinion, work gamification could constrain employees’ creativity at work. Theoretically grounded in existing theories and past literature, this conceptual paper touches on unpopular discussions in the literature, opens a research avenue for further studies by providing testable propositions and recommendations for practice.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2045278 [Google]
Gip, H., D. The Khoa, P. Guchait, R. L. Fernando Garcia and A. Pasamehmetoglu (2022): Employee mindfulness and creativity: when emotions and national culture matter, Service Industries Journal, 42(2767), pp.383-411
Mindfulness has recently attracted more attention from service scholars due to its positive effect on various job outcomes. Yet, the linkage between mindfulness and service employees’ creativity is still not well understood. This study aims to bridge this gap by examining how emotions might influence the mindfulness and creativity relationship from different cultural perspectives. Frontline service employees from three countries, the Philippines, Turkey, and the United States, were sampled to form a cross-border dataset. PLS multigroup results show that creativity positively influences service recovery performance and error reporting across the three nations. Furthermore, the mindfulness-creativity link is mediated by gratitude as a positive emotion in the United States, but by envy as a negative emotion in the Philippines and Turkey. This suggests that the link between mindfulness and creativity may be culturally contextual. These results might provide insights for mindfulness practices within the service work environment.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2037570 [Google]
Tanova, C. and S. W. Bayighomog (2022): Green human resource management in service industries: the construct, antecedents, consequences, and outlook, Service Industries Journal, 42(2768), pp.412-452
Parallel to the increased awareness of environmental issues, there has been a rapid increase in studies focusing on Green Human Resource Management. Studies have shown that organizations that can link their environmental management efforts to their human resource management systems have improved organizational and employee-level outcomes. This study is a systematic review of empirical work focusing on Green Human Resources Management in service industries. Using a systematically selected sample of 48 articles, we compared the scales used to measure Green HRM, the theoretical frameworks on which the empirical papers were based, and identified the nomological network covering how Green HRM is positioned concerning its antecedents, outcomes, and mediators or moderators. We highlight important issues regarding the current state of Green Human Resources Management in service industries and provide avenues for future research.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2045279 [Google]
Ishaq, M. I., E. Di Maria and R. Qaiser Danish (2022): Analyzing antecedents and consequences of multidimensional green brand equity: 多维绿色品牌资产的前置因素和后向结果研究, Service Industries Journal, 42(2769), pp.453-479
As consumers are paying more attention to environmental issues, many hoteliers are in the process of transforming their businesses to reinforce their promises to achieve sustainability to pursue higher brand equity. In this context, the current research endeavors to test the nomological validity of a newly established multidimensional green brand equity (MGBE) scale in the hospitality industry, and investigate the relative impact of brand credibility, country of origin, and brand trust on MGBE dimensions and its consequences in the European hotel industry. The data were collected from 1291 tourists and analyzed using structural equation modeling. This study confirms the nomological validity of a unique MGBE scale – sustainability, social influence, perceived quality, brand leadership, brand awareness, and brand association – and indicates that COO has a stronger impact on brand leadership, whereas brand credibility has a stronger influence on sustainability. Moreover, perceived quality and brand leadership have a stronger impact on purchase intentions, while sustainability and social influence have a strong influence on brand preference. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2021.1987416 [Google]
Vila-Vázquez, G., C. Castro-Casal and A. Carballo-Penela (2022): Employees’ CSR attributions and pro-environmental behaviors in the hotel industry: the key role of female supervisors, Service Industries Journal, (2770), pp.1-19
This study suggests that employees’ pro-environmental behaviors are determined by their attributions regarding the reasons why hotels engage in corporate socially responsible initiatives. Furthermore, the role of supervisors’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) perceptions in shaping frontline employees’ CSR attributions is studied. Finally, we examine whether the impact of supervisor’s CSR perceptions on employee attributions differs according to the supervisor’s gender. The results showed the influence of substantive CSR attributions on pro-environmental behaviors, as well as the influence of supervisors’ CSR perceptions on employees’ substantive CSR attributions. It is also found that when the supervisor is a woman, the effect of her CSR perceptions on employees’ CSR substantive attributions was stronger. Additionally, women’s CSR perception also significantly influenced employees’ CRS symbolic attributions, although to a lesser extent. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications to promote sustainable economic growth and reduce the environmental impact on the hotel industry. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2041604 [Google]
Saleem, S., M. Sajid, M. Arshad, M. M. Raziq and S. Shaheen (2022): Work stress, ego depletion, gender and abusive supervision: A self-Regulatory perspective, Service Industries Journal, (2771), pp.1-21
