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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Zeithaml, V. A. (2026): Measuring customer perceptions of innovativeness, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
Purpose-Kunz et al.’s (2011) earlier research presented the first customer-centric measurement of firm innovativeness and its links to consumer loyalty and shareholder value. Other research shows the relationship between innovativeness and customer value co-creation (Kim et al., 2018), as well as the fact that it guides customer comparisons of competing firms Kurtmollaiev et al. (2022). If customer innovativeness is as pivotal as the many citations in the Kunz paper show, then customer innovativeness measurement is essential to demonstrate these linkages and validate the contentions in previous research using company-focused measures. Design/methodology/approach-I focus on the additional ways to examine and measure perceived innovativeness based on what I have learned from scale development with my colleagues Len Berry and Parsu Parasuraman. Each of the SERVQUAL lessons learned has a direct bearing on alternative approaches to measuring perceived innovativeness. In the following sections, I will describe SERVQUAL and what we learned from that measurement, then discuss how it could be applied to perceived innovativeness. Findings-I challenge other researchers to conduct studies similar to the SERVQUAL studies to develop an instrument that companies can adapt to their situations. Research limitations/implications-Kunz et al. infer from their analysis that young customers and the elderly view innovativeness differently. Does that mean that we need different scales for the different subgroups? Or can one overall scale capture both segments? If a company serves only one of the segments, such as in the restaurant industry, separate scales would be preferable because it can then focus completely on its target segment and not give incorrect or too broad messages about its innovativeness. However, I contend that if they want to test empirically their inferences about the differences between young and old, they need an overall scale. One way they can do this is to conduct focus groups with each segment and then create an overall scale that contains both aspects found in the two focus groups. Practical implications-Understanding innovativeness at a company level can help firms assess how they are perceived by customers. Originality/value-I challenge researchers to extend the work of Kunz to create a measurement instrument to assess perceived innovativeness.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-08-2025-0397 [Google]
Belghiti, S., W. Hammedi, T. Leclercq and B. Henkens (2026): From smart service systems to smart service relationships (SSRs): conceptualization, dynamics, and practices, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
PurposeAs smart objects penetrate daily life, they transform service systems by connecting diverse actors (individuals, organizations and objects). Despite their relational potential, these smart service systems often fail to foster sustainable relationships, emphasizing technological features over human dynamics. Existing research largely focuses on technology and human-technology dyadic interactions, overlooking complex multi-actor relational dynamics. This paper addresses this critical gap by conceptualizing smart service systems through a relational lens, introducing the concept of smart service relationships (SSRs). Design/methodology/approachUsing an integrative review of 196 top-tier journal articles (2003-2025), fragmented literature on smart service systems is integrated to build a new conceptual framework. FindingsWe define SSRs as multi-actor, human-centered relationships that occur not only with but also through smart objects. The framework introduces three building blocks: first, SSR dimensions, interconnectedness and data agency, that influence how value emerges. Second, SSR value outcomes: enabled, disabled, instrumentalized and vulnerable smart relational value. These outcomes capture the asymmetric, dynamic nature of value in smart service systems. Third, SSR enablers: smart relational practices that enable actors to shift between value outcomes over time. Practical implicationsFindings are cross-validated and translated into actionable strategies through expert interviews. Originality/valueThis is the first study to conceptualize smart service systems through a relational perspective. It extends existing research by emphasizing systemic human interdependencies over technological features and introduces a nuanced, process-based comprehension of relational value.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-01-2025-0039 [Google]
Bongiovanni, I., D. Goyeneche, E. Tsen, E. C. James, P. Singh and R. Ko (2025): Cyber-attackers as a social force: conceptualizing value sabotage in cybersecurity services, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
PurposeThis paper examines the role of cyber-attackers as a critical social force within the cybersecurity service ecosystem. We propose a conceptual framework that integrates attackers into the traditional service triad, reframing them as attackers who influence value co-creation and service dynamics within the cybersecurity industry, particularly in the context of Cybersecurity-as-a-Service (CSaaS). We conclude that cyber-attackers represent agents of “value sabotage,” a novel concept that captures how threat actors reshape service dynamics.Design/methodology/approachThe study draws on a review of service management and cybersecurity literature, complemented by case studies of notable cyber-attacks. Building on service-dominant logic and ecosystem theory, a conceptual framework is developed, positioning attackers as influential disruptors within the CSaaS ecosystem.FindingsThe findings reveal attackers as adversarial social forces driving innovation and adaptation in the CSaaS ecosystem. An analysis of their motivations and strategies reveals how their actions compel organizations and service providers to prioritize resilience and defensive value co-creation. In turn, attackers’ actions “sabotage” the value co-creation process. Our proposed framework demonstrates a transition from dyadic to triadic service interactions, incorporating attackers as critical agents.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research could explore the generalizability of this framework across other industries and more specific comparisons between value sabotage and value co-destruction. Additional social forces could also be considered, such as regulators and end-customers (pentadic model).Practical implicationsThe findings underscore the need for organizations to adopt adaptive service strategies that prioritize resilience, threat anticipation and collaboration to counter cyber-attacks.Originality/valueThis paper uniquely positions attackers as active contributors to the service ecosystem, extending service theory and challenging conventional notions of value co-creation in service management through the novel concept of “value sabotage.” Framing attackers as malicious orchestrators of disruption, our work offers a new lens to understand how threat actors shape service design, resilience and co-creation strategies in digitally mediated service environments.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-12-2024-0537 [Google]
Chou, S.-Y. (2025): Employee-customer relationships: facilitator or barrier for the integration of service robots in frontline service environments, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to advance the field of employee-robot collaboration. It adopts a relationship marketing perspective to examine how employee-customer relational bonds facilitate or hinder the adoption of collaborative service robots. It further contributes to understanding customer experience and highlights the complementary roles of employees and robots in service delivery.Design/methodology/approachThe study collected 345 valid questionnaires from catering services, hospitality, travel and tourism and retail. The data underwent reliability and validity analyses. A structural model test was performed to verify the proposed hypotheses.FindingsFirst, collaborative service robot functionality and social capability significantly positively impact their perception of collaborative robot service quality and their intention to adopt robots integrated in frontline service environments. Second, frontline employees’ financial bonds weaken the relationship between collaborative service robot functionality and perceived service quality. Third, frontline employees’ social bonds also weaken the relationship between collaborative service robot functionality, social capability and perceived service quality. Finally, frontline employees’ structural bonds strengthen the relationship between collaborative service robot functionality and perceived service quality.Originality/valueThis study investigates whether employee-customer relational bonds facilitate or hinder the integration of service robots with employees in frontline service environments. This study applies social exchange theory to understand the role and value of frontline employees within the robot-employee-customer service triad. This understanding is essential for optimizing employee-robot integration and improving overall service quality.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-10-2023-0416 [Google]
Fedji, A., T. W. Andreassen and L. Witell (2026): The innovation-sustainability nexus: how communication channels shape perceptions and outcomes, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
PurposeAs corporate sustainability becomes increasingly scrutinized, firms must navigate the strategic role of innovation and sustainability to build competitive advantage. This study examines the relationships between social and digital innovation, perceived innovativeness, relative attractiveness, and sustainability while assessing how sustainability communication – annual reports vs. social media – influences these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThis research combines data from four primary sources: (1) the Norwegian innovation index, (2) the Norwegian customer barometer, (3) social media data, and (4) annual reports. Extending the Norwegian Innovation Index framework, this study uses partial least squares (PLS-SEM) to analyze how firms’ innovation efforts interact with sustainability communication to create relative attractiveness.FindingsDigital innovation indirectly influences perceived innovativeness through social innovation, highlighting the critical role the latter plays in shaping perceived innovativeness. As expected, both perceived innovativeness and sustainability enhance relative attractiveness, suggesting that firms seen as both innovative and sustainable are also viewed as more attractive. The effects of sustainability communication suggest that communication about which sustainability initiatives firms engage in through social media has negative effects, while communication in annual reports of what sustainability initiatives have been done has positive effects. This suggests that sustainability communication has to be treated strategically to avoid the risk of being viewed as green- or wokewashing.Originality/valueThis study contributes to sustainability and innovation literature by highlighting the interplay between innovation, sustainability, and relative attractiveness. The findings offer actionable insights for managers on communication strategies to maintain credibility and a competitive advantage in an era of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) movement backlash. Future research should explore industry-specific communication strategies and the evolving impact of social media on different stakeholders.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-04-2025-0186 [Google]
Gupta, K., D. Funk and T. Kunkel (2026): Gameful affordance management for engagement and retention (GAMER) framework: organizational practices to manage consumer affordances in gamified services, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
PurposeA gap between theory and practice in managing gamified services can hinder consumer engagement and retention. A practice lens is used to identify affordance-centered organizational practices and provide insights into how these practices manage gameful affordances for sustained engagement and consumer retention in gamified services.Design/methodology/approachExecutives at 16 different organizations involved in decision-making related to the design of gamified sport and entertainment services were interviewed. A midrange scheme approach was used to conduct a reflexive thematic analysis, resulting in the generation of themes, a narrative description and the development of a framework.FindingsOrganizations engage in four affordance-centered organizational practices – torture gap testing, community building, novel experience management and need treadmill generation – to manage gameful affordance for sustained engagement and consumer retention in gamified services. These practices emerge from ongoing sensemaking processes and reflect how organizations strategically manage consumers’ affordances through the orchestration of game design elements.Originality/valueA Gameful Affordance Management for Engagement and Retention (GAMER) framework for gamified services is developed to (1) bridge the gap between theoretical understanding of factors’ influencing consumer engagement and retention outcomes in gamified services and practices undertaken by organizations to achieve these outcomes and (2) highlight the interconnected and iterative affordance-centered organizational practices that are a interlinked with practitioners’ sensemaking processes. The framework offers actionable insights to practitioners wanting to build a loyal consumer base for their gamified service.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-07-2024-0300 [Google]
Jha, G., J. Wright, A. Singhal, Y. Zhang, J. Burton and J. R. McColl-Kennedy (2026): Addressing vulnerability in customer experience with AI-agents, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
Purpose – Artificial intelligence (AI) agents have the potential to fundamentally change customer experience (CX) by addressing vulnerability. Advancements in AI offer service accessibility and responsiveness, providing scope for improved customer experience. Any consumer can be vulnerable, depending on context, and as AI-agents proliferate, there is a risk that these agents prioritize interests of more powerful service providers over consumers. Instead, we envision personal AI-agents advocating on behalf of consumers, improving access to services, enhancing CX and shifting power from providers to consumers. Design/methodology/approach – This conceptual theory-adaptation paper first synthesizes literature on consumer vulnerability to advance understanding of vulnerability in customer experience (CXV). Agency theory is then applied as a theoretical lens, building on the notion of perceived control applied to design personal AI-agents to act on behalf of consumers experiencing vulnerability. Findings – Drawing on vulnerability, CX and AI in service literature, this paper, first, proposes a novel CXV conceptual framework to design personal AI-agents to enhance CX. Our conceptual framework identifies five design attributes that personal AI-agents should exhibit, underpinned by rebalancing perceived control from service providers, handing agency back to consumers. Second, we provide an actionable design framework comprising four archetypes to guide practice. Third, a compelling research agenda is offered to guide future research on addressing vulnerability in customer experience with personal AI-agents. Practical implications – This paper provides practical guidance for agnostic third-party designers to develop personal AI-agents that can rebalance service provider interests with consumer advocacy. To design personal AI-agents, we propose four design archetypes in our 2×2 design framework: (1) service orchestrator, (2) protective sentinel, (3) reliable intermediary and (4) autonomous ally based on the five design attributes, tailored to meet the needs and preferences of consumers experiencing vulnerability. Originality/value – This paper summarizes consumer vulnerability literature, developing the definition to provide a foundation for our five design attributes of personal AI-agents depicted in our CxV conceptual framework. This is integrated with practical illustrative vignettes of experiences, bodies, processes and regulations relating to real-world value delivery by AI-agents on behalf of consumers in service settings.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-04-2025-0182 [Google]
Shaikh, M., A. Joseph, H. Zhao, A. Al Assadi, J. H. Bluemel, D. Diaz and M. Zaki (2026): AI agents in service experience: towards autonomous and conscious agency, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
PurposeDespite rapid advancements in AI and large language models (LLMs), there remains a critical gap in understanding how AI agents function as service actors and how they influence service processes and outcomes. This study addresses this gap by integrating AI agency and service experience dimensions, categorizing AI capabilities across six levels, from passive automation to fully conscious AI, and examining their impact on service workflows, human and multi-agent collaboration, and decision-making.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopts a conceptual approach, drawing from literature on service experience and AI agency. It illustrates real-world applications of AI agents in service settings and outlines a future research agenda to explore the strategic and ethical implications of AI-driven service ecosystems.FindingsAI agents transform service experiences by shaping action, collaboration, processes, outcomes, and learning. Automaticity AI enhances process efficiency through task automation but lacks adaptability, while Relational AI improves personalization in customer and employee engagement. Cognitive AI enables data-driven decision-making, whereas Autonomous AI optimizes workflows without human oversight. Innovator AI drives service transformation, generating novel solutions such as AI-driven drug discovery, while Conscious Organizational AI raises governance and ethical concerns for strategic decision makers.Originality/valueThis study advances AI agency theory in service experience, offering a structured framework to guide AI agent integration and its impact on context, process, collaboration, action, outcome and learning.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-04-2025-0187 [Google]
Snyder, H., L. Witell, A. C. R. Van Riel, T. Magor, S. Lutze and U. S. Bougoure (2026): Balancing truth and lies: ethical management of AI in service encounters, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
Purpose – This article aims to investigate the management of artificial intelligence (AI) as a frontline service technology in service encounters and its associated ethical aspects. It specifically examines the phenomenon of lying by proxy, in which AI, under human direction, may distort the truth to varying degrees, from white lies to significant fabrications. Design/methodology/approach – Using a conceptual approach, the study reviews existing literature on deceptive behaviors in service encounters and explores AI’s dual potential as both a substitute for and complement to frontline employees. It employs illustrative mini cases to demonstrate how the proposed conceptual framework applies to real-world contexts, emphasizing AI’s role in service delivery. Findings – The paper introduces a framework to guide organizations in the ethical use of AI within service encounters. It emphasizes the importance of aligning AI applications with ethical standards to preserve trust and legal compliance while highlighting AI’s potential to enhance customer experiences without breaching ethical limits. Research limitations/implications – From a managerial perspective, the study provides guidance on the ethical deployment of AI in service encounters, offering strategies to balance enhanced customer experiences with transparency and honesty. Theoretically, it extends the understanding of service encounters by recognizing AI not merely as a passive frontline service technology but as an active participant capable of shaping service interactions through its capacity for deception. Originality/value – This work contributes to the discourse on service management, ethics and customer experience by demonstrating how AI can be strategically managed to lie by proxy in a controlled and ethically responsible manner. The proposed framework and accompanying research agenda offer directions for future studies on integrating AI as a frontline service technology, ensuring that AI strengthens rather than undermines customer and societal trust in business.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-12-2024-0538 [Google]
