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27Apr

CfP JoSM: Grand Challenges & Social Impact

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Call for papers for a Special Issue of the Journal of Service Management.

How can service management research address “Grand Challenges” to create social impact?

Guest editors: Russell-Bennett R, Parkinson J & Boenigk S

Deadline: 30 March 2027

Service management focuses on the design, delivery, and improvement of services, creating value for customers and the organization by optimizing processes and resources. Service management is uniquely positioned to generate positive social impact, directly linking service design and delivery to the well-being of individuals, communities, and society. Services are the primary means through which people access healthcare, education, housing, labour, social support, and other essential resources. By enhancing equity, accessibility, and efficiency, service management research can address “grand challenges” such as poverty, the refugee crisis, public health crises, and inequality (Drori, Neumann, Vaara, Boersma, Kyratsis, Santacreu-Vasut & Suddaby 2025, Boenigk et al 2021).

However, historically, service management research has focused on organizational outcomes, for example, profitability, satisfaction, value and efficiency,  but this scope is too narrow to tackle complex social issues (Lusch and Vargo, 2014). Given the important role that service organizations have to play in these grand challenges, expanding this perspective to include socially beneficial outcomes opens up opportunities for service management researchers to contribute beyond organizational benefits. Business researchers are increasingly recognising the importance of social impact of research with many opportunities to contribute conceptually and empirically (Raki, Chowdhury & Zolkiewski 2026).

Social impact is not the dissemination of research findings, nor is it translation or knowledge transfer (Aiello et al., 2021). Rather, social impact of business research is the “creation of value for people through business scholarly activities resulting in intentional improvement in micro, meso or macro economic, human and environmental phenomena over time with the market and organisations leading, partnering, supporting or yielding (to) change” (Russell-Bennett and Reid, 2026, p5). Thus social impact in service management research is the creation of value for people in a service management context that has occurred as a result of research. This means for the special issue, we are interested in actual change in service management phenomenon rather than intentions or formative insights, with a focus on mode 2 (applied) research (Zhu and Dolnicar, 2025).   

Recent global crises, including the pandemic and climate change, highlight that societal resilience is fundamentally a service system challenge (He et al., 2023) with pragmatic solutions required (Ferraro et al., 2015). Citizens globally, rely on service mechanisms for access to essential resources, making equitable and inclusive service delivery central to public welfare. While management literature has strongly prioritized “Grand Challenges” (George et al., 2016), and some high-level special issues have emerged (e.g., in organization studies) the problem to be addressed by service management research are the mechanisms, processes through which service management can drive social change and how to measure this social impact. 

This special issue will emphasize practical, service management frameworks and processes to translate macro-level challenges into actionable service management strategies. Specifically the special issue will examine how service management research can address grand challenges and creates social impact. The issue adopts a strength-based approach to vulnerability (leveraging assets) (Russell-Bennett, Bedggood and Raciti, 2024) and authors are requested to use this lens rather than a deficit perspective. 

List of Topic Areas
– What processes and features of service management are effective in creating social impact and addressing grand challenges?
– What are appropriate metrics and evaluation methods for service management research that addresses grand challenges and create social impact?
– How can service design methodologies be applied to service ecosystems to enhance equity and inclusion for marginalized groups and customers experiencing vulnerability?
– What governance structures and operational mechanisms are necessary to build resilient, multi-stakeholder service systems capable of effective mobilization during societal crises (e.g., pandemics, climate disasters)?
– What processes and strategic alignments are required to successfully scale up locally proven social service innovations into sustainable, regional, or national solutions?
– How can the optimization of processes and resources (efficiency) within service organizations contribute to the grand challenges?
– What new frameworks are needed for the design and improvement of services when the primary goal broadens beyond creating organizational value (profit) to maximizing societal well-being and addressing systemic social problems?
– In what ways must the organizational function and governance of service management change to enable effective cross-sectoral delivery of services among diverse actors (e.g., government, non-profit, and private firms) to tackle complex grand challenges?​​

Key Dates
– Opening date for manuscripts submissions: ​01/12/2026​
– Closing date for manuscripts submission: ​30/03/2027​

More info here.

27Apr

CfP JoSM: PLS-SEM in Service Research

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Call for papers for a Special Section of the Journal of Service Management.

Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in Service Research.

Guest editors: Köcher S, Radomir L, Gudergan S, Sarstedt M & Wetzels M

Deadline: 1 December 2026

The Journal of Service Management is inviting submissions for a special section on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in Service Research.

PLS-SEM has become a go-to methodology in service research, offering powerful tools to examine complex models, latent constructs, and predictive relationships. Its applications span technology-enabled services (AI-based services, chatbots, service robots, smart voice assistants), market phenomena (sharing economy, ownership perceptions), and employee- and organization-focused topics (frontline employee characteristics, service failure and recovery, employee–AI collaboration, value co-creation, leadership styles).

