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Article
Publication date: 23 September 2020

Deepak S. Kumar, Keyoor Purani and Shyam A. Viswanathan

This paper aims to introduce the concept of biomorphism (i.e. indirect experience of nature) in servicescape designs and validates its impact on consumer responses. Using the…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce the concept of biomorphism (i.e. indirect experience of nature) in servicescape designs and validates its impact on consumer responses. Using the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework, this study explores the relationship between biomorphic servicescape designs and the servicescape preference. Further, it explains how biomorphic designs can help users to get better connected with the servicescapes by introducing the mediating role of attention restoration and place identity (emotional and cognitive), as explained by attention restoration theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Two empirical studies were carried out to test the hypothesised relationships: an exploratory pre-experimental design with one-shot treatment using 200 images as stimuli and 3,680 responses; and a 3 × 2 factorial design with three-dimensional images with about 654 responses for three service contexts chosen a priori: fashion retail, restaurant and hospital lobby.

Findings

This study conceptualises the role of biomorphism – elements that mimic natural forms – in servicescape designs and establishes that, akin to natural elements, the indirect experience of nature in servicescapes also has a positive influence on attention restoration, perceived place identity and servicescape preference of the consumers. This implies that the effects similar to that of a biophilic servicescape can be achieved through servicescape elements that mimic natural forms.

Originality/value

Extending the idea of biophilia, this research adopts the concept of biomorphism from architecture and environmental psychology domains and introduces biomorphic servicescape designs, which could be more practical at times compared to biophilic servicescapes. It establishes the influences of biomorphic servicescape designs on consumer preferences. Grounded in the S-O-R model, it further explains this relationship through mediating effects of attention restoration and place identity. Being new to marketing and management domains, this research may trigger a series of research studies on biomorphic service environment designs, with desirable implications for services marketing and services operations functions.

Article
Publication date: 27 March 2023

Deepak S Kumar, K. Unnikrishnan Nair and Keyoor Purani

As physical evidence, servicescapes play a crucial role in tangibilizing service value. Since value creation and consumption are inseparable in many services, servicescapes also…

Abstract

Purpose

As physical evidence, servicescapes play a crucial role in tangibilizing service value. Since value creation and consumption are inseparable in many services, servicescapes also contribute significantly to consumer experiences. By reviewing the role of design factors on the physical and psychological safety of customers, particularly in different service contexts based on social factors, this paper aims to provide insights into how servicescape frameworks may be re-examined from a safety perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a critical review of studies in multidisciplinary domains, including environmental psychology, community medicine, architecture and engineering, this paper proposes a conceptual model anchored in stimulus–organization–response (S-O-R) theory and presents related propositions for safer servicescape designs.

Findings

The study reveals the need for re-evaluating current servicescape design frameworks by incorporating the concept of servicescape safety, discusses the significance of various interior factors and presents the moderating effects of social factors and service types on perceived safety.

Originality/value

With no robust models currently available to evaluate the impact of servicescape designs on users' physical and psychological safety, this paper provides guidelines based on a multidisciplinary review of studies. A healthy and safe servicescape requires interdisciplinary investigations, the results of which will reshape future design approaches.

Details

Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 41 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-4503

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 May 2021

Krishnan Jeesha and Keyoor Purani

Keeping in mind the growing significance of online reviews, management of responses to the customer reviews – webcare – is becoming important in recent times. How a firm responds…

1052

Abstract

Purpose

Keeping in mind the growing significance of online reviews, management of responses to the customer reviews – webcare – is becoming important in recent times. How a firm responds to online reviews can send a signal to the readers of the reviews contributing to their brand evaluations. From a strategic perspective, a firm should decide if they should respond to all reviews or respond to only a select few reviews. This study aims to provide an understanding of how exhaustive and selective webcare influence brand evaluations. It also explores the role of review balance and review frame, which potentially act as moderators, on such influences.

Design/methodology/approach

Three scenario-based experiments were used to manipulate the webcare strategy (exhaustive-selective) and the potential moderators (review balance and review frame). The 910 participants of the single-stage experiments were identified using an online panel managed by UK-based Prolific Academic.

Findings

Exhaustive webcare is found to be the most effective strategy for influencing brand evaluations in all conditions. Also, two interesting results were found, which can have practical implications. A selective negative strategy is as effective as an exhaustive webcare in almost all cases, and a selective positive webcare is as good as not having a webcare in nearly all cases. Changes in webcare effectiveness due to the influence of review balance and review frame were established.

Research limitations/implications

With the review reader perspective and focus on brand management, this study may trigger enquiries into effects of webcare strategies on brand evaluations and other outcomes such as word-of-mouth. The interaction effects of the various strategies adopted together on brand evaluation and loyalty have not been explored and would be of interest to academicians and managers.

Practical implications

Firms need to plan a careful resource deployment while responding to the online consumer reviews as responding to a select few reviews may yield the same effects as that of exhaustive webcare. Brand managers may find responding only to positive reviews futile, as it could be as good as having no webcare. Also, the strategy of responding to reviews needs to be adapted based on the online review platform where the set in which the review is read is different.