Sun, R., S. Qin, D. Lv, Q. Zhu, J. Zuo and W. Tang (2026): Impact of task type and explanation of failure reasons on users’ willingness to forgive in generative artificial intelligence: cognitive neural mechanisms, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
PurposeBy virtue of its own powerful generation ability, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has been widely used in many service scenarios. However, the situation of service failure still cannot be completely avoided. Currently, the exploration of remedy strategies that match the unique capabilities of GenAI is still in an insufficient state. Therefore, this study aims to explore the impact of different task types and failure attribution explanations on users’ forgiveness willingness in the context of GenAI.Design/Methodology/ApproachThis study integrates the associative-propositional evaluation (APE) model and expectancy disconfirmation theory (EDT), employing a multi-study approach with scenario-based experiments and event-related potential (ERP) technology. Study 1a (N = 480) utilized a 2 (task type: innovative vs. mechanical) x 2 (explanation of failure reasons: internal vs. external) x 2 (severity of failure: mild vs. severe) between-subjects scenario experiment to measure users’ deliberate forgiveness attitudes. In the general daily consumption scenario, Study 1b carried out relevant explorations (N = 287), using a between-subjects design of 2 (task types) x 2 (explanation of failure reasons) to test the stability of the core mechanism. Study 2 is an ERP experiment of 2 (task types) x 2 (explanation of failure reasons), capturing the key neural components N2 and P3, so as to track the automatic and implicit neural responses of users when facing AI explanations in real time.FindingsStudy 1 shows an extremely obvious three-way interaction among task type, failure severity and failure reason explanation, and this interaction is tightly dependent on specific situations. ERP data show that there is a two-stage neural processing flow: first, the cognitive conflict caused by “task expectation-reality” is quickly detected by the interaction of N2 amplitude; then the P3 component reflects that the brain will allocate more cognitive resources to deal with the higher uncertainty brought by external attribution.Practical implicationsThis exploration has directly given experiential guidance to the design and interaction strategies of artificial intelligence products. AI service recovery systems must abandon the “one-size-fits-all” apology template and instead develop adaptive strategies that can dynamically adjust based on the nature of the task, the consequences of failure and the user’s history.Originality/ValueFor the first time, the APE model and EDT were integrated and applied to the failure scenarios of GenAI services, and the applicable boundaries of the traditional attribution theory in the field of human-computer interaction were corrected. In terms of methodology, it innovatively combines behavioral experiments with ERP neural experiments, providing cross-level and more powerful evidence for the “dual-path” psychological mechanism of user forgiveness than a single method.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-02-2025-0045 [Google]
Timor-Shlevin, S. (2026): Critical engagement as social-justice-informed public service management: transcending the resistance framework, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
PurposeIn the last few decades, market-rationality approaches have dominated social services operation and management. As a result, scholars have often assumed that social services would follow economic and systemic norms or take critical and social-justice-informed perspectives in opposition to systemic demands. This study employed paradox theory and critical management studies (CMS) to explore the gap in the current construction of the resistance framework and offer a transcending view of critical managerialism.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study followed the experiences, perceptions, and practices of 32 social services department managers in Israel who are involved in critical practices. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, and a phenomenological analysis was employed to examine them.FindingsThe managers highlighted two main themes. The first is the dissolution of systemic responsibility towards social services, marginalized groups, and the manager’s autonomy and discretion. The second is engaged critical practice, reflected in participants’ ideological commitment to social justice. Such practices allow systemic shareholders to take comprehensive responsibility for their citizens.Originality/valueThe analysis of the manager’s navigation of the paradox of systemic vs. critical rationalities made it possible to expand the resistance framework beyond its current construction and reframe critical practice as an act of connection and shared responsibility. The discussion contributes to both the paradox and CMS frameworks, highlighting practical implications for the broader service field.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-03-2025-0149 [Google]
Waelbers, B., A. P. Henkel and S. Bromuri (2026): Augmenting human service agents with intelligent technologies, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, 37(6), pp.26–49
Purpose-This literature review examines how core intelligent technological capabilities, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing, augment rather than replace service agents across the various stages and tasks of customer service interactions. Design/methodology/approach-This study provides a systematic and cross-disciplinary review of empirical studies on applications of technology in human-to-human service interactions published over the last decade. The resulting 99 studies are analyzed using thematic mapping and interpreted through the lens of socio-technical systems theory and service-dominant logic. Findings-The thematic mapping revealed six central themes on the integration of technology in human-to-human service interactions: (1) pre-service optimization, (2) interaction intelligence, (3) service agent wellbeing, (4) service agent monitoring, (5) emotion work and (6) collaborative service. These themes are organized into a conceptual framework that highlights key tensions and boundary conditions, forming the basis for a comprehensive future research agenda. Practical implications-The findings underscore the importance of ahuman-centered approach, demonstrating how technology can enhance service agent roles, promote well-being, and enable collaboration in customer service. Originality/value-The review shifts the focus from technology replacing service agents to technology augmenting their roles. It contributes new insights into how augmentation enhances service agent effectiveness, efficiency and well-being, offering a foundation for sustainable improvements in service interactions.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-01-2025-0035 [Google]
Zhang, W., L. Wu and S. Q. Liu (2026): Understanding AI service failures: insights from attribution theory, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
PurposeDespite the rapid proliferation of AI services, scholarly examinations on the AI service failures remain sparse. This research aims to investigate AI service failures via the lens of the attribution theory.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on the attribution theory, this research proposes a framework on AI service failures. Leveraging a large scale of negative online reviews of AI services and an annotation survey, our research examined consumers’ attributions of AI service failures by locus of causality, controllability and intentionality.FindingsAI service failures can be classified by locus of causality into AI Algorithm Failures, Delivery Medium Failures and Commercial System Failures. Failures with distinct loci of causality can be associated with different levels of perceived controllability and intentionality; these perceptions are further associated with service evaluations.Practical implicationsThe findings offer important implications on the management of AI services and relevant strategies to effectively mitigate and handle AI service failures.Originality/valueOur research proposes a novel theoretical framework on AI service failures. Dovetailing attribution theory and service system thinking, our research reveals the attribution process of AI service failures toward diverse entities within the complex AI service system.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-08-2024-0354 [Google]
Cao, F., Y. Zhu and W. Song (2026): Investigating the influence of resource-capability bundles on firm performance in manufacturing servitization, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, 36(2), pp.296–319
PurposeThe main objective of this research is to advance the understanding of the resource-capability bundles and servitized firms’ performance linkage by considering the mechanism of complementarity between resources and capabilities.Design/methodology/approachThe study conducted an exploratory study of 83 equipment manufacturing companies from the theoretical perspective of resource-based view based on mixed content analysis (automated and manual) and set theory analysis.FindingsOur study finds that co-presence of intangible resources and capabilities is often associated with high servitized firm performance. The findings also suggest that management systems play critical roles in holding together other resources and capabilities in the effective bundles because management systems often work as complements. Paradoxically, human resources – a type of resource widely believed to be positively associated with firm performance – decrease the effectiveness of the resources and capabilities bundle.Originality/valueOur research unboxes the framework of the mixed effects of resources and capabilities on servitized firm profits. Analyzing the complex complementarities between various resources and capabilities through this unique framework provides a more nuanced perspective. In addition, this is the first study to explore the impact of resource and capability bundles on the performance of equipment manufacturing firms from a configuration perspective.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-03-2025-0079 [Google]
Huang, Y. and Y. Yin (2026): Task i-deals and professional service performance: knowledge collecting as mediator and role breadth self-efficacy as moderator, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, (), pp.
PurposeProfessional service performance depends on the psychological and knowledge resources of front-line employees. However, the mismatch between the resources possessed by employees and the job demands leads to insufficient alignment, thereby restricting the improvement of professional service performance. We examine how task-related idiosyncratic deals (task i-deals) influence professional service performance. Drawing from conservation of resources theory, we develop a moderated mediation model that posits knowledge collection as a mediator and role breadth self-efficacy as a moderator.Design/methodology/approachWe utilize a matched questionnaire dataset from managers and professional service employees at two professional service firms. The structural equation modeling method and the latent moderated structural equations (LMS) approach were used to test the theoretical hypothesis.FindingsThe results indicate that task i-deals have a positive effect on employees’ professional service performance through the mediating role of knowledge collecting. In addition, RBSE can moderate the mediated relationship; specifically, when RBSE is high, this mediated relationship will be weaker.Originality/valueExisting research has recognized the impact of standardized human resource management on professional service performance but has overlooked the critical role of the match between employees’ individual resources and job demands. By introducing task i-deals, this study shifts the focus to personalized work design. We contribute by demonstrating how such “resource match” enhances professional service performance, thereby offering a novel perspective on the antecedents of professional service performance.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-02-2025-0063 [Google]
Hwang, B.-N., P. Puntha and S. Jitanugoon (2026): Human-centric AI: transforming service ecosystems for inclusivity and excellence in resource-constrained contexts, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to examine how artificial intelligence (AI) acts as a transformative force within service ecosystems, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It investigates the mechanisms through which AI drives service design innovation, optimizes stakeholder experiences, reduces systemic frictions and fosters inclusive outcomes that contribute to service excellence in resource-constrained contexts.Design/methodology/approachA sequential mixed-methods approach was employed. In-depth interviews with SME service leaders across healthcare, retail and hospitality sectors informed a structural model, which was subsequently tested using survey data from 444 SMEs. Thematic analysis and partial least squares structural equation modeling were used to integrate qualitative and quantitative insights.FindingsThe findings reveal that AI enables adaptive service design and personalized stakeholder engagement, while also minimizing technological and procedural frictions. Crucially, inclusivity emerged not as a byproduct but as a central mechanism linking AI integration to service excellence. However, realizing these benefits requires intentional design, human oversight and context-sensitive implementation – especially in digitally evolving, resource-constrained environments.Practical implicationsThis study provides actionable guidance for service managers and policymakers, emphasizing the importance of adopting hybrid AI-human models, implementing participatory design approaches and developing AI governance strategies that promote inclusivity. These practices support innovation while promoting sustained stakeholder engagement and long-term ecosystem adaptability.Originality/valueThis study reconceptualizes AI as a transformative operant resource that drives inclusivity-driven, stakeholder-centered service innovation in resource-constrained contexts. It contributes to service-dominant logic by illustrating how AI technologies support value co-creation across diverse actors within service ecosystems in resource-constrained contexts. By focusing on SMEs in a digitally evolving context in resource-constrained contexts, the study sheds light on how AI-enabled mechanisms can support inclusivity in service excellence, providing an empirically grounded framework relevant to both researchers and practitioners.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-01-2025-0017 [Google]
Ke, J., Q. Wang, H. Zheng and X. Zhou (2026): Installing resources into low occupational status frontline public employees: how and when inclusive climate fosters proactive service performance, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, 36(2), pp.274–295
Purpose High-quality public service delivery depends on the proactive service performance (PSP) of frontline public employees (FLPEs). However, few scholars realize that some types of FLPEs belong to low occupational status groups that need organizational inclusion. This study aims to explore how to motivate the low occupational status FLPEs’ PSP.Design/methodology/approach This study employed a three-wave survey of 287 respondents nested in 44 administrative approval service centers in Beijing, China.Findings The results demonstrate that an inclusive climate positively affects PSP through work meaningfulness. Moreover, the mediating effect of work meaningfulness is stronger under high perceived dissimilarity and high service climate.Practical implications The findings contribute to FLPEs’ coping behavior management practices.Originality/value PSP is critical to high-quality public service delivery. However, existing literature generally assumes that FLPEs possess equal status, overlooking the challenges posed by the occupational status differences. This study provides a comprehensive understanding of how to motivate PSP of low occupational status FLPEs.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-03-2025-0111 [Google]
Liu, B., Y. Cai, F. Zhao, Y. Ling, F. Yu and C. Luo (2026): When digital transformation meets service innovation: unlocking the mechanisms and consequences of peer effects, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, (), pp.
PurposeThe service sector, traditionally seen as less technology-intensive, is now actively pursuing digital transformation. However, the role of peer effects in this process and their impact on financial and innovative performance remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the existence and mechanisms of peer effects in the digital transformation of service firms and their consequences for financial and innovative outcomes.Design/methodology/approachUsing empirical data from listed Chinese service enterprises, this study employs ordinary least squares regression to examine industry and geographic peer effects in digital transformation. Text analysis is used to measure the extent of digital transformation.FindingsResults reveal a significant industry peer effect in digital transformation, primarily driven by rivalry-based imitation. This effect enhances short-term and long-term financial performance but diminishes exploratory innovation. In contrast, geographic peer effects are not significant. These findings highlight the critical role of competition in shaping digital transformation strategies within the service sector.Originality/valueThis study advances the literature on peer effects, digital transformation and service innovation by exploring the mechanisms of peer effects in less technology-intensive service sectors and identifying their impact on financial and innovative performance. The findings provide valuable insights for practitioners and scholars seeking to manage peer influence for short-term and long-term performance while addressing challenges to exploratory innovation in the service sector.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-07-2025-0261 [Google]
Shukla, Y., S. Malodia, W. H. Kunz and M. Francesca (2025): Unlocking immersion economy: expanding the boundaries of immersive service experience, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, 35(5), pp.661–667
Purpose: This article conceptualizes immersive service experiences (ISEs) as the core of an emerging “Immersion Economy,” where value creation is driven less by functional performance and more by the depth of sensory, cognitive and emotional absorption that services can evoke. ISE is defined as a technology-enabled, holistic and interactive process that deliberately orchestrates emotional, cognitive and behavioral immersion across augmented, virtual and blended realities, clearly distinguishing it from related constructs such as flow, presence and engagement. To consolidate fragmented insights, the authors introduce the Immersive Service Experience Framework (ISEF), a process-oriented, multi-level model that links foundational technological and design enablers (e.g. VR/AR environments, AI and GenAI personalization, neuro-interfaces and multisensory simulations) with cognitive, emotional and social mechanisms of immersion and their outcomes at individual, organizational and societal levels. The framework highlights value-creating effects such as satisfaction, empowerment, loyalty, innovation and inclusivity, while also emphasizing dark-side risks including techno-fatigue, manipulative persuasion, digital exclusion and intensified privacy concerns, moderated by human–AI role allocation, user readiness, regulation and culture. Drawing on contributions from contexts such as retail, hospitality, healthcare and social media payment platforms, the article shows how immersive technologies transform customer experiences into lived simulations that reshape trust, decision-making and value co-creation. It advances service theory by extending service-dominant logic, transformative service research and service quality theory to account for immersive, adaptive and ethically charged service environments, and it articulates a future research agenda focused on measurement development, human–AI collaboration, ethical governance and the societal impact of ISE.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-09-2025-475 [Google]
Thakur, S. and S. K. Jena (2026): Servitization and financial performance: examining the moderating roles of financial and operational slack, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, (), pp.