List of Topic Areas 

Methodological Advancements
– Methodological developments in PLS-SEM with direct relevance for service research
– Scale development and diagnosing common method variance in PLS-SEM
– Differences in model development from explanatory versus predictive perspectives
– Explanatory versus predictive model evaluation and reporting
– Novel metrics and guidelines for goodness-of-fit assessment and predictive power assessment
– Endogeneity issues and remedies in PLS-SEM
– Observed heterogeneity (e.g., multigroup analysis, moderation, conditional mediation) and unobserved heterogeneity (e.g., segmentation) in PLS-SEM
– Applications and extensions of necessary condition analysis in PLS-SEM
– Multimethod SEM involving PLS-SEM
Innovative Applications and Best Practices in Service Research
– Empirical studies on contemporary service research topics (e.g., technology-enabled services, transformative service research, customer experience) employing recent advances in PLS-SEM
– Demonstrations of best practices in the application, reporting, and interpretation of PLS-SEM results
Design Extensions and Methodological Integrations
– Extensions of PLS-SEM research designs
– Integration of PLS-SEM with complementary analytical approaches

Important dates:
– Submission opens: 15 September 2026
– Submission deadline: 1 December 2026

Full details and submission guidelines here.

For more information, contact the guest editors:
– Sören Köcher (Universität Trier, Germany)
– Lacramioara Radomir (Babes-Bolyai University, Romania)
– Siggi Gudergan (James Cook University, Australia & Aalto University, Finland)
– Marko Sarstedt (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Germany & Babes-Bolyai University, Romania)
– Martin Wetzels (EDHEC Business School, France)

9Mar

CfP JBR: The Impact of Digitalization on Exporting

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Call for papers for a Special Issue of Journal of Business Research (JBR).

“The Impact of Digitalization on Exporting“

Guest Editors: Brouthers KD, Thompson FM, He X & Nakos G

Deadline: 31 July 2025

The impact of digitalization on exporting

International business and marketing researchers have a long history of exploring issues related to firm exporting.  Exporting is the most popular form of international involvement in all countries around the world and is often encouraged by policymakers because it has a significant impact on domestic income and employment. Past research has explored issues like differences between exporters and non-exporters (Haddoud et al., 2021), barriers to exporting (Brouthers et al, 2009), how policymakers increase exporting through trade promotion activities (Wilkinson & Brouthers, 2006), country or market selection (Brouthers & Nakos, 2005), the choice of export channel (He, Brouthers & Filatotchev, 2013; Li, He & Sousa, 2017), and export performance (Chen, Sousa & He, 2016). These studies have provided valuable insights into how managers and policymakers can improve exporting. But recent changes in digital technology have introduced new types of competitors (digital businesses) and are changing the way businesses operate and internationalize (Katsikeas, Leonidou & Zeriti, 2020). In this special issue we explore how digitalization is impacting exporting.

Does digitalization encourage more firms to export? One critical issue that has just begun to be explored is whether digitalization will increase the number of firms exporting. Of course, policymakers hope this is the case since greater exports lead to improved balance of payments, greater domestic employment and increased tax revenue. But firm managers also like exporting because it is a relatively inexpensive way to expand sales, increase the customer base, and potentially improve profits. Recent digital research has begun exploring these issues with papers like Añón Higón and Bonvin (2024), Gong, He and Lengler (2024) and Quarato, Pini, and Positano (2020).

Does digitalization decrease barriers to exporting or increase them? While digitalization promises to open the world to all firms, the reality appears to be very different. Digitalization has decreased some barriers to exporting, reducing the costs and complexity of dealing in foreign markets by being a complementor on an established digital platform such as Amazon or Alibaba, making payments easier through online systems such as Paypal, and easing international communications and translations. Yet digitalization has also generated some additional barriers for firms wishing to internationalize (Meyer et al., 2023). For example, digitalization has generated increased competition as more firms enter foreign markets, barriers related to privacy of customer information, protection of customer rights and other societal differences (Demmers, Weihrauch & Mattison Thompson, 2022; Verbeke & Hutzschenreuter, 2021). How can firms deal with these changes in international barriers?

Does digitalization impact exporting of family firms differently than non-family firms? Family firm researchers have noted a number of differences between family and non-family firms related to international activities (Arregle, Chirico, Kano, Kundu, Majocchi & Schulze, 2021; Debellis, Rondi, Plakoyiannaki & De Massis, 2021). Family firms are often less international and participate less in international activities like joint ventures. But how does digitalization impact these family/non-family differences? Do new digital export channels increase the propensity of family firms to internationalize and protect their socio-emotional wealth?

Does digitalization provide new channels for exporting? Recent literature (Brouthers et al., 2022) suggests that digitalization has facilitated the creation of new international sales and distribution channels. A recent review study has shown that digital platforms help businesses go international, although the process is not a straightforward one (Gong, He & Lengler, 2024). These non-traditional channels may help improve export performance, but we know little about (1) how firms choose between these new digital channels, (2) how to make each channel work, and (3) performance differences between these channels.

Does digitalization of exporting make it easier for firms to exit and reenter foreign markets? Research on foreign market exits (Sandberg, Sui & Baum, 2019) and re-entry (Crick, Crick & Chaudhry, 2020; Sousa, He, Lengler & Tang, 2021) have brought to light important dynamics in exporting. Digitalization offers firms a chance to enter former export markets with a new channel that might be better at reaching potential customers. In addition, these new digital channels might replace existing traditional channels in export markets providing a more efficient way to serve these foreign markets.

