Guest article by Marie-Julie De Bruyne about the NaDI-CeRCLe – The Research Center in Marketing and Service Management at the University of Namur in Belgium, for our Service Centers series.
A Trip Down Memory Lane
Founded in 2005 as the Center for Research on Consumption and Leisure (CeRCLe) within the Faculty of Economics, Social Sciences, and Management at the University of Namur, Belgium, the center has a long tradition of advancing knowledge in marketing and service management. Since 2018, it has been a founding partner of the Namur Digital Institute (NaDI), strengthening its commitment to the digital age.
Over the years, the center has been rebranded and internationally recognized as the Research Center for Marketing and Service Management at UNamur. Today, NaDI‑CeRCLe brings together 15+ faculty members, affiliated researchers, doctoral students, and practitioners from around the world to advance both theory and practice in marketing and service management.
Mission and Vision
NaDI-CeRCLe’s aims to develop, conduct, and disseminate high-quality research in marketing and service management. Its research excellence is internationally recognized by the American Marketing Association (SERVSIG) and the Association Française de Marketing (AFM) among others.
The center envisions a future where people are at the heart of research. United by a strong team spirit and shared values, NaDI-CeRCLe offers a supportive environment for
– research excellence,
– international collaborations, and
– societal impact.
Our key research themes span AI-driven services, inclusive services, sustainable services, customer experience, customer engagement, and value co-creation. At the heart of everything we do lies a strong belief in service for good, embedding social impact in the DNA of our research center. Beyond advancing knowledge, we are deeply committed to mentoring young researchers and talented doctoral students as future transformative agents of society, equipping them to drive meaningful change and shape a better future for all.
Contact
Prof. Dr. Wafa Hammedi
Director of NaDI-CeRCLe
More information
NaDI‑CeRCLe website
LinkedIn
Recent publications
Decrop, A., & Del Chiappa, G. (2024). Choice overload in consumer services: The mediating role of decision strategy complexity on subjective states and behavioral outcomes. Journal of Tourism, Heritage & Services Marketing, 10(1), 48-55.
Masset, J., & Decrop, A. (2024). ‘Tomorrowland’: identity construction and expression through flags and costumes in a music festival. Leisure Studies, 44(4), 729-748.
Masset, J., Decrop, A., & Frochot, I. (2024). Videography in tourism research: An analytical review. Tourism Management, 102.
Nizette, F., Hammedi, W., van Riel, A. C., & Steils, N. (2024). Why should I trust you? Influence of explanation design on consumer behavior in AI-based services. Journal of Service Management, 36(1), 50-74.
Sebhatu, S. P., Hamdan, Q., & Fisk, R. P. (2024). Conceptualizing service ethics for the complexity of modern service interactions. The Service Industries Journal, 44(13), 1-23.
Alkire, L., Bilgihan, A., Bui, M., Buoye, A. J., Dogan, S., & Kim, S. (2024). RAISE: leveraging responsible AI for service excellence. Journal of Service Management, 35(4), 490-511.
Deventer, C., Amaral de Sousa, V., & Pirnay, L. (2024). Nftbybrands: Value identification framework for analysis and design of nft initiatives. International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 28(1), 33-62.
Deventer, C., & Zidda, P. (2024). Providing healthcare shopping advice through knowledge-based virtual agents. Data & Knowledge Engineering, 153.
Hammedi, W., Leclercq, T., & Steils, N. (2024). Gamification Myopia: Satiation effects in gamified activities. Journal of Service Research, 27(2), 213-230.
Hammedi, W., Parkinson, J., & Patricio, L. (2024). SDG commentary: services that enable well-being of the human species. Journal of Services Marketing, 38(2), 153-163.
Raciti, M. M., Alkire, L., & Beatson, A. (2024). SDG commentary: services that provide opportunity for all humans. Journal of Services Marketing, 38(2), 164-171.
