Journal of Service Theory and Practice最新文献

{"title":"Flourishing digital technology in professional services firms: multidisciplinary perspectives in India","authors":"Ansumalini Panda, S. Pasumarti, Suvarna Hiremath","doi":"10.1108/jstp-06-2022-0131","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/jstp-06-2022-0131","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the role of digitalization on the key characteristics of professional service firms (PSFs) that are part of the service sector and inherently oriented with intense knowledge, capital and professionalized workforces.xD; xA.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a qualitative, exploratory and inductive research methodology based on in-depth interviews with 49 entrepreneurs/professionals of PSFs focusing on the role of digitalization including capital intensity, knowledge intensity and professionalized workforce.FindingsThe result reflected that digitalization facilitates at lower levels of knowledge intensity, whereas it increases the capital intensity for most of the firms and decreases the professionalization of the workforce among PSFs.Originality/valueThe study provides empirical validations where digitalization has changed the distinctive characteristics of PSFs, which promotes new practices, allows for variation and transforms their competitive contexts. In light of these findings, the authors illuminated the application of digitalization on the Indian law firms, retail, education, healthcare and manufacturing industry.","PeriodicalId":47021,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Service Theory and Practice","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2023-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"62176844","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gamification in the customer journey: a conceptual model and future research opportunities","authors":"Jorge Henrique O. Silva, G. H. Mendes, J. Teixeira, D. Braatz","doi":"10.1108/jstp-07-2022-0142","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/jstp-07-2022-0142","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeWhile academics and practitioners increasingly recognize the impacts of gamification on customer experience (CX), its role in the customer journey remains undeveloped. This article aims to identify how gamification can leverage each customer journey stage, integrate the findings into a conceptual model and propose future research opportunities.Design/methodology/approachSince CX and customer journey are interrelated concepts, the authors rely on CX research to identify research themes that provide insights to propose the conceptual model. A systematic review of 154 articles on the interplay between gamification and CX research published from 2013 to 2022 was performed and analyzed by thematic content analysis. The authors interpreted the results according to the service customer journey stages and the taxonomy of digital engagement practices.FindingsThis article identified five main thematic categories that shape the conceptual model (design, customer journey stages, customer, technology and context). Gamification design can support customer value creation at any customer journey stage. While gamification can leverage brand engagement at the pre-service stage by enhancing customer motivation and information search, it can leverage service and brand engagement at the core and post-service stages by enhancing customer participation and brand relationships. Moreover, customer-, technology- and context-related factors influence the gamified service experience in the customer journey.Originality/valueThis article contributes to a conceptual integration between gamification and customer journey. Additionally, it provides opportunities for future research from a customer journey perspective.","PeriodicalId":47021,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Service Theory and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2023-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45904867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The writing is on the wall: predicting customers' evaluation of customer-firm interactions using computerized text analysis","authors":"Caitlin C. Ferreira, Jeandri Robertson, Raeesah Chohan, Leyland Pitt, Tim Foster","doi":"10.1108/jstp-04-2022-0100","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/jstp-04-2022-0100","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThis methodological paper demonstrates how service firms can use digital technologies to quantify and predict customer evaluations of their interactions with the firm using unstructured, qualitative data. To harness the power of unstructured data and enhance the customer-firm relationship, the use of computerized text analysis is proposed.Design/methodology/approachThree empirical studies were conducted to exemplify the use of the computerized text analysis tool. A secondary data analysis of online customer reviews (n = 2,878) in a service industry was used. LIWC was used to conduct the text analysis, and thereafter SPSS was used to examine the predictive capability of the model for the evaluation of customer-firm interactions.FindingsA lexical analysis of online customer reviews was able to predict evaluations of customer-firm interactions across the three empirical studies. The authenticity and emotional tone present in the reviews served as the best predictors of customer evaluations of their service interactions with the firm.Practical implicationsComputerized text analysis is an inexpensive digital tool which, to date, has been sparsely used to analyze customer-firm interactions based on customers' online reviews. From a methodological perspective, the use of this tool to gain insights from unstructured data provides the ability to gain an understanding of customers' real-time evaluations of their service interactions with a firm without collecting primary data.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the growing body of knowledge regarding the use of computerized lexical analysis to assess unstructured, online customer reviews to predict customers' evaluations of a service interaction. The results offer service firms an inexpensive and user-friendly methodology to assess real-time, readily available reviews, complementing traditional customer research. A tool has been used to transform unstructured data into a numerical format, quantifying customer evaluations of service interactions.","PeriodicalId":47021,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Service Theory and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2023-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47785694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Finding a fit between CXO’s experience and AI usage in CXO decision-making: evidence from knowledge-intensive professional service firms","authors":"Poojitha Kondapaka, Sayantan Khanra, A. Malik, Munezasultana M. Kagzi, Kannan Hemachandran","doi":"10.1108/jstp-06-2022-0134","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/jstp-06-2022-0134","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeArtificial intelligence (AI) applications’ usage in Chief Officers’ (CXOs’) decision-making is a topic of current research interest. A fundamental dilemma is carefully planning an effective combination of a CXO’s professional experiences and