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.
For more information about the alert system methodology go here
For all previous alerts go here
Akhtar, M. W., T. Garavan, F. Syed, C. Huo, M. Javed and F. O’Brien (2023): Despotic Leadership and Front-Line Employee Deviant Work Behaviors in Service Organizations: The Roles of Moral Disengagement and Moral Identity, Journal of Service Research, (3652), pp.1
Research on despotic leadership and its impacts on the behavior of front-line employees (FLE) in service organizations is nascent. Drawing on the social cognitive theory of morality, we develop and test a model in two service settings investigating the direct and indirect effects of despotic leadership on three FLE deviant work behaviors. In Study 1, using a multi-wave, multi-data source research design with data derived from banks, telecommunications, and training/education service organizations in Pakistan, we demonstrate the ecological validity of our constructs. In Study 2, using a multi-wave, multi-source longitudinal research design, we investigated these relationships in hotels located in Pakistan and confirmed the results found in Study 1 and also investigated the sustainability of deviant work outcomes. Cumulatively, we found support for the direct effects of despotic leadership on FLE deviant work behaviors. Moral disengagement acted as a partial mediator of these relationships and moral identity moderated the mediated relationship between despotic leadership and FLE deviant work behaviors via moral disengagement. Our findings provide a nuanced understanding of despotic leadership and FLE deviant work behaviors in service settings. We contribute to the front-line services literature stream by focusing on the supervisor and FLE interaction and highlighting research and practice implications.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705231207991 [Google]
Berry, L. L., M. S. Yadav and M. K. Hole (2023): Reclaiming Healthcare’s Healing Mission for a Sustainable Future, Journal of Service Research, (3653), pp.1
Healthcare in the United States has reached a point where it is unsustainable for the long term, particularly for the poor, the elderly, and healthcare workers (HCWs) themselves. We propose a framework for making U.S. healthcare more sustainable, whereby the service returns to its core mission of healing. The framework casts that healing mission in broadly applicable, practical terms, whereby leaders of healthcare organizations and in the wider for-profit, not-for-profit, and governmental healthcare ecosystem take concrete steps to improve outcomes for patients and HCWs. Those steps involve aligning healthcare resources, incentives, and policies with the core mission of healing and then implementing change in specific ways that particular organizations have already shown are achievable and sustainable. We use those examples to illustrate how healing-oriented innovations in healthcare delivery get deployed and how progress toward sustainability then ensues. Lessons from these efforts can be tailored to individual healthcare contexts and institutions—and then applied on a national scale. The discussed initiatives can also guide the direction of future research on healthcare sustainability.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705231198024 [Google]
Ghanbarpour, T., L. Crosby, M. D. Johnson and A. Gustafsson (2023): The Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility on Stakeholders in Different Business Contexts, Journal of Service Research, (3654), pp.1
The authors explore two important topics related to this special issue. One is how corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities impacts stakeholders, more specifically customers and shareholders/investors. Second is understanding customer recognition and demand for CSR activities. Insight into these topics is gained through the study of contextual differences in this value creation. Previous studies suggest that two important contextual differences have the potential to impact CSR-based value creation, the product versus service nature of the firm and whether the firm operates primarily in a business-to-business (B2B) versus business-to-consumer (B2C) channel. The lower innovative capabilities of service firms and the relative intangibility of services should hamper the impact of CSR activities in service versus product contexts. The impact should be higher, however, in a B2B versus B2C context based on the need for greater organizational alignment, adaptation, and relationship-specific investments. Results from a large-scale secondary dataset reinforce prior findings that CSR activities influence firm value through customer satisfaction. Moreover, the results reveal that this effect is weaker for service (vs. product) firms and stronger for B2B (vs. B2C) firms. The findings offer important implications for marketing theory and practice.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705231207992 [Google]
Keiningham, T., L. Aksoy and E. Malthouse (2023): Sustainable Service, Journal of Service Research, (3655), pp.1
This special issue delves deeply into the pivotal challenge of sustainability, using the lens of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Global Compact as its foundation. Emphasizing the multifaceted nature of sustainability, the discussion spotlights its interdisciplinary and multistakeholder character, making a strong case that services research should be the epicenter of sustainability research and action. We introduce a new definition of “service sustainability” that brings together diverse fields such as policymaking, engineering, resource management, and education. This definition is not just an academic construct; it carries important managerial and policy implications. Organizations, both in the corporate and governmental sectors, are urged to adapt services that cater to present-day demands with a foresight that ensures the flourishing of future generations. At its heart, this updated approach emphasizes improving services while being aware of the social, environmental, and economic aspects of our connected world.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705231208259 [Google]
Li, X., D. H. Zhu and Y. Chang (2023): The Negative Effect of Name: Mentions of Frontline Service Employee Name Reduce Online Review Persuasiveness, Journal of Service Research, (3656), pp.1
Some retailers encourage consumers to mention the names of frontline service employees when writing online reviews. As a result, although most consumers do not pay attention to frontline service employees’ names during consumption, they often see them in online reviews. The effect of this asymmetry on review persuasiveness is still unknown. This research examines the impact of mentioning frontline service employee names in online reviews on readers’ likelihood of being persuaded by them. The results of one secondary data analysis and four online experiments from China demonstrate that readers are less persuaded by positive online reviews mentioning (vs. not mentioning) frontline service employee names, and perceived deception mediates this negative effect. In addition, the level of required service expertise, occurrence frequency, and review valence moderate this negative effect. For services that require a high level of expertise, when the occurrence frequency of positive reviews mentioning frontline service employee names is low, and when the reviews are negative, the aforementioned negative effect diminishes. Our study offers a new direction for name research and identifies a new factor that influences online review persuasiveness. Our findings provide valuable managerial insights into online review management strategies in the Chinese context.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705231200172 [Google]
