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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Edvardsson, B., M. Colurcio and V. Vigolo (2026): Services for older adults: challenges and opportunities in the longevity economy, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
Purpose This article explores how service research can contribute to the creation of age-friendly and digitally enhanced services that improve the well-being of older adults. Design/methodology/approach The paper employs a conceptual and integrative approach rooted in transformative service research and the emerging literature on the longevity economy. Findings The study highlights three crucial areas for advancing service research concerning longevity challenges. Collectively, these findings suggest that the longevity economy can evolve into a transformative space where technology, inclusion and innovation intersect to boost both individual and societal value. Research limitations/implications The commentary provides advice for managers, designers and policymakers. By incorporating well-being and social value as key performance indicators, organizations can align technological advancements with responsible and sustainable development to promote active aging and well-being. Practical implications The paper provides practical advice for service managers, designers, and policymakers. By incorporating well-being and social value as key performance metrics, organizations can align technological advancements with responsible and sustainable development, ensuring that digital transformation effectively promotes active aging and enhances quality of life. Originality/value This study contributes to service research by positioning the longevity economy as a driving force for transformative and inclusive innovation in which older adults play an active role. By connecting well-being, inclusion and value creation, the paper provides a conceptual framework for understanding how the digitalization of services can yield both economic and societal benefits in the context of an aging population.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-07-2025-0338 [Google]
Elkattan, A. G., T. Ekroos, S. Biscevic, R. Ligthart and D. El-Manstrly (2026): How generative AI companions alleviate situational vulnerability and enhance consumer well-being, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
PurposeGenerative AI-enabled chatbots are now capable of engaging in natural, dynamic and relationship-oriented interactions. Building on strength-based approach and transformative service research, this study explores consumer experience with GenAI companions apps designed to provide consumers with synthetic interaction partners. It examines how such companions can be effective in alleviating situational vulnerability (e.g. depression, loneliness) and in supporting sustained well-being.Design/methodology/approachUsing large-scale data from GenAI companion apps and online communities, this study employs a multi-method approach that combines fine-tuned large language models (LLMs) to detect situational vulnerability, BERTopic modelling to identify service experience dimensions, and debiased Lasso regression to estimate their effects on situational vulnerability alleviation and consumer well-being.FindingsThe findings indicate that GenAI companions can meaningfully alleviate situational vulnerability through key service experience dimensions such as AI-enabled coping strategies, humorous interactions, AI intelligence and emotional bonding. However, design frictions such as app accessibility issues, AI sexualisation and content censorship, and communication and memory challenges, may hinder their effectiveness. Additionally, the results confirm the mediating role of situational vulnerability alleviation that mediates the relationship between service dimensions and influencing app recommendations.Originality/valueThis study offers one of the first empirical, theory-driven examinations of GenAI companions as strength and transformative well-being services. By applying the strength-based approach within a Transformative Service Research framework, it advances understanding of how GenAI companions can function as vulnerability-alleviating service mechanisms and provides actionable insights for the design and governance of AI-enabled well-being services.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-04-2025-0165 [Google]
Fan, A. (2026): From support to empowerment: AI-enabled transformative service for positive aging, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
PurposeThis research advances theoretical insights in AI-enabled service design and transformative service, while offering practical guidelines in developing GenAI tools to empower older adults and support positive aging.Design/methodology/approachThree progressive scenario-based experimental design studies are conducted to investigate (1) whether AI-enabled self-learning service outperforms among older adults (Study 1), (2) what features contribute to increased service engagement (Studies 2 and 3) and (3) how service design elements enhance transformative service outcomes (Studies 1, 2 and 3).FindingsThis research finds the dual impact of AI-enabled transformative service on older adults’ behavioral engagement (service usage and referral intentions) and psychological well-being (purpose of life and satisfaction with life) with these effects mediated by perceptions of personal growth and social connectedness respectively.Practical implicationsThe research findings emphasize the value of embedding emotionally intelligent and socially engaging features in AI-enabled service to maximize customer lifetime value and well-being among older adults. Service providers are suggested to invest in AI designs that go beyond functionality and incorporate personalized support and social connection cues to better serve the psychological needs of older adults and foster positive aging.Originality/valueThis research offers theoretical advancements in multiple ways. It confirms GenAI’s role as a transformative service provider, validates digital pathways to positive aging and empirically tests two critical psychological well-being mechanisms – personal growth and social connectedness – as mediators linking AI-enabled transformative service to an enhanced senses of life purpose and life satisfaction.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-08-2025-0384 [Google]
Jha, G., J. Wright, A. Singhal, Y. F. 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]
Kriz, A., Z. Cao, N. Hartley, M. L. Verreynne, M. Indulska and V. Vegh (2026): University-industry collaboration for AI-driven service innovation, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
PurposeService innovation is undergoing a fundamental transformation due to digitization, sustainability imperatives, platformization and particularly the rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI). AI-driven service innovation requires specialized and domain-specific expertise, which is increasingly derived from university-industry collaboration (UIC) contexts. However, UICs are often prone to failure, and new, uncertain and ambiguous characteristics of AI can further exacerbate these challenges. This paper, therefore, explores how UICs can be successfully managed to develop and deploy AI-driven service innovations.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative, illustrative case study research design featuring expert interviews and secondary data sources was employed to analyze multiple UIC contexts, with a focus on understanding AI-driven service innovation. The interpretive thematic analysis revealed inductive data-driven insights that were used to refine and augment deductive insights from the literature.FindingsA framework for enhancing the success of UIC for AI-driven service innovation is proposed, based on illustrative case data, alongside theoretical perspectives from UIC, service-dominant logic and service ecosystems. The framework incorporates the mechanisms for thriving partnerships and defines how AI-driven stakeholder value can be enhanced. Therein, it identifies key enablers, processes/practices and outcomes/benefits of UIC for AI-driven service innovation. The conclusion brings together theoretical and practical implications from the framework and presents a future research agenda.Originality/valuePrior literature has primarily examined UIC for technological, product and process innovation. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to focus on UIC collaborations for service innovation, specifically in AI contexts. It synthesizes existing literature and insights from successful UIC in the context of AI to develop a novel framework to guide further theory development, practical collaborations and policy design.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-12-2024-0545 [Google]
Kubinyi, E. L. and J. Vink (2026): Cultivating institutional imagination through service design: speculating on alternative logics in the Estonian mental health service ecosystem, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