How can firms use the unique features offered by digital technologies (like eWOM, clicking, sharing, trustmarks) to improve the performance of exporting operations? Recent scholarship (Dong, He, and Blut, 2024) reveals different effects of digital resources, capabilities and strategy on firm export performance. Besides offering new ways to enter foreign markets, digital technologies provide new opportunities for exporting firms to gather information about their customers, gain insights about potential changes in products/services offered, and customize customer communications. How can exporting firms use e-word of mouth, clicking and sharing behaviors to drive increase foreign sales and customer satisfaction? While these is a growing stream of research looking at digital customer engagement (Mattison Thompson & Brouthers, 2021), few studies directly address the issue of how these features can be used to improve exporting (Rialp, Rialp & López-Belbeze, 2024; Mattison Thompson, Tuzovic & Braun, 2019).

In this special issue, we welcome papers dealing with these and other issues at the intersection of digitalization and exporting. For example:

  1. Do digital firms use different methods to export compared to traditional firms?
  2. Does digitalization encourage more ‘born exporting’?
  3. How can policymakers use digital technology to encourage more firms to export?
  4. How do digital technologies impact barriers to exporting and what can firms do about these barriers?
  5. Does digitalization impact exporting of SMEs differently from large firms?
  6. What changes to public policy can encourage more firms to export through digital channels?
  7. Should firms combine traditional exporting channels with new digital channels?
  8. What is the economic impact of digital channels of exporting versus traditional channels?
  9. How can firms direct digital investment, i.e. in tangible and intangible assets, to drive export performance?
  10. How does digitalization impact different aspects of export performance, such as export sales, export intensity, export profitability, and resilience?
  11. How do exporting firms build up a digital orientation in guiding their digitalization process?
  12. How can exporting firms use digital technologies to achieve CSR and/or sustainability goals?
  13. How does digitalization help exporting firms to participate in global supply chains?
  14. What is the influence of digital technologies on exporter-importer relations?
  15. How does the use of digital technologies impact an exporting firm’s consumer privacy considerations, i.e. how are these facilitated/hindered by technology?              

Review process timeline

Paper submission due date July 31, 2025.
First decision on papers – desk rejects or send to reviewers – August 31, 2025.

Guest Editors:
Keith D. Brouthers
Frauke Mattison Thompson
Xinming He
George Nakos

More info:

1731528848006Download

9Mar

CfP IJMR: New Product Development and Innovation

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Call for papers for a Special Issue of International Journal of Marketing Research (IJMR).

“New Product Development and Innovation: Introduction, Measurement, and Effects across Industries“

Guest Editors: Tanusondjaja A, Trinh G, Victory K & Singh J

Deadline: 15 September 2025

The role of innovation and new product development in the success of businesses has been studied and reported widely in academia. Previous studies have covered aspects such as new product diffusion, disruptor brands and platforms, as well as types of innovation and their management. Whilst the role of innovation is undisputedly important for business performance, there is a lack of robust practitioner-centric research on innovation and new product development on tactics, practices, and ongoing strategies. Fundamentally, how should innovation be considered and managed along with other activities such as advertising, distribution, and promotions? The absence of strong evidence-based studies have led to opinions and ‘black-box’ research that may lack methodological rigour. New research findings can advance knowledge and support practitioners in this crucial element of businesses.

The aim of the Special Issue is to provide a robust set of studies that would address topics such as:
– What are the differences in NPD success measurement in industry vs. academia?
– What are the best ways to measure adoption and attitudes from consumers for new products?
– Does consumer co-creation improve the odds of success for new product introductions?
– How should we anticipate cannibalisation, when new products or brand extensions are introduced, towards their sibling brands?
– Is new product introduction an effective way to grow brand buyers?
– Are there any evidence-based new product launch strategies that would increase their odds of success?
– What is the impact of sustainable product innovations on consumer adoption and marketing practices
– What are the patterns of adoption, loyalty, and resistance to new product innovations in consumer markets?

We invite quantitative and qualitative paper submissions to the Special Issue that address the topics related to and beyond the points that are raised above, in a manner that is highly relevant for industry practitioners and the audiences of the International Journal of Market Research. We prefer empirical rather than conceptual submissions, as the studies should provide practical guidance in topics related to NPD and innovation. In addition to the topics list above, the studies could cover aspects such as the development, launch, evaluation as well the supplementary activities, including: media placement, advertising, product packaging, messaging and communications, meta-analytical studies, and exit strategies for new product failures.

Submission Requirements:

Authors should submit manuscripts with length and requirement in line with the guidelines for the International Journal of Market Research. There is word limit of 7,500 words for manuscript submissions. More information here.

We welcome informal queries regarding guest editors’ expectations or the suitability of specific research topics, as well as abstracts with no guarantee of an acceptance.

Guest Editors:
Arry Tanusondjaja, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, Australia; 
Giang Trinh, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, Australia; 
Kirsten Victory, Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, Australia; 
Jaywant Singh, University of Southampton, UK

More info:

CfP-IJMR-new-product-development-and-innovationDownload

9Mar

CfP IMM: “DEI in B2B markets”

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Call for Papers for a Special Issue of Industrial Marketing Management.

“Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in B2B markets”

Guest co-editors: Deswsnap B, Micevski M, Childs D, Rouziou M & Chaker N

Deadline: 1 February 2026

While DEI initiatives have received criticism from high-profile leaders (BBC, 2024), with media outlets suggesting DEI initiatives are dying out (CBNC, 2023; The New York Times, 2024), a recent industry report highlights that DEI initiatives continue to grow (Littler, 2024). This is no surprise, considering that the business case for DEI continues to gain strength (McKinsey, 2023). Research from global giant Boston Consulting Group (BCG) demonstrates that DEI initiatives can boost financial performance, help attract talent, reduce attrition, and increase employee motivation (BCG, 2024). Further, DEI initiatives have additional benefits for organizations, enhancing their competitive position, agility, innovation, and brand perception (Forbes, 2023). With so many distinct advantages, it is clear that B2B practitioners continue to consider and value DEI initiatives.