Riehle, R., V. E. Wieser and A. Hemetsberger (2023): “We truly love what we do”: The Tribal Consumer Inside Passionate Service Employees, Journal of Service Research, (3657), pp.1
In times of increasing labor shortages and a contemporary cultural climate shaped by quiet quitting, understanding and addressing the sources of service employees’ passion for work becomes an important scholarly and managerial challenge. Drawing on ethnographic data gathered in the context of an outdoor-action-sports service provider, this study reveals how emotionally and physically demanding work conditions constrain service employees’ passion for work and explores how tribal consumption serves as an additional source of service employees’ passion for work. Findings highlight how service organizations can address this tribal source of passion by offering service employees an
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705231204982 [Google]
S Kumar, D., S. Sahadev and K. Purani (2023): Visual Aesthetic Quotient: Establishing the Effects of Computational Aesthetic Measures for Servicescape Design, Journal of Service Research, (3658), pp.1
Visual aesthetics play a pivotal role in attracting and retaining customers in service environments. Building on theories of environmental psychology, this study introduces a novel and comprehensive aesthetic measure for evaluating servicescape design, which is called as the “visual aesthetic quotient” (VAQ). This measure is presented as the ratio of the dimensions of order and complexity in servicescape’s visual design, and it aims to provide an objective and holistic approach of servicescape design evaluation. In addition, we introduce and validate a pioneering method for quantifying order and complexity objectively using algorithmic models applied to servicescape images. We investigated and established the influence of the VAQ on the perceived attractiveness of servicescapes, developing its role further in this context. The entire approach was comprehensively and rigorously examined using four studies (social media analytics, eye-tracking, a field experiment, and an experimental design), contributing to conceptual advancement and empirical testing. This study provides a novel, computational, objective, and holistic aesthetic measure for effective servicescape design management by validating computational aesthetic measures and establishing their role in influencing servicescape attractiveness; testing the mediation of processing fluency and pleasure; and examining the moderating effects of service context.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705231205000 [Google]
Shehu, E., B. Veseli, M. Clement and K. P. Winterich (2023): Improving Blood Donor Retention and Donor Relationships with Past Donation Use Appeals, Journal of Service Research, (3659), pp.1
Blood donation services seek new strategies to improve donor relationships and increase donor retention. In this study, we propose a novel strategy that employs appeals with feedback on the use of blood donors’ past donations. We theorize that this feedback increases the perceived relationship investment and, subsequently, the quality of the relationship with the blood donation service, thereby increasing redonations. An online experiment shows the positive effect of past donation use appeals on donation intention and transmission through perceived relationship investment and relationship quality. Three field studies with Red Cross Blood Donation Services confirm the effectiveness of past donation use appeals on redonation behavior compared with thank-you appeals and with a future donation use appeal. Past donation use appeals are effective for retention purposes, especially for more experienced donors and when sent shortly after the donation. Such appeals also lead to higher reactivation rates of inactive donors. In addition to having practical implications, the study contributes to the relationship and nonprofit service literature.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705231202244 [Google]
Cui, J., M. Zhang and J. Zhong (2023): When frontline robots emerge: the double-edged-sword effect of anticipated trust on intention to switch brands after service failure, Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 33(3660), pp.842-872
Purpose This research aims to investigate the influence of consumers’ anticipated trust in service providers on brand switching intention and its underlying psychological mechanism. More importantly, this study explores the moderating role of type of service providers (human staff/humanoid robots/nonhumanoid robots). Design/methodology/approach This study adopted two single-factor between-subjects experimental designs and tested the hypotheses in two typical service failure scenarios: Study 1, a hotel scenario (N = 403); and Study 2, a restaurant scenario (N = 323). Findings The results suggest that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between consumers’ anticipated trust and tolerance of service failure and that such tolerance has a mediating effect on the relationship between anticipated trust and brand switching intention. Moreover, when service failure is caused by a humanoid service robot, a moderate anticipated trust level of consumers is most conducive to increasing tolerance, which in turn reduces their propensity to switch brands. Originality/value This study examines the nature of the relationship between anticipated trust and tolerance in a service failure context, revealing an inverted U-shaped relationship. More importantly, the boundary conditions under which different service provides have an influence on this relationship are incorporated. Finally, this study explores the influence of service failure tolerance on brand switching intentions in a technological context, enriching consumer–brand relationship research.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-10-2022-0238 [Google]
Gillison, S. T., S. E. Beatty, W. M. Northington and S. Vivek (2023): FLEs’ concerns with misbehaving customers in the time of COVID and beyond, Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 33(3661), pp.771-795