PurposeThis article aims to investigate how service design can aid actors in cultivating institutional imagination – their ability to speculate on alternative constellations of widely shared and entrenched logics in service ecosystems.Design/methodology/approachThis study applies a research-through-design approach involving 25 generative interviews, 2 co-creation workshops with 23 system actors, and 2 reflection sessions with 25 system actors in the Estonian mental healthcare service ecosystem.FindingsThis research develops a process model for institutional imagination, which includes the core processes of: (1) unpacking current logic configurations; (2) fantasizing on desired logic reconfigurations and (3) identifying transformative logic movements. In addition, this research delineates fourteen transformative logic movements for shifting from current to desired logic constellations.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to efforts within service research to realize transformative aims in service ecosystems through three core contributions: (1) building actors’ capacity for doing institutional analysis; (2) delineating how actors can imagine institutional logics otherwise and (3) expanding the repertoire of logic movements.Practical implicationsDesigners and other practitioners can use the process model, core processes and substeps outlined to guide actors through a structured, facilitated process of cultivating institutional imagination. The visualized repertoire of logic movements can act as a useful prompt for speculating around desired alternative institutional logics.Originality/valueThe processes of institutional imagination provide a critical missing bridge between building reflexivity and intentionally reforming institutional logics to transform service ecosystems.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-06-2025-0270 [Google]
Landry, M. and O. Furrer (2026): Value co-creation: capturing the causal complexity of organizational capabilities, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
PurposeService firms have the crucial responsibility of enabling value co-creation for their own and their customers’ benefit. Therefore, it is imperative to gain a deeper understanding of how the organizational capabilities instilled in service interactions relate to the co-created value outcomes.Design/methodology/approachGrounded in configurational theory, organizational capabilities and value co-creation literature, this study aims to explain the complex relationships between interactional capabilities – a specific type of organizational capability that supports service interactions and contributes to a higher-level value co-creation capability – and key relational co-created value outcomes in two high-interaction service contexts. Relying on the service-dominant orientation model (SDO), the authors combine partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), finite mixture partial least squares (FIMIX-PLS) analysis and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA).FindingsThe PLS-SEM results establish the higher-level value co-creation capability construct and its positive relationship with the value outcomes. The FIMIX-PLS results indicate unobserved heterogeneity in the structural model, suggesting equifinality. The fsQCA results reveal how interactional capabilities, at a lower level, assemble in various configurations, resulting in both value co-creation and value no-creation.Originality/valueOffering substantial theoretical and empirical reasoning with practical implications for service management, this study demonstrates how conjunction, equifinality and causal asymmetry characterize the relationships between interactional capabilities and value outcomes. In doing so, the paper expands knowledge about the value co-creation process in relation to value realization. The results also contribute to a more detailed understanding of the concept of value no-creation, as the absence of value realization.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-05-2025-0229 [Google]
Vien, B. R., B. Tronvoll and R. Findsrud (2026): Navigating digital servitization in manufacturing SMEs through value propositions, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, (), pp.
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand how manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can navigate digital servitization to cocreate value propositions.Design/methodology/approachThe present exploratory study interviewed managers from 18 manufacturing SMEs holding managerial positions. The analysis started with a Gioia-inspired approach consisting of first establishing inductive first-order in vivo codes, followed by an abductive coding process based on current literature about cocreating value propositions.FindingsThe study identified three dimensions of digital servitization that manufacturing SMEs must undergo to transition to digital servitization and create value: (1) value-driven digitalization, (2) workforce-driven digitalization and (3) collaborative-driven digitalization. In these dimensions, entangled drivers and challenges related to customer demand, investments, employees and service platform providers must be addressed. A conceptual framework was developed for how manufacturing SMEs can navigate digital servitization and create value propositions.Research limitations/implicationsThis study’s manager-focused interviews may limit insights from an employee perspective. As employees play crucial roles as drivers and challenges in digital servitization, future research should incorporate employee interviews to gain a holistic understanding. While interviews within 18 manufacturing SMEs provide a broader perspective on navigating digital servitization to provide value propositions, they lack the depth that a single case study could offer.Originality/valueThis research advances the literature by offering insights into how manufacturing SMEs can use value propositions to navigate the three dimensions of digital servitization, including its drivers and challenges.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-07-2024-0292 [Google]
Zhang, W. Q., L. Wu and S. Q. Liu (2026): Understanding AI service failures: insights from attribution theory, JOURNAL OF SERVICE MANAGEMENT, 37(2), pp.320–343
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]
Alsaid, K., S. M. Hammami, H. Jedidi, M. Hakimi and M. Almotairi (2026): How consumers perceive and react to AI-chatbots in service recovery: the serial mediating role of mind perception and psychological distance, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, 36(3), pp.510–533
PurposeIn artificial intelligence (AI)-mediated contexts, interactions are carried out by non-human entities that assume roles traditionally performed by human employees raising questions about their effectiveness in emotionally charged contexts such as service recovery, particularly in high-touch industries like hospitality and tourism. This study investigates the differential effectiveness of economic vs symbolic recovery strategies enacted by AI chatbots in shaping customer recovery satisfaction, forgiveness and revisit intention.Design/methodology/approachThree experimental studies were conducted in the airlines and hotels settings, recruiting participants from an online panel who interacted with a real chatbot in a simulated service failure recovery scenario.FindingsStudy 1 reveals that while chatbot economic and symbolic recovery strategies are equally successful in fostering customer forgiveness, economic recovery stands out for its stronger impact on recovery satisfaction. Study 2 uncovers the mechanism linking AI-chatbot recovery strategies to customer recovery outcomes, revealing that only symbolic recovery enhances perceived experience and reduces psychological distance, whereas economic recovery and perceived agency show no such effect. Study 3 identifies a boundary condition: economic recovery outperforms symbolic recovery under high failure severity, but both are equally effective under low severity.Originality/valueOur study offers novel insights into the effectiveness of AI-driven recovery by demonstrating that the most successful chatbot is not the one that fully mimics human employees, but the one that leverages its distinctive capabilities-flawless execution of compensation and well-designed empathy. By prioritizing care, competence and customer emotional well-being over artificial independence, firms can maximize recovery satisfaction and reinforce customer relationships.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-04-2025-0124 [Google]
Biesinger, B., M. Saleschus, S. West and K. Hadwich (2026): Transforming manufacturers into service-driven learning organizations: practitioner-oriented review and change framework, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, (), pp.
PurposeDespite the strategic advantages of servitization, many manufacturers struggle to transform into providers of integrated product-service-software solutions due to ingrained product-centric mindsets and fragmented change initiatives. This article addresses this challenge by developing a prescriptive learning organization framework to support change management in servitization.Design/methodology/approachThis research employs a framework-based review to synthesize the scattered literature on service-driven learning, identifies central challenges of servitization change management and develops a prescriptive learning organization framework to address them.FindingsThe developed framework introduces a prescriptive perspective on managing servitization by conceptualizing the service-driven learning organization. It specifies seven learning orientations and ten facilitating factors that help overcome obstacles in transitioning from product-based manufacturing to integrated service provision.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the servitization literature by introducing the concept of the service-driven learning organization. It provides a dynamic, practitioner-oriented approach to understanding, building and advancing service-driven learning organizations as a novel lens for managing change in servitization.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-07-2025-0299 [Google]
Huang, Y. F. and Y. Q. 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, 36(3), pp.412–432
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]
Liu, B., Y. T. Cai, F. Y. Zhao, Y. H. Ling, F. Z. Yu and C. L. Luo (2026): When digital transformation meets service innovation: unlocking the mechanisms and consequences of peer effects, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, 36(3), pp.433–458
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]
Nadroo, Z. M., N. Vinoi and A. Shankar (2026): How parasocial relationships drive purchase intentions: a meta-analysis, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, (), pp.
