The Robert Johnston Award recognizes researchers in the service discipline. Journal of Service Management was delighted to announce this year’s award winners (papers published in 2025) at the Frontiers in Service 2026 conference in Helsinki. Please join us in congratulating the winners of the outstanding paper awards for their contribution to JoSM and to the service field — as well as the best reviewer awards.
Robert Johnston Award 2025 Best Paper Award:
Shanks, I., Mende, M., Van Doorn, J., Hess, N. J., Scott, M. L., & Grewal, D. (2025). Viva robonomics!? Cost–benefit analysis of robots and future directions in service and robonomics research. Journal of Service Management, 36(4), 549-577
▪️ Ilana Shanks (Stony Brook University, USA),
▪️ Martin Mende (Arizona State University, USA),
▪️ Jenny van Doorn (University of Groningen, Netherlands),
▪️ Nicole Hess (ESCP Business School, Italy),
▪️ Maura L. Scott (Arizona State University, USA),
▪️ Dhruv Grewal (Babson College, USA; University of Bath, USA; Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico)
Highly Commended Paper Award
Mirza, J., Grégoire, Y., Ranaweera, C., & Nguyen, C. M. (2025). Boundary-breaking opportunities in service failure and recovery. Journal of Service Management, 36(1), 100-132.
▪️ Jeeshan Mirza (Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada),
▪️ Yany Gregoire (HEC Montréal, Canada),
▪️ Chatura Ranaweera (Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada),
▪️ Chau Minh Nguyen (HEC Montréal, Canada)
Kaartemo, V., & Helkkula, A. (2025). Human–AI resource relations in value cocreation in service ecosystems. Journal of Service Management, 36(2), 291-306.
▪️ Valtteri Kaartemo (University of Turku, Finland),
▪️ Anu Helkkula (Hanken School of Economics, Finland)
Mele, C., & Russo-Spena, T. (2025). Agencement of onlife and phygital: smart tech–enabled value co-creation practices. Journal of Service Management, 36(2), 217-240.
▪️Cristina Mele (University of Naples Federico II, Italy),
▪️Tiziana Russo Spena (University of Naples Federico II, Italy)
Outstanding Reviewer Award
▪️Hyeyoon (Rebecca) Choi (Ohio University, USA)
▪️Robert Ciuchita (Hanken School of Economics, Finland)
Previous JoSM (Robert Johnston) Awards
– 2014
– 2015
– 2016
– 2017
– 2018
– 2019
– 2020
– 2022
– 2023