Academic literature also underscores the importance of DEI initiatives and finds that various aspects of DEI influence a range of positive outcomes, including customer orientation (Srivastava, Kashmiri, & Mahajan, 2023), knowledge sharing behavior (Nguyen et al., 2024), adaptability (Michels, Murphy, & Venkataraman, 2023), innovation (Hewlett et al., 2013), firm performance (Lorenzo & Reeves, 2018; Solakoglu & Demir, 2016), and competitive advantage (Richard, 2000).

While research has understood the impact of DEI initiatives at the firm level and their place in marketing (e.g., Park, Voss, & Voss, 2023; Sun, Ding, & Price, 2020), more research is needed that considers the complexities, nuances, and idiosyncracies that exist in B2B markets. Moreover, current DEI research predominantly focuses on gender (e.g., Havrylyshyn et al., 2023; Lanzrath et al., 2023). Although gender is undoubtedly an important topic and worthwhile research endeavor, DEI encompasses much more, including race, age, ethnicity, religion, disability, and sexual orientation (Park, Voss, & Voss, 2023).

DEI can potentially impact all levels and stakeholders (e.g., frontline employees and customers) within B2B markets, yet the research lags behind that in B2C markets. This is particularly noteworthy given that many B2B companies struggle to achieve genuine inclusion and diversity, and customers are increasingly skeptical of DEI initiatives (Ferraro, Hemsley, & Sands, 2023). More so, many B2B industries, including technology and manufacturing, are historically less diverse (Green, 2024; Reyes et al., 2021), potentially resulting in deeply ingrained practices or cultural norms resistant to DEI initiatives.

Consequently, attracting and retaining a diverse pool of candidates can be challenging, especially in industries with less diverse talent pipelines. This is despite preliminary evidence indicating that based on profitability, firms that rank in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity outperform those in the bottom quartile by 36% (Hunt et al., 2020). Further, while diversity is acknowledged in academic marketing literature to some extent, examinations of equity and inclusion are less prevalent.

Against this backdrop, and notwithstanding initial investigations, advancing theoretical and managerial understanding of DEI within B2B markets is crucial to progressing scholarly understanding and real-world application.

Sample topics

We are therefore calling for academic papers on DEI in business-to-business markets. Topics for the special issue submissions may include but are not limited to the following:
– DEI and organizational strategy development and implementation in B2B markets. Examples include: DEI and its influence on the B2B firm’s marketing strategy development and strategic decision-making. DEI and its alignment with firm marketing and sales strategies. Challenges and barriers to implementing DEI in B2B sales and marketing. How acceptance of DEI varies across different industries in B2B.

– DEI and management/leadership approaches/styles and decision making. Examples include: How, why, and with what effects do “diverse” management and leadership styles exist in B2B markets? How elements of DEI (e.g., gender) affect how B2B marketing and sales leaders lead. What is the impact on their reports?

– DEI in HR policy and practices for B2B marketing: Examples include: DEI policies and practices in B2B markets and their effects on talent attraction, employee engagement/motivation reward and recognition, organizational/identification belonging, and turnover intentions. DEI and its implications for training and development policy and practice in Sales. DEI policies and practices in B2B markets and their effects on employee well-being.

– DEI organizational performance in B2B markets. Examples include: How DEI impacts key B2B organizational performance outcomes. Metrics/methods (hard and soft) for measuring how DEI contributes to firm performance.

– DEI and intra-/inter-firm relationships. Examples include: How DEI strategies and policies in B2B markets impact relationships within and across functional teams – e.g., within sales teams, within marketing teams, between sales and marketing personnel, and between them and other functional teams. How DEI strategies and policies in B2B impact relationships with customers. The relationship between DEI and customer relationship effectiveness and satisfaction in B2B contexts – e.g., where supplier or customer teams do not share commitment to DEI initiatives.

The topics listed above should be seen as suggestions, and papers on other topics that advance knowledge on DEI in business-to-business markets are also welcome. Since the emphasis of the special issue is on papers that exclusively consider business-to-business marketing, frontline marketing, and sales-related topics, submissions that focus on other topics that mainly use business-to-business employees as an empirical context are outside the scope of the special issue.

The special issue includes only full-length articles and is open to different methodologies such as qualitative studies, surveys, experiments, modeling, case studies, meta-analyses, and others. Conceptual papers that substantially contribute to the business-to-business or industrial marketing literature are also welcome.

Preparation and submission of paper and review process

Submitted papers must not have been published, accepted for publication, or presently under consideration for publication elsewhere. Submissions should be about 6,000 – 8,000 words in length. Copies should be uploaded on Industrial Marketing Management’s submission system by using the dropdown box for the special issue on DEI in B2B markets. All papers will be handled according to the guidelines (Kadic-Maglajlic et al., 2023) for guest editing of special issues of Industrial Marketing Management.