PurposeThis study presents a meta-analytic framework grounded in parasocial relationship (PSR) theory, source credibility theory and the theory of planned behaviour to synthesize the literature on parasocial relations and their influence on purchase intentions.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilized the meta-analytic bivariate analysis to examine the proposed model and relationships within it to address inconsistencies in the existing research through moderation analysis.FindingsThe findings reveal that perceived similarity, engagement, trustworthiness and brand credibility positively influence consumer attitudes, which subsequently drive purchase intentions. Meanwhile, attractiveness has a negative impact on attitudes, while perceived utility, expertise and sponsorship disclosure show no significant effect. Moderation results further demonstrate that these relationships vary depending on contextual (country growth, Internet penetration and cultural perspective) and methodological (gender, research method, age and sample size) factors within the PSR literature and highlight the reasons for inconsistencies in the existing literature.Research limitations/implicationsThis review contributes to advancing the theoretical understanding of PSR. From a practical standpoint, it offers important insights for marketers on optimizing parasocial dynamics to effectively influence consumer attitudes and purchasing behaviour.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the PSR literature by synthesizing the previous studies’ findings.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-05-2025-0205 [Google]
Park, H., W. M. Hur and H. S. Le (2026): Health and safety climates: influences on engagement and retention for frontline service employees, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, (), pp.
PurposeThe aim of this study is to examine the effects of perceived organizational health climate (POHC) and perceived organizational safety climate (POSC) on work engagement and turnover intention among frontline service employees (FLEs). Specifically, this research explores how POHC and POSC, individually and interactively, influence their turnover intention through work engagement. This study addresses the gap in the literature by highlighting the importance of integrated health and safety climates on service outcomes in the service industry, aligning with the Total Worker Health movement, which has not yet been explored in the service industry.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed two-wave data collection to separate independent variables (POSC and POHC) and a mediator (work engagement) from a dependent variable (turnover intention). Participants were working for diverse service organizations in South Korea. Among 635 full-time FLEs, 301 finished both T1 and T2 surveys.FindingsPOHC reduced turnover intention among FLEs through work engagement, while POSC was non-significant in the proposed relationship. However, POSC was shown to strengthen the positive effect of POHC on work engagement and the indirect negative effect of POHC on turnover intention via work engagement, verifying the significance of Total Worker Health in the service industry.Originality/valueThis study explored the effects of POSC and POHC, and total health on FLE work motivation and turnover intention – topics that have thus far been neglected in the service literature.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-08-2024-0264 [Google]
Wang, Z. P. and P. Q. Liu (2026): Robot attractiveness and human emotional barriers: the effects of anthropomorphism in robot error situations, JOURNAL OF SERVICE THEORY AND PRACTICE, 36(3), pp.483–509
PurposeIn the evolution of robots from mere “machines” to entities possessing genuine human-like qualities, anthropomorphism plays a pivotal role. The design intent of robot anthropomorphism is to gain employee trust and acceptance. However, when anthropomorphic design reaches a certain threshold, it may yield negative outcomes. Against the backdrop of this unclear threshold, this study focuses on how the degree of anthropomorphism in service robots influences employees’ willingness to accept them during robotic error scenarios.Design/methodology/approachDrawing upon Expectation Confirmation Theory and the Uncanny Valley Theory, this study employs experimental research and field experiment. Through three experiments, it explores the underlying mechanisms by which highly anthropomorphized versus minimally anthropomorphized service robots influence employee acceptance in public and private settings.Findings Results indicate that in public settings, highly anthropomorphic service robots trigger stronger disgust by violating individuals’ high expectations, thereby reducing acceptance intention. In private settings, robots diminish acceptance intention by eliciting eeriness sensations. Furthermore, workplace setting moderates the main effect of anthropomorphism on acceptance intention. After encountering errors from highly anthropomorphized robots, individuals exhibit lower acceptance intention in private settings than in public ones. Conversely, after encountering errors from lowly anthropomorphized robots, acceptance intention in private settings shows no significant difference compared to public settings.Originality/valueFirst, existing research indicates that anthropomorphic robot design aims to gain employee trust and acceptance. However, when anthropomorphism exceeds a specific threshold, it may instead trigger negative effects. Given the ambiguity of this critical point, this study focuses on how the degree of anthropomorphism in service robots influences employees’ willingness to accept robots during service failure scenarios. Second, Differing from prior studies, this research innovatively shifts the focus from the positive emotional impact of anthropomorphic design to its negative emotional effects during failure scenarios. Third, we reveal the psychological mechanisms underlying acceptance intention and compare these effects across different workplace settings.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-06-2025-0207 [Google]
Ali, W., D. Kasturiratne, I. Ameer and S. Bhaskar (2026): Generative AI in digital engagement: a quasi-experimental study of tourist sentiment, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
This study examines whether generative AI can enhance tourist sentiment in online reviews by acting as a consistent and scalable form of digital engagement. Using a quasi-experimental Difference-in-Differences design, we analysed 11,393 reviews collected for six months from five Indian restaurants in a UK tourist city, where one restaurant adopted ChatGPT-generated responses and four served as controls. Results show that AI mediated responses produced a significant improvement in tourist sentiment, with similar effects across both social (Google, Facebook) and delivery-oriented platforms (Deliveroo, Just Eat, Uber Eats). Response features such as tone, personalisation, and length had limited additional influence, indicating that the presence of a response matters more than its specific stylistic qualities. The findings suggest that GAI-mediated responses influence tourist sentiment primarily by signalling organisational attentiveness and relational legitimacy, rather than through nuanced stylistic features of the response. The study demonstrates how AI can support post-visit engagement in tourism settings and offers practical guidance for firms seeking efficient strategies to manage online reviews and strengthen their digital service presence.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2638226 [Google]
Castillo, A., E. Rescalvo-Martin and O. M. Karatepe (2026): Finite Mixture Partial Least Squares (FIMIX-PLS) in service research, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
Ensuring the robustness of analytical results is a fundamental responsibility in empirical research, particularly when working with complex models and heterogeneous populations. In the context of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling, one often-overlooked threat to validity is unobserved heterogeneity – latent subgroups in the data that follow distinct structural patterns. Despite clear methodological guidance, robustness checks for this issue remain rare in applied service research. This article addresses that gap by reviewing the relevance and practical implementation of Finite Mixture Partial Least Squares (FIMIX-PLS) as a theoretically grounded yet underutilized technique for detecting unobserved heterogeneity after verifying the limited use of this method in recent publications, despite its recognized importance. We then provide a critical overview of FIMIX-PLS in comparison with other segmentation techniques, emphasizing its practical advantages and limitations. To support researchers, we offer a step-by-step, didactic example using SmartPLS 4. (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(PLS-SEM)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) – (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(FIMIX-PLS)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).FIMIX-PLS (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic) FIMIX-PLS (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic), (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic) SmartPLS 4 (sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic)(sic).