PurposeThis study examines the impact of service scale and service scope on the financial performance of manufacturing firms, while considering the moderating roles of financial and operational slack.Design/methodology/approachThe research tests the hypotheses using panel data from 673 manufacturing firms listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange from 2019 to 2023.FindingsThe results reveal that both service scale and scope significantly improve financial performance. However, financial slack negatively moderates the relationship between service scale, scope and performance. Alternatively, operational slack increases the positive effects of service scale and scope on financial outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focuses on financial and operational slack, excluding strategic and human resource slack, which may also influence financial performance.Practical implicationsThe research offers valuable insights for managers, demonstrating that both the dimensions of servitization can improve financial performance. Specifically, firms with lower operational slack see increased returns from service scale, while those with higher operational slack benefit more from service scope.Originality/valueThis study enriches the servitization literature by highlighting the financial benefit of both service scale and scope. It is the first study to empirically verify the moderating effects of financial and operational slack on the relationship between dual servitization dimensions and financial performance.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-10-2024-0332 [Google]
Rehman, M. A., A. De Keyser, E.-L. Oikarinen and M. Juntunen (2026): Mapping the co-evolution of customer experience and customer journey research: a bibliometric review and future research agenda, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, 36(2), pp.320–354
PurposeDespite extensive literature reviews examining customer experience (CX) and the customer journey (CJ) separately, a comprehensive historical analysis that systematically explores their connection and co-evolution is lacking. Addressing this gap, the present study aims to systematically examine the emergence and co-evolution of CX and CJ research. Design/methodology/approachA bibliometric-based review analyzed metadata from 1,634 scholarly articles (1,328 on CX and 306 on CJ), which were systematically retrieved from the Web of Science database using rigorous selection criteria. This article employs science mapping (i.e. thematic evolution and map) and automated content analysis (i.e. concept map) by using Bibliometrix and LexiPortal. FindingsThis article maps the intellectual evolution of CX and CJ research over four decades, revealing five distinct periods characterized by shifts in focus, from early work on satisfaction and service quality to increasingly complex and technology-enhanced experiences. The analysis uncovers how CX and CJ have developed in parallel and often interwoven ways. Synthesizing these insights, the study introduces a future research agenda structured around three core building blocks of CX/CJ: Touchpoints, Contexts and Qualities. Originality/valueThis study advances the service literature by offering a longitudinal, evidence-based view of how CX and CJ research have evolved, highlighting their growing integration and conceptual refinement. It helps clarify the intellectual roots and key developments in both fields, guiding future scholarship. For practitioners, the findings offer a clearer foundation to navigate the complexity of customer interactions and design more coherent, inclusive and transformative experiences.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-03-2025-0103 [Google]
Singh, R., A. Kumar, S. Varshney and S. Samyal (2026): An umbrella review of systematic reviews on medical and health tourism worldwide, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, (), pp.
PurposeThis research seeks to examine systematic studies on medical tourism by identifying significant contributors, including prominent countries and institutions, while delineating links among cited references, authors and document components. It analyses significant obstacles, ethical implications, and language utilized in various studies, identifies research deficiencies and suggests future avenues for multidisciplinary investigation.Design/methodology/approachResults from several systematic studies released between 2015 and 2024 are compiled in one umbrella review. Peer-reviewed, open-access papers in English employing qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods were guaranteed by a thorough selection procedure including independent screening. Key trends, issues and research gaps were found using thematic analysis and bibliometric mapping.FindingsThe findings highlight key contributors to medical tourism, including Iran, the United Kingdom and Portugal, with major institutions like Shahid Beheshti University and the University of Leeds. Prominent themes include ethical dilemmas, healthcare accessibility and sustainability challenges. Research gaps include long-term health impacts, crisis management strategies and evolving regulatory frameworks.Originality/valueTo the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the only umbrella review of this kind between 2015 and 2024. It especially compiles systematic reviews to offer a thorough synthesis of medical tourism research, emphasizes important trends, difficulties and future research prospects in this developing discipline.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-04-2025-0123 [Google]
Abu Elsamen, A., L. D. Hollebeek, S. Alimamy, N. Stylos and W. Marc Lim (2025): Customer experience, engagement, and co-creation in augmented reality retail service, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
Retailers are increasingly using augmented reality (AR) to enhance the customer experience. This research investigates how AR service experiences contribute to customer co-creation. Two experimental studies using real AR applications and PLS-SEM provide evidence. Study 1, utilizing IKEA Place and WannaKicks, examines whether network externality enhances experience quality and whether customer autonomy influences this effect. Results show that network externality enhances experience quality, but the effect weakens at higher levels of autonomy, indicating that autonomous customers rely less on network cues. Study 2, utilizing Warby Parker and Dulux Visualizer, examines whether experience quality influences co-creation through engagement and whether the need for uniqueness moderates the engagement – co-creation relationship. Findings reveal that engagement fully mediates the effect of experience quality on co-creation, and the need for uniqueness strengthens this link for individual products, but not for shared products. The studies clarify how AR experience mechanisms and customer traits shape co-creation outcomes.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2025.2599145 [Google]
Ali, F. (2026): Sample size practices and guidelines in services marketing survey research, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
This study investigates how sample size is determined and justified in quantitative survey research published in six leading services marketing and management journals – Journal of Service Management, Journal of Services Marketing, Service Industries Journal, Journal of Service Theory and Practice, Services Business, and Journal of Service Research – between 2020 and 2024. A total of 551 articles were systematically reviewed. Findings reveal that less than 15% of studies provided explicit or context-specific justifications for their sample sizes, exposing a significant gap in methodological rigor and transparency. This paper synthesizes existing rules, tables, and statistical guidelines to propose a consolidated framework for selecting and justifying sample sizes in services research. By addressing the widespread absence of reporting standards, this study contributes to improving theoretical rigor, replicability, and credibility in services scholarship and offers practical guidance for researchers, editors, and reviewers seeking to enhance methodological reporting across the field.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2612706 [Google]
Chandra, B. and Z. Rahman (2026): A framework for AI-driven value co-creation across customer journey stages, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming how firms and customers co-create value across the customer journey, enabling innovative, personalized, and relationship-driven interactions. This paper introduces a conceptual framework that extends the traditional customer journey model through AI-driven value co-creation (VCC) across the pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase stages. The framework distinguishes traditional journey from AI-enhanced co-creation by classifying AI functionalities into mechanical, thinking, and feeling dimensions, each linked to functional, emotional, and social value. Drawing on service marketing, consumer behaviour, and contemporary theories such as anthropomorphism, psychological ownership, and Theory of Mind, this study offers a robust perspective on AI’s role in VCC. Mechanical AI enhances efficiency and functional value, thinking AI enables adaptive emotional engagement, and feeling AI fosters social connection through humanlike traits. This integrated approach addresses key research gaps and provides actionable insights for leveraging AI to create meaningful, customer-centric value.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2612702 [Google]
Cui, S. and Y. Mao (2026): The impact of AI on service employees: a systematic review, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
AI is dynamically transforming service industry management, yet its impact on service employees remains fragmented. Using the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) approach, this systematic literature review identified 157 articles from Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, and ProQuest databases. According to the conceptualization and operationalization of various AI-related concepts, this review then categorized previous studies into six research streams, which include (1) attitudes toward AI, (2) AI identity, (3) AI use capability, (4) AI quality, (5) leader’s role in AI, and (6) AI involvement. Moreover, we revealed diverse findings across six research streams in service employees, explored their theoretical foundations, and discussed potential interconnections. Based on these results, we outline emerging research directions for future research, as well as provide managers with guidance on implementing AI to create sustainable benefits.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2613648 [Google]
Gull, N., M. Asghar, Z. Xiong and J. Shen (2026): Thriving in shades of green: participative leadership, green value congruence, and innovative service behavior, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
The hospitality industry’s increasing awareness of environmental sustainability has fostered green innovative service behavior, a crucial aspect of its performance. The study aims to identify the influence of green participative leadership on employee green service innovative behavior via the mediating role of green knowledge sharing and the moderating effect of person-green value congruence. We collected data from 391 employees and 89 of their direct team leaders and employed a different time-lag approach, which was analyzed using multilevel structural equation modelling. The study findings revealed that green participative leadership positively influences employee green service innovative behavior, and is also mediated by green knowledge sharing. The results showed that green person-green value congruence moderates the relationship between green participative leadership, green knowledge sharing, and subsequent green service innovative behavior among hotel employees. The theoretical and practical implications for the hospitality industry are discussed.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2612703 [Google]
Hu, W., L. Wang, J. Ren, G. Bai, S. Cui and Y. Xu (2026): How and when organizational AI adoption improves employee innovation performance, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is being progressively embraced by service organizations. Nevertheless, its effect on employees’ innovative performance is still ambiguous. This study utilizes conservation of resources theory to construct a dual-path model that elucidates the contradictory effects of organizational AI adoption on employee innovation performance within the service industry. Using a mixed-methods approach, combining two field investigations (Studies 1 and 2) with a scenario-based experiment (Study 3) to examine our theoretical model. The results revealed that organizational AI adoption enhances innovation performance via perceived AI support while undermining it via perceived AI replacement. Moreover, AI trust functions as a pivotal boundary condition by strengthening the resource gain path and weakening the resource loss path. This study enhances the comprehension of human-AI collaboration by incorporating AI’s augmentative and alternative features within a resource-based framework, providing actionable knowledge for service industries aiming to promote employee innovation performance through the adoption of organizational AI.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2632108 [Google]
Isiaku, L. and A. M. Sheikmuse (2026): Strategic and ethical enablers of responsible AI adoption in service industries: an exploratory causal Fuzzy Delphi – DEMATEL approach, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
This exploratory study identifies the strategic and ethical enablers that facilitate responsible artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in Nigeria’s service industry. Using a hybrid Fuzzy Delphi – DEMATEL framework, 20 experts (ten each from the public and private sectors) participated in two Delphi rounds to validate and analyze key enablers. Twelve critical factors were retained and classified into two systemic groups: six causal enablers (organizational readiness, transparency, leadership support, workforce reskilling, strategic alignment, and data privacy) and six effect enablers (technological infrastructure, equality – diversity – inclusion, change readiness, accountability/corporate digital responsibility, regulatory compliance, and ethical risk awareness). Sensitivity analyses with +/- 10-30% perturbations and bootstrap resampling confirmed model robustness, with no role changes among the enablers. The findings provide an exploratory causal framework that integrates strategic and ethical dimensions while reflecting the contextual realities of Nigeria’s service sector, offering actionable guidance for policymakers and managers to advance responsible AI implementation.(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(AI)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) – DEMATEL(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)20(sic)(sic)(sic)((sic)10(sic))(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)12(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic):(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)((sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic))(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)((sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)/(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)).(sic)(sic)+/- 10% – 30%(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2613654 [Google]
Schleth, H. C., F. Breu, D. K. Kanbach and S. Kraus (2026): AI-driven business model innovation in service industries: a systematic review, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
This study offers an integrative understanding of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) drives Business Model Innovation (BMI) in the service industry. Drawing from a systematic review of 113 articles, we identify seven key considerations for integrating AI into service-centric models. Our findings show that AI automates tasks and enhances human-like service interactions, enabling new revenue opportunities. Yet, success hinges on navigating ethical concerns and relational complexities tied to automation and personalization. By examining the interplay between value creation, proposition, and capture, we present a holistic framework that links technological capabilities with customer experience and organizational readiness. Our study provides actionable insights for researchers and practitioners, emphasizing the need to balance efficiency with human-centered values and trust-building. These findings guide service organizations in leveraging AI for sustainable advantage while offering a foundation for future research on the transformative role of AI in service-centric business models.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2631386 [Google]
Shang, Q., Y. Zhou and H. Fu (2026): Too guilty to be unethical: the impact of service robots’ empathy ability on unethical consumer behavior, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
Integrating empathy ability into service robots can be regarded as a potential resolution to enhance harmonious human-robot interaction experiences. However, it remains unclear whether and how service robots’ empathy ability impacts unethical consumer behavior (UCB). Therefore, according to social exchange theory, this research explores how service robots’ empathy ability impacts UCB and the underlying mechanism. Through four experiments, we discover that service robots’ empathy ability reduces UCB, with anticipatory guilt serving as the mediator. Moreover, the salience of anticipatory guilt weakens the impact of empathy ability on UCB. Additionally, consumers’ social desirability moderates the impact of service robots’ empathy ability on UCB through anticipatory guilt. These findings not only broaden our insight into UCB in human-robot interaction but also provide guidance for enterprises to develop more well-designed service robots to tackle UCB.(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic);(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic),(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2612705 [Google]
Zhao, H., B. Yuan, X. Shen, T. Zhang, H. Xie and S. Wu (2026): Human agency in AI-driven work transformation: exploring hospitality employees’ adaptation strategies, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
This study investigates how human-machine interaction affects employees’ cognitive and behavioral processes in adaptation, and how these in turn influence efficiency which is a topic less explored by prior research focused on technology acceptance and customer experience. This study collected data through structured interviews with employees in smart hospitality and employed coding methods based on grounded theory. Research findings suggest that (1) Employees’ perceptions include social perception (perceptual mind and reliability) and functional perception (ease of use and usefulness), both of which reduce technology anxiety; (2) Technology anxiety triggers learning motivation by creating a sense of ability crisis (task adaptation difficulties, job insecurity, and skill uncertainty), leading to self-directed learning and training participation; (3) Learning behaviors enhance human resource efficiency (manifested as improved work efficiency, stronger human-machine collaboration, and higher service quality). This study contributes by addressing a research gap in employee adaptability and human resource efficiency during hospitality’s intelligent transformation.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2620666 [Google]
Jalali, Z., M. C. Cohen, N. Ertekin and M. Gumus (2026): Offline-Online Retail Collaboration via Pickup Partnership, SERVICE SCIENCE, (), pp.