Authors are advised to refer to the Guide for Authors prior to submission. Papers that do not comply with the Guide for Authors are poorly written or outside the special issue’s scope will be desk rejected. Manuscripts within the scope of the special issue (as described above) and for which there is a reasonable chance of conditional acceptance after no more than two rounds of revisions will enter the double-blind review process.

Important dates

Submission opens: December 1, 2025
Deadline for submission: February 1, 2026

Guest editors

Belinda Dewsnap (Loughborough Business School, UK), dewsnap@lboro.ac.uk
Milena Micevski (Copenhagen Business School, Denmark)
Dayle Childs (Bournemouth University, UK)
Maria Rouziou (Texas A&M University, UK)
Nawar N. Chaker (Louisiana State University, USA)

9Mar

CfP IMM: AI-Enabled Service Recovery

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Special Issue in Industrial Marketing Management.

Engaging Industrial Customers with AI-Enabled Service Recovery

Guest Co-Editors: Lages C, Hollebeek L, Sands S & Boukis A

Deadline: 1 March 2026

Industrial service failures represent “any type of error, mistake, deficiency, or problem occurring during the provision of [an industrial] service” (Koc, 2017, p. 1). Service failures should be promptly addressed through service recovery, “the organizational actions of seeking and dealing with a failure in service delivery” (Van Vaerenbergh & Orsingher, 2016, p. 328).

While service recovery has traditionally transpired through human efforts (e.g., employee’s courtesy to customers; Mostafa et al., 2015; Silva et al., 2020), these efforts are increasingly being supplemented or replaced with artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tools, including chatbots, service robots, or generative AI applications (Ameen et al., 2025; Kushwaha et al., 2021). These AI-enabled service recovery tools can “interpret external data, learn from such data, and use those learnings to [resolve industrial service failure] through flexible adaptation” (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2019, p. 15). More importantly, AI-enabled industrial service recovery can offer unique benefits (vs. traditional service recovery) by providing more efficient, more accurate, more consistent, and/or more timely service recovery solutions (Agnihotri & Bhattacharya, 2024). For example, industrial firms are increasingly adopting Salesforce’s AI-enabled Einstein platform that draws on predictive analytics to prevent service failure (Salesforce, 2024), thus reflecting their proactive industrial service recovery effort, while IBM’s Watson uses natural language processing (NLP) to detect service issues and their root causes (IBM, 2024).

However, while acumen of AI-enabled service recovery is emerging in the literature, prior studies have predominantly focused on business-to-consumer (e.g., Agnihotri & Bhattacharya, 2024) rather than business-to-business or industrial recovery contexts (e.g., Baliga et al., 2021; Sands et al., 2022), revealing an important gap in the literature. Moreover, scarce research exists on how emerging AI-enabled industrial service recovery applications may amend, complement, or revolutionize traditional service recovery efforts (Agnihotri & Bhattacharya, 2024; Dong et al., 2016), affecting the nature and role of customers’ service recovery engagement (Van Vaerenbergh et al., 2018; Ameen et al., 2025). Specifically, while industrial firms are investing extensively in AI-enabled service recovery (Baliga et al., 2021), the effectiveness, management, and performance of these tools remain nebulous, requiring enhanced insight into and accountability of these investments. For example, though research suggests the promising role of the AI-enabled service recovery journey (Ameen et al., 2025) or its capacity to boost customer engagement, important caveats also surround industrial firms’ AI adoption for service recovery purposes (Pantano et al., 2024; Keegan et al., 2023).

In light of these challenges for industrial firms, this Special Issue explores the role of AI-enabled service recovery in engaging industrial customers. It seeks to integrate the to date disparate literature streams on AI-enabled service recovery (e.g., Ameen et al., 2025) and industrial customers’ engagement (e.g., Ferdous et al., 2024; Hollebeek, 2019). To this end, we solicit state-of-the-art submissions that explore the role of AI-enabled service recovery in influencing industrial customers’ cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement with the firm’s recovery efforts. Submissions should offer a significant original contribution to the industrial marketing, AI-enabled service recovery, and/or customer engagement bodies of literature.

Sample Topics

Given the still emerging state of the AI-enabled service recovery domain and the need for more theoretically robust and methodologically diverse approaches, this Special Issue invites both conceptual and empirical contributions that have the potential to advance research in these areas. We welcome conceptual, qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method as well as methodological contributions that shed light on issues including, but not limited to, the following:
– What is the differential impact of AI-enabled (vs. human) service recovery on industrial customers’ engagement?
– How does adopting a hybrid (AI- and human-based) service recovery journey impact customer engagement?
– How do different AI tools (e.g., chatbots) affect cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement outcomes in industrial service recovery journeys?
– What key factors may facilitate (vs. inhibit) the effect of AI-enabled service recovery on industrial customers’ positive engagement with the recovery effort, the brand, the firm, and/or other stakeholders of the firm while minimizing their negative engagement?
– How may reactive (vs. proactive) AI-enabled service recovery impact industrial customers’ and other stakeholders’ engagement with the recovery effort, the brand, and the firm?
– How does the reliance on AI-enabled service recovery impact industrial employees’ engagement, skill development, motivation, and retention?
– How can predictive analytics in AI-enabled service platforms mitigate potential service failures before they occur or optimize customers’ engagement with industrial firms’ proactive (vs. reactive) service recovery efforts?
– How do specific AI applications (e.g., machine learning, deep learning, NLP; predictive vs. generative AI; mechanical, thinking, or feeling AI; Huang & Rust, 2021) impact B2B service recovery journeys?
– What AI features (e.g., speed, accuracy, tone of voice, or response personalization) drive the effectiveness of AI-enabled service recovery journeys in addressing industrial service failures?
– What metrics should industrial firms use to assess the performance of AI-enabled service recovery tactics and tools (e.g., to measure the return on their investment in AI-enabled service recovery)?
– How do industrial firms ensure AI’s ethical and sustainable use in service recovery while maintaining or enhancing their customers’ engagement?
– What mechanisms and strategies can be implemented to ensure transparency and accountability of AI-enabled service recovery in industrial firms, and how might these affect customer engagement?