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2648266 [Google]
Dogan, S., I. Z. Niyet, B. Okumus and E. Omuris (2026): Embracing innovation: factors influencing consumers’ willingness to try 3-D-printed food, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
This research investigates consumer willingness to try 3-D printed foods by examining various influential factors. Key concepts analyzed include food neophobia and neophilia, perceived healthiness, perceived food safety, attitudes, willingness, and the desire for food variety. Based on a sample of 355 respondents, the findings indicate that food neophobia has a positive but modest impact on attitudes toward 3-D printed foods. In contrast, perceived healthiness and perceived food safety emerge as strong and significant predictors of both attitudes and behavioral intentions, with attitudes being the primary determinant of willingness. The desire for food variety was evaluated as a moderating factor and was found to negatively influence the relationship between attitudes and willingness. This study contributes to the literature on consumer behavior, food innovation, and technology acceptance, offering valuable insights for stakeholders in food production, marketing, and service.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2662271 [Google]
Hu, W., L. D. Wang, J. J. Ren, G. L. 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]
Islam, M. A., S. Somu and O. M. Karatepe (2026): Antecedents and consequences of quiet quitting: a systematic literature review, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
Existing research on quiet quitting (QQ) remains fragmented; there are studies treating QQ as reactive withdrawal behavior like burnout or engagement, and few papers have discussed this as proactive boundary setting. There is also minimal theoretical integration, which limits the field’s ability to develop coherent frameworks or evidence-based interventions. To fill in this lacuna, a systematic, transparent, and replicable literature review process was conducted based on 33 empirical studies using defined search, screening, and synthesis stages. Analysis suggests that, based on the themes that have emerged, key antecedents are clustered into three conceptually related categories: job, workplace dynamics, and organizational factors, with the social exchange and conservation of resources theories prevailing as theoretical underpinnings. Key mediators denote workplace stress and burnout, employee well-being and psychological states, work alienation, and organizational behavior. Moderators include only leadership and psychological safety. However, significant research gaps are evident in QQ research, as there are limited qualitative studies, while this phenomenon has not been examined in many cultural and industry contexts. In practice, our results may help service organizations and their managers by providing a framework for diagnosing QQ through its antecedents and mediators and developing targeted strategies to mitigate it.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2650783 [Google]
Song, W. H., J. Y. Shen, X. D. Jin and X. R. Peng (2026): Knowledge sharing for AI adoption: a pathway to improving employees’ pro-environmental behavior, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
Faced with increasing environmental challenges and pressures, many corporations have recognized the need to adopt pro-environmental behavior to achieve sustainable development goals. This study uses knowledge-based dynamic capability theory and social exchange theory as a framework to assess the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) knowledge sharing on pro-environmental behavior. We analyze 209 matched leader – employee questionnaires completed by managers and employees from various corporations in China. Our findings indicate that AI knowledge sharing promotes pro-environmental behavior and that this relationship is mediated by green knowledge sharing. In addition, employee-oriented corporate social responsibility (CSR) plays a positive moderating role between green knowledge sharing and pro-environmental behavior and moderates the indirect effect of AI knowledge sharing on pro-environmental behavior through green knowledge sharing. These findings suggest that corporations should improve their AI knowledge sharing and employee-oriented CSR to encourage employees to engage in more green knowledge sharing, which can in turn increase their pro-environmental behavior. This study makes valuable theoretical contributions and offers practical implications for corporations seeking to achieve sustainable development and competitive advantages in the digital age.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2642096 [Google]
Sposato, M., E. C. Dittmar and J. P. V. Portillo (2026): Navigating the dark side of AI in service ecosystems: an ethical leadership framework for risk mitigation, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into service ecosystems is transforming value cocreation while generating significant ethical risks that threaten customer trust, organisational legitimacy, and social sustainability. This paper develops the Ethical AI Risk Mitigation (EAIRM) model to examine how different configurations of human-AI collaboration create distinct ethical challenges across fairness, autonomy, transparency, and accountability dimensions. Drawing on a structured literature synthesis, we identify four leadership approaches (compliance-oriented, values-based, stakeholder-engaged, and anticipatory) that systematically mitigate ethical risks while enabling service innovation. Through integrative theory building, the model contributes to service research and practice by: (1) revealing how identical ethical risks operate through different causal mechanisms depending on human-AI resource configuration; (2) specifying multi-actor governance structures for service ecosystems where no single actor controls ethical outcomes; (3) theorizing leadership mechanisms and organisational mediators that convert ethical principles into operational practices; and (4) generating testable propositions with boundary conditions, moderators, and feedback dynamics. This framework advances service ecosystem theory by demonstrating that resource relations carry ethical risk implications requiring polycentric governance, not merely value creation potential.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2643384 [Google]
Xu, C. Q., Z. Yao and J. Y. Yi (2026): Put not down your hedge: exploring the impact of coworkers’ AI usage on employees’ knowledge hiding, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
In the workplace, AI usage has effectively improved the productivity and performance of organization members, but existing research has not addressed how coworkers’ AI usage might affect observers. Based on social comparison theory and cognitive-affective personality system theory, this study develops a theoretical model to examine the mechanisms through which service industry employees’ perceptions of coworkers’ AI usage influence their knowledge hiding behaviors. We find that perceived coworkers’ AI usage decreases employees’ organization-based self-esteem and increases their anxiety, resulting in increased knowledge hiding. We further find that AI awareness moderates this relationship. We conducted two studies, a scenario experiment (n = 200) and a three-wave field study (n = 456), to test our research hypothesis. These findings contribute to understanding the psychological and contextual dynamics of AI in the workplace.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2654153 [Google]
Zhang, Y. Z., N. K. Prebensen and C. Franzè (2026): Leveraging generative AI to capture theoretical nuance in service research, SERVICE INDUSTRIES JOURNAL, (), pp.
In everyday communication, people often use words with similar meanings interchangeably. However, such similar terms cannot be used indiscriminately in service research because they may reflect fundamentally different theoretical meanings. When applying Generative AI, pre-trained on broad everyday language, to theorize service phenomena, there is a possibility that it will generate semantically similar yet theoretically distinct constructs, threatening conceptual integrity. Drawing on the operant resource perspective, we propose that theoretical nuance capture depends on the abstraction level of the intended theorization, the type of Generative AI, and the presence of a theoretical map. We explored these propositions in a factorial experiment and found that Generative AI was more likely to capture theoretical nuance when (1) theorization targeted low-abstraction constructs, (2) a research-oriented Generative AI was used, and (3) a theoretical map is incorporated into the prompting. Implications for the ethical use of Generative AI in theory development are discussed.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2026.2650773 [Google]
Ovchinnikov, A. and D. Forestell (2026): From Range Anxiety to Charge Anxiety: Operations Scholars’ Reflections on the State of Electric Vehicles’ Public Charging Infrastructure, SERVICE SCIENCE, 18(1), pp.