We study a growing retail strategy called pickup partnership, where online retailers partner with physical stores to offer in-store pickup services. In practice, two main policies are used in these partnerships: (i) a fixed fee policy, where the retailer pays the offline partner a set fee per pickup order, and (ii) a coupon policy, where customers receive a coupon for use at the offline partner’s store with each pickup order. Our goal is to evaluate these policies and determine which is most beneficial for online retailers. We develop a stylized model that captures the essential dynamics of pickup partnerships. We find that although the coupon policy allows the online retailer to gain greater market coverage compared with the fixed fee policy, it does not always lead to higher profits for the online retailer. The coupon policy is preferred when in-store fulfillment and pickup handling costs are low and direct-delivery costs are high, whereas the fixed fee policy is favored when these costs are moderate. We also find that both policies entail inefficiencies when the incentives of the two parties are not aligned. To alleviate such inefficiencies, we propose a new policy designed to better align incentives and improve partnership efficiency. This paper offers the first theoretical analysis of the in-store pickup partnership model and provides practical guidance for online retailers seeking to implement it. Our proposed policy aims to enhance the effectiveness and profitability of these partnerships beyond current industry practices.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2025.0118 [Google]
Li, Q., R. Cui and H. Xu (2025): Environmental Responsibility: Impact of Waste-Sorting Regulation on Secondary Market, SERVICE SCIENCE, (), pp.
Proper waste disposal in an environmentally friendly manner is crucial for protecting both ecosystems and public health. Among various policy tools, waste-sorting regulations and the growth of secondary markets-where consumers resell used goods-offer promising solutions for more sustainable waste management. However, how such regulations affect secondary markets remains unclear, as user motivations and convenience differ from those in the primary market. In this paper, we address this question through a natural experiment: the 2019 implementation of mandatory waste-sorting regulations in Shanghai. Using data on over 362 million resale listings from a leading online platform, we examine the policy’s impact on both resale listings and purchase volume. We employ the synthetic control method to construct a comparable control group and use difference-in-differences to estimate the policy’s impact. We find no significant change in overall resale listings. However, among environmentally responsible younger users, resale listings decrease by 8.43% and purchase volume declines by 1.95%. The effect is particularly pronounced for easily discarded goods and inactive users. Our findings reveal a trade-off: although regulations encourage responsible disposal, they may also unintentionally discourage reuse.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2025.0077 [Google]
Rubel, O. (2026): Robust Pricing in Marketing Channels, SERVICE SCIENCE, (), pp.
In many cases, managers cannot rely on expected profit maximization to determine prices because of a lack of reliable sales data. To overcome this issue, the pricing literature suggests adopting strategies that are robust to model uncertainty. However, most of this literature addresses situations where firms sell directly to consumers, leaving a gap in understanding how to implement robust pricing strategies when products are sold through retailers. To address this gap, we propose a model that explores the impact of robustness on pricing strategies for both manufacturers and retailers. The model provides three novel insights. First, we find that in equilibrium, channel partners will seek different levels of robustness for their pricing decisions. Second, the model reveals that injecting robustness in channel pricing decisions can not only help manage unforeseeable demand shocks, as it should be, but also mitigate double marginalization. Finally, the model uncovers that a decentralized channel can generate more profit than the centralized channel when robust pricing strategies are implemented.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2024.0158 [Google]
Xiao, Q. and J. E. Kang (2025): Service Bundle Sizing and Pricing for Mobility Services: Incorporating Elastic Demand and Fleet Operations, SERVICE SCIENCE, 17(4), pp.
The last decade has witnessed the introduction and rapid growth of emerging mobility services. They are expected to further grow in the near future through the aid of developing information and vehicle technologies. With this rapid growth in services and as travelers begin to perceive mobility as a service, offering diverse types of services, such as discounted bundled pricing, may better meet the demand of travelers and, in return, secure demand for providers. In this paper, we formulate a service bundle sizing and pricing problem for mobility services. We account for the well-known travel demand property that reduced cost of travel induces more travel. We also account for trip-based service cost, which comes from complex fleet operations. In the proposed formulation, demand and fleet operations are derived as a function of the decision variables Bundle Sizing and Pricing. This model uses a traveler target mileage probability density function (DTTM-PDF) as an input and derives service bundle choice probability (and therefore, demand) as well as operational metrics. We specify DTTM-PDF and demand increase functions that can describe the data appropriately and also output a convex optimization formulation. A case study of New York City is presented.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2024.0127 [Google]
Schmitt, B. and S. Hao (2026): Immersive Experience: Aligning Service Design and Psychological Engagement, JOURNAL OF SERVICE RESEARCH, (), pp.
This paper conceptualizes immersive experience as a service phenomenon that arises from the alignment of service design (concept, spatial, and interactive design) and psychological engagement and is manifested in contemporary entertainment settings, sports events, retail, and hospitality spaces. Building on this conceptualization, the paper develops a theoretical framework showing how continuous alignment between service design and participants’ psychological processes is dynamically achieved at service delivery in these environments. From the provider side, immersive experiences are curated, technology-mediated, and entertainment-oriented; from the participant side, they elicit patterns of sensory arousal, emotional resonance, and imaginative involvement that evolve in real time as the experience unfolds. At their intersection, immersion emerges as dynamically co-created and characterized by personalized journeys, collaborative sense-making, temporal integration, and value-in-context. Theoretically, the paper advances service research by linking design affordances, alignment, and psychological engagement as mechanisms that explain how immersive experiences emerge and create value. Managerially, the framework suggests service-delivery levers and individual regulatory processes for balancing sensory, affective, and cognitive tensions.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705261420352 [Google]
Beck, J. M., S. Lefebvre and C. M. Voorhees (2026): Witnessing Consumer Incivility Toward Service Employees: Pity, Support, and Tipping Behavior, JOURNAL OF SERVICE RESEARCH, (), pp.
While organizational scholars have established a strong base of research on workplace incivility, one understudied aspect is how witnessing incivility directed toward employees affects the witness’ actions. This research seeks to close this gap by examining how consumer incivility targeting a service employee impacts emotions, intentions, and financial compensation provided by the witness. Drawing from social exchange theory, we propose witnessing incivility leads to feelings of pity, followed by increased emotional support and, ultimately, an increased tip for the target employee. We find support for our proposed relationships across four studies. Additionally, we demonstrate that this process is robust to influences from bystander effects but is conditional on service quality and group membership of the uncivil consumer in relation to the witnessing consumer. The findings provide theoretical advancement to the growing literature on behavioral responses of witnesses of incivility.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705251406567 [Google]
Bendig, D., T. Schaper, L. Mantke and N. Schauerte (2026): Specialist, Generalist, or Both? How Chief Marketing Officers’ Career Experiences Shape the Pace of Service Innovation, JOURNAL OF SERVICE RESEARCH, (), pp.
The role of chief marketing officers (CMOs) for service innovation has mostly been overlooked in empirical research. Particularly unclear is how CMOs’ personal career experiences shape their firms’ pace of service innovation. We address this issue by examining whether and when specialist CMOs (with a limited variety of career experiences) and generalist CMOs (with a wide variety of career experiences) influence service innovation outcomes, arguing that a “sweet spot” of career variety-a mix of specialist and generalist experiences-is most beneficial. Drawing on service innovations that 209 U.S. firms introduced between 2009 and 2020, we find support for the sweet-spot proposition: Adding generalist experiences to specialized insights increases the pace of service innovations, but only up to an inflection point. Introducing CMOs’ (1) strategic, (2) financial, and (3) operational discretion as important contingencies, we show that service innovation in stable industries, in which CMOs’ strategic discretion is reduced, benefits from specialists. Contrary to our expectation, career experience effects are attenuated in situations of high financial leeway, possibly because money helps overcome any disadvantages in CMOs’ ability to innovate. Finally, mixed-career CMOs shine especially bright with high operational discretion, that is, when organizational processes favor service innovation over selling existing products.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705251386793 [Google]
Godfrey, D. M. and A. M. Johnson (2026): Holistic Social Service Systems as a Framework for Addressing Financial Vulnerability, JOURNAL OF SERVICE RESEARCH, (), pp.
Consumers experiencing financial vulnerability often face multiple intersecting barriers to well-being. Accordingly, social service systems have begun integrating programs to more holistically address the many factors affecting financial vulnerability. Results from a qualitative case study show how an integrated approach to financial vulnerability influences consumer experiences as they navigate through social service systems. Findings explain how initiation into social service systems requires adequate client readiness to comply with entry conditions placed by service providers. Furthermore, while many organizations believe readiness must be attained prior to entering the system, we find that a network of internal and external providers can support the cocreation of client readiness. Integration into the system deepens as clients take on structured responsibilities, as providers take on risks in supporting clients through vulnerabilities, and as both clients and providers develop mutual trust. The authors introduce the concept of contingent value propositions to explain how providers can structure services to make support available based on client readiness and cocreative action. Client transitions through the service system can be hindered or supported by integration with external partners. Implications for social service theory and practice are discussed, including recommendations for delivering holistic social service support to consumers experiencing financial vulnerability.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705251409999 [Google]
Kramer, V., J. Wiebringhaus, D. Marinova and M. Krafft (2026): Adherence in Mental Healthcare: The Role of Frontline Employee Behaviors, JOURNAL OF SERVICE RESEARCH, (), pp.
As mental illnesses surge globally, delivering effective care for mentally disordered and disabled individuals is crucial. While frontline employees play a critical role in service interactions with vulnerable consumers-a central issue in transformative service research-there is limited understanding of how frontline employees’ behaviors can influence adherence, defined as the extent to which individuals follow healthcare providers’ recommendations. Taking an empirics-first approach, we analyze longitudinal field data from 118 individuals with mental illnesses over 12 months, yielding 2,445 observations. Guided by social support theory, we employ a split-hazard model to examine how distinct frontline employee behaviors affect adherence in Communication and Cognitive Tasks, Daily Living Activities, and Social and Community Integration. Our findings highlight the need for tailored behavioral strategies, showing that listening and active conversation consistently enhance adherence, while repetition significantly reduces it. Our study offers novel insights into how frontline employee behaviors can improve the well-being of vulnerable consumers, particularly in mental healthcare. These insights inform both theory and practice by advancing social support as a framework for frontline service delivery and providing actionable strategies to improve care and adherence.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705251410017 [Google]
Liu, X., S. M. Goldstein, K. K. Sinha and K. Soderberg (2026): Evaluating the Impact of Telemedicine Services on Community Health: A County-Level Analysis, JOURNAL OF SERVICE RESEARCH, (), pp.
Telemedicine services leverage information and communication technologies toward innovating and enabling the delivery of healthcare. We propose and empirically analyze a framework for understanding the impact of telemedicine services on health outcomes at scale across communities in the United States. Our analysis of county-level panel data reveals that increased availability of telemedicine services improves community health that is central to the well-being of a community. We evaluate the benefits of telemedicine services in aggregate-that is, overall health outcomes-and along specific dimensions of reductions in premature death rate, low birthweight rate, preventable hospital stays, smoking rate, and the need for diabetes monitoring. In addition, we find that greater availability of telemedicine services is associated with decreased COVID-19-related mortality. Heterogeneity analyses further show that lower socioeconomic status reduces the effectiveness of telemedicine services while superior digital infrastructure and greater innovation capacity enhance its effectiveness. Demographics by way of higher proportions of Black and female community members enhance the effectiveness of telemedicine services, whereas a higher proportion of older adults reduces its effectiveness. Taken together, the proposed framework and the findings underscore the potential of telemedicine services to improve community health while recognizing the moderating effects of contextual factors. This study makes a significant contribution toward advancing the literature on seamless coordination of digital service innovations to drive community-wide health benefits.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705261417849 [Google]
Saragih, H. S. (2026): Relational Pathways to Inclusion: Transforming Service Systems Through Macro-Social Marketing, JOURNAL OF SERVICE RESEARCH, (), pp.