Preparation and submission of paper and review process 

Papers submitted must not have been published, accepted for publication, or presently be under consideration for publication elsewhere. Submissions should be about 6,000-8,000 words in length. Copies should be uploaded on Industrial Marketing Management’s submission system by using the dropdown box for the special issue on VSI: AI-enabled Service Recovery. All papers will be handled according to the guidelines (Kadic-Maglajlic et al., 2023) for guest editing of special issues of Industrial Marketing Management.

Authors are advised to refer to the Guide for Authors prior to submission. Papers that do not comply with the Guide for Authors or are poorly written will be desk rejected. Manuscripts within the scope of the special issue (as described above) and for which there is a reasonable chance of conditional acceptance after no more than two rounds of revisions will enter the double-blind review process.

Important dates

Submission opens: January 1st, 2026
Deadline for submission: March 1st, 2026

Guest editors

Cristiana R. Lages, Ph.D. (University of Minho, Portugal)
Linda D. Hollebeek, Ph.D. (Sunway University, Vilnius University, Tallinn University of Technology, Umea University, University of Johannesburg)
Sean Sands, Ph.D. (Swinburne University of Technology, Australia)
Achilleas Boukis, Ph.D. (University of Birmingham, UK)

More info:

CfP-IMM-AI-Enabled-Service-RecoveryDownload

27Feb

CfP JOSM “Redefining Service Excellence”

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Call for Paper for a Special Issue of the Journal of Service Management.

Redefining Service Excellence: Embracing Responsible, Human-Centric Innovations in the Era of AI & Technology

Guest Editors: Wu L, Liu SQ, So KKF, Yang W, & Bilgihan A.

Deadline: 28 February 2025

Service management is rapidly evolving with exciting innovations booming in every sector around the globe (Kandampully et al., 2022; So et al., 2024), calling for a redefinition of service excellence from both academic and industry perspectives. Amidst unprecedented technological evolutions and advancements, service organizations face evolving challenges in innovating for competitive advantage while ensuring responsible conduct. While a growing body of research explores the impact of AI and digital innovations on the service industry (De Keyser et al., 2019; Huang & Rust, 2022; Liu et al., 2024; Wu et al., 2021), limited attention has been given to how AI and technological innovations in service management can drive service excellence and responsible, human-centric outcomes (Alkire et al., 2024; Wirtz et al., 2023). This special issue sets forth to bridge that gap by addressing how AI and new technologies can foster responsible innovations and service excellence.

Aim & Objectives

The overarching aim of this special issue is to foster scholarly discourses on how service organizations can embrace AI and other forms of cutting-edge technology to advance service excellence and responsible service management practices. Submissions are encouraged to explore a wide range of topics, including but are not limited to: How can service organizations integrate AI and cutting-edge technology to enhance the experiences of multiple stakeholders, facilitate efficient interactions between actors, and reduce frictions within the service ecosystem? How do we leverage human-centric service designs to create meaningful, equitable and inclusive moments of truth? How do we foster service excellence cultures that will help enable responsible innovations that foster human flourishing?

In line with the above objectives, this special issue invites theoretical, conceptual and empirical research that advances our understanding of responsible, human-centric innovations in service management. Submissions are encouraged to integrate multidisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary perspectives from diverse fields to expand existing research on service excellence. Research focusing on diverse service contexts, including hospitality, tourism, healthcare, retail and education, is particularly welcomed to capture the multifaceted and nuanced implications in the dynamic global service industry.

List of Topic Areas

Key themes that this special issue will feature include but are not limited to:
– Fostering service excellence through human-centric service innovation
– AI-driven service innovation and management
– Human-centric service design in the AI era
– Responsible service innovation and service design
– AI-human interaction and collaboration in service

Submissions Information

This special issue follows a two-step submission process:

Abstract Submission

Authors are invited to submit their abstracts to the guest editors at serviceexcellencejosm@gmail.com by February 28, 2025.
Abstracts will be reviewed to ensure alignment with the special issue’s theme, and authors of selected abstracts will be invited to submit full manuscripts.

Full Manuscript Submission

Once invited, authors should submit their full manuscripts via ScholarOne Manuscripts. Full manuscripts must adhere to the journal’s submission guidelines.
Author guidelines must be strictly followed. Please see here.
Authors should select (from the drop-down menu) the special issue title at the appropriate step in the submission process, i.e. in response to “Please select the issue you are submitting to”.
Submitted articles must not have been previously published, nor should they be under consideration for publication anywhere else, while under review for this journal.