AI applications’ decision-making responsibility. However, the existing literature fails to specify the value of co-creation of AI applications and the human experience in managerial decision-making. To address this gap in the literature, the authors’ examine how an ideal cognitive-technology fit can be created between human experiences and AI-based solutions at CXO-level decision-making using the theoretical lens of the Service-Dominant Logic.Design/methodology/approachThe authors’ employed a grounded theory approach and conducted a focus group discussion with seven participants to shed light on the factors that may balance AI applications’ usage and CXOs’ experience in making business decisions. This was followed by 21 in-depth interviews with employees from knowledge-intensive professional service firms to validate the findings further of a new phenomenon. Further, given the newness of the phenomenon, this approach allowed researchers a retrospective and real-time understanding of interviewees’ experiences of the phenomenon under consideration.FindingsThe advantages and constraints of both CXOs’ experiences and AI applications deserve due consideration for successfully implementing technology in knowledge-intensive professional service organizations.Research limitations/implicationsThis study may appeal to researchers and practitioners interested in the future of decision-making, as the authors’ study findings advocate for balancing CXO’s expertise and the use of AI in decision-making.Originality/valueBased on the preliminary findings, the authors developed a theoretical framework to understand the factors that govern AI implementation in an organization and how a competitive strategy may emerge from value co-created by AI applications and CXOs’ experience, particularly in knowledge-intensive professional service firms.","PeriodicalId":47021,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Service Theory and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2023-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42839224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unpacking the relationship between customer citizenship behavior and dysfunctional customer behavior: the role of customer moral credits and entitlement","authors":"Taeshik Gong, Chen-Ya Wang","doi":"10.1108/jstp-12-2021-0256","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/jstp-12-2021-0256","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeWhile the positive effects of customer citizenship behavior are well established, research on its potential negative consequences is scarce. This study aims to examine the indirect relationship between customer citizenship and dysfunctional customers via customer moral credits and entitlement, as well as the moderating influence of customer citizenship fatigue.Design/methodology/approachStudy 1 employed a cross-sectional design with a self-administered survey. The data were collected from 314 customers using an online research panel. In Study 2, the authors manipulated customer citizenship behavior using 203 participants to establish causality and rule out alternative explanations of the findings of Study 1. In Study 3, the authors replicated Study 2 and enhanced internal validity by using a more controlled experimental design using 128 participants.FindingsThis study shows that when customer citizenship fatigue is high, customer citizenship behavior elicits customer moral credit, which leads to customer entitlement and, in turn, promotes dysfunctional customer behavior. Conversely, when customer citizenship fatigue is low, customer citizenship behavior does not generate moral credit or entitlement, preventing dysfunctional customer behavior.Practical implicationsThe study shows that promoting customer citizenship behavior does not always lead to positive outcomes. Therefore, when promoting customer citizenship behavior, managers should consider the psychological licensing process and ways to mitigate the influence of moral credits.Originality/valueThis study challenges common wisdom and investigates the dark side of customer citizenship behavior. Specifically, it demonstrates that customer citizenship behavior could backfire (e.g. dysfunctional customer behavior). It also shows that only customers who experience a high level of fatigue from their citizenship behaviors are psychologically licensed to gain moral credit, leading to dysfunctional customer behavior.","PeriodicalId":47021,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Service Theory and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2023-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49308808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"When and how digital platforms empower professional services firms: an agility perspective","authors":"Y. Liu, Henry F. L. Chung, Z. Zhang, Mian Wu","doi":"10.1108/jstp-04-2022-0092","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/jstp-04-2022-0092","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeDrawing on a strategic agility perspective, the authors develop a theoretical framework and empirically examine how digital platform adoption and capability impact business performance via digital-enabled strategic agility in the context of professional service firms.Design/methodology/approachThe authors propose and examine a conceptual framework based on survey data from 127 professional service firms in New Zealand.FindingsThis study reveals the impact of digital platform capability on the business performance of professional service firms that employ digital platform technologies. The results suggest that organizational innovation and managers' creative efficacy will be used as distal antecedents and contribute to digital platform capabilities. In addition, digital strategic agility can mediate the link between digital platform capabilities and business performance.Originality/valueThis study is one of the first to investigate when and how digital platforms empower professional service firms. This study reveals the role of digital strategic agility and digital platform capabilities in knowledge-intensive enterprises. This research advances the development of knowledge-based economy in the information age by applying and extending strategic agility to the uncertain and volatile business environment. The authors' new conceptualization provides a deeper understanding of how and why professional services business and organizations can adapt to the post-COVID era smoothly and successfully.","PeriodicalId":47021,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Service Theory and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2023-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46881484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Well-being creation by senior volunteers in a service provider context","authors":"K. Shirahada, Alan Wilson","doi":"10.1108/jstp-07-2022-0137","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/jstp-07-2022-0137","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeGiven the importance of senior volunteers in an ageing society, this study aims to deepen the understanding of how seniors create well-being by volunteering as service providers in terms of motivations for volunteer participation and value co-creation/co-destruction in service provision.Design/methodology/approachFocussing on senior volunteers acting as service providers in the tourism sector, this study conducted a programme of qualitative research with 15 senior volunteer tour guides in Japan and the UK through the purposive sampling method. The data were analysed by the Gioia method to identify data structure and create a conceptual model.FindingsSeniors start with a mixture of different motivations, not only symbolic and health ones. However, after a certain period of training, they become more aware of their volunteer role as service providers and may strive to maximise the benefits to their clients. The overall performance of such a role supports their well-being. They may also experience episodes of value co-destruction; such negative experiences may be overcome by building good relationships with their colleagues in the organisation.Practical implicationsThe paper identifies organisational support ideas for senior service provider volunteers aimed at overcoming negative experiences and achieving well-being, in terms of training and improved communication between organisation members.