Systemic exclusion remains a significant barrier for individuals experiencing vulnerabilities, limiting their participation in service systems-configurations of interdependent actors, institutions, and infrastructures that shape service environments. This study examines how inclusive service systems evolve through dynamic, multi-actor engagement by integrating systems thinking, transformative service research, and macro-social marketing. Using an abductive, multi-method design, we focus on the Deaf community in Indonesia as a salient case and combine interviews with Deaf and hearing individuals, netnographic analysis of Deaf-oriented online content, rapid ethnographies at community events, and computational topic modeling of user-generated discourse. The analysis uncovers four evolving modalities of system transformation-Surface-Level Engagement, In-Depth Exploration, Co-Creative Participation, and Sustained Involvement-which trace how micro-level relational practices and communicative adjustments accumulate into meso- and macro-level shifts in structures and norms. We conceptualize inclusion as an emergent, iterative process rather than a stable end-state and propose a scalable framework to diagnose and facilitate inclusive transformation in complex service environments. The study advances theoretical perspectives on inclusive service systems and macro-social marketing and offers actionable guidance for designing and governing service systems that give marginalized groups an active role in shaping services.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705251412880 [Google]
Akbar, P. (2026): Different shades of sharing in the sharing economy: a prototype theory approach, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, 40(10), pp.22–37
Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to develop and introduce the new Shades of Sharing Framework. Design/methodology/approach-Building on prototype theory, this paper applies the method of conceptual explication through delineation. Findings-This paper presents the Shades of Sharing Framework, which reveals that categories such as sharing and pseudo-sharing are formed around a set of prototypical examples rather than fixed boundaries and that these prototypes suitably distinguish genuine sharing from pseudo-sharing along with a set of 11 key attributes. By this, this paper categorizes the diverse consumer behaviors (e.g. traditional sharing, bartering, lending, trading, renting, gifting) in (pseudo-)sharing-based business models as prototypical examples, providing a more nuanced understanding of consumer behavior within this field. Research limitations/implications-The paper shows blind spots in the literature as well as challenges for future research in the context sharing services. Practical implications-This paper provides practical implications for service managers, helping them align business strategies with consumer expectations both within and around the sharing economy, addressing all relevant business models in the context of sharing, pseudo-sharing and collaborative consumption. Originality/value-The framework resolves conceptual fragmentation in prior work by introducing an attribute-based logic for cumulative theorizing and linking micro-level behaviors to macro-level service-ecosystem perspectives.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-11-2024-0559 [Google]
Artoni, P. R. C. D., A. R. Veloso, S. B. Ferraz, R. R. Rocha and G. D. F. Shiraishi (2025): Towards a conceptualization of becoming an unexpected transformative service mediator: a process view in educational services, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to identify the process of unexpectedly acquiring the role of apomediary transformative service mediator (TSM) in the context of global societal challenges, focusing on how services can narrow vulnerabilities and social inequalities.Design/methodology/approachBy triangulating the analytic autoethnographic method (e.g. field notes and digital footprints) proposed by Anderson (2006) with syncretic combinations of introspection (i.e. personal and assisted) and in-depth interviews (pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic), this study examines the process of becoming a TSM apomediary.FindingsThis study describes the process of becoming an unexpected apomediary TSM and identifies the main hurdles that could lead to experiencing vulnerability during the transition into this new role and hinder their efforts as TSMs. The four-step framework provides guidelines to protect TSMs while serving others, contributing to a deeper understanding of how transformative services address societal challenges during times of turbulence.Research limitations/implicationsBecoming an unexpected apomediary TSM represents a new area of service research. By understanding it, organizations and individuals can better prepare for the TSM role as intermediaries, apomediaries or both.Practical implicationsThis study proposes a four-step process for managing the transition to TSM status, minimizing associated problems and facilitating the process in a changing world.Social implicationsThis study contributes to children’s well-being by addressing parents’ vulnerability as they transition to TSMs, thereby guiding and mitigating the impact of parental vulnerability on children.Originality/valueWhile previous studies have presented the conscious process of becoming a TSM, this study focuses on the unexpected process of becoming one. By revealing the inner workings of this process, this study provides managerial recommendations for serving populations experiencing vulnerability, while also contributing to the existing literature.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-01-2025-0038 [Google]
Atmaja, F. T., L. Alfansi, E. D. Hadi, M. Salim and A. R. Munir (2026): Unpacking task-technology fit: how hotel booking mobile applications’ agility and resilience strengthen trust and stickiness, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to investigate how the agility and resilience of mobile applications influence task-technology fit and, subsequently, affect trust and customer stickiness in the context of hotel booking mobile applications. It also explores the mediating role of trust in the relationship between task-technology fit and customer stickiness, as well as the moderating role of perceived diagnosticity in the link between task-technology fit and trust.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through an online survey using the tSurvey.id (R) platform, yielding 510 valid responses from users across Indonesia. The data were analyzed applying partial least squares structural equation modeling to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsThe findings confirm all hypotheses. Both agility and resilience positively enhance task-technology fit. In turn, task-technology fit positively influences customer stickiness, both directly and indirectly through trust. In addition, perceived diagnosticity moderates the relationship between task-technology fit and trust, such that the effect is stronger when perceived diagnosticity is high.Originality/valueThis study extends task-technology fit theory by introducing the dynamic capabilities of agility and resilience as novel antecedents, shifting the focus beyond traditional task and technology characteristics. The study also contributes by examining user stickiness as a sustained behavioral outcome of task-technology fit, a relatively underexplored area. Moreover, it identifies trust as a key mediating mechanism and perceived diagnosticity as a critical boundary condition, highlighting that the trust-enhancing effect of task-technology is contingent upon users’ perceptions of information quality.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-03-2025-0208 [Google]
Bagci, R. B. and M. Tascioglu (2026): From anxiety to assurance: a mixed-methods journey into service innovation, trust and customer relationships, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeGrounded in Resource Dependence Theory and Social Exchange Theory, this study aims to examine the relationship between service innovation, trust dimensions (competence, contractual and goodwill) and relational performance. In addition, it analyzes the mediating role of trust types and the moderating effect of relationship anxiety. The authors also analyze various configurations that lead to higher relational performance and different dimensions of trust.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative data from 232 managers of top 500 organizations and qualitative insights from in-depth interviews with five suppliers and five customers. Quantitative data is analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and FsQCA, while qualitative data is examined through thematic analysis.FindingsPLS-SEM results indicate that competence trust is the only trust dimension mediating the service innovation-relational performance link, while relationship anxiety unexpectedly strengthens the relationship between service innovation and trust. Service innovation positively influences all trust types, which in turn enhances relational performance. FsQCA findings highlight that positive service innovation and the negation of relationship anxiety are central to trust formation and relational performance. Qualitative insights further reveal that buyers prioritize competence over goodwill and contractual trust, with long-term business to business (B2B) relationships and technical proficiency overriding the effects of relationship anxiety.Originality/valueThis study advances the literature by linking suppliers’ service innovation to relational performance, addressing prior research calls and incorporating diverse outcome variables. It further demonstrates how different trust dimensions yield distinct effects in B2B relationships, refining our understanding of trust-performance relationships. In addition, it contributes by examining mediators and introducing relationship anxiety as a moderator, offering new insights into its impact on relational outcomes.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-04-2025-0268 [Google]
Bambauer-Sachse, S. and S. M. Stuhldreier (2026): Effective complaint management on social networks: the impact of response strategy, type and account on consumer reactions, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, 40(10), pp.1–21
PurposeSocial networks have become important firm-customer touchpoints, challenging service firms to manage consumer feedback and develop effective communication strategies. This study aims to examine how corporate response strategies (replying to only negative vs some positive and negative comments), response types (defensive vs accommodative) and account types (standard vs humanized) affect the reactions of complaining social network users.Design/methodology/approachThe authors provide insights into common marketing practices and then present a quantitative preliminary study and focus groups to build the foundation for a new theoretical framework. The authors also draw on accessibility-diagnosticity theory, apply it to the research context and test its application empirically. The authors subsequently test the combined effects of response strategies, response types and account types in the quantitative main study.FindingsThe response type influences complainants’ attitudes toward the firm through complaint satisfaction, response perception and perceived customer orientation. The response strategy affects attitudes only through perceived customer orientation. There is an interaction between response type and account type. The findings suggest that social media managers using a selective response strategy should address all negative comments, use humanized accounts and provide accommodative responses. If defensive responses are necessary, humanized accounts may help mitigate negative effects.Originality/valueThe mixed-methods approach offers comprehensive insights into communication strategies on social networks. The authors validate a new theoretical framework by applying accessibility-diagnosticity theory to the context and reveal the benefits and novelty of humanized communication on social networks, which increases flexibility and strategic advantages by mitigating negative effects of defensive replies but remains uncommon among service firms.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-03-2025-0215 [Google]
Bartikowski, B., H. Ma, Z. Yang, S. Sun and X. Nie (2026): Revisiting consumer socialization: a conceptual framework for phygital services, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework of phygital consumer socialization, addressing the emerging challenge that existing socialization approaches do not sufficiently capture phygital service experiences. Design/methodology/approach This study developed 12 theoretical propositions that address the roles of parents and digital agents as knowledge transmitters in traditional and reverse socialization processes for four distinct types of phygital services. Findings Theoretical developments suggest that different types of phygital services, differentiated by the digital and physical intensity of consumer involvement in the service encounter, require different emphases on tacit and explicit consumption knowledge, with relationships depending on the ability of human and digital socialization agents to impart and apply this knowledge. These dynamics vary by consumers’ life stage (children, adolescents, adults), and family communication patterns (concept- vs socio-oriented). Originality/value This study presents a conceptual framework of phygital consumer socialization along with a phygital service matrix that classifies phygital services into four types: dematerialized, blended, bounded and embodied. The theoretical propositions address how knowledge asymmetries between children, parents and digital agents influence the transfer and acquisition of the tacit and explicit consumption knowledge required for phygital service success.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-07-2025-0458 [Google]
Chen, S., K. Sakamoto and Y. Lim (2026): Viewpoint: rethinking segmentation for practitioners – a practice-based framework for services marketing, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
Purpose – This study aims to propose a segmentation approach that bridges the gap between academic rigor and practical applicability in services marketing. It analyzes the challenges of contemporary, statistical segmentation models and advocates for a conceptual, practice-based approach aligned with how consumers “do services.” Design/methodology/approach – This paper reviews five decades of statistical segmentation research, highlighting its strengths and challenges. It incorporates practitioner insights to explore the barriers of applying segmentation models in services marketing. Building on a review of the services marketing literature, the study develops a practice-based segmentation framework grounded in a “pen-and-paper” approach. Findings – While advanced statistical segmentation techniques meet academic standards, they often prove impractical for firms lacking computational resources. Practitioners tend to rely on automated tools that segment customers based on behavioral and lifestyle variables. A return to conceptual, practice-based segmentation provides a more effective alternative by balancing analytical depth with usability. The proposed practice-based framework identifies four operative dimensions: (1) social vs. individual practices, (2) customization, (3) modality and (4) intensity. The framework allows consumers to shift between practice-based segments and accommodates different combinations of these dimensions. Originality/value – This viewpoint highlights the gap between segmentation research and real-world application. By incorporating practitioner insights and advocating for a practice-based approach, it provides an alternative to purely data-driven models and offers a segmentation framework that is both theoretically robust and practically feasible.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-04-2025-0265 [Google]
Cobelli, N., I. N. Chowdhury, A. Carida and M. J. S. Hasni (2026): Digital unity or tribal echo chambers? Paradoxes in online residential communities, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis viewpoint explores how online residential communities (ORCs) can serve as both double-edged civic spaces, advancing neighborhood cohesion while also aggravating social polarization. This study aims to examine how these dynamics are shaped by interactions that influence residents’ sense of place, community, and citizenship, offering a critical lens on digital neighborhood life in an increasingly polarized world.Design/methodology/approachThis viewpoint adopts a conceptual and interpretive stance. It draws on paradox theory as a lens to make visible the dynamics of ORCs as hyperlocal civic spaces. The analysis uses illustrative vignettes to show how civic paradoxes are enacted and navigated in everyday digital interactions.FindingsParadoxes are ambivalent and persistent tensions embedded in ORCs. We argue that ORCs, shaped by platform logics, surface three interrelated paradoxes – Belonging vs Boundary, Heritage vs Future, and Voice vs Harmony – that permeate residents’ everyday civic life. These paradoxes emerge across experiential dimensions of sense of place, sense of community, and sense of citizenship, and are not resolved but continually reenacted. Illustrative vignettes highlight how paradox navigation occurs through temporal, spatial, and integrative strategies, exposing the fragile and context-dependent character of civic participation online.Originality/valueThis viewpoint contributes to services marketing literature by conceptualizing ORCs as dynamic civic spaces where different paradoxes evolve through digital infrastructures and which require specific navigation approaches to prevent imbalances. It adds a paradox lens to third place and service ecosystems literatures.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-08-2025-0527 [Google]
El-Naggar, D., H. Hammad and N. El-Bassiouny (2025): Anthropomorphism in service chatbots and their effects on purchase Intentions: an experimental design, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, 39(8), pp.1004–1024
Purpose-Humanization of chatbots helps build consumer-artificial intelligence relationships and enhances behavioral intentions through different purchase stages. This study aims to explore the impact of anthropomorphism cues (personification cues and conversational cues) and their interaction with chatbot’s task type (handling complaints vs. product recommendations) on shaping consumers’ gratifications (utilitarian gratifications, hedonic gratifications, social gratifications and technological gratifications) and ultimately leading to purchase intentions. Design/methodology/approach-The current study conducted an online scenario-based experiment with a 2 (personification cues: avatar-like vs. human-like) x 2 (conversational cues: low interactivity vs. high interactivity) x 2 (task type: handling complaints vs. product recommendation) between-subject design. The study used an online self-administered survey to measure its constructs, collecting data from Generation Z and millennial US consumers. Findings-Results showed significant main effects of anthropomorphism cues on all consumer gratifications. Also, significant two-way interactions were found between both anthropomorphism cues and task type in shaping consumer gratifications. Yet, insignificant interaction was found between personification cues and task type on utilitarian gratifications as well as conversational cues and task type on social gratifications. Originality/value-This study provides a novel contribution to service marketing literature by exploring how chatbot interactions differ across multiple service contexts-in both prepurchase and post-purchase stages. It highlights how anthropomorphic cues and chatbot task type interact to shape consumer gratifications, which act as a mediator on purchase intentions. This offers a holistic view of the AI-human relationships in service encounters and provides actionable insights for businesses seeking to improve chatbot service experiences.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-12-2024-0634 [Google]
Gong, T. and Y.-S. Huang (2026): Psychological strain in service robot encounters: dual pathways to customer value co-destruction, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to investigate when, how and why interactions with service robots may lead to psychological strain and customer value co-destruction behavior (CVCDB). While existing research largely emphasizes the functional benefits of service automation, the authors explore the unintended psychological burdens that may emerge from poorly designed human-robot interactions.Design/methodology/approachGrounded in Service-Dominant Logic, Conservation of Resources Theory and Cognitive Load Theory, the authors develop and test a dual-pathway model in which perceived technological coercion and robot unresponsiveness trigger emotional dissonance and cognitive load, respectively. The authors use a mixed-method, multistudy design comprising a 2 x 2 lab experiment and a field-based critical incident survey. Moderated mediation analyses are used to test indirect effects and boundary conditions.FindingsThe results support the hypothesized dual-pathway model. Perceived technological coercion elevates emotional dissonance, while robot unresponsiveness increases cognitive load. Both strain mechanisms contribute to perceived stress, which in turn predicts CVCDB. Perceived autonomy support weakens the coercion-dissonance link, while customer technological literacy buffers the effect of unresponsiveness on cognitive load.Originality/valueThis research contributes to service theory by identifying two distinct psychological strain mechanisms that underlie value co-destruction in technology-mediated service encounters. It extends prior work on the service encounter and technology in services by demonstrating how design features of service robots can deplete customer resources and provoke negative behavioral outcomes. Practical implications include design recommendations for emotionally and cognitively sustainable human-robot service systems.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-08-2025-0540 [Google]
