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Boosting productivity in the service sector is a key priority for promoting long-term growth. To have customers perform certain tasks normally undertaken by employees is an important means to improving productivity. Technological innovation has influenced business practices for several decades and many service firms, including sports service firms, are now utilising technology extensively to reduce the use of labour. This study investigates how the user's perception of technology-based self-service (TBSS)affects customer productivity and how the customer productivity evaluated by TBSS influences the customer's intentions to reuse in relation to a virtual golf simulator - a successful and seriously played game in Korea.

A startegic management approach is used to assess the nature of business environments affecting seafood distribution in Japan. Notions of environment ‘textures’ described in an influential paper by Emery and Trist are used to determine the current degree of environmental turbulence and the implications for export strategies. The environment as a whole is found to exhibit ‘medium turbulence’, and the sectors of importing, wholesaling, and food retailing/service are ‘medium’ to ‘high’ turbulence'. To cope with such environments, firms must undertake extensive real‐time market research (e.g. using POS information accessed via computer); develop flexible structures and operating systems (to become more responsive); and focus on improving communication and meeting the changing customer needs.