Purpose This research investigates the impact of customer rule violation issues on frontline employees’ (FLEs’) burnout due-to-customers. A model and hypotheses are developed using COR theory and past literature on misbehaving customers and their effects on customer-facing employees. Design/methodology/approach The proposed model was assessed using a survey of 840 frontline retail, restaurant, service and caregiving employees and their reactions to the issue of misbehaving customers (i.e. rule breaking and/or rude customers). Findings FLEs’ perceived frequency of customer rule violations, FLEs’ concerns with misbehaving customers and FLEs’ concerns with enforcing rules with these customers increased FLEs’ burnout due-to-customers, while FLEs’ customer orientation decreased it. Interactions among several antecedents were found relative to their effects on burnout. Burnout due-to-customers decreased FLEs’ organizational commitment and increased quitting intentions. Additionally, this burnout mediated the relationships between our studied antecedents and job outcome variables (either partially or fully), with organizational commitment also mediating the relationship between burnout and quitting intentions. Originality/value The impact of FLEs’ concerns relative to customers’ rule breaking, which has not been previously addressed, is shown to increase FLEs’ burnout due-to-customers, while FLEs’ customer orientation buffered and reduced burnout, with frequency of violations interacting with several antecedents, and ultimately affecting burnout and several dependent variables—organizational commitment and quitting intentions. These FLE rule violation and enforcement concerns, captured at the height of the pandemic, are new variables to the literature. These issues have important implications for managers as to their treatment and training of FLEs in the future.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-02-2023-0035 [Google]
Park, H., W.-M. Hur and S.-Y. Rhee (2023): Relaxation, morning recovery state and customer- and coworker-directed extra-role service behavior: the moderating effect of work–family interface, Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 33(3662), pp.748-770
Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of overnight off-work relaxation on the performance of frontline service employees (FLEs). Specifically, the authors focused on FLEs’ customer-directed extra-role service behavior (C-ERSB) and coworker-directed extra-role service behavior (CW-ERSB) as indicators of outstanding service performance. Drawing on the conservation of resources (Hobfoll, 1989) and ego depletion theories (Baumeister, 2002), the authors hypothesized that the positive effect of overnight relaxation on ERSBs will be mediated by the state of recovery. Additionally, the authors examined the boundary conditions of these relationships by testing the moderating effects of work–family conflict (WFC) and family–work conflict (FWC). Design/methodology/approach The study employed an episodic sampling method. One hundred thirty-five FLEs completed two daily surveys (before- and after-work) over five consecutive workdays, yielding 636 time-lagged day-level observations. Multilevel path modeling was performed to analyze the mediation and second-stage moderated mediation effects. Findings Results showed that overnight off-work relaxation was positively related to FLEs’ next-day C-ERSB and CW-ERSB via next-morning recovery state. The positive relationship between overnight off-work relaxation and the next-morning recovery state was weaker for FLEs who experienced overnight WFC. FWC during work hours weakened the positive relationship between the next-morning recovery state and CW-ERSB, but not the relationship between the next-morning recovery state and C-ERSB. Originality/value The study used an episodic sampling method to reveal the significance of off-work relaxation, recovery and family–work interface on FLEs’ ERSBs, a critical yet underexplored phenomenon in service literature. This study sheds light on the pathways to achieve exceptional service performance by revealing the importance of overnight off-work relaxation and the conditions that promote ERSBs.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-10-2022-0235 [Google]
Sharma, D., M. Vimalkumar, S. Gouda, A. Gupta and V. Ilavarasan (2023): Framing your concerns right: an analysis of air passengers’ complaints during two time periods, Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 33(3663), pp.721-747
Purpose Consumers are increasingly choosing social media over other channels and mechanisms for grievance redressal. However, not all social media grievances elicit a response from businesses. Hence, in this research the authors aim to explore the effect of the complainant’s social characteristics and the complaint’s social and content characteristics on the likelihood of receiving a response to a grievance from the business on social media. Design/methodology/approach The authors build a conceptual model and then empirically test it to explore the effect of the complainant’s characteristics and the complaint’s characteristics on the likelihood of response from a business on social media. The authors use data of consumer grievances received by an Indian airline operator on Twitter during two time periods – the first corresponding to lockdown during Covid-19 pandemic, and the second corresponding to the resumption of business as usual following these lockdowns. The authors use logistic regression and the hazard rate model to model the likelihood of response and the response delay, respectively, for social media customer grievances. Findings Complainants with high social influence are not more likely to get a response for their grievances on social media. While tagging other individuals and business accounts in a social media complaint has negative effect on the likelihood of business response in both the time periods, the effect of tagging regulatory bodies on the likelihood of response was negative only in the Covid-19 lockdown period. The readability and valence of a complaint were found to positively affect the likelihood of response to a social media grievance. However, the effect of valence was significant only in lockdown period. Originality/value This research offers insights on what elicits responses from a service provider to consumers’ grievances on social media platforms. The extant literature is a plenty on how firms should be engaging consumers on online media and how online communities should be built, but scanty on grievance redressal on social media. This research is, therefore, likely to be useful to service providers who are inclined to improve their grievance handling mechanisms, as well as, to regulatory authorities and ombudsmen.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-12-2022-0271 [Google]
Singh, G. and A. Mishra (2023): Customer intention to participate in service recovery: what is it and what are the drivers?, Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 33(3664), pp.873-900
Purpose Customer participation (CP) in service recovery is one of the ways to co-create value with the service provider. Most existing studies assume that customers are willing to participate in service recovery, provided the firm offers them the opportunity. In this study, the authors propose the construct named customer intention to participate in service recovery (CIPSR), develop a scale for it and argue that it is not always implicit but rather is dependent on the consumer’s perceived control. Design/methodology/approach A multi-method approach was used with a combination of qualitative interviews, literature review, unaided dimension identification, correspondence analysis, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modelling to develop the CIPSR scale. The authors used structural equation modelling to test the proposed effect of perceived control on CIPSR. Findings The study proposes a four-dimensional scale for CIPSR. The authors also found support for the effect of perceived control on CIPSR, with anxiety and failure controllability attribution as intermediate variables. Originality/value This study develops a comprehensive scale to measure CIPSR using a rigorous multi-method technique, as well as establishes its importance in the existing literature.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-11-2022-0250 [Google]
