Journal of Service Theory and Practice

Mayer, Jessica; Zainuddin, Nadia; Russell-Bennett, Rebekah; Mulcahy, Rory Francis

2019 Journal of Service Theory and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jstp-11-2017-0196

The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of perceived threat, brand congruence, and social support on consumer coping strategies for a preventative health service.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey of 570 women aged over 50 in one Australian state was conducted (users and non-users of the service). The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.FindingsA competing models approach reveals that threat on its own is associated with avoidance coping; however, when brand congruence is high, there is an association with active coping. Social support appears to have a buffering effect on threat and is associated positively with active coping and negatively with avoidance coping.Originality/valueThe study findings suggest that threat appeals should be used with caution in increasing participation in transformative preventative health services due to its double-edged sword effect (increasing both avoidance and active coping). When consumers have social support, this results in active coping and buffers avoidance coping. This research offers useful insights for social marketing and transformative service research.

Song, Xu; Christen, Cindy T.

2019 Journal of Service Theory and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jstp-10-2018-0215

Live chat e-service provides a communication platform for online customers to make information inquiries and receive instantaneous assistance from a service representative. It is important for organizations to explore ways to improve their live chat e-service. The purpose of this paper is to propose a new organization–customer communication model (Schema Resonance Model), explicate how schema resonance can be achieved in live chat e-service, and investigate the impact of schema resonance on live chat e-service effectiveness, efficiency, customer satisfaction and intention of continued use.Design/methodology/approachA post-test only, between-subjects experiment was conducted. A total of 409 participants completed the experiment sessions, and 389 of these participants were used in the analysis.FindingsResearch results suggest schema resonance could improve the time efficiency of the live chat e-service while maintaining e-service effectiveness. Schema resonance could increase customer satisfaction with the overall e-service, the communication approach used by the representative and the information provided.Research limitations/implicationsBecause a convenience sample was used in the experiment, results cannot be generalized to all live chat e-service users. Future research should include observation of real-world organization–customer live chat e-service sessions.Practical implicationsOrganizations can consider applying the Schema Resonance Model in live chat e-service practices to enhance customer satisfaction and increase representatives’ service productivity.Originality/valueThis research proposes and tests a new organization–customer communication model to explore how organizations can improve live chat e-service in response to customers’ information inquiries.

Pham, Tram-Anh N.; Sweeney, Jillian C.; Soutar, Geoffrey N.

2019 Journal of Service Theory and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jstp-07-2018-0163

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a typology of customer value cocreation activities and explore the psychological drivers and quality of life outcomes of such activities in a complex health care service setting.Design/methodology/approachFocus groups with people with Type 2 diabetes and in-depth interviews with diabetes educators were conducted.FindingsFour types of customer value cocreation activities were found (mandatory (customer), mandatory (customer or organization), voluntary in-role and voluntary extra-role activities). In addition, health locus of control, self-efficacy, optimism, regulatory focus and expected benefits are identified as key psychological factors underlying the customers’ motivation to be active resource integrators and resulting in physical, psychological, existential and social well-being.Originality/valueThe study highlights the various types of customer value cocreation activities and how these affect the various quality of life dimensions.

Kim, Jiyoung

2019 Journal of Service Theory and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jstp-08-2018-0178

The purpose of this paper is to identify customers’ service network partners in medical encounters and demonstrate the extent to which customers’ evaluation of each co-creation practice with their service network partners affects their perceived service quality and satisfaction. In addition, the moderating effect of patient age is examined.Design/methodology/approachBy using a field survey, data collected from 164 inpatients were examined through structural equation modeling and multi-group analysis.FindingsThe value-creating activities of customers with service providers, companions and other customers during healthcare service encounters have a positive effect on their perception of service quality and satisfaction related to behavioral intentions. Co-creating with service value network partners has a greater impact on perceived service quality and service satisfaction for patients aged 60 or older.Research limitations/implicationsBy focusing on participants in customers’ service value co-creating networks, this study contributes to the body of knowledge by confirming the importance of each actor and analyzing customers’ value co-creating activities.Originality/valueThis is the first study to show that when customers’ level of involvement is high, such as in healthcare services, their value-creating activities when interacting with medical staff, companions and other patients positively affect perceived service quality and satisfaction.