Prior research identified range anxiety as a major factor limiting the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). However, by driving over 15,000 kilometres (similar to 10,000 miles) in various electric vehicles in Canada, United States, and Europe and relying on public charging, we observed that today’s EV drivers have charge anxiety instead. Charge anxiety comes from five factors: hardware issues: will the charger’s plug fit my vehicle and, overall, “does it work”; software factors: will my app/card work at the specific charger; location issues: is a charger conveniently located; time issues: how long will charging take; and price issues: how much will it cost. Motivated by these observations, we present three empirically grounded analytical models, each fitted to real data from industry partners, to analyze key issues that we, as operations management scholars, see in the current state and potential trajectory of public charging infrastructure. The first is a discrete-event simulation (a “digital twin”) to assess the realistic speed of fast charging. The second is a back-of-theenvelope Little’s Law calculation to estimate the scale of a fast-charging station needed to match the throughput of a typical gas station. The third is another discrete-event simulation that incorporates realistic driver arrival patterns across different types of days in a year. We conclude with insights and research opportunities stemming from our observations and models.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.2024.0137 [Google]
Kennedy, K. J., H. W. He and P. Sarantopoulos (2026): Shopper AI: Integrating Capabilities and Parasocial Skills, JOURNAL OF SERVICE RESEARCH, (), pp.
Shopper artificial intelligence (AI) presents a striking paradox: while massive investments drive rapid expansion and increasingly sophisticated AI solutions, two-thirds of consumers express dissatisfaction with AI shopping assistants, citing frustrations with pushy upselling, poor understanding, and inaccurate recommendations. This disconnect motivates our development of the Shopper AI taxonomy. To develop our taxonomy, we synthesized insights from multiple disciplines through a design science research process with empirical validation. Grounded in customer experience management (CEM) theory, our taxonomy identifies 14 dimensions within two meta-characteristics: AI capabilities (knowledge, intelligence, autonomy, breadth of use, quality of work, data privacy) and AI parasocial skills (personalization, anthropomorphism, communications mode, emotion recognition, emotion expression, empathy, influence, engagement). The taxonomy advances service research theory in three ways. First, we extend CEM theory by revealing how AI creates value through interrelated but discrete capabilities and parasocial dimensions. Second, we identify how AI capabilities enable autonomous value creation without active customer participation, representing a new form of value pre-creation. Third, we reveal complex dimensional interactions, where improvements in one dimension can enhance or diminish others. This multidimensional taxonomy provides managers with actionable guidance for navigating dimensional trade-offs, designing efficient, balanced AI systems, identifying context-specific investment priorities, and avoiding common pitfalls.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705261433842 [Google]
Liu, X. J., 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]
Reinhard, P., M. M. Li, C. Peters, A. Janson and J. M. Leimeister (2026): GenAI-Infused Service Delivery: Micro-Level Augmentation Patterns at the Service Frontline, JOURNAL OF SERVICE RESEARCH, (), pp.
The infusion of generative AI (GenAI) is already disrupting established services. This technology’s generative and agentic nature challenges the design and management of service routines, which have been previously handled primarily by frontline service employees. Guided by organizational routines theory, our longitudinal study (2020-2024) examines how the infusion of GenAI changes routines in customer support services. We gathered interview data from 41 employees, managers, and AI experts in two phases, pre- and post-GenAI. Based on the analysis of the qualitative data, we revealed seven recurring micro-level augmentation patterns, illustrating how GenAI-infused service routines function. The results show that GenAI is primarily embedded in the backstage of knowledge-intensive services, from which it then permeates the frontstage. We contribute to the literature on hybrid human-AI service delivery by identifying augmentation patterns and conceptualizing service permeation via two mechanisms: (1) simultaneous service permeation, which unfolds as employees leverage GenAI in real-time and integrate GenAI’s responses, recommendations, and adaptations into the frontstage; (2) sequential service permeation, which emerges as employees perform new routines of documentation and AI feeding to facilitate GenAI’s adaptability in frontstage and backstage operations. The MAPs and service permeation mechanisms guide practitioners in integrating GenAI into service routines and managing novel employee-GenAI collaborations.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705251414283 [Google]
van Doorn, J. and G. Telussa (2026): Speaking Like Home: How Regional Language Adaptations in Robots Enhance Trust and Willingness to Pay, JOURNAL OF SERVICE RESEARCH, (), pp.
While service industries like healthcare and elder-care increasingly use technology to address staff shortages, its potential to support consumers experiencing vulnerability remains under-explored and under-utilized. For instance, elderly people who are experiencing vulnerability due to language loss or reduced proficiency in communicating in their national language can be supported by voice-based interfaces, such as robots, that can communicate with them in their native regional language. However, responses to such regional language adaptations, as well as the potential managerial benefits of tailoring service offerings to consumers with specific linguistic needs, remain unclear. This study begins to explore this area and reveals that elderly consumers prefer to interact with robots in their regional language rather than in the national language. We also find that caregivers are willing to pay a 30% premium for a companion robot that can use a regional language, and that regional language capabilities foster trust in robots in the general population, too. The theoretical contribution of the study draws from linguistics to show that these positive effects arise because regional synthetic speech is processed more fluently. The study also highlights human-likeness as a crucial boundary condition, as regional language adaptations unexpectedly backfire when delivered with machine-like voices. For service organizations, regional adaptations in voice-based interfaces present a unique opportunity to better serve linguistically vulnerable consumers while also fostering more positive attitudes in the general population, provided there is a high degree of human-likeness.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705261432142 [Google]
Vargo, S. L., H. Wieland and M. A. Akaka (2026): Service-Dominant Logic in the AI Era, JOURNAL OF SERVICE RESEARCH, (), pp.
The rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) reflects its widespread adoption across various industries and occupations. Yet, much of the discourse still conceptualizes AI narrowly as a property of computational machinery. Within marketing and service scholarship, such mechanistic framings obscure the relational and systemic dimensions of intelligence that become salient in AI-enabled service interactions. Drawing on service-dominant (S-D) logic, this paper reconceptualizes intelligence as an emergent property of adaptive, self-organizing service ecosystems, foregrounding the systemic processes and relational configurations through which actors and their capacities take form. As intelligent technologies become increasingly entangled in service exchange, they render more visible and consequential the ongoing interactions through which human and non-human actors are co-constituted, underscoring the need for a clearer relational-ontological grounding of S-D logic. We conceptualize adaptation and intelligence as a generative duality: adaptation captures the adjustments enacted within a service ecosystem, whereas intelligence denotes the systemic capacity enabling those adjustments through feedback, learning, and institutional co-evolution. This perspective strengthens S-D logic’s relational foundations by showing that AI exemplifies-rather than disrupts-the emergent, relational processes through which service ecosystems coordinate, evolve, and create value.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705261430147 [Google]
Zhu, Y. M., Y. Y. Zhang and C. Zhang (2026): Response of Service Employees to New Organizational Goals Without Specified Rewards: A Quasi-Experiment, JOURNAL OF SERVICE RESEARCH, (), pp.