Van Vaerenbergh, Y., A. Costers and A. Van den Broeck (2023): Work more, pay more? The impact of customer participation on customer pay-what-you-want payments, Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 33(3665), pp.820-841
Purpose The optimal level of customer participation is an important factor in service design. However, researchers know little about the impact of customer participation for their willingness to pay and hence organizations’ financial outcomes. This paper examines the impact of customer participation in a pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing system, allowing customers to pay any price they want for a product or service. Design/methodology/approach This paper reports the results of three experiments, in which the authors manipulated the level of customer participation (Study 1: Low versus high, Study 2: Medium versus high, Study 3: Low versus medium versus high) and measured customers’ PWYW payments (Studies 1–3), customer satisfaction (Studies 1–3), perceived equity (Study 3) and perceived enjoyment (Study 3). Studies 1 and 3 were scenario-based experiments, while study 2 was a field experiment. Study 3 was preregistered. Findings The results support a direct effect of customer participation in service production on customer PWYW payments, yet only when comparing low to high levels of customer participation. High levels of customer participation lead to a decrease in perceived equity and an increase in perceived enjoyment, which in turn spilled over to customer PWYW payments through customer satisfaction. Originality/value This research provides causal evidence at the individual level of analysis for the relationship between customer participation in service production and financial results. The paper also provides insights into its underlying mechanisms.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-07-2022-0148 [Google]
Xie, F., X. Zhang, J. Ye, L. Zhou, W. Zhang and F. Tian (2023): Understanding the role of customer incivility and supervisor monitoring in the relationship between customer orientation and frontline employees’ emotional exhaustion, Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 33(3666), pp.796-819
Purpose Based on the resource conservation theory, this research paper aims to evaluate the positive impact of customer orientation on frontline employees’ emotional exhaustion and the moderating effects of customer incivility and supervisor monitoring. Design/methodology/approach Two-wave data from 484 frontline employees in power supply business halls were analyzed. This study used AMOS 23.0, SPSS22.0 and PROCESS macro for data statistics and analysis. Findings Our empirical research demonstrates that customer orientation has a significant positive impact on frontline employees’ emotional exhaustion. At the same time, supervisor monitoring moderates the relationship between customer orientation and emotional exhaustion. The higher the interactional or observational monitoring, the stronger customer orientation’s effect on frontline employees’ emotional exhaustion. Moreover, a three-way interaction model exists between customer orientation, customer incivility and supervisor monitoring. Practical implications This study yields practical implications for helping the frontline employees of service-oriented organizations alleviate multiple interpersonal workplace pressures. Originality/value Based on resource conservation theory, this paper used a novel approach to focus on customer orientation, customer incivility and supervisor monitoring as interpersonal stressors.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-12-2022-0273 [Google]
Boloori, A. and S. Saghafian (2023): Health and Economic Impacts of Lockdown Policies in the Early Stage of COVID-19 in the United States, Service Science, 15(3667), pp.188-211
Lockdown policies, such as stay-at-home orders, are known to be effective in controlling the spread of the novel coronavirus disease 2019. However, concerns over economic burdens of these policies rapidly propelled U.S. states to move toward reopening in the early stage of the pandemic. Decision making in most states has been challenging, especially because of a dearth of quantitative evidence on health gains versus economic burdens of different policies. To assist decision makers, we study the health and economic impacts of various lockdown policies across U.S. states and shed light on policies that are most effective. To this end, we make use of detailed data from 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia on various factors, including number of tests, positive and negative results, hospitalizations, ICU beds and ventilators used, residents? mobility obtained from cellphone data, and deaths. Our analyses allow quantifying the total cost versus the total quality-adjusted life year (QALY) associated with various lockdown policies. We utilize a compartmental model with Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation to estimate the spread of disease. To calibrate our model separately for each U.S. state, we make use of empirical data on the intensity of intervention policies, age, ratio of Black/Hispanic populations, per capita income, residents? mobility, and number of daily tests and feed them to a longitudinal mixed-effect model. Finally, we utilize a microsimulation model to estimate the total cost and total QALY for each state and perform cost-effectiveness analysis to identify policies that would have worked best. Our results show that, compared with no intervention during March?June 2020, the policies undertaken across the United States saved, on average, about 41,284.51 years? worth of QALY (per 100K capita), incurring $164.01 million (per 100K capita). Had the states undertaken more strict policies during the same time frame than those they adopted, these values would be 44,909.41 years and $117.28 million, respectively. By quantifying the impact of various lockdown policies separately for each state, our results allow federal and state authorities to avoid following a ?one size fits all? strategy and instead enact policies that are better suited for each state. Specifically, by studying the trade-offs between health gains and economic impacts, we identify the particular states that would have benefited from implementing more restrictive policies. Finally, in addition to shedding light on the impact of lockdown policies during our study period (March?June 2020), our results have important implications on curbing future fast-spreading variants of the coronavirus or other related potential epidemics.Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/serv.2023.0321.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2023.0321 [Google]