Originality/value

This is one of the few studies focusing on the effects of webcare on brand evaluations from a review reader perspective as against the dominant reviewer perspective. This research also presents hitherto unexplored effects of an exhaustive-selective webcare strategy on brand evaluations.

Article
Publication date: 21 March 2022

K. Unnikrishnan Nair, Deepak S. Kumar and Keyoor Purani

Through empirical research anchored in environmental psychology, the paper presents formative indicators that form an evaluation set “S.E.E.” (service environment evaluation), to…

Abstract

Purpose

Through empirical research anchored in environmental psychology, the paper presents formative indicators that form an evaluation set “S.E.E.” (service environment evaluation), to simplify and systematize the measurement of visual aesthetics of servicescapes through consumers' perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopted formative index development methodology, employing a one-shot experimental design using photographic surrogates of four different servicescapes (n = 1400), and testing the index with eight noted global servicescape images.

Findings

Findings reveal that visual aesthetics of servicescapes can be captured using the composite index we developed with five dimensions: complexity, coherence, legibility, mystery and novelty. Also, service type: hedonic/utilitarian, does influence how consumers evaluate servicescape visual appeal.

Originality/value

Formative indicators constituting S.E.E. enables assessment of subjective visual aesthetics of servicescapes holistic, objective and an effortless task for marketers, designers and decision-makers; and helps them reliably decide on and skillfully design servicescapes with the required visual appeal.

Details

Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 40 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-4503

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 January 2017

Sunil Sahadev, Keyoor Purani and Tapan Kumar Panda

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships between managerial control strategies, role-stress and employee adaptiveness among call centre employees.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships between managerial control strategies, role-stress and employee adaptiveness among call centre employees.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a conceptual model, a questionnaire-based survey methodology is adopted. Data were collected from call centre employees in India and the data were analysed through PLS methodology.

Findings

The study finds that outcome control and activity control increase role-stress while capability control does not have a significant impact. The interaction between outcome control and activity control also tends to impact role-stress of employees. Role-stress felt by employees has significant negative impact on employee adaptiveness.

Research limitations/implications

The sampling approach was convenience based affecting the generalisability of the results.

Practical implications

The paper provides guidelines for utilising managerial control approaches in a service setting.

Originality/value

The paper looks at managerial control approaches in a service setting – a topic not quite researched before.

Details

Employee Relations, vol. 39 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 August 2018

Deepak S. Kumar and Keyoor Purani

Prior research in tourism and hospitality domain calls for closer attention to model specification when using partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM)…

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Abstract

Purpose

Prior research in tourism and hospitality domain calls for closer attention to model specification when using partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), including the choice of software and algorithm for PLS model estimation. This paper aims to illustrate the significance of choosing appropriate algorithms for testing the nature of relationships by comparing findings using two different PLS-SEM software packages.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a field experiment, relationships between visual servicescape aesthetics and affective responses are conceptualized based on literature in environmental psychology and marketing domains. With photographic surrogates as stimuli in two different hospitality service contexts – spa and upscale restaurant – data are collected from 350 respondents.

Findings

By comparing results of SmartPLS 3.2 and WarpPLS 5.0 software and theoretical understanding from environmental psychology literature, it is illustrated that the results and their interpretations may not be in line with theory if model specifications are not correctly implemented and are not addressed through usage of software with a relevant algorithm to test them.

Originality/value

The study highlights the implications for model specification issues such as type of variables and nature of relationships that tourism and hospitality researchers often face and also how use of appropriate algorithms can overcome limitations of model testing for complex models and provide empirical rigor to support theory.

研究目的

本论文使用两种不同的PLS-SEM处理软件来测试理论模型。通过解析模型设定参数问题, 特别是通过结构关系本性分析, 本论文指出选择合适的软件测试模型在酒店旅游领域的PLS研究中是非常关键的。

研究设计/方法/途径

本论文借助图像拍摄手段采用实验的采样方式, 在两个不同的酒店服务场所—按摩和高档餐厅—搜集350份数据。本论文采用Smart PLS 3.2 和Warp PLS 5.0 软件来测试PLS-SEM。 这两款软件支持线性和非线性理论关系的比较。

研究结果

通过Smart PLS 3.2 和Warp PLS 5.0 软件得出的报告结果分析, 不同软件处理PLS得出的结果可能有偏差, 而且会不符合理论设定。如果模型设定参数不正确, 通过使用合适的PLS-SEM软件和相关的数据分析加以辅助, 可能会解决参数不正确的问题。

研究实践意义

本论文的比较分析结果可能会帮助到酒店和旅游领域的研究者们, 在做对有关PLS-SEM软件选择的时候, 哪些软件可以更加合适的测试模型有着参考意义。

研究原创性/价值

本论文重点指出了模型设定参数的相关问题, 比如旅游酒店领域常见的变量种类和关系属性等。本论文还研究了如何选择合适的数据分析方法来克服测试复杂模型时的限制, 并且提供实践结果来支撑理论。