Frontline service employees are integral to the successful implementation of firms’ customer relationship management strategies. Conventional methods typically utilize explicit incentive contracts to motivate employees to align with organizational objectives. Nevertheless, the effects of new organizational goals without specified rewards (NOG-WSR) on employees’ performance are not well documented in the literature. Leveraging a quasi-experimental design, this study analyzed the impact of a new organizational goal on employees’ responses, introduced by a large service firm that did not specify explicit incentives to its branches. Empirical findings from 48,464 individual-month observations reveal that NOG-WSR has a positive short-term effect on employees’ goal-related performance. More importantly, we identified employees who are more likely to respond to the NOG-WSR. This study extends the expectancy theory and reveals that NOG-WSR is effective in motivating employees who have a higher expectancy of being able to attain the new goal and a higher expectancy of reward tied to the new goal. Contributions and implications are discussed.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/10946705261425728 [Google]
Akahome, J. E. (2026): Empowering African student workers in Poland’s fast-food industry: pathways to fair and supportive work, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to explore how African student workers in Poland’s fast-food sector navigate workplace challenges and how organisational practices shape their vulnerability and resilience.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research design was used, using in-depth interviews with 15 African student workers to capture rich, detailed accounts of their experiences. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify patterns of structural vulnerability, adaptive agency, managerial control and supportive structures.FindingsThe study reveals that structural vulnerabilities and managerial exclusion worsen the psychological safety of the African immigrants, while adaptive agency and supportive mechanisms help workers navigate these challenges. An integrative structural-relational empowerment framework is proposed, linking structural, relational, organisational and individual factors to promote employee well-being and empowerment.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight the need for inclusive managerial practices, culturally aware supervision and institutional support to mitigate systemic disadvantages and enhance resilience among migrant workers. Policymakers are encouraged to strengthen labour protections and promote diversity and inclusion initiatives aligned with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).Originality/valueThe study extends transformative service research to temporary and racially marginalised workers and expands social exchange theory to include informal, peer-based and aspirational social exchanges. The proposed framework offers a novel lens for understanding empowerment in migrant-intensive service sectors and provides global actionable insights for organisations and policymakers.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-02-2025-0148 [Google]
Bartikowski, B., H. Ma, Z. Y. Yang, S. J. Sun and X. D. 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]
Bianchi, C. and M. A. Saleh (2026): Online shopping acceptance among elderly consumers in Latin America, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeMost research on elderly people’s adoption of digital technologies has focused on developed economies, where digital infrastructure and literacy levels are comparatively high. In contrast, little is known about elderly consumers’ digital adoption in less developed regions, where socioeconomic disparities, limited connectivity and distinct cultural contexts can lead to service exclusion and a digital divide. This study aims to address this gap by examining the factors influencing online shopping acceptance among elderly consumers aged 65 and over in Latin America. Online shopping contributes to active aging and enhances well-being by providing convenient access to goods and services without the physical demands of in-store shopping.Design/methodology/approachAdopting a Transformative Service Research (TSR) perspective and drawing on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, this study develops and tests a conceptual model to understand online shopping acceptance among elderly consumers. Data were collected through an online survey of 191 consumers aged 65 and over residing in Chile.FindingsThe results indicate that perceived usefulness, social influence, facilitating conditions and value co-creation significantly influence online shopping acceptance among elderly consumers. Specifically, consumers aged 65 and over are more inclined to adopt online shopping when they perceive it as beneficial, have access to the necessary resources and support and receive encouragement from their social circles. Moreover, consistent with the TSR framework, value co-creation is strongly associated with facilitating conditions, and health status is negatively correlated with online shopping acceptance.Practical implicationsThis research contributes to the literature on digital services, TSR and value co-creation by identifying critical factors that affect online shopping acceptance among consumers aged 65 and over in a Latin American country. The findings offer practical guidance for digital service providers, retailers, managers and policymakers seeking to promote digital inclusion and reduce the digital divide among elderly consumers in this region.Originality/valueThis study addresses a gap in the TSR and digital services literature by examining elderly consumers’ acceptance of digital services, specifically online shopping, in a Latin American setting. It provides valuable insights for marketers and policymakers working to foster digital inclusion and improve services for the aging population in less developed regions.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-03-2025-0221 [Google]
Chen, Y. A. and C. L. Chen (2026): Exploring operating mechanisms of agricultural e-commerce service ecosystems from a multileveled perspective, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
Purpose This research aims to explore the relationships among actors involved in value co-creation, determine how actors integrate resources and identify operating mechanisms of service ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach The study aims were achieved through multiple-case analysis, focusing on four agribusinesses and their ecosystem partners. Findings The authors identified the operating mechanisms of successful agricultural e-commerce service ecosystems. This enabled us to elaborate on the operating processes of the system, including resource integration and institutional compliance. Furthermore, they examined how actors integrate resources through institutional work and institutionalized practices within multilevel service ecosystems, and identified their key constraints and enablers. These pieces of empirical evidence create a comprehensive picture of the interactions among the various levels of the agricultural e-commerce service ecosystem. Originality/value Integrating a multilevel perspective and network dynamics into a service-dominant logic approach to value co-creation is a novel contribution. The authors explored the highly social, dynamic and interactive process in which different e-commerce actors come together to solve their problems. Insights gained serve those interested in applying a more systemic approach to service ecosystem development. Specifically, the authors explained how service ecosystems co-create value through resource integration from the perspective of network dynamics. This served as a response to Shukla et al. (2023), who called for research into alternative mechanisms to exploit the benefits of virtual platforms, especially for low-resource actors at the bottom of the ecosystem pyramid. Moreover, this work recognizes emergence and institutionalization as interrelated processes for value co-creation in service ecosystems.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-06-2025-0410 [Google]
De Vos, S., K. A. Haykal, B. Qesja, S. Soleimani, J. Harris, G. Lipnickas, S. R. B. Ahmadi, A. Brochado, S. R. Hill and S. Rajic (2026): Enhancing phygital employee experience in high-involvement professional service organizations, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis paper aims to explore how the employee experience (EX) is shaped and managed during phygital transformation in high-involvement professional services. It investigates how the integration of phygital services impacts employees’ experiences across cognitive, conative, affective, social and spiritual dimensions and well-being.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research design was used, gathering rich empirical data from two distinct contexts: entrepreneurial strength and conditioning coaches and a large public medical education institution. This comparative approach allowed for an in-depth analysis of the EX across different organizational structures.FindingsThe study identifies a suite of essential “phygital competencies,” including digital literacy, data fluency, problem-solving and cross-channel orchestration, adaptability and resilience and tech-enabled empathy, required for success. It reveals a critical “implementation gap” where poor execution of the “implementation” managerial step triggers employee frustration and reveals skill gaps, negatively cascading across the EX. A key differentiator is spiritual alignment; employees maintain resilience when technology is clearly linked to a higher purpose but resist when this connection is obscured.Originality/valueThis paper provides an empirically grounded extension of the EX framework, introducing the novel concept of “phygital competencies.” It offers a nuanced, context-specific phygital EX matrix for managers, demonstrating that successful strategy must differ between agile, purpose-driven enterprises and large, structured institutions to effectively support employee well-being and performance.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-09-2025-0707 [Google]
Jia, F. R. and J. Y. 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]