Sloothaak, F., A. Akçay, G.-J. van Houtum and M. van der Heijden (2023): After-Sales Services During an Asset’s Lifetime: Collaborative Planning of System Upgrades, Service Science, 15(3668), pp.212-232
We consider a physical asset consisting of complex systems, where the systems may require upgrades during the lifetime of the asset. In practice, the asset owner and system supplier can make the upgrade decisions together, requiring a decision-support model that can be jointly used to optimize the total benefit for both parties. Motivated by a real-life use case including an asset owner and a system supplier, we build a continuous-time model to optimize the upgrade decisions of a system during the fixed lifetime of the asset. In our model, we capture the key critical factors that drive the upgrade decisions: increasing functionality requirements due to evolving technology, age-dependent maintenance costs, a predetermined overhaul plan of the asset, and the lifetime of the asset. A system upgrade is less costly if it is executed jointly with an asset overhaul. We first analyze the case with no additional cost of upgrading outside an overhaul. We analytically characterize the structure of the optimal upgrade policy under various realistic assumptions that lead to different types of cost functions. We then use these results as a building block to characterize the optimal policy for a generalized cost function. When there is a penalty for upgrading outside an overhaul moment, we propose a dynamic programming approach that efficiently determines the optimal upgrade policy by using our analytical results. We also prove that as this penalty increases, the optimal policy can only change to one where the number of upgrades not jointly executed with overhauls is reduced. However, the optimal number of upgrades is a nonincreasing function of this penalty. Also, surprisingly, more overhauls may lead to a smaller number of upgrades under the optimal policy.Funding: This publication is part of the project ?Maritime Remote Control Tower for Service Logistics Innovation (MARCONI)? (project 439.18.309) of the research program ?Integrator-Logistics as Enabler for Enhancing Society,? which is (partly) financed by the Dutch Research Council (NWO).
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2023.0318 [Google]
Wang, F. X. and C. Anderson (2023): How Firm Strategies Affect Consumer Biases in Online Reviews, Service Science, 15(3669), pp.172-187
Online reviews have become increasingly important to both consumers and businesses and, as a result, have attracted considerable research attention. However, all reviews are not created equal as consumers may differ in their propensities to leave reviews, often as a function of their satisfaction. To ensure a more representative customer voice, companies often utilize different strategies to moderate the biases in online reviews. The strategies deployed by many hospitality firms differ dramatically in both how reviews are collected and where they are posted. This study investigates four review-collection strategies of major hospitality companies and analyzes how each strategy affects review ratings and length. We find that the effort required to post a review impacts review characteristics. We show that reviews collected through self-motivation methods tend to be lower rated and longer, whereas reviews solicited from companies through poststay emails tend to exhibit different characteristics.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2023.0316 [Google]
Wang, Y., V. Choudhary and S. Yin (2023): Product Design Enhancement for Fashion Retailing, Service Science, 15(3670), pp.157-171
As the fashion industry increasingly embraces artificial intelligence (AI), we investigate how a fast-fashion retailer should choose between using a manual design strategy or an AI-assisted design strategy to enhance existing products. A manual design is a traditional and basic approach that involves human designers only, whereas an AI-assisted design is a more innovative approach that involves both human designers and AI technologies. In this paper, the overall product enhancement is measured by two key attributes: product quality and product trendiness. Product quality can be measured by the product?s longevity as reflected by the quality of the materials and types of fabric and stitching used, where the product?s improvement level can be determined by the retailer in a continuous range. Consequently, the retailer may choose different levels of product quality under different design strategies. The two design approaches also lead to different natures of product trendiness, which is reflected by features such as styles, new materials, and colors, to name just a few. Specifically, we assume that the traditional manual design can predict well how trendy or popular the new product is. Hence, the trendiness attribute under the manual design is deterministic. However, given the uncertain nature of the AI-assisted design technology and the needed coordination between human designers and the adopted technologies, the trendiness of the new product designed under the AI-assisted approach is assumed uncertain. Two sets of designing costs are considered in product enhancement: the fixed design cost that is irrespective of the production volume and the variable marginal cost. Our analysis of the base model highlights the importance of decomposing different costs in determining the optimal design strategy. Specifically, the manual design is preferred when the fixed cost carries more weight, whereas the AI-assisted design is preferred when the marginal cost is a more important factor. Moreover, a higher level of innovation uncertainty under the AI-assisted design gives this strategy an advantage over the manual design. In our extended models, we demonstrate that (1) these results are robust even if the retailer does not have the flexibility to offer the existing product when the AI-assisted design is unpopular, and (2) the relative position of human designers in the two design approaches has an impact on the effects of these costs.Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/serv.2023.0315.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2023.0315 [Google]
Kenar, G. and M. Yeşiltaş (2023): Service-oriented high performance human resource practices and proactive work behavior: A moderated mediation model, Service Industries Journal, (3671), pp.1-28
Service-oriented high-performance human resource practices are a very useful tool for ensuring service quality in the hospitality and tourism industry. Based on the social exchange theory, social learning theory, and the human resource management-performance model, this study investigates how and when service-oriented high-performance human resource practices influence positive employee behaviors. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of service-oriented high-performance human resource practices on proactive work behavior. The study further investigates the mediating role of service orientation and the moderating role of service leadership in this relationship. Data were analyzed using PROCESS macro. The results of the study revealed that service-oriented high-performance human resource practices directly trigger proactive work behavior, and service orientation has a mediating role in this relationship. Furthermore, service leadership has a moderated mediation role in the effect of service-oriented high-performance human resource practices on proactive work behavior through service orientation. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2023.2261857 [Google]