Drawing upon the self-regulatory perspective, we investigate the antecedents of abusive supervision. We study supervisor’s work stress as a predictor of abusive supervisory behavior and investigate supervisor ego depletion as an intervening mechanism. Furthermore, we study the role of gender in explaining ego depletion and abusive supervision. We employed a multilevel research design to study supervisor work stress and ego depletion at group level and perception of abusive supervision at individual level. Data are collected from 59 supervisors and 295 subordinates working in the banking sector. We find that supervisor work stress is positively associated with subordinates’ perception of abusive supervision, and supervisor ego depletion plays a mediating role. We find that these relationships are more pronounced for females than males. We contribute by identifying supervisors’ work stress as an antecedent of abusive supervision and extend ego depletion theory by studying supervisor’s ego depletion as an underlying mechanism. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2059073 [Google]
Lee, M., Y. H. Song, L. Li, K. Y. Lee and S.-B. Yang (2022): Detecting fake reviews with supervised machine learning algorithms, Service Industries Journal, (2772), pp.1-21
This study provides an applicable methodological procedure applying Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based supervised Machine Learning (ML) algorithms in detecting fake reviews of online review platforms and identifies the best ML algorithm as well as the most critical fake review determinants for a given restaurant review dataset. Our empirical findings from analyzing 16 determinants (review-related, reviewer-related, and linguistic attributes) measured from over 43,000 online restaurant reviews reveal that among the seven ML algorithms, the random forest algorithm outperforms the other algorithms and, among the 16 review attributes, time distance is found to be the most important, followed by two linguistic (affective and cognitive cues) and two review-related attributes (review depth and structure). The present study contributes to the literature on fake online review detection, especially in the hospitality field and the body of knowledge on supervised ML algorithms. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2054996 [Google]
Lv, L., M. Huang and R. Huang (2022): Anthropomorphize service robots: the role of human nature traits, Service Industries Journal, (2773), pp.1-25
Empowered by artificial intelligence (AI), human-like service robots are prevalent, but they may have negative effects. Limited research has studied suitable strategies for anthropomorphizing service robots. In contrast to ordinary nonhuman objects, one of the robots’ most essential features is that they have logic and are rational when they are empowered by AI, yet such rationality may destroy consumers’ perceived identity uniqueness as human beings, eliciting bad outcomes. Therefore, we explore how to anthropomorphize service robots through maintaining consumers’ perceived identity uniqueness. Through four studies, we find that consumers’ attitudes about service robots will improve via a decreased identity threat if service robots are anthropomorphized with external human nature traits (that can be shared by animals) rather than uniquely human traits (that only humans have). In addition, this effect is mitigated by robots’ servant communication style. The results indicate what anthropomorphic type of service robot is suitable for managers. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2048821 [Google]
Hua, Y., T. Che, C. Yang and M. Hu (2022): Customer no-show reduction in web-based appointment service: investigations of non-attendance behaviors, Service Industries Journal, (2774), pp.1-25
Web-based appointment services can improve the efficiency of the relative services, but always suffer from customers’ non-attendance behaviors. Previous research ignores the opportunistic feature of no-shows that is essential to understand customers’ non-attendance behaviors. Further, the effect of formal cancelation policies is yet understudied. To solve these problems, a research model based on transaction cost theory is proposed and tested in the context of the web-based outpatient registration service. Results of the research show that the occurrence of no-shows can be reduced when asset specificity factors increase and uncertainty factors decrease. The awareness of cancelation policies can lead to more cancelations but can also weaken the effects of asset specificity factors. Besides, no-shows can be decreased when cancelation policies are more restrictive. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2045963 [Google]
Amin, M., K. W. Chan, A. Shamim, Z. B. Ghazali and F.-W. Lai (2022): Engaging employees in value cocreation: interplay among firm, employee, and supervisor, Service Industries Journal, (2775), pp.1-28
Research on value cocreation with customers is considerable, yet questions remain regarding whether and how to engage frontline employees (FLEs) in such efforts. Adopting the ability–motivation–opportunity perspective, we conceptualize service firms’ interaction capabilities as ability, employees’ motivation to cocreate value with customers (EMCCV) as motivation, and supervisor proactive personality as opportunity. This empirical investigation thereby addresses the effect of service firms’ interaction capabilities on EMCCV and employees’ subsequent value cocreation behaviors (participation and citizenship). Data collected from 311 FLEs in automotive industries reveal that EMCCV mediates the positive effects of firms’ interaction capabilities (developmental, relational, ethical, and individuated) on employees’ value cocreation behaviors. Further, supervisor proactive personality significantly strengthens the effects of firms’ interaction capabilities on EMCCV. Supplementary analyses uncover a stronger indirect positive association between firms’ interaction capabilities and employees’ value cocreation behaviors (via EMCCV) when employees perceive their supervisors as proactive. These findings highlight the crucial roles of firms’ interaction capabilities and supervisors’ personalities in motivating FLEs’ value cocreation behaviors during service exchanges. They also reveal practical options for promoting more inclusive, sustainable economic growth and guidelines for fostering and promoting improved working conditions for FLEs (UN Sustainable Development Goal 8). (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2056164 [Google]