Jiao, Y. C., S. M. Li and T. Wen (2026): Rose’s thorn: job insecurity and calling orientation in small service enterprises, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to integrate job preservation theory and person-environment fit theory in the context of small service enterprises to investigate the mechanisms and boundary conditions underlying employee proactive behaviour, aiming to fill the research gap resulting from the academic community’s insufficient attention to this issue.Design/methodology/approachThis study collected 752 valid questionnaires from frontline employees in small service enterprises and analysed the data using the process macro in SPSS.FindingsJob insecurity both stimulates proactive behaviour and simultaneously undermines it by disrupting workplace friendship. Calling orientation amplifies the positive effect of job insecurity on proactive behaviour and attenuates its negative impact on workplace friendship. Moreover, perceived organisational support further strengthens calling orientation’s buffering and enhancing roles under high-support conditions while constraining them under low-support conditions.Originality/valueIntegrating job preservation and person-environment fit theories in small service enterprises, this study uncovers job insecurity’s dual effects on proactive behaviour and highlights calling orientation and organisational support as key boundary conditions.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-05-2025-0342 [Google]
Klaus, P., A. Manthiou, V. H. Luong and E. Hickman (2026): Extending the TCQ framework: redesigning digital customer experience in high-end luxury service contexts, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeAmazon’s failed luxury stores initiative offers a critical case for examining the incompatibility between mass-market digital strategies and high-end service environments. This study extends the TCQ (touchpoints, context, qualities) framework by introducing a luxury-centric variant (L-TCQ), illuminating how symbolic, hedonic and prestige-driven value co-creation processes are undermined when convenience overtakes exclusivity.Design/methodology/approachA thematic analysis was conducted on qualitative data from 35 international MBA students specializing in luxury brand management. Participants evaluated Amazon luxury stores in real-time, generating experiential feedback based on structured digital journey immersion.FindingsThe results reveal that Amazon failed to deliver critical luxury-specific experiential qualities, including immersion, personalization and brand legitimacy. The study introduces “nonlinear process sequence” as a luxury-specific construct describing the nonlinear and symbolic navigation of digital services by high-end consumers.Practical implicationsLuxury service providers should design digital platforms using the L-TCQ framework to foster symbolic engagement, emotional immersion and prestige signaling – key elements absent from mainstream customer experience (CX) design.Originality/valueThis research contributes to services marketing by proposing the L-TCQ model, a theoretical refinement that incorporates luxury-specific service dimensions into the TCQ framework. It advances the field by theorizing how experiential, contextual and symbolic co-creation failures explain Amazon’s shortcomings and offers an actionable roadmap for digital luxury CX design.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-05-2025-0339 [Google]
Lin, J. S. C., C. Y. Lin and C. Y. Wu (2026): The hidden power of anticipated regret: how it shapes switching barrier-based service retention decisions, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThe effectiveness of switching barriers in deterring customer defection hinges on the psychological constraints they impose on customer decision-making; however, this underlying mechanism has received limited empirical attention. To address this gap, this study aims to investigate the psychological mechanism of anticipated regret in the relation between switching barriers and customer retention by examining both its mediating and moderating roles in deterring defection.Design/methodology/approachThe authors investigate the influence of anticipated regret on switching barrier-based customer retention through two studies using a time-lagged, multiwave survey methodology that tracks both customers’ retention intention and actual behaviors.FindingsThe results indicate that customers’ anticipated regret not only mediates the relationship between switching barriers and retention intention but also moderates the association between retention intention and actual retention behavior. This inhibitive psychological mechanism provides additional explanatory power and offers a more comprehensive understanding of how switching barriers shape consumers’ retention decisions.Research limitations/implicationsUnderstanding customers’ diverse perspectives and the psychological mechanisms underlying their retention decisions is central to advancing service research. Addressing the significant gap in the customer retention literature, this study integrates anticipated regret into the established switching barrier-retention framework, enriching its theoretical foundation and opening new avenues for future research.Practical implicationsThe findings reveal new marketing opportunities for enhancing service retention. Practitioners can strategically leverage anticipated regret in marketing communications, customer interactions and retention initiatives. By making potential future regret salient prior to customers’ final decisions, firms can prevent defection and retain customers who might otherwise exit.Social implicationsThis research identifies how psychological inhibitors shape customer retention and underscores the importance of responsible practices that facilitate informed decision-making and value creation in customers’ best interests.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to examine the psychological mechanism of anticipated regret in switching barrier-based retention decisions. The authors theorize and empirically substantiate that, when evaluating the inhibitive obstacles that deter defection, consumers prioritize the avoidance of negative consequences arising from trade-offs and seek to minimize the likelihood of future regret over their eventual choice.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-05-2025-0346 [Google]
Liu, J., C. Wang and J. X. Wang (2026): Unveiling consumers’ cross-channel analysis: the underlying logic of omnichannel retail, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
Purpose Omnichannel retail increases consumer cross-channel shopping, which heightens attrition risk for retailers. Prior research has largely overlooked channel harmonization strategies responsive to such behavior. This study aims to examine consumer cross-channel analysis to reveal omnichannel retail’s underlying logic. Design/methodology/approach This study used Latent Dirichlet Allocation and association rules to extract features, constructed a relation network using social network analysis and examined consumer cross-channel analysis behavior through network metrics and Feature Interaction Score. Findings This study identified four distinct patterns of consumer cross-channel analysis behavior: research-online, validate-offline; experience-verified price parity arbitration; experience-verified promotion maximization; and goal-oriented utility optimization. The feature variables within the same clique exhibit positive interactions, suggesting that shoppers evaluate online and offline purchase decision-making factors across channels. Online and offline marketing elements are interrelated in shaping consumer purchase decisions. Research limitations/implications In this study, online reviews are limited to products such as vegetables, fresh meat and other foods within China’s omnichannel retail market, restricting the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications This study offers actionable insights for omnichannel managers to optimize marketing element combinations and develop targeted strategies. Social implications The research findings serve as a theoretical reference for the development of omnichannel retail policies. Originality/value This study develops a consumer cross-channel information search and evaluation framework for omnichannel retail, thereby extending traditional consumer purchase decision theory beyond its traditional foundations. Furthermore, this study uncovers the cognitive processes through which consumers analyze and integrate cross-channel marketing elements.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-05-2025-0315 [Google]
Nguyen, D. M. (2026): Unveiling the impact of green psychological benefits on customer citizenship behavior: the roles of felt obligation and altruism, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study draws on social exchange theory to examine how perceived green psychological benefits (PGPBs) influence customer citizenship behavior (CCB) in sustainable hospitality services. It further investigates the mediating role of felt obligation and the moderating role of altruism in shaping these relationships.Design/methodology/approachTo test the proposed relationships and establish causal inferences, this research used two quantitative approaches: a cross-sectional survey (Study 1; n = 389) and two between-subject experiments (Study 2; n = 500).FindingsAcross two studies, PGPBs significantly increased guests’ willingness to engage in CCB, and this relationship is mediated by felt obligation. Altruism moderates both the PGPBs-felt obligation link and the PGPBs-CCB link, such that these effects are more substantial among guests with higher altruistic tendencies.Originality/valueThis research introduces social exchange theory as a novel lens to explain how psychological value drives extra-role behaviors in sustainable hospitality services. Methodologically, it advances prior work by combining correlational and experimental approaches. The findings offer actionable insights for hotel managers seeking to design emotionally resonant sustainability experiences that inspire meaningful guest engagement.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-03-2025-0186 [Google]
Partouche-Sebban, J., S. R. 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]