Han, B. and L. W. Johnson (2026): The underdog advantage in personal services: enhancing consumer confidence and outcome expectancy through effort-based positioning, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis research explores the underdog effect – the tendency to favour those perceived as disadvantaged – in the services offered by individual providers, using the lens of equity and self-identity to explain the underlying reasons behind consumer preference. Specifically, this study aims to examine the mediating effects of perceived effort, self-efficacy and outcome expectancy on the relationship between underdog positioning and consumer responses to individual service providers.Design/methodology/approachTwo experimental studies were conducted, manipulating underdog positioning through service provider biographies (underdog vs top dog narratives). Participants were recruited from panel data, and SPSS PROCESS macros were used for data analysis.FindingsThe results of Study 1 revealed that the preference for underdog service providers was attributed to their perceived effort. In Study 2, the findings further demonstrated a sequential mediation that underdog positioning increased self-efficacy, which led to positive outcome expectancies, ultimately influencing consumer intention to hire underdog service providers.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the underdog effect literature by identifying novel underlying mechanisms that explain why consumers prefer service providers with an underdog narrative. In addition, this study extends the application of underdog positioning to individual service providers, demonstrating that such positioning empowers consumers to pursue their personal goals within the service context.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-07-2025-0450 [Google]
Holmqvist, J., S. Kabadayi and D. Winfrey (2026): AI isn’t everything: a call for human-centric service research, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
Purpose-What is the purpose of service research? This call for more human-centric service research argues the ultimate goal of service research should be to benefit consumers and service providers but also humanity and the planet. To achieve this goal, a pluricentric understanding of service research is needed. However, the authors find that the opposite is happening within the service research domain. The rapid development of large language models (LLM), colloquially known as artificial intelligence (AI), has ushered in a surge in service research, and research overall, into AI and AI usage alongside wider research into service robots and technology. Design/methodology/approach-The authors conceptualize the importance of human-centric services. In particular, the authors focus on services with humans as the central actors as well as services with humans as beneficiaries and further introduce 11 key areas for service research. Findings-The authors recognize the relevance of this research but call for the importance of diversified service research for the academic service field to remain relevant. Although AI is an important and relevant topic, the field of service research benefits from diverse and broad service research of which AI is one important part, but not the only one. Seeing a rapidly increasing tendency of research into AI dominating service research at the expense of other research topics, the authors highlight the importance of human-centric service research. Originality/value-To advance a human-centric research approach, the authors introduce and develop 11 research avenues for future service research and develop how each of the articles in this special issue contribute to that goal.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-12-2025-0879 [Google]
Jia, F. and J. Hu (2026): Receive help from friends: the buffer effect of social support on backfires of gamification, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to investigate how perceived gamification affordances of achievement and interactivity shape users’ discontinued use intention in e-commerce contexts, with a particular focus on the sequential linkage between competence frustration and emotional fatigue, clarifying the progressive effects of these negative psychological states. It further examines the buffering role of social support.Design/methodology/approachUsing the affordance perspective as the overarching framework and drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the authors develop a model that links perceived achievement and interactivity affordances to competence frustration and emotional fatigue, while specifying social support as a buffering resource. The authors empirically evaluate this model through partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis of online survey data collected from users of gamified e-commerce platforms.FindingsThe results reveal a sequential process in which competence frustration increases emotional fatigue, which in turn heightens users’ discontinued use intention. Social support significantly mitigates this progression by buffering the psychological states. In addition, the analysis shows that high perceived interactivity affordance amplifies the positive relationship between competence frustration and emotional fatigue, whereas low perceived interactivity affordance strengthens the negative association between perceived achievement affordance and discontinued use intention.Originality/valueThis research makes three key contributions. First, it advances understanding of the role of social support in gamified environments by establishing its buffering effect in mitigating the escalation of competence frustration into emotional fatigue, thereby extending the COR theory. Second, it empirically validates the sequential relationship between competence frustration and emotional fatigue, offering evidence of the progressive dynamics of negative psychological states in gamified contexts. Third, it enriches the dark side literature on e-commerce gamification by theorizing and testing the interaction between perceived interactivity affordance and perceived achievement affordance.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-04-2025-0276 [Google]
Khalid, N., A. Paraskevopoulou, M. Baric and S. Ali (2026): Redefining service convenience: developing and validating the inclusive service convenience (INSCON) scale, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
Purpose – This study redefines service convenience through the development and validation of the inclusive service convenience (INSCON) scale, a multidimensional construct that operationalizes accessibility, social inclusion, assistance, safety and empowerment within service delivery for individuals with mobility-related disabilities. The purpose of this study is to extend traditional convenience models by embedding principles of equity and capability expansion.Design/methodology/approach – A two-phase mixed-method design was used. In study one, scale items were generated through semistructured interviews and a literature review, followed by exploratory factor analysis. In study two, the scale was validated through confirmatory factor analysis using partial least squares structural equation modeling, assessing a second-order reflective-formative model. Nomological and predictive validity were confirmed via the scale’s relationship with tourist satisfaction.Findings – The final INSCON scale consists of 19 items across five conceptually defined dimensions: accessibility, social inclusion, assistance, safety and empowerment. The model demonstrated strong psychometric properties, theoretical coherence with capability theory and a significant positive effect on tourist satisfaction, confirming both its validity and practical relevance.Originality/value – INSCON is the first empirically validated scale to conceptualize service convenience through the lens of inclusion and capability. It offers a novel contribution by bridging gaps in service literature, extending the service convenience (SERVCON) model and providing a structured tool for service audits, inclusive design and policymaking in tourism and related sectors.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-04-2025-0286 [Google]
Khan, N., K. Trivedi and P. Priyadarshi (2026): Decent yet indecent! Unveiling dual realities of fairwork in India’s ride-hailing sector, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to examine the extent to which the employment conditions of gig workers in India’s ride-hailing platforms align with fairwork and decent work standards and the associated consequences on their well-being and performance.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a qualitative methodology and reflexive thematic analysis, both manually and with NVIVO 15 software, to systematically organise important excerpts, produce insights and extract key themes from in-depth interviews and observations of the experiences of 30 Indian ride-hailing drivers.FindingsThe study highlights the inequitable and opaque employment situation for the gig workers in ride-hailing platform companies. Some key challenges are financial instability due to low fares, inadequate grievance redressal mechanisms and the absence of a collective voice. The drivers valued autonomy, earning opportunities and flexibility despite hazardous conditions, unilateral platform control and the absence of safety nets.Research limitations/implicationsHighlighting the gig workers’ perception of decent work and fairwork, as well as the ensuing challenges, the findings will help platform companies and policymakers take appropriate measures to ensure equitable and safe employment conditions for the gig workers.Originality/valueHighlighting the paradoxes of gig work, this study shares insights into the decent and fairwork status of gig workers.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-02-2025-0147 [Google]
Kuppelwieser, V. (2025): The inclusion delusion: service research’s dangerous disconnect from disabled reality, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, 39(8), pp.1025–1038
Purpose This paper interrogates the critical disconnect between technical accessibility compliance and the lived experience of disabled consumers in service environments. It introduces a framework distinguishing between technical accessibility, functional usability and experiential inclusion while challenging service marketing theory’s ableist assumptions. Design/methodology/approach This viewpoint uses autoethnographic analysis and critical disability theory to examine case studies in hospitality, transportation and academic contexts, revealing systemic accessibility failures across service domains. Findings Technical accessibility compliance frequently fails to deliver functional usability or experiential inclusion. Service providers consistently implement accessibility as afterthoughts rather than integrated design elements, whereas sustainability initiatives often create new accessibility barriers. The academic service marketing community itself reproduces exclusionary practices despite its rhetoric of inclusion. Research limitations/implications The paper proposes a research agenda calling for methodological innovation in accessibility research, reconceptualization of service theories to center disability experiences and examination of power imbalances in co-creation processes. Practical implications Service organizations must move beyond compliance to integrate disabled users as co-designers throughout development processes, recognize accessibility as a business opportunity rather than legal obligation and develop audit frameworks focused on lived experience rather than technical requirements. Originality/value This paper introduces the accessibility-usability gap framework, challenges foundational service marketing theories and reveals how “accessible” services often deliver inferior experiences despite premium pricing. It confronts the field’s complicity in perpetuating exclusion by privileging nondisabled perspectives in both theory development and research practice.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-04-2025-0273 [Google]
Lee, K., Y. Bart and C. Cauffman (2026): Consumer vulnerability within digital platforms as service ecosystems, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis paper aims to advance understanding of consumer vulnerability in digital service ecosystems by extending existing typologies to include a third conceptually distinct form – unobserved vulnerability – alongside experienced vulnerability and observed vulnerability. Drawing on service-dominant logic, it proposes a framework that integrates the perspectives of platform companies, regulators and consumers to examine how institutional arrangements and consumer factors shape vulnerability in human-to-human and human-to-algorithm service interactions.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual paper synthesizes marketing and legal literatures on consumer vulnerability, platform governance and regulation. It refines the visibility-based typology and integrates it into a service-dominant logic-informed framework, supported by illustrative cases and a future research agenda.FindingsVulnerability in digital service ecosystems emerges from the interplay of platform governance (openness and transparency), regulatory frameworks and consumer factors (stigma and digital literacy), mediated through human-to-human and human-to-algorithm interactions. The proposed typology distinguishes between experienced vulnerability (recognized by the consumer), observed vulnerability (identified by third parties) and unobserved vulnerability (structural disadvantage that remains invisible to both consumers and external observers).Originality/valueBy introducing the concept of unobserved vulnerability and situating it within service-dominant logic, this paper extends prior typologies of consumer vulnerability. The framework demonstrates how visibility functions as a critical lens for understanding consumer disadvantage in digital service ecosystems. It contributes to marketing scholarship by clarifying the structural conditions under which vulnerability emerges and by outlining implications for theory, managerial practice and regulatory design.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-03-2025-0179 [Google]
Liu, M., G. S. U. Hewage, Z. Wang and R. Wu (2025): Smiles that persuade: the power of perceived status and source, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeSmiles are a ubiquitous and persuasive tool in services marketing, yet their effectiveness varies depending on contextual factors. This research aims to examine the interplay of smile intensity and perceived source status on consumer evaluations.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted five controlled experiments (including a pilot study) to test the hypotheses. In each study, the authors used distinct service interaction contexts and varied the gender of the source to enhance the generalizability of the findings.FindingsThis study finds that a broad smile from an individual with lower perceived social status elicits more favorable consumer outcomes, particularly attitudinal evaluations such as positive attitudes and liking, compared to a smile from an individual with higher perceived social status. This effect is attributed to the perception that lower perceived status individuals’ broad smiles align more closely with emotion norms. Additionally, this effect is moderated by source type; when the smile originates from a nonhuman source (e.g. artificial intelligence [AI] avatars), the favorable impact of a broad smile for lower perceived status individuals diminishes.Originality/valueThese findings advance the literature on social perception and nonverbal emotional communication in services marketing, offering actionable insights for refining service delivery and enhancing customer interactions in both human and AI-mediated contexts.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-06-2025-0371 [Google]
Liu, X. X., C. Y. Yin and M. R. Li (2025): The impact of physical doll companions on solo diners’ restaurant attachment (vol 39, pg 1039, 2025), JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
Purpose: With solo dining increasingly common, it is essential to investigate the role of restaurant practices that cater to this trend. This paper aims to explore the effect of dining with (vs without) a physical doll provided by a restaurant on solo diners’ restaurant attachment, and its underlying mechanism and boundary conditions. Design/methodology/approach: Four scenario-based experiments with a between-subjects design were performed to test the proposed hypotheses. These experiments differed in both dining setting and the physical doll stimulus. Findings: The results indicate that dining with (vs without) a physical doll leads solo diners to exhibit higher restaurant attachment. This effect is mediated by psychological comfort and moderated by loneliness and table distance. Specifically, dining with (vs without) a physical doll boosts restaurant attachment through psychological comfort among solo diners with higher loneliness and in the far table distance condition, but not among solo diners with lower loneliness and in the close condition. Research limitations/implications: This research focuses on the impact of physical dolls on solo diners’ psychological comfort and attachment in a restaurant context. The findings have significant implications for restaurant profitability and consumer well-being. This research also has several limitations regarding the transferability of findings, sample sources and the comparison of different dining companions, requiring attention in future research. Practical implications: Findings can help restaurant practitioners understand when and how to use physical dolls to enhance solo diners’ psychological comfort and attachment, thereby effectively attracting and retaining this important customer group and ultimately achieving sustainable financial performance. Originality/value: This research expands the investigation into the factors influencing restaurant attachment in the solo dining context by not limiting to human–human and human–robot interactions, and deepens the comprehension of the psychological effects of physical dolls, a unique type of non-human co-located dining companion.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-11-2025-0857 [Google]
Ma, Y. and T. Xing (2025): This is my house! Exploring the differential effects of rapport on consumer space psychological ownership, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
Purpose: Maintaining the rapport between consumers and frontline employees (FLEs) is one of the most important marketing strategies in marketing practice. This study aims to understand the mechanism of rapport on consumers’ space psychological ownership and purchase likelihood, as well as the moderating roles of contact frequency and consumption choices. Design/methodology/approach: The authors collected data from 632 participants and analyzed it through three online experiments and two pre-experiments to test four hypotheses. Findings: The results show that space psychological ownership is positively related to rapport, thereby increasing consumers’ purchase likelihood. In addition, the authors verify that two common rapport-building behaviors by FLEs have differential effects on space psychological ownership: non-purchase-related similarities (versus purchase-related similarities) exert a more significant impact due to differences in perceived relationship norms. Furthermore, this effect is more pronounced during first-time (versus frequent) contact with FLEs. Finally, the authors found that when consumers were making hedonic (versus utilitarian) choice, they were more responsive to FLEs’ strategy of non-purchase-related similarities rather than purchase-related similarities in the consumption space. Originality/value: This study provides insights into a new perspective to understand rapport and psychological ownership and builds on the relationship norms literature to explain why different rapport-building behaviors will have differential impacts. This study concludes by exploring the moderating role of contact frequency and consumption choices, which informs the expansion of the boundaries of theoretical mechanisms and the development of more targeted market strategies.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-01-2025-0073 [Google]