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, vol. 9 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-9880

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 October 2017

Deepak S. Kumar, Keyoor Purani and Sunil Sahadev

This paper aims to introduce subjective dimensions of appraising visual servicescape aesthetics and to empirically test their influence on the consumer’s affective responses and…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce subjective dimensions of appraising visual servicescape aesthetics and to empirically test their influence on the consumer’s affective responses and preference, thus providing a holistic model to evaluate visual servicescape aesthetics from consumer’s viewpoint. It also tests the moderating role of service contexts in the modelled relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was collected from 350 respondents using a laboratory-like experimental design, with one-shot treatment using photographic surrogates of services capes in four different service contexts.

Findings

Results indicate the visual servicescape aesthetics dimensions significantly and positively influence consumers’ affective states of arousal and pleasure. Also, service context moderates the relationship between servicescape aesthetics and affective responses.

Research limitations/implications

As the subjective dimensions of visual servicescape aesthetics are borrowed from environmental psychology and introduced in marketing literature, it is likely to trigger a stream of research in service marketing domain.

Practical implications

Findings provide marketing practitioners insights into servicescape design, evaluation and selection decisions to improve return on such investments.

Originality/value

The study contributes to theory by introducing more appropriate holistic servicescape aesthetics variables borrowed from environment psychology and empirically establishing relationships between them, consumers’ affective responses and preference to the servicescape.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 31 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 September 2020

Vaibhav Chawla, Teidorlang Lyngdoh, Sridhar Guda and Keyoor Purani

Considering recent changes in sales practices, such as the sales role becoming more strategic, increased reliance on technology for sales activities, increased stress from adding…

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Abstract

Purpose

Considering recent changes in sales practices, such as the sales role becoming more strategic, increased reliance on technology for sales activities, increased stress from adding technological responsibilities to the sales role and decreased avenues of social support (such as traditional forms of community) to cope with work-related stressors, there is a need to reconsider Verbeke et al.’s (2011) classification scheme of determinants of sales performance, which was based on literature published before these critical changes became apparent. This paper aims to conduct a systematic review of sales performance research published during 1983–2018 to propose an extension to Verbeke et al.’s (2011) classification.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper followed a systematic approach to the literature review in five sequential steps – search, selection, quality control, extraction and synthesis – as suggested by Tranfield et al. (2003). In total, 261 peer-reviewed journal papers from 36 different journals were selected for extraction and synthesis.

Findings

The findings make the following additions to the classification: strategic and nonstrategic activities as a new category, technological drivers of sales performance and job-related psychosocial factors as a broader category to replace role perceptions. Derived from the job demand–control–support model, three subcategories within the category of job-related psychosocial factors are psychological demands (encompasses role perceptions and digital-age stressors such as technostress creators), job control and work-related social support.

Research limitations/implications

This paper identifies that manager’s role in facilitating technology skills, providing informal social support to remote or virtual salespeople using technology, and encouraging strategic behaviors in salespeople are future research areas having good potential. Understanding and building positive psychology aspects in salespeople and their effect on sales performance is another promising area.

Practical implications

Newly added technological drivers draw the attention of sales firms toward the influence of technology and its skilful usage on salesperson performance. Newly added strategic activities makes a case for the importance of strategic participation in salesperson performance.

Originality/value

This review extends Verbeke et al.’s (2011) classification scheme to include recent changes that sales profession and literature have undergone.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 35 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 April 2018

Keyoor Purani and Deepak S. Kumar

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the biophilic stimuli present in the servicescape and restorative effects on psychological states among consumers…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the biophilic stimuli present in the servicescape and restorative effects on psychological states among consumers. The research also examines moderating role of service contexts in this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

This empirical study applied a laboratory-like experimental design with one-shot treatment. About 566 usable responses were collected using six photographic images – three were biophilic environments and three were non-biophilic environments – for four a priori service contexts: hospital lobby, upscale restaurants, spa and bank lobby.

Findings

The tests of hypotheses confirm restorative effects of biophilic servicescapes on consumer’s psychological states, attention and mood, which, in turn, positively influence service preference. Further, the restorative effects of natural elements are found to vary across hedonic – utilitarian and experience – credence type service contexts.

Originality/value

Because of higher levels of natural stressors, consumers today likely have attention fatigue and depleted mood states, which, in turn, may have adverse effects on their service consumption behaviour. In this context, building upon theories from environmental psychology, findings of this study contribute by establishing restorative potential of biophilic servicescape. The study also establishes that natural elements in biophilic servicescapes influence service preference, which is mediated by consumers’ psychological states – attention and mood. Further, it demonstrates that consumers are more responsive with regards to such restorative effects of biophilic elements in contexts where they seek emotional, experiential value compared to rational, functional value.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 32 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Content available
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Abstract

Details

Journal of Indian Business Research, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-4195

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