Ramadan, Z., M. F. Farah and Y. Nassereddine (2026): Inclusive metaverse services: how desired self-identity shapes service evaluations and disability acceptance, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThe metaverse represents an emerging service platform offering advanced assistive technologies, accessible settings and opportunities for inclusive participation. It has the potential to significantly enhance the participation, self-expression and engagement of people with disabilities (PWD) in digital service environments. This study aims to address a significant gap in services marketing literature by investigating how desired self-identity (DSI) expression influences PWD’s perceived usefulness of the metaverse platform and perceived advertising value within the service environment and how advertising value as a service touchpoint affects disability acceptance.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative research design was used. Data were gathered through an online survey completed by 437 PWD users of metaverse service platforms in the UK.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that when PWD achieve DSI expression through brands in the metaverse, they perceive both the service platform as more useful and service-embedded advertising as more valuable. Perceived service usefulness also positively influences perceived advertising value, which, in turn, positively affects disability acceptance.Originality/valueThis study contributes to services marketing scholarship by extending self-congruity theory into immersive virtual service environments, demonstrating how self-brand congruence mechanisms operate within digital service platforms. By examining the relationships between DSI, perceived service usefulness, advertising value as a service touchpoint and acceptance of disability, it offers new insights into how inclusive service design in virtual environments can enhance well-being for vulnerable consumers. The study advances transformative service research by demonstrating how service experiences, including service-embedded advertising, influence the psychological well-being of PWD.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-10-2025-0792 [Google]
Ranjan, A. and S. Mukherjee (2026): What explains continuance in blended learning? Unpacking cognitive dissonance and post-adoption mediating pathways, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to examine how cognitive dissonance, specifically product dissonance and emotional dissonance, influences user attitude and continuance intention towards blended learning platforms within a service engagement framework.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data were collected from 570 blended learning users. Two complementary methods were applied: partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to test direct and indirect relationships among constructs, and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to identify multiple combinations of conditions leading to similar outcomes.FindingsProduct dissonance significantly increases emotional dissonance and negatively affects user attitude and continuance intention. Four behavioural and social mechanisms – technology adoption behaviour, social media engagement, normative influence and online reputation management – help mitigate these negative effects. The fsQCA results further show that multiple configurations of behavioural and social conditions can sustain continuance intention even under high dissonance. Across configurations, technology adoption behaviour and online reputation management consistently emerge as core conditions supporting continued use.Practical implicationsBlended learning providers should reduce expectation-performance gaps and strengthen users’ digital adoption skills to improve continuance intention. Platforms can minimise product-related dissonance through continuous feedback systems, real-time support, adaptive learning features and regular content updates. Providers should also invest in digital onboarding, tutorials, peer-support forums and user-centred interface design to reduce technical frustration and dropout. Enabling learners to display achievements through public profiles, digital badges, leaderboards and peer endorsements can further strengthen motivation and sustained engagement.Originality/valueThis study extends cognitive dissonance theory to post-adoption behaviour in blended learning by integrating symmetric (PLS-SEM) and asymmetric (fsQCA) approaches. The findings offer a hybrid explanation of continuance intention, combining attitudinal processes with configurational pathways that build user resilience.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-06-2025-0423 [Google]
Song, S. S., B. L. Ma, R. B. Bai and H. Y. Wang (2026): The impact of perceived crowding on customers’ desire for revenge in service failure situations and its underlying mechanisms, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeDrawing on self-control resource theory and neutralization theory, this study aims to examine how perceived crowding influences individuals’ desire for revenge following service failure and identifies the underlying mechanisms.Design/methodology/approachThrough a scenario experiment in an in-person setting and two online experiments, this study demonstrates that perceived crowding amplifies consumers’ desire for revenge by triggering ego depletion and moral disengagement. In addition, the message framework (self-focused vs other-focused) in service recovery communication moderates the relationship between perceived crowding and desire for revenge.FindingsThis study confirms the strengthening effect of perceived crowding on desire for revenge in service failure contexts, revealing the mediating roles of ego depletion and moral disengagement, as well as their serial mediation. In addition, the study reveals that the message framing (self-focused vs other-focused) in service recovery communication moderates the relationship between perceived crowding and desire for revenge. Specifically, self-focused framing reduces the impact of crowding on desire for revenge, while other-focused framing has no significant buffering effect and may even intensify this relationship.Originality/valueThis study deepens our understanding of the psychological and behavioral consequences of crowding in service failure contexts and provide valuable insights for improving service recovery strategies.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-10-2024-0538 [Google]
Su, Y., C. S. L. Lim and V. Liu (2026): Caregivers as transformative service mediators: navigating vulnerability and well-being, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to conceptualize family caregivers as transformative service mediators (TSMs) who navigate vulnerabilities while shaping well-being outcomes within caregiving dyads. It examines how they mediate service interactions and influence their care recipients’ and their own well-being across micro, meso and macro levels of community-based care ecosystems.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative case study approach, the authors analyzed semi-structured interviews with 29 caregivers supporting older adults with chronic conditions. Abductive analysis guided by the dialogue, access, risk, transparency, execution (DART-E) framework uncovered how caregivers’ mediation practices shape various well-being trajectories.FindingsEmpirical analysis identifies four distinct caregiver-care recipient dyad outcomes: symmetrical value co-creation, asymmetrical empowerment (caregiver gains agency while recipient well-being stalls), passive cooperation and symmetrical value co-destruction. They suggest that caregiver enablement is necessary but not sufficient for positive well-being outcomes; caregiver empowerment and family-centered support aligned with caregiver needs determine well-being trajectories.Originality/valueThis study advances transformative service research by first conceptualizing family caregivers as dual-positioned TSMs who simultaneously manage secondary vulnerability and function as intermediaries/apomediaries, thereby extending the agency view from individuals to interdependent actors shaping value outcomes in service ecosystems. Second, it articulates a process theory of caregiver empowerment through the vulnerability-enablement-empowerment trajectory, which clarifies how enablement differs from empowerment. Third, the four outcomes reveal the conditions under which caregiver empowerment translates to value co-creation/co-destruction, positioning caregivers as the central architects of well-being and informing more inclusive, family-centered service logics.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-08-2025-0564 [Google]
Yang, W., X. Y. Liu, Y. Zhou and H. D. 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]
Yeboah, D. and M. Ibrahim (2026): Actor’s personality traits and value co-creation (VCC) – evidence from the service sector, JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, (), pp.
PurposeThis study aims to investigate how specific personality traits can enhance value co-creation (VCC) encounters, specifically focusing on actors’ interactions within service contexts.Design/methodology/approachUsing qualitative methodologies, including in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation, this research aims to elucidate the role of personality traits in VCC.FindingsIdentified traits such as approachability, transparency, understanding, attention to detail and confidence are essential for optimizing the VCC experience in service environments.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses on employee-guest interactions within Ghana’s service sector limits generalizability and suggests a need for research across diverse service contexts.Practical implicationsInsights derived from this study can inform managers on leveraging specific personality traits to enhance VCC, thereby improving profitability and achieving a competitive advantage in the service sector.Originality/valueThis research extends existing service literature by identifying five key personality traits necessary for VCC within the service sector. By framing these findings within a broader context, the study offers a robust model applicable to practitioners beyond the service sector.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JSM-12-2024-0617 [Google]