Key Deadlines

Abstract submission deadline: February 28, 2025
Email for abstract submissions: serviceexcellencejosm@gmail.com
Opening date for full manuscript submissions: August 01, 2025
Closing date for full manuscript submissions: November 01, 2025

Guest Editors

– Laurie Wu, Temple University, USA
– Stephanie Q. Liu, The Ohio State University, USA
– Kevin Kam Fung So, Purdue University, USA
– Wan Yang, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, USA
– Anil Bilgihan, Florida Atlantic University, USA

18Sep

CFP JIM: Intelligent Automation and Artificial Intelligence in Marketing

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Call for Papers for a Special Issue of the Journal of International Marketing

“Intelligent Automation and Artificial Intelligence in Marketing”

Guest Co-Editors: Bonfrer A, Laszlo Sajtos L, Wirtz J & Hermann E.

Deadline: 31 December 2024

The origin of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) dates back to the 1940s, to the emergence of neural networks and the Turing test. Business professionals and researchers have invested in intelligent automation (IA) and AI technologies such as service robots, robotic process automation, generative AI, machine learning, and affective or cognitive computing, to name a few. With recent developments in sensors and smart technologies, and large language models (LLMs) now with enhanced capability to learn and to process information at large scale and emulate human capabilities, the importance of automation is accelerating.

Submission deadline: 31 December 2024
Planned publication date: Mid to late 2025

Special Issue Editors
– André Bonfrer, Deakin University
– Laszlo Sajtos, University of Auckland Business School.
– Jochen Wirtz, National University of Singapore.
– Erik Hermann, ESCP Business School Berlin.

Full information here.

18Sep

CFP JSM: Making Service Work Decent Work

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Call for Papers for a Special Issue of the Journal of Services Marketing.

“Making Service Work Decent Work: Marketing Perspectives to Uplift Human Well-Being and Service Excellence”

Co-Guest editors: Colurcio M, Vigolo V & Caridà A.

Deadline: 28 February 2025

This special issue is a response to the need for further studies on decent work in the service sector, as emphasised by the United Nations SDG 8 and recognized by the ServCollab community and service scholars under Service Research Theme 4 (Subramony & Rosenbaum, 2024; Russell-Bennett et al., 2024).

There are a growing number of studies in various fields that address decent work, but a marketing perspective is not well developed. Decent work is a crucial component of CSR, which requires companies to take responsibility not only for their customers and external stakeholders, but also for their internal customers, i.e. their employees. International and national organisations report widespread unethical labour practices where minimum workers’ rights are not respected. In addition, some employees’ categories (e.g. by food delivery riders) are protesting to raise public awareness of decent work. As a result, customers are also becoming increasingly aware of unethical working conditions. However, decent work is much more than avoiding underpaid, unsafe or black labour. It is also about creating an environment in which employees feel supported not to sacrifice their personal well-being for their job or their career. This includes, for example, offering service (e.g. nurseries), defining working conditions and practices (e.g. flexible hours, part-time jobs) that facilitate a good work-life time balance. Employers should take special care of vulnerable employees who may be disadvantaged, for example because of their age, gender, health, physical condition, family situation, religious beliefs or sexual orientation, and create a human environment where diversity is an asset and not a barrier. In this way, decent work can improve the well-being and job satisfaction of employees. Happy, satisfied and fulfilled employees can also have a positive impact on customer co-creation, improving the customer experience and overall business performance. In addition, the reputation of a good workplace helps to improve the employer brand and attract motivated employees.

List of Topic Areas
– UN SDG 8
– Decent Work
– ServCollab
– Transformative Service Research

Submissions Information
Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts.
Author guidelines must be strictly followed.

Key Deadlines
– Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 21/08/2024
– Closing date for manuscripts submission: 28/02/2025

Guest Editors
– Maria Colurcio, Department of Law, Economics and Sociology, University of Catanzaro, Italy
– Vania Vigolo, Department of Management, University of Verona, Italy
– Angela Caridà, Department of Law, Economics and Sociology, University of Catanzaro, Italy

The authoritative version of this document can be found here.

18Sep

CFP JSM: Services in a Rapidly Changing World

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Call for Papers for a Special Issue of the Journal of Services Marketing.

“Services in a Rapidly Changing World”

Co-Guest editors: Holmqvist J, Kabadayi S & Winfrey D

Deadline: 17 January 2025

Sustainable services, transformative services and the impact of services on society are being increasingly studied, yet more studies are needed as the impact of services to combat societal challenges becomes increasingly urgent. This special issue takes a holistic approach to study the broad array of different ways in which services can benefit both humanity and the planet in a changing world.
The past years have seen societal changes at a level not seen for several decades. A global pandemic, increasing cost of living, several wars, political uncertainty, increasing climate change, and rapidly evolving AI all pose serious challenges for society as well as for individuals. Just as the world and society are evolving, services need to evolve to meet the challenges arising from this new situation. Now services are expected to be responsible in the sense that they foster sustainability, fight climate change, narrow down inequalities, develop medical advances, and support humanitarian efforts, while empowering customers by offering novel ways to navigate the changing conditions of everyday life. Given this new set of expectations in the face of changing world, service scholars either need to revisit their theoretical frameworks and existing assumptions or develop new models to help and enable service organizations to design and deliver services needed in this changing world.