Mirzaei, A., D. C. H. Wilkie, A. Burgess and B. Abedin (2026): The Reasonable Accommodation Management Plan (RAMP) to greater service experience for vulnerable consumers, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to explore the lived experiences of vulnerable consumers in service interactions by addressing the gap between observed and experienced vulnerability. It proposes two frameworks. First, the vulnerable consumer experience (VCX) framework to understand how vulnerability manifests and is shaped by various individual, social and structural factors, often resulting in unmet needs and negative outcomes. Second, the Reasonable Accommodation Management Plan (RAMP) to translate these insights into inclusively actionable service design and delivery strategies.Design/methodology/approachA content analysis of over 24,700 online conversations was conducted using Reddit forums focused on disability-related experiences. This analysis informed the development of the VCX characteristics framework, which comprises three dimensions: expectations, sensitivities and responses.FindingsThe VCX framework highlights the multidimensional nature of consumer vulnerability, spanning cognitive, emotional, physical and environmental domains, and it reveals how service environments co-create vulnerability. The study then proposes the RAMP, a strategic guide with three pillars: flexible and affordable offerings, service design and delivery and technology and innovation. These pillars provide actionable directions for service providers to better meet the needs of vulnerable consumers.Practical implicationsThe RAMP framework offers managers, policymakers, researchers and society practical pathways to design inclusive, commercially viable, policy-aligned and dignity enhancing services that reduce vulnerability and improve quality of life.Originality/valueThis research shifts the focus from categorising vulnerable groups to understanding their lived service experiences. It contributes a novel conceptual and practical approach by integrating experiential and structural dimensions of vulnerability (VCX) and offering a management framework (RAMP) to enhance inclusive service delivery.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-05-2025-0341 [Google]
Mogaji, E., E. Odeghe, F. Orole, O. O. Omotoye, T. Farinloye, S. Bhatt, O. Dickson and S. Ojo (2026): Service work, gender, and well-being: the role of customer behaviour in shaping the experiences of female drivers, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to examine how customer interactions shape the well-being, job satisfaction and professional challenges of female drivers in Nigeria’s informal transport sector. Unlike research centred on formal industries, it highlights underregulated service economies where gender bias, harassment and safety risks intersect with daily work. By exploring how female drivers navigate these challenges, the study advances inclusive insights into gendered service work and decent work in vulnerable contexts.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a qualitative research approach, conducting semi-structured interviews with 27 female drivers working in ride-hailing, taxi and public bus services. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns of customer interactions, including gender bias, safety concerns, work-life balance and coping strategies.FindingsThe analysis reveals that customer interactions are central to shaping female drivers’ workplace experiences, often reinforcing gender bias, harassment and safety concerns. However, drivers also identified supportive customer relationships that enhanced resilience and job satisfaction. The 2 & times; 2 framework developed highlights how underregulated service environments can simultaneously constrain and enable well-being, underscoring the dual role of customers as both barriers and enablers of decent, gender-inclusive work.Practical implicationsThe study highlights managerial and policy implications, urging ride-hailing companies, transport unions and policymakers to implement gender-sensitive safety measures, customer education programmes and financial incentives to support female drivers.Originality/valueThis study expands transformative service research, transformative transport service research and gendered service marketing by shifting focus from consumer-centric frameworks to worker well-being in informal economies, advocating for a more equitable approach to service research.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-02-2025-0142 [Google]
Moise, M., I. Gil-Saura, M.-E. Ruiz-Molina and A. Marin Garcia (2026): Antecedents and consequences of sustainability-oriented service innovation from the manager’s perspective: the moderating role of sector type, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeInnovation and sustainability are two important pillars required to achieve competitive advantages. However, it is still unknown how the combined impact of both factors affects business performance. To address this gap, the present work incorporates sustainability-oriented service innovation (SOSI) as a variable to expand the research field in the service sector. The purpose of this study is to analyze value co-creation as an antecedent and innovation and business performance as consequents of SOSI and evaluate the moderating role of sector type, concretely hotels and retail business.Design/methodology/approachTo contrast the proposed hypotheses, a quantitative approach was used, and the data were collected from 450 Spanish hotel and retail establishment managers. The data were then analyzed by using partial least squares structural equation modeling to validate the measures and to test the proposed model.FindingsThe results of this study highlight the important role that SOSI, driven by the positive influence of co-creation of value, plays in innovation performance. Moreover, innovation performance emerges as a driver of business financial and nonfinancial results, which, in turn, play an important role in their financial results. Finally, the findings support the existence of significant differences across sector activity in terms of the effects of value co-creation on SOSI and the impact of nonfinancial results on financial results.Originality/valueThis research contributes to progress in conceptualizing SOSI and provides empirical evidence that identifies the links between its antecedents and consequences.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-10-2024-0541 [Google]
Mostafa, R. B., B. Aykol and I. Ipek (2026): Value destruction: the ugly side of virtual agents, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis paper aims to examine the outcomes of consumers’ perceptions of value destruction resulting from interaction with virtual agents. Specifically, outcomes such as consumer outrage, virtual agent hate, reduction in the share of wallet and desire for revenge are explored.Design/methodology/approachData was collected from 390 Gen Z users of virtual agents in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and analysed using SPSS AMOS 29.FindingsThis paper demonstrates the adverse consumer outcomes of value destruction. In addition, the paper uncovers a novel relationship related to the serial mediation of consumer outrage and virtual agent hate between value destruction on the one hand and reduction in the share of wallet and desire for revenge on the other hand.Practical implicationsThis paper also provides guidelines to firms using virtual agent to better understand the negative outcomes that could result from interaction with virtual agents. Understanding consumer evaluation of the value of virtual agents will likely guide future investment decisions in virtual agents.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to explore the value destruction that might result from interaction with virtual agents, as well as its adverse effects. In addition, the paper uncovers a novel serial relationship related to the process through which value destruction induces consumers’ reduction in their share of wallet and desire for revenge.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-04-2025-0242 [Google]
Muniz-Martinez, N. (2026): Complex service ecosystems evolving from value co-destruction to value co-creation: the case of Medellín’s post drug-war urban transformation, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to analyse value co-destruction and co-creation, charting avenues of progress from the former to the latter over a long time period. The urban regeneration of Medell & iacute;n (Columbia) through collective service design is used as a case study.Design/methodology/approachThis investigation takes a systemic perspective and uses a multimethod, qualitative approach. Data collection took place over a 20-year period from a range of primary (interviews with a range of actors involved in Medell & iacute;n’s urban regeneration, onsite observation) and secondary (content analysis) data sources.FindingsDue to the efforts of certain key actors, Medell & iacute;n has been transformed from a city marked by the violence of the drug cartels into an innovative and creative city. These engaged actors have succeeded in reversing processes of value co-destruction, replacing them with those of value co-creation.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper shows the importance of examining value co-creation and co-destruction processes over long timescales and taking in multiactor and multilevel micro-, meso- and macro-perspectives.Practical implicationsThis research highlights the importance of conceptualizing cities as complex service ecosystems constituted by many-to-many interactions. It also shows the necessity for urban regeneration of identifying a city’s relevant subsystems as well as those actors that are key to rethinking public and private service exchanges.Originality/valueThis work provides a novel overview of how value co-destruction can be transformed into value co-creation in service ecosystems.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-03-2025-0217 [Google]
Ofori-Okyere, I. and F. Edghiem (2026): An exploration of financial services digital encounters in developing countries, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeRecent advances in technological transformation are gradually changing the way customers interact with financial services and conduct financial transactions. However, little is known about customers’ experiences with artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled chatbots (AECs) in developing countries, making it an under-researched context.Design/methodology/approachTo enhance the understanding of customers’ attitudes towards AI-enabled technologies, the authors adopted an exploratory, inductive research approach to gather data from customers and managers from multiple cases of financial institutions. The authors accumulated evidence by combining semi-structured interviews, netnography and archival documents.FindingsThe findings reveal that factors, such as perceived trust in AECs, perceived security in AECs, perception of AEC expertise, perceived interaction design, cultural and societal dynamics and perceived competence and authenticity impact consumers’ interactions with AECs deployed by financial services.Originality/valueThis research involves important new ramifications for several stakeholders in developing countries, including concerned research communities, financial service managers (such as those in ebanking), designers of financial products and services, marketers, technology developers and regulators.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-07-2024-0367 [Google]
Ojha, A. and D. S. Kumar (2026): Addressing spillover dynamics: an actionable framework for tackling brand free-riding on P2P service platforms, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
Purpose Peer-to-peer (P2P) service platforms often face challenges in aligning customer experience with their brand promises due to the influence of independent service providers. Customer experiences with individual service providers spill over to the evaluation of the platform, affecting its brand image. This conceptual paper aims to propose a differential positioning framework to manage these spillover effects and mitigate brand free-riding, offering a strategic approach to brand management in decentralized P2P services. Design/methodology/approach This study develops a differential positioning framework for platform service providers using a process model with a narrative-based approach. The process model, as a conceptual approach, is more useful for studying complex phenomena, where rich narratives and broader explanations are more valuable than formal, testable propositions. Findings This study highlights brand free-riding on P2P service platforms, where service providers benefit from the platform’s brand equity without proportionally contributing through brand-aligned service delivery. The authors examine how customers’ experiences with service providers spill over to evaluations of the platform brand and identify the underlying mechanisms and key moderators driving this process. Grounded in brand management literature, the authors propose a differential positioning framework that leverages service providers’ alignment with the platform brand to manage spillover effects and mitigate brand free-riding. Originality/value This research adopts a brand-centric perspective to examine how effectively individual service providers deliver the experiential dimensions of a platform’s value proposition. Moving beyond traditional platform governance, this study introduces an actionable framework that proactively manages the platform’s brand image while giving service providers greater flexibility. The framework also fosters value co-creation on P2P service platforms by improving customer-provider matching and reducing uncertainty, ultimately enhancing the overall customer experience.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-03-2025-0190 [Google]
Park, K. (2026): From self-motivated trials to risk-taking: how older consumers change after engaging with innovative technologies, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to examine how self-initiated trial experiences with innovative products by older consumers influence their future choice behavior. Specifically, it investigates whether such autonomous engagement increases self-efficacy and leads to a greater tendency to make risk-taking choices in later and unrelated consumption contexts. Rather than treating chronological age merely as a demographic factor, this study views it as a proxy for underlying psychological mechanisms that shape consumers’ openness to innovation and their willingness to engage with uncertainty. This study challenges prevailing assumptions that older consumers are passive or avoidant toward technological innovation.Design/methodology/approachThree studies were conducted using both survey and experimental methods. Study 1 surveyed 85 Korean adults (Mage = 46.5) to assess the relationship between the frequency of recent self-initiated use of nine innovative services (e.g. kiosks, AI appliances and metaverse) and consumers’ current self-efficacy in using innovative technologies. Study 2 used a 2 (generation: younger vs older) x 3 (experience type: self-use vs helped by others vs control) between-subjects design (n = 186) using a scenario involving an unmanned service. Study 3 replicated the findings with a new product extension scenario (n = 198), testing the mediating role of situational self-efficacy through a bootstrapped moderated mediation analysis.FindingsAcross three studies using both survey and experimental methods, older consumers who independently engaged in self-initiated trial experiences with innovative services showed higher self-efficacy, which in turn increased their willingness to make riskier or more novel consumption choices. Self-efficacy played the role of a mechanism linking self-initiated engagement with innovation to subsequent risk-taking behavior. In contrast, younger consumers exhibited no significant changes in self-efficacy or choice tendencies. These results were consistently supported across survey data (Study 1) and two experimental replications (Study 2 and Study 3).Research limitations/implicationsThis study was conducted in a single cultural context (South Korea), which may limit generalizability. Future research could explore different innovation types, long-term behavioral changes of older consumers or cross-cultural effects. Although this study used chronological age as a proxy for generation differences, considering other variables such as cognitive age, perceived control and time perspective would also provide insights into examining the impact of older adults’ engagement with innovation. Moreover, future research could examine whether other internal mechanisms, beyond differences in self-efficacy, could drive behavioral change in middle-aged and older adults. Overall, the findings contribute to age-specific consumer innovation research and provide empirical support for self-efficacy as a key psychological mechanism in transformative service experiences.Practical implicationsNew product development marketers should design technological experiences that allow older consumers to independently experience innovative services. As new innovative technologies continue to emerge, older consumers with significant purchasing power and a growing market are becoming a key segment deserving particular attention in the marketing landscape.The findings of this study suggest that encouraging these consumers to use new technologies on their own can enhance their confidence and increase their openness to novel or unfamiliar product choices, which has meaningful practical implications.Social implicationsThis study challenges age-based stereotypes by showing that older consumers can adopt innovative technologies and become more confident and risk-tolerant when given self-directed experiences. Crucially, even a single encounter with new technology can enhance self-efficacy, suggesting that such experiences have the potential to transform older consumers’ lives. Consequently, these findings highlight the importance of inclusive service environments that respect both chronological and psychological age diversity, support digital equity and promote active engagement in technology-driven societies.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is among the first to highlight the role of self-motivated engagement with innovation in shaping older consumers’ decision-making behaviors. It integrates self-efficacy theory with innovation adoption and risk-taking behavior, offering theoretical as well as managerial insights for designing inclusive service environments.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-08-2025-0525 [Google]
Partouche-Sebban, J., S. Rezaee Vessal, Y. Souak, A. Ammari and A. Toledano (2026): Sexual well-being in cancer care services: the role of body image and coping strategies, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeSexuality-related challenges represent one of the most persistent yet insufficiently addressed dimensions of patient well-being in cancer care services. Despite their significant impact on quality of life, sexual concerns are often marginalized within oncology service delivery. Anchored in Transformative Service Research, this study examines how body image shapes oncology patients’ coping responses to sexual dysfunction and, in turn, influences sexual life satisfaction. This study aims to inform the design of health-care support services that more effectively address sexual well-being and strengthen patient-centered cancer care.Design/methodology/approachA mixed-methods research design was used. Study 1 involved semi-structured interviews with cancer patients (n = 16) to explore their experiences of sexuality-related challenges during treatment and the coping strategies they adopted. Building on these qualitative insights, Study 2 used a quantitative survey (n = 204) to test the proposed conceptual model, examining the relationships between body image, coping strategies and sexual life satisfaction, as well as the mediating role of partner relationship quality.FindingsThe findings show that sexual dysfunction in the context of cancer care is closely intertwined with body-related concerns and identity threat. Patients rely on two main coping strategies – engagement and disengagement – which mediate the relationship between body image and sexual life satisfaction. Moreover, partner relationship quality plays a mediating role in the link between coping strategies and sexual life satisfaction. These results underline the importance of targeted service interventions that address body image concerns and incorporate couple-based support within oncology care.Originality/valueThis study extends existing research on sexual dysfunction in chronic illness by shifting the focus from symptoms to patients’ lived experiences and coping processes within health-care services. By elucidating how body image and coping interact to shape sexual well-being, the research offers actionable insights for the design of supportive oncology services. More broadly, it highlights the role of service marketing in fostering more intimate, holistic and transformative care for vulnerable patient populations.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-03-2025-0165 [Google]
Pham, T.-A. N. (2026): Co-creation convenience: reconceptualizing the customer convenience concept through the service-dominant logic lens, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
Purpose- The customer convenience concept, conventionally viewed through a transactional lens as the minimization of time and effort, fails to fully capture the complexities of how customers integrate resources to co-create value. This paper aims to use a service-dominant logic lens to reconceptualize convenience to reflect the evolving nature of customers’ preferences for convenience and active roles in co-creation processes.to use. Design/methodology/approach- The reconceptualization was based on theoretical deductive and empirical inductive approaches. A survey of the literature was first conducted to clarify how convenience has been defined and to identify its key attributes. Next, a qualitative study was conducted in healthcare contexts to explore the real-world experiences and perceptions of customers, uncovering nuanced attributes of convenience in co-creation that are not reflected in existing definitions. Findings- The term co-creation convenience is coined to refer to the customer’s judgment regarding the extent of perceived autonomy in flexibly deploying their pool of resources, specifically in configuring and using them, in achieving their goals associated with a service co-creation. Originality/value- The co-creation convenience concept offers a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding that aligns with contemporary service research paradigms. This paper also suggests moving away from a firm-centric view of convenience toward a customer-centric view, focusing on providing platforms, tools and support that facilitate customers’ agency to conveniently integrate a wide range of resources into service co-creation.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-06-2025-0407 [Google]