Gong, Taeshik; Wang, Chen-Ya

2019 Journal of Service Theory and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jstp-04-2018-0081

Dysfunctional customer behavior is believed to engender employee stress and, in turn, fuel employee turnover. However, little research has examined the moderating role of individual-level and contextual-level resource variables. The purpose of this paper is to fill these gaps by examining employee embeddedness and individualism–collectivism as putative moderators of the hypothesized mediation chain.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a field study involving 264 service employees working in two hotels operated by the same international hotel chain, one in South Korea (n=138) and the other in the UK (n=126).FindingsResults show that employee embeddedness weakens the impact of dysfunctional customer behavior on employee turnover via employee stress. In addition, findings suggest that collectivists (individualists) are more (less) likely to be receptive to embeddedness cues.Originality/valueThis is the first known study to show that employee embeddedness can mitigate the impact of dysfunctional customer behavior on turnover via employee stress. This moderated-mediation model is further moderated by employees’ cultural value orientation (individualism–collectivism). Prior literature is not explicit on these complex models.

Parkinson, Joy; Mulcahy, Rory Francis; Schuster, Lisa; Taiminen, Heini

2019 Journal of Service Theory and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jstp-04-2018-0098

Online offerings for transformative services create value for consumers, although little research examines the process through which these services deliver this value. The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive framework to capture the complexity of the co-creation of transformative value experienced by the consumers of online transformative services.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a netnography approach to examine longitudinal data from an online weight management program. In total, this research examines 15,304 posts from 3,149 users, including eight staff users.FindingsConsumers integrate a range of social support resources, from informational support to esteem support, which provide a range of benefits such as new ideas and self-efficacy that underpin the different types of value such as epistemic and personal value. The degree of co-created value differs across the consumption experience but culminates over time into transformative value.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed framework may be useful beyond the weight management and online contexts; however, further work is required in a range of behavioral contexts and other modes of service delivery.Practical implicationsBy understanding the resources consumers integrate and value, co-created services can develop appropriate value propositions to assist in improving consumers’ well-being.Originality/valueThis research provides a comprehensive framework of the transformative value co-creation process, extending on existing frameworks which examine either the process, value co-creation or the types of value co-created.

Tatavarthy, Aruna Divya; Chatterjee, Swagato; Sharma, Piyush

2019 Journal of Service Theory and Practice

doi: 10.1108/jstp-10-2018-0229

The purpose of this paper is to develop and test an integrated conceptual framework using construal level theory (CLT) to explain the differences in the effects of process and outcome service attributes on overall service evaluation and customer satisfaction based on consumption context (social), evaluation context (temporal) and individual characteristics (expertise).Design/methodology/approachThe authors use two lab experiments (hotel and restaurant settings) and a field study of online reviews posted by actual hotel customers to test all the hypotheses.FindingsProcess (outcome) attributes have a stronger influence on service evaluations under low-level (high-level) construal. Specifically, process attributes have a stronger influence when customers are accompanied by proximal (vs distal) social group, evaluate a service under near (vs distant) temporal frame or have high (vs low) level of customer expertise.Practical implicationsService managers can use the findings about the differences in the influence of social, temporal and individual variables on customer evaluations under process and outcome attributes to improve customers’ service experiences and satisfaction.Originality/valueThis paper extends past research on the influence of construal levels on customer decision making by exploring the differences in the effects of process vs outcome service attributes on overall service evaluation and customer satisfaction, under the influence of low (vs high) construal levels triggered by social, temporal and individual variables.