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the transformative service research literature by constructing a model to showcase the relationship amongst expectations of volunteering as a service provider, service delivery and well-being creation. This paper also discusses the positive and negative effects of volunteer service delivery on senior volunteers' well-being.","PeriodicalId":47021,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Service Theory and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2022-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48363784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Robot service failure: the double-edged sword effect of emotional labor in service recovery","authors":"Yunxia Shi, Rumeng Zhang, Chunhao Ma, Lijie Wang","doi":"10.1108/jstp-03-2022-0048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/jstp-03-2022-0048","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThis paper aims to discuss the effect of frontline employees' emotional labor (surface acting vs. deep acting) on customer satisfaction and the moderating role of responsibility attributions in the situation of robot service failure.Design/methodology/approachThe scenario-based experimental method was designed to perform hypothesis testing and SPSS was used to analyze the data from the 363 questionnaires collected.FindingsThe results indicate that (1) employees' emotional labor recovery has a double-edged sword effect. Deep acting improves customer satisfaction, while surface acting undermines the effectiveness of service recovery and leaves customer satisfaction below previous levels. (2) Customers' responsibility attributions for service failure moderate the effect of service recovery.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to focus on the role of frontline employees' emotional labor in robot service failure contexts, which not only enriches and expands the relevant literature in this domain, but also deepens the understanding of how emotional labor and responsibility attribution effect the customer satisfaction.","PeriodicalId":47021,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Service Theory and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2022-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49303846","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Digitalization processes in small professional service firms: drivers, barriers and emerging organisational tensions","authors":"S. Cardinali, A. Pagano, E. Carloni, Marta Giovannetti, Lorenzo Governatori","doi":"10.1108/jstp-06-2022-0132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/jstp-06-2022-0132","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThis study aimed to provide an exploratory analysis of digitalization processes in small professional service firms (SPSFs) by examining their main drivers and barriers and their impact on customer management practices, considering the intra-organizational, inter-organizational and service offering dimensions.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a qualitative, exploratory and inductive research methodology based on in-depth interviews with 19 owners or consultants of small tax/accounting firms, focusing on the role of digitalization in their internal and external processes.FindingsThe findings reveal external and internal barriers to and drivers of digitalization, as well as its effects on customer management practices. They also reveal the emergence of tensions related to the intra-organizational, inter-organizational and service offering dimensions.Originality/valueThis work contributes to the research on the role of digital technologies in the professional service sector, with a focus on SPSFs, which has thus far received limited attention. This research highlights the complexity of combining increasingly standardized processes and services with the need to maintain flexibility and informality in internal and external interactions.","PeriodicalId":47021,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Service Theory and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2022-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44404537","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"I see myself in my leader: transformational leadership and its impact on employees' technology-mediated knowledge sharing in professional service firms","authors":"M. Nguyen","doi":"10.1108/jstp-04-2022-0093","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/jstp-04-2022-0093","url":null,"abstract":"PurposeKnowledge is the main product of professional service firms; therefore, knowledge is the key to success. Due to the nature of this organizational type, management in professional service firms has faced many challenges in encouraging employees to share knowledge. The diffusion of technologies has facilitated technology-mediated knowledge sharing (TMKS), which helps the transfer of knowledge become easier without time and space limits. This study aims to unfold the impact of transformational leadership as an antecedent of TMKS under the interplay with perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness in using technology.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was distributed to employees in professional service firms through the snowball sampling method. Three hundred forty employees, who had experience with technology-mediated knowledge sharing, participated in the survey.FindingsThe findings showed that transformational leadership had a significant impact on TMKS, which was moderated by perceived usefulness and gender. TMKS influenced organizational innovation, and the mediating effect of TMKS was identified.Originality/valueThis study provides solutions for management in professional service firms to motivate their employees to share knowledge via technology, which drives organizational innovation. More caution about gender differences and the low levels of perceived usefulness from employees need to be considered when adopting transformational leadership.","PeriodicalId":47021,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Service Theory and Practice","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6,"publicationDate":"2022-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43007853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}