This special issue focuses on societal changes and the role of services to deal with these changes. As such, all seventeen of the UN Sustainable Development Goals provide potential research avenues to develop the role of services. Prospective authors are encouraged to check and be inspired by the recent JSM-ServCollab special issue on SDGs (Vol 38 No. 2) We welcome submissions on the broader theme of services for humanity, and encourage all submissions dealing with topics to improve consumers’ lives, from the individual to the societal level. We also welcome submissions on socio-cultural aspects of services as well as services for sustainable actions

List of Topic Areas
– The transformative role of services in addressing polycrisis that humanity and the world face
– Sustainable and ethical services, in B2B, B2C, and C2C
– The role of AI in services to improve both physical and mental wellbeing
– Services to help preserve cultures and heritage
– The contribution of services to achieving UN SDGs
– The interaction of service organizations, policymakers and other stakeholders
– Medial services and their implications
– Services to facilitate communication in a global world
– Additional topics dealing with service for humanity are warmly encouraged

We welcome qualitative, quantitative and conceptual research

Submissions Information
Submissions are made using ScholarOne Manuscripts.
Author guidelines must be strictly followed.

Key Deadlines
– Opening date for manuscripts submissions: 01/08/2024
– Closing date for manuscripts submission: 17/01/2025

Guest Editors
– Jonas Holmqvist, Kedge Business School, France
– Sertan Kabadayi, Fordham University, US
– Domenic Winfrey, Kedge Business School, France

The authoritative version of this call is here.

14Aug

CfP JCM: Neuroscientific insights on retail and services

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Call for paper for a Special Issue in Journal of Consumer Marketing.

Neuroscientific insights on retail and services

Guest editors: Rancati G, Verhulst N & Shams P

Deadline: 15 January 2025.

The rapidly evolving landscape of retail and services, driven by technological advancements, necessitates a deeper understanding of the neuroscientific foundations of consumer behavior.
In this special issue, we aim to publish empirical studies that provide neuroscientific insights into retail and services. We particularly welcome research on the impact of retail and frontline service technology (e.g., AI, robots, chatbots), the ‘servicescape’ and retail atmosphere, and the multi-sensory customer experience. Additionally, we are open to broader work on topics such as pricing and packaging. By exploring the neurological underpinnings of consumer behavior, this issue seeks to offer valuable insights for both academia and industry. Understanding how neural or neuropsychological processes influence consumers in the dynamic retail and service landscape is critical for developing effective strategies to enhance customer satisfaction and optimize business performance. By bringing together cutting-edge research from interdisciplinary fields, this special issue aims to bridge the gap between neuroscience and retail and service research. Through empirical studies, the papers will advance knowledge and inform future developments in these industries.

We would like to emphasize that the guest editors have substantial experience in conducting empirical field and lab studies using neuromarketing tools. This extensive expertise allows them to fully appreciate the complexity and rigor involved in research contributions. The guest editors value and respect the authors’ efforts, providing an informed and appreciative perspective when evaluating papers. Their experience underscores the special issue’s commitment to quality and relevance, encouraging contributions that significantly advance the field.

List of Topic Areas:
– Consumer neuroscience,
– Retail,
– Services,
– Frontline service technology,
– CX,
– Servicescape,
– Retail atmospherics,
– Service robots,
– AI

More here.

9Apr

CfP JCM: Sharing & Collaborative Consumption

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Call for paper for a Special Issue in Journal of Consumer Marketing.

Sharing Services Systems and Collaborative Consumption in a Rapidly Changing Environment.

Guest editors: Guyader H, Albinsson PA, & Ozanne LK.

Deadline: 31 January 2025.

As the sharing economy has experienced a rapid growth, this Special Issue is primarily interested in research that examines contemporary questions, new laws or regulations, new technologies (AI, blockchain, etc.), that further conceptualizes concepts or practices related to the sharing economy paradox, its tensions, and dark sides (gig workers, prosumers, consumer well-being/vulnerability) or that investigates new phenomena (sharing at the BoP, food sharing initiatives, repair systems, customer misbehavior, etc.) to expand what we know and makes a contribution about the sharing economy based on theory building, empirical research or methodological advancements.

A broad list issues may be studied (see here for full list) through diverse marketing lenses – consumer behavior, retail, management, strategy – however the main focus should be on the consumer perspective. This SI welcomes a variety of data collection methods and analysis techniques including text mining, experimental design, systematic reviews, cluster analysis, and (n)ethnography – as the world of research methods evolve as quickly as the phenomenon and environment in which we investigate.

A paper development workshop will be hosted at the Society for Marketing Advances Annual Conference (6-9 November 2024 in Tampa, Florida). Deadline (20-p full papers): 30 June 2024. 
Acceptance to the SMA conference does not mean automatic acceptance to JCM and submissions to the SI are not contingent on participating in the conference workshop. The dedicated conference track and workshop are designed to develop and strengthen the manuscripts for a more streamlined review process in terms of meeting the expectations and guidelines for JCM. After the conference, full papers will need to be submitted to the SI where they will go through the regular JCM review process.

Important dates:
– Deadline SMA Conference Papers: 30 June 2024
– SMA Conference: 6-9 November 2024
– Deadline: 31 January 2025
– Final acceptance: 31 March 2026

Full CFP and more info here.

Sharing-Services-Systems-and-Collaborative-Consumption-in-a-Rapidly-Changing-EnvironmentDownload

Please send questions about the Special Issue to any of the Guest Editors: Pia A. Albinsson, Hugo Guyader, and Lucie K. Ozanne.