Sabri, O., R. Bakrim and M. Y. Hyun (2026): The double-edged sword of phygital technologies: how phygital overload shapes museum experience and evaluation through visitor review insights, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine how phygital tools – technologies that blend physical and digital elements – shape visitors’ museum experiences and evaluations in online reviews. Specifically, the authors investigate the counterintuitive effect by which mentions of distinct phygital tools (i.e. phygital tool variety) are negatively associated with star ratings, such that a higher number of mentions corresponds to lower evaluations. To explain this pattern, they introduce the concept of phygital overload and analyze how the narrative salience of these tools moderates this relationship. By doing so, the study provides new insights into the boundaries of phygital augmentation and its implications for designing human-centered, emotionally coherent visitor experiences in cultural service environments.Design/methodology/approachUsing a case study of the Mus & eacute;um National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, the authors analyze 6,883 user reviews from Google Reviews. A lexicon-based content analysis identifies and quantifies mentions of distinct phygital tools within each review. They use regression models to test the direct, mediated and moderating effects of phygital tool variety on star ratings, with perceived quality of the museum experience – proxied by joy-related affect-related emotions in reviews – serving as the mediating variable. In particular, they explore how phygital narrative salience – the proportion of review text dedicated to phygital tools – moderates the link between these mentions and visitor evaluations, both directly and indirectly through perceived experiential quality.FindingsResults reveal that while phygital tool variety mentioned in visitor reviews does not directly influence reported joy-related affect, it exerts a negative indirect effect on museum evaluations through its dampening influence on joy-related affect. As joy-related affect serves as an indicator of perceived experience quality, these findings support the phygital overload hypothesis, underscoring the emotional cost of encountering numerous and diverse phygital tools. This mediated relationship is further amplified when a greater proportion of review content is devoted to describing these tools – a dimension the authors term phygital narrative salience. Under such conditions, heightened focus on phygital variety appears to intensify emotional strain, leading to reduced joy-related affect and, ultimately, lower overall evaluations of the museum experience.Originality/valueThis study introduces and empirically tests the construct of phygital overload in a cultural experience context. It extends Cognitive Load Theory to online evaluation and highlights the importance of narrative salience in moderating the effects of phygital augmentation on visitor experience and evaluation.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-06-2025-0421 [Google]
Sarmento, M. (2026): Negotiating dignity in service encounters: advancing transformative service research, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis paper aims to explore how dignity is negotiated in solidarity service encounters, contributing to transformative service research (TSR) and services marketing. It examines how recognition and exclusion are co-created through micro-practices between service users and volunteers in a grassroots solidarity restaurant.Design/methodology/approachThe study draws on a 24-month narrative ethnography, combining participant observation with reflexive field notes that captured lived stories and emotionally charged encounters with service users and volunteers. Narrative analysis illuminated fragile interactions and theorised dignity as a relational accomplishment sustained through everyday practices.FindingsSeven relational themes are identified: dignity in routines, emotional atmospheres, exclusion and micro-violence, volunteers’ emotional labour, materiality and symbolic gestures, coexisting fragility and agency and fragile ties. Integrating these themes, the paper proposes a conceptual model and five propositions positioning dignity as co-created in fragile encounters, continuously negotiated between recognition and rupture.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is based on a single solidarity service context, which may limit generalisability. However, it offers transferable insights for understanding vulnerability, inclusion and customer experience in diverse services. Future research could extend the framework across different contexts of service provision.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight the importance of gestures, atmospheres and symbolic materiality in shaping dignity. They emphasise the emotional labour of volunteers and the value of flexible, ethical discretion in service delivery. These insights are relevant for managers, NGOs and policymakers designing inclusive services.Originality/valueThis paper advances TSR by shifting attention from formal service design to lived micro-practices. It introduces dignity as a central dimension of customer experience, providing novel insights into service inclusion in vulnerable contexts.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-09-2025-0610 [Google]
Teymouri Athar, H. and S. Shepherd (2026): It’s not MY job! Consumer entitlement and responses to self-service technologies, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeSelf-service technologies (SSTs) are increasingly prevalent in retail and service environments, but not all customers respond favorably. While some prior work shows that consumer entitlement has a profound impact on human service provider interactions, little is known about the role of entitlement in a service landscape transformed by SSTs. This research aims to investigate consumer entitlement as a novel antecedent to consumers’ perceptions and evaluations of SSTs, proposing that entitled consumers respond more negatively to SSTs because of their greater rejection of customer effort.Design/methodology/approachFive scenario-based experiments were conducted across various retail and service contexts (n = 1,592). The authors tested the mediating effect of rejection of customer effort on responses to SSTs (attitudes, satisfaction and intentions) (Studies 1a-2), and tested effort reduction as a mitigation strategy (Study 3).FindingsConsumers higher (vs lower) in entitlement responded more negatively to SSTs due to their greater rejection of customer effort. Emphasizing personalization, control and financial incentives did not attenuate the effect, underscoring the robust influence of entitlement. Instead, reducing customer effort in using an SST attenuated the effect.Originality/valueThis research extends the entitlement and SST literatures by introducing a novel antecedent of consumers’ responses to SSTs, and proposing rejection of customer effort to explain how entitlement shapes consumers’ experiences in the modern service landscape. It offers managerial insights for designing service technologies that align with consumer expectations while realizing the potential benefits of SST implementation.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-01-2025-0048 [Google]
Valentini, T. and C. Roederer (2026): Servicescape design: an assemblage framework conceptualizing managerial vision and its execution, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeAs firms increasingly adopt experience-driven differentiation, the design of servicescapes becomes essential in shaping brand identity and consumer engagement. However, a persistent challenge remains: bridging the gap between intended experiences and their execution in physical environments. This study investigates how servicescapes are developed in retail and hospitality settings. Grounded in the assemblage theory, this study aims to propose a framework that traces the formation of expression intent and its translation into physical spaces.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative multimethod approach, the authors integrate nonparticipatory observations (n = 14), a photographic corpus (n = 86) and semistructured interviews (n = 11) with designers and managers. This methodological triangulation captures both strategic intent and its material realization.FindingsThe analysis conceptualizes expression intent along two analytical continua and identifies six interrelated design mechanisms through which servicescapes are assembled. It further examines component-to-assemblage and assemblage-to-assemblage relationships across micro-, meso- and macrolevels and develops an integrative framework that explains how expression intent guides successive design choices, thus leading to coherent servicescape configurations.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings bridge the literature on servicescape design (Bitner, 1992; Rosenbaum and Massiah, 2011; Alexander and Cano, 2020) with assemblage theory (Deleuze and Guattari, 1980; DeLanda, 2016) to show that service environments are active and adaptive systems shaped by continuous negotiations between strategic vision and environmental constraints. This challenges the reductionist stimulus-response paradigm (Turley and Milliman, 2000; Kumar et al., 2020), which tends to isolate cues in a linear cause-effect logic, and it nuances holistic perspectives by proposing a more dynamic understanding of how elements are orchestrated to serve a narrative.Practical implicationsThe framework enables the clarification of expression intent and translates it into coherent servicescape configurations through six interrelated mechanisms, while accounting for contextual constraints. It also emphasizes the need to situate servicescape design within a broader network of interconnected assemblages across levels.Social implicationsThe findings suggest that the most successful servicescape implementations are those that maintain narrative coherence across all six dimensions – spatial-functional, sensory, immersive, educational, socio-interactive and offer-related. Each mechanism carries specific affordances and limitations, and their interaction shapes the overall experience. Therefore, managers should not only deploy them deliberately but also orchestrate their interdependencies to sustain emotional engagement and behavioral alignment.Originality/valueThis study introduces an assemblage-based reconceptualization of servicescape design, emphasizing the relational and processual nature of how service environments are intentionally assembled.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-04-2025-0258 [Google]
Verhulst, N., A. Helkkula, E. Arnould and C. Ceyssens (2026): From servicescape to transformative sexscape: embracing sexual well-being in service research, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
Purpose- This viewpoint aims to raise awareness of the importance of sexual well-being and to highlight the role service researchers and providers can play in supporting it, particularly with regard to groups experiencing vulnerability. Despite its contribution to overall well-being, sexual well-being remains notably underexplored within the service research literature. Design/methodology/approach- This viewpoint conceptualizes sexual well-being as a multidimensional construct shaped by socio-cultural factors. It introduces the concept of the “transformative sexscape” as an extension of the servicescape, emphasizing the need to consider the design of physical, social, symbolic and digital service environments in relation to sexual well-being. Findings- The paper identifies how servicescapes can intentionally and unintentionally reinforce dominant social and cultural norms (e.g. gender norms), thereby contributing to exclusion and stigma. This is particularly true for individuals experiencing vulnerabilities such as older adults, individuals experiencing disabilities and LGBTQIA+ individuals. Carefully designing sexscapes is important to promote sexual well-being for everyone. Practical implications- Service providers across sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, retail and digital platforms can play a transformative role in fostering inclusive transformative sexscapes that affirm diverse sexual and emotional needs both during classic services (e.g. healthcare) or services directly linked to sexual activity (e.g. swingers club). Originality/value- To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is among the first to explicitly integrate sexual well-being into the service research agenda. By extending the servicescape framework to include socio-cultural dimensions of sexual well-being, the paper offers a novel lens for understanding how service environments can either hinder or enhance sexual well-being.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-08-2025-0542 [Google]
Voyer, P. and H. Fatemi (2026): Word of mouth replication and evaluation in today’s modern service marketing environment, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis paper aims to convey: the criticality of word of mouth (WOM) within today’s modern service marketing environment; the importance of replication as a fundamental pillar of scientific research; and of greatest salience here, via replication, re-evaluation of one of service marketing’s highly cited WOM articles (Bansal and Voyer, 2000). Since its publication over 25 years ago, influential marketplace forces have been active. The modern service marketing environment is: dynamic; technology-focused (digitally driven); and increasingly customer-centric. Hence, the time has come to revisit this seminal study with a view to determining if it has stood the test of time.Design/methodology/approachAt the core of this paper is an empirical, replicative approach to assessing the original model. Using survey methodology, the authors use a very large sample (N = 709); substantially larger than the original article’s sample (N = 113). Comprehensive analyses used structural equation modeling.FindingsResults demonstrated the successful replication of a major WOM study, suggesting that original findings were remarkably robust given advances in time and service marketing changes. The original study’s outcomes have withstood the test of time. Effects of WOM processes as they impact the influence of WOM on service purchase decisions remain critical.Research limitations/implicationsThis replication has reinforced the understanding of service-oriented WOM processes. Service researchers should further explore WOM by considering impacts of influential marketing constructs, such as co-creation, involvement (with the service purchase) and potential moderating relationships associated with tie strength. The original article remains relevant but should be contextualized in today’s digital environment.Originality/valueWith this replication and application to the modern service marketing environment, service marketing scholars and practitioners should recognize that interpersonal forces (related to tie strength) remain exceptionally influential in service purchases. These validated insights can be leveraged in service marketing communications and promotional efforts.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-04-2025-0250 [Google]
Yadav, M., B. Rutherford, A. Malik, T. Ranjan and A. K. Singh (2026): Buy-now-pay-later adoption: the interplay of approach and avoidance forces in attitude formation, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThe aim of this study is to assess how approach and avoidance valences affect consumers’ attitude towards buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) purchases.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a survey-based design, using data from 233 users of BNPL services in the United States of America and the United Kingdom. Using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) and structural equation modelling, structural and configurational models were evaluated.FindingsThe results indicate that perceived severity has no significant influence on attitude towards BNPL purchases. However, relative advantage, observability, perceived vulnerability, algorithmic anxiety and self-efficacy have a significant influence on attitude towards BNPL purchases. Overall, the results of the fsQCA showed that attitude towards BNPL purchases is predicted by a complex combination of interactions.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to use both approach and avoidance-based forces, which have not been examined previously in the BNPL literature, to validate net valence theory for examining consumers’ attitude towards BNPL purchases.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-06-2025-0370 [Google]
Yang, W., X. Liu, Y. Zhou and H. Zhou (2026): How does social monitoring strategy empower value co-creation: the moderating effects of urban digital infrastructure, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeAs value co-creation has become central to marketing practices, social media strategies have been extensively studied as a key approach to fostering co-creation. However, existing research has treated this strategy at a broad conceptual level, offering a limited understanding of the involved inherent “benefit-risk” dilemma. Building on service-dominant logic, this study aims to focus on social monitoring strategy – a more nuanced form of social media strategies. The study conceptualizes it as a distinct value proposition that promotes value co-creation, thereby mitigating the “benefit-risk” dilemma. Specifically, the study examines the direct effects of social monitoring strategies on value co-creation, mediating roles of absorptive and joint learning capacities, and moderating effects of urban digital infrastructure on these mediating mechanisms.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on 340 firm-level survey data obtained from a questionnaire survey and public data from statistical yearbooks. Empirical testing was conducted using the AMOS and SPSS research methods.FindingsA social monitoring strategy is a value proposition that promotes value co-creation. This process is mediated by absorptive and joint learning capacities, with the mediating effects moderated by urban digital infrastructure.Originality/valueThis study advances a novel perspective by conceptualizing social monitoring strategy as a distinct value proposition and investigating how it drives value co-creation. More importantly, it addresses the “benefit-risk” paradox highlighted in existing research. By introducing a moderated mediation model, it opens the “black box” between social monitoring strategy and value co-creation, underscoring the critical role of urban digital infrastructure in strengthening this process.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-07-2025-0446 [Google]
Zamora-Ramos, M. R., M. Diaz-Mendez, A. Chamorro-Mera, N. A. Zuniga Espinosa and A. L. Garcia-Cordero (2026): Fostering sustainability in university entrepreneurial ecosystem through co-creation tools in living labs, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to identify the operand and operant resources that influence the adoption of sustainable business practices among university entrepreneurs within the framework of service-dominant (S-D) logic.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative case study was conducted through six Living Lab sessions at a Mexican public university, engaging 88 ecosystem actors, including university ventures, faculty, administrators, NGOs, investors, industry experts, government representatives and customers. Sessions followed five phases: challenge identification, ideation, proposition development, validation and feedback, using tailored co-creation tools. Data sources, including tool templates, observation notes and transcripts, were triangulated and analyzed through thematic, content and pattern analysis using an abductive approach.FindingsThe study identifies critical operand and operant resources shaping the adoption of sustainable practices in a developing economy. Cross-phase synthesis reveals four enabling dimensions: sustainability networks, government support and public policies, technological integration and strategic communication of sustainable value, which collectively embed sustainability-oriented competitiveness within the university entrepreneurial ecosystem.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to a single university entrepreneurial ecosystem, which may restrict the generalizability of findings. Future research could explore different contexts or conduct cross-regional comparisons to gain a deeper understanding of the phenomenon.Practical implicationsThe proposed integrated framework of key operand and operant resources for sustainable entrepreneurship provides actionable insights for policymakers, educators and entrepreneurs seeking to strengthen sustainability-driven practices.Originality/valueBy articulating a dynamic resource-based framework, this study operationalizes specific fundamental axioms of S-D logic within a sustainability-oriented university entrepreneurial ecosystem, advancing theoretical understanding while offering practical guidance for sustainable entrepreneurship.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-04-2025-0232 [Google]