Sharma, G. D., B. Taheri, R. Chopra and J. S. Parihar (2023): Relationship between climate change and tourism: an integrative review, Service Industries Journal, (3672), pp.1-28
The relationship between tourism and climate change has been explored and studied for a considerable amount of time. In the past quarter-century, more specialised research has emerged, and most recently, the subject of adaptation has been highlighted as an essential study requirement in tourism and climate change studies. This study offers a comprehensive literature assessment on climate change and tourism to date. We did a Boolean-based search on Scopus and got 703 records, which were then analysed bibliometrically using the bibliometrix package of R. It covers adaptation issues, the characteristics of vulnerability in a tourism setting, and the ramifications of such research for local communities. This study illustrates the difficulties associated with the interdependence of climate change and tourism by presenting the most relevant authors, countries, key terms, and research fields. In addition to descriptive insights into the field, we provide the conceptual framework (keyword analysis and thematic map). In addition to bibliometrically evaluating the publications, we closely reviewed the sample studies to gain a more comprehensive picture of the literature on climate change and tourism. Our evaluation reveals significant knowledge gaps and offers future research and policy objectives. Our study has suggested multiple research avenues for this topic. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2023.2254714 [Google]
Karatepe, O. M., E. T. Ampofo, F. Asiedu-Appiah and F. Frempong (2023): Abusive supervision: serial and moderated mediation effects, Service Industries Journal, (3673), pp.1-25
Our paper proposed and tested a research model that examined the interrelationships of abusive supervision, on-the-job embeddedness (JE), affective commitment (AC) to the organization, knowledge sharing (KS), and social community at work using time-lagged data gathered from restaurant workers in Ghana. The findings based on PROCESS macro reveal that on-the JE and AC serially mediate the influence of abusive supervision on KS. The detrimental impact of abusive supervision on AC is stronger among restaurant workers with social community at work at low levels. The indirect negative effect of abusive supervision on KS through AC is stronger when restaurant workers’ social community at work is low. The aforementioned important findings and their implications are discussed. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2023.2270924 [Google]
Lira, E. G., N. Torres Júnior and R. A. O. Santos (2023): A classification scheme for productivity management in e-commerce services, Service Industries Journal, 43(3674), pp.1010-1033
This paper investigates service classification schemes in order to understand how to increase productivity in services. A useful model for this purpose is the one proposed by Schmenner in 2004. However, this model is limited to traditional services, and it does not consider the unique characteristics of e-commerce business, which create new trends in productivity management. Accordingly, we conduct a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to develop a classification scheme, which would be suitable for e-commerce services. Based on this research, a multidimensional model is proposed splitting the Schmenner’s ‘degree of variation’ dimension into two axes: degree of interaction with customers and degree of customisation for customers. In addition to these theoretical contributions to Schmenner’s matrix, the SLR complements the previous reviews presented by authors such as Cook, D. P., Goh, C., & Chung, C. H. (1999. Service typologies : A state of the art survey. Production and Operations Management, 8(3), 318–338) and Van der Valk, W., & Axelsson, B. (2015. Towards a managerially useful approach to classifying services. Journal of Purchasing and Supply Management, 21(2), 113–124). The value of this paper to managers is the recognition of differences in productivity management between these two types of services: managers can overcome the traditional trade-off cost versus customisation and explore e-commerce to increase their profits while increasing customisation for their customers. Moreover, the model proposed in this paper can be used to assist organisations in strategic planning and service portfolio management. (English)
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2019.1606905 [Google]
Bakri, M., J. Davey, J. Krisjanous and R. Maude (2023): Liminal digital birthspaces: social media and consumer proactivity for well-being, Journal of Services Marketing, 37(3675), pp.1059-1074
Purpose: Despite the prevalence of technology in health care, marketing research on social media in the birthspace is limited. The purpose of this paper is to explore how birthing women leverage social media for transformative well-being in the liminal context of birth. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative study of women who had recently experienced birth was undertaken. Thematic analysis of data from in-depth interviews reveals birthing women’s digital practices and social media capabilities for well-being in a liminal space. Findings: Within the birthspace, women use social media and digital platforms in an effortful and goal-directed way for role transitions and transformation, curating self and other history, goal striving and normalizing experience. These digital practice styles facilitate consumer integration of the liminal digital birthspace and in situ service encounter enabling diverse value outcomes. Drawing on liminality and social presence theories, the authors interpret these practices as demonstrating three interactive liminal stages of suspending, comprehending and transforming. Multi-modality and rapid connection afforded by digital devices and social media platforms provide social presence (according to perceived immediacy and intimacy) enabling transformative well-being outcomes. Originality/value: This study is unique, as it provides insights into the traditionally private health service experience of birth. Further, the authors extend the understanding of liminal spaces and use of digital technology, specifically for transformative outcomes, by proposing a framework of consumers’ digital practice styles for well-being in liminal spaces.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-03-2023-0119 [Google]
Banik, S. and F. K. Rabbanee (2023): Does status demotion in hierarchical loyalty programs foster relationship fading?, Journal of Services Marketing, 37(3676), pp.1087-1102
