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1 – 10 of 133David E. Bowen, Raymond P. Fisk, John E.G. Bateson, Leonard L. Berry, Mary Jo Bitner, Stephen W. Brown, Richard B. Chase, Bo Edvardsson, Christian Grönroos, A. Parasuraman, Benjamin Schneider and Valarie A. Zeithaml
A small group of pioneering founders led the creation and early evolution of the service research field. Decades later, this article shares timeless service wisdom from ten of…
Abstract
Purpose
A small group of pioneering founders led the creation and early evolution of the service research field. Decades later, this article shares timeless service wisdom from ten of those pioneering founders.
Design/methodology/approach
Bowen and Fisk specified three criteria by which to identify a pioneering founder. In total, 11 founders met the criteria (Bateson, Berry, Bitner, Brown, Chase, Edvardsson, Grönroos, Gummesson, Parasuraman, Schneider and Zeithaml) and were invited to join Bowen and Fisk – founders that also met the criteria as coauthors. Ten founders then answered a set of questions regarding their careers as service scholars and the state of the field.
Findings
Insightful reflections were provided by each of the ten pioneering founders. In addition, based on their synthesis of the reflections, Bowen and Fisk developed nine wisdom themes for service researchers to consider and to possibly act upon.
Originality/value
The service research field is in its fifth decade. This article offers a unique way to learn directly from the pioneering founders about the still-relevant history of the field, the founders' lives and contributions as service scholars and the founders' hopes and concerns for the service research field.
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Linda Alkire, Rebekah Russell-Bennett, Josephine Previte and Raymond P. Fisk
Profound economic, social, political and environmental problems are cascading across modern civilization in the 21st century. Many of these problems resulted from the prevailing…
Abstract
Purpose
Profound economic, social, political and environmental problems are cascading across modern civilization in the 21st century. Many of these problems resulted from the prevailing effects of rational economics focused on profit maximization. The purpose of this paper is to reframe the mindsets of scholars, firms and public policy decision-makers through enabling Service Thinking practices.
Design/methodology/approach
Marketing, service and allied discipline literature are synthesized, and Raworth's (2018) Doughnut Economics model is adapted to conceptualize and construct the Service Thinking framework.
Findings
Service Thinking is defined as a just, mutualistic and human-centered mindset for creating and regenerating service systems that meet the needs of people and the living planet. Service Thinking is enabled by five practices (service empathy, service inclusion, service respect, service integrity and service courage).
Practical implications
Actionable implications are presented for service ecosystem entities to uplift well-being, enhance sustainability and increase prosperity.
Originality/value
Service Thinking practices are shaped by influencing forces (marketing, education and law/policy) and operant service ecosystem resources (motivation–opportunity–ability or MOA), which makes Service Thinking applicable to four economic entities in the service ecosystem: the household, the market, the state and the commons.
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Raymond P. Fisk, Linda Alkire (née Nasr), Laurel Anderson, David E. Bowen, Thorsten Gruber, Amy L. Ostrom and Lia Patrício
Elevating the human experience (HX) through research collaborations is the purpose of this article. ServCollab facilitates and supports service research collaborations that seek…
Abstract
Purpose
Elevating the human experience (HX) through research collaborations is the purpose of this article. ServCollab facilitates and supports service research collaborations that seek to reduce human suffering and improve human well-being.
Design/methodology/approach
To catalyze this initiative, the authors introduce ServCollab's three human rights goals (serve, enable and transform), standards of justice for serving humanity (distributive, procedural and interactional justice) and research approaches for serving humanity (service design and community action research).
Research implications
ServCollab seeks to advance the service research field via large-scale service research projects that pursue theory building, research and action. Service inclusion is the first focus of ServCollab and is illustrated through two projects (transformative refugee services and virtual assistants in social care). This paper seeks to encourage collaboration in more large-scale service research projects that elevate the HX.
Practical implications
ServCollab seeks to raise the aspirations of service researchers, expand the skills of service research teams and build mutually collaborative service research approaches that transform human lives.
Originality/value
ServCollab is a unique organization within the burgeoning service research community. By collaborating with service researchers, with service research centers, with universities, with nonprofit agencies and with foundations, ServCollab will build research capacity to address large-scale human service system problems. ServCollab takes a broad perspective for serving humanity by focusing on the HX. Current business research focuses on the interactive roles of customer experience and employee experience. From the perspective of HX, such role labels are insufficient concepts for the full spectrum of human life.
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Raymond P. Fisk, Alison M. Dean, Linda Alkire (née Nasr), Alison Joubert, Josephine Previte, Nichola Robertson and Mark Scott Rosenbaum
The purpose of this paper is to challenge service researchers to design for service inclusion, with an overall goal of achieving inclusion by 2050. The authors present service…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to challenge service researchers to design for service inclusion, with an overall goal of achieving inclusion by 2050. The authors present service inclusion as an egalitarian system that provides customers with fair access to a service, fair treatment during a service and fair opportunity to exit a service.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on transformative service research, a transformative, human-centered approach to service design is proposed to foster service inclusion and to provide a platform for managerial action. This conceptual study explores the history of service exclusion and examines contemporary demographic trends that suggest the possibility of worsening service exclusion for consumers worldwide.
Findings
Service inclusion represents a paradigm shift to higher levels of understanding of service systems and their fundamental role in human well-being. The authors argue that focused design for service inclusion is necessary to make service systems more egalitarian.
Research limitations/implications
The authors propose four pillars of service inclusion: enabling opportunity, offering choice, relieving suffering and fostering happiness.
Practical