Kumar, N., R. K. Panda and K. Adhikari (2022): Transforming tourists’ intentions through destination engagement: insights from transformative learning theory, Service Industries Journal, (2776), pp.1-28
Tourist-based destination engagement (TBDE) has emerged as a strategically significant concept to endure the destination-tourist relationship; however, identifying its related constructs is still nascent. We develop an integrative model for TBDE by identifying destination experience, destination attachment, and destination authenticity as antecedents of TBDE and destination advocacy as its consequence. We also propose a new association by investigating the direct and indirect relationship of TBDE on destination advocacy through destination satisfaction. Finally, findings were discussed conforming to transformative learning theory by relating it to TBDE and its modeled constructs. The results reveal a positive influence of all the identified drivers on TBDE and TBDE’s positive impact on destination advocacy. Moreover, destination satisfaction emerges as a mediator by supporting the positive indirect relationship between TBDE and destination advocacy. Implications for theory and practice are suggested for the tourism industry, which the tourism organizations may utilize to foster TBDE and sustain the tourist-destination relationships. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2062327 [Google]
Badru, A. F., G. Karadas and O. A. Olugbade (2022): Employee voice: the impact of high-performance work systems and organisational engagement climate, Service Industries Journal, (2777), pp.1-29
Employee voice (EV) has been recognised as an essential tool for high-performance work systems (HPWS) in achieving organisational effectiveness. Studies have drawn scholars’ attention to better understand the relationship between EV and HPWS. By taking an employee-centric approach, this study investigates organisational engagement climate (OEC) as a process through which HPWS translates into EV. Data were retrieved from employees of four telecommunication companies in Nigeria through a two-wave time lag. The data collected was analysed using partial least squares-structural equation modelling. The results indicate that HPWS has positive and direct relationships with OEC and EV. Similarly, the OEC was found to have a positive and direct relationship with EV, while it mediated the relationship between HPWS and EV. Accordingly, the results demonstrate that the implementation and provision of HPWS and OEC fosters a conducive work environment and enhances employees’ voice behaviour. The implications are discussed in the paper. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2056163 [Google]
Zhang, S., C. Huang, X. Li and A. Ren (2022): Characteristics and roles of streamers in e-commerce live streaming, Service Industries Journal, (2778), pp.1-29
Streamers are the individuals at the core of e-commerce live streaming (ELS), which is a successful influencer marketing strategy. However, a systematic profile of ELS streamers is lacking. This study aims to investigate the roles and characteristics of ELS streamers, as well as their matching relationships, by applying the grounded theory method to analyze semi-structured interviews of 96 consumers. Eight characteristics of ELS streamers (expertise, attractiveness, credibility, interactivity, popularity, price support, affinity, and responsiveness) are identified and further classified into four roles (opinion leader, spokesperson, interactive friend, and salesperson). This study is the first to create a role set for ELS streamers and the first to systematically elucidate the roles of ELS streamers and their corresponding characteristics. It not only supplements e-commerce, influencer marketing, and role theory research by identifying new characteristics and roles of ELS streamers, but it also provides a clear framework practitioners can use to train streamers. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2068530 [Google]
Akgün, A. E., H. Keskin, Z. Aksoy, S. Samil Fidan and S. Yigital (2022): The mediating role of organizational learning capability and resilience in the error management culture-service innovation link and the contingent effect of error frequency, Service Industries Journal, (2779), pp.1-30
Error management culture (EMC) has received a significant interest in the service management literature. However, there remains a lack of studies investigating the underlying mechanisms (mediating variables) where EMC affects service innovation within the boundary condition of its moderating variables. This study investigates how EMC influences service innovation through organizational learning capability (OLC) and organizational resilience mechanisms. In addition, this study empirically examines the moderating role of error frequency on the relationship between EMC and OLC and organizational resilience. By investigating 300 service firms, this study empirically reveals that (a) EMC positively relates to OLC and organizational resilience; (b) OLC positively relates to organizational resilience; and (c) OLC plays a mediating role in the relationship between EMC and service innovation. This study also demonstrates that error frequency weakens the relationship between EMC and OLC in service firms. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2062328 [Google]
Cambra-Fierro, J., L. Gao, M. E. López-Pérez and I. Melero-Polo (2022): How do macro-environmental factors impact customer experience? A refined typology, integrative framework, and implications, Service Industries Journal, (2780), pp.1-35
In increasingly turbulent times shaped by macro-environmental shifts, the complexity of customer experience has radically intensified. Augmenting this complexity, myriad contingency factors are involved in customer experience delivery. Therefore, scholars have called for the development of a comprehensive view of the extent to which customer experience literature has viewed and studied the roles of macro-environmental factors, and an integrative understanding of how customer experience can be affected by different macro-environmental factors. To this end, this study (1)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2022.2070613 [Google]