Purpose: Status demotion in hierarchical loyalty programs (HLPs) has received considerable academic attention. However, existing research is relatively silent on whether HLP status demotion fosters service relationship fading by influencing demoted customers’ psychological disengagement and the likelihood of patronage reduction. Drawing on the relationship fading literature and the stimulus–organism–response framework, this study aims to examine these effects. It further investigates the moderating role of psychological ownership on the links of status demotion with psychological disengagement and the likelihood of patronage reduction. Design/methodology/approach: Two studies (Studies 1 and 2) were conducted in the context of airline HLPs. Study 1 was a structured survey conducted among 213 demoted airline HLP customers in Australia, and Study 2 was an experiment conducted among 178 executive MBA students in Bangladesh. The PROCESS macro was used to test the moderated mediation model. Findings: The results of both studies show that HLP status demotion significantly influences customers’ psychological disengagement and the likelihood of patronage reduction. The findings also reveal that psychological disengagement mediates the relationship between status demotion and the likelihood of patronage reduction. Further, customers with high (low) psychological ownership feel high (less) psychological disengagement and show high (less) likelihood of patronage reduction due to their HLP status demotion. Originality/value: This study extends the existing literature on relationship marketing and HLPs by offering a better understanding of how and under what conditions status demotion elicits customers’ psychological disengagement and the likelihood of patronage reduction.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-06-2022-0199 [Google]
Chen, C. and D. Zhang (2023): Understanding consumers’ live-streaming shopping from a benefit–risk perspective, Journal of Services Marketing, 37(3677), pp.973-988
Purpose: The rapid development of live-streaming commerce has increased companies’ marketing effectiveness. While previous studies have explored the effects of its technical features on consumers, the effects of marketing-related factors remain unknown. This study aims to investigate the effects of the marketing elements of live-streaming commerce on consumers’ purchase intentions. Design/methodology/approach: The research model is derived from the Yale model and the benefit–risk framework. To test the study hypotheses, data were collected through a questionnaire survey of 392 live-streaming shoppers and analyzed using SmartPLS. Findings: The empirical results indicate that broadcaster competence and online crowding increase consumers’ perception of price attractiveness while reducing their perceived uncertainty. Information diagnosticity also reduces consumers’ perceived uncertainty. Furthermore, purchase intention is positively and negatively affected by perceived price attractiveness and perceived uncertainty, respectively. Finally, product scarcity moderates the relationships between broadcaster competence, online crowding, information diagnosticity, perceived price attractiveness and perceived uncertainty. Originality/value: The study identifies the different marketing elements in live-streaming commerce and their effects on consumers’ value evaluations and purchase intentions. The findings provide comprehensive insights into the antecedents of live-streaming shopping and offer new perceptions and recommendations for practitioners.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-04-2022-0143 [Google]
Del Giudice, O. N., M. Giraldo, L. Alkire and G. Orozco Restrepo (2023): Informal service economy: a research study of attitudes, motivations and practices among informal entrepreneurs, Journal of Services Marketing, 37(3678), pp.1004-1017
Purpose: This study aims to explore how the attitudes, motivations and practices of informal entrepreneurs, who choose service exclusion, prevent them from recognizing and taking advantage of transformative opportunities and embracing change. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted a two-year study to explore five types of informal entrepreneurs (musicians, street vendors, artists, owners of informal smoke shops and street food vendors). The authors used semi-structured interviews and applied thematic analysis (ATA) of popular music and narratives to shed light on their attitudes, motivations and practices. Findings: The study shows how potential service participants freely exclude themselves from services and transformative service initiatives, preventing them from realizing opportunities and embracing change that can improve their well-being. The study also demonstrates that to serve human needs fairly, service designers need to recognize that some actors require more attention and resources than others to achieve their potential. Originality/value: The study challenges the notion that any population experiencing vulnerability wants help and chooses to participate in transformative service initiatives. Service participants can, in fact, exclude themselves from services and transformative service initiatives by free will, demonstrating that service exclusion is a multidirectional phenomenon, not unidirectional. Additionally, the paper analyzes narratives gathered from aesthetic expressions, using principles of ATA, introducing music thematic analysis as a research approach.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-04-2022-0138 [Google]
Lu, H.-H. and C.-F. Chen (2023): How do influencers’ characteristics affect followers’ stickiness and well-being in the social media context?, Journal of Services Marketing, 37(3679), pp.1046-1058
Purpose: Drawing on source credibility theory, this study aims to explore the relationship between influencers’ characteristics and followers’ well-being through followers’ stickiness to influencers’ channels or posts. Design/methodology/approach: The authors gathered data through an online survey of 450 followers. The proposed hypotheses were examined using structural equation modeling. Findings: Results reveal that trustworthiness and physical attractiveness positively affect followers’ stickiness to influencers, while the influence of expertise is not evident. Stickiness has positive impacts on both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. The findings also show that stickiness mediates the relationships between physical attractiveness and trustworthiness toward both hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to explore the impact of influencers’ characteristics on followers’ stickiness to influencer webpages. The findings contribute to transformative service research and the theory of stickiness by deepening the understanding of how influencer characteristics contribute to followers’ well-being through the effect of users’ stickiness.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-11-2022-0363 [Google]
Moran, N., S. Shepherd and J. Alvarado (2023): Responsibilization during uncontrollable events: understanding how consumers assign and accept responsibility for service employee welfare, Journal of Services Marketing, 37(3680), pp.1075-1086
Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study how individuals assess responsibility during an uncontrollable event requiring collective action, using crises affecting service workers as contexts. Specifically, the authors examine what parties consumers hold responsible for ensuring service worker welfare following an uncontrollable event and determine what factors make customers more open to accepting responsibility for ensuring worker welfare themselves. Design/methodology/approach: The authors surveyed a nationally representative sample of US consumers regarding their attitudes toward protecting service workers during COVID-19 and used regression analysis to identify factors that predict attributions of responsibility to customers. The authors also conducted an experiment (using a new crisis context) to determine whether certain key factors impact customer perceptions of their own responsibility for helping employees during an uncontrollable event. Findings: The survey results show US consumers hold firms most responsible for worker welfare, followed by customers and, finally, government. When examining factors that drive attributions of responsibility for customers, perceptions of how sincere firms are in their efforts to help employees predict higher responsibility attributions, and experimental results confirm that higher perceived firm sincerity increases consumers’ own sense of responsibility toward workers. Social implications: This research identifies factors that affect consumer support for efforts to help service employees and collective action problems more generally. Originality/value: This research highlights an under-studied crisis context – uncontrollable events that require collective action – and shows how consumers make assessments about their own responsibility (in addition to the responsibility of the service firm) in these contexts.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-05-2022-0159 [Google]
Rios, R. E., H. E. Riquelme and A. Comai (2023): Virtually present others and their influence on complainants’ follow-ups and firm response, Journal of Services Marketing, 37(3681), pp.989-1003
Purpose: The purpose of this empirical research is to investigate the influence of interactive virtually present others (VPOs) on a firm response and customers’ reiterated complaints (follow-ups) during service failures. This research follows up on previous experimental studies that suggest VPOs affect the focal customers’ complaint intention. Design/methodology/approach: More than 16,000 posts (of complaints and complainants’ follow-ups) on 13 airline Facebook pages were analyzed using partial least squares. Findings: This empirical study found that customers’ complaints are attended to the extent the complaints are followed up with more comments as supported by VPOs suggesting a contagion effect. Besides, it appears, the squeaky wheel is the one that gets the grease. The interactive virtual presence of others does not have an effect on a firm response toward them, despite their support to complainants and calling the airline to act. Originality/value: To date, previous experimental studies have only featured a single VPO in potential complainants’ responses; however, in this empirical study the authors take into consideration the interaction of several VPOs in the service failure. Also, the focus is on the influence of VPOs on customers’ complaints rather than the other way around.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-08-2022-0276 [Google]
Saxena, G., S. Jain and S. Mishra (2023): Enhancing affective commitment through gamified services of luxury brands: role of game mechanics and self-congruity, Journal of Services Marketing, 37(3682), pp.1018-1031
Purpose: This study aims to examine the effect of consumers’ gaming motivations on customer–brand engagement and the potential of this engagement to develop self–brand connections and affective commitment toward luxury brands. Second, it explores if the setup game mechanics and self-congruity with the brand can strengthen the effectiveness of motivation to engage with gamification on customer–brand engagement and self-brand connection. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected through the survey method using a structured questionnaire. The sample comprised 249 millennial luxury consumers in India. Data analysis was conducted using AMOS 25 and PROCESS Macro for SPSS. Findings: The findings support the mediating role of customer–brand engagement and self–brand connection in the relationship between motivation to engage with gamification and affective commitment. While setup game mechanics and self-congruity with brand positively moderate the effect of motivation to engage with gamification on affective commitment via self–brand connection, a similar effect is not found for the relationship via customer–brand engagement. This study presents important implications for both marketers and academicians. Originality/value: This study applies the mechanics–dynamics–emotions framework and social exchange theory to explain gamified services as a cocreation process between consumers and luxury brands, fostering customer engagement, connection and commitment with the brands. It highlights the role of setup game mechanics and self-congruity in strengthening the effect of luxury consumers’ gaming motivations on engagement and connection with the brand.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-06-2022-0217 [Google]
Youn, K. and M. Cho (2023): Business types matter: new insights into the effects of anthropomorphic cues in AI chatbots, Journal of Services Marketing, 37(3683), pp.1032-1045
Purpose: This paper aims to examine the relationships between anthropomorphic cues (i.e. degrees of the humanized profile picture and naming) in artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots and business types (utilitarian-centered business vs hedonic-centered business) on consumers’ attitudes toward the AI chatbot and intentions to use the AI chatbot app and to accept the AI chatbot’s recommendation. Design/methodology/approach: An online experiment with a 2 (humanized profile pictures: low [semihumanoid] vs high [full-humanoid]) × 2 (naming: Mary vs virtual assistant) × 2 (business types: utilitarian-centered business [bank] vs hedonic-centered business [café]) between-subjects design (N = 520 Mturk samples) was used. Findings: The results of this study show significant main effects of anthropomorphic cues (i.e. degrees of profile picture and naming) in AI chatbots and three-way interactions among humanized profile pictures, naming and business types (utilitarian-centered business vs hedonic-centered business) on consumers’ attitudes toward the AI chatbot, intentions to use the AI chatbot app and intentions to accept the AI chatbot’s recommendation. This indicates that the high level of anthropomorphism generates more positive attitudes toward the AI chatbot and intentions to use the AI chatbot app and to accept the AI chatbot’s recommendation in the hedonic-centered business condition. Moreover, the mediated role of parasocial interaction occurs in this relationship. Originality/value: This study is the original endeavor to examine the moderating role of business types influencing the effect of anthropomorphism on consumers’ responses, while existing literature overweighted the value of anthropomorphism in AI chatbots without considering the variation of businesses.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-04-2022-0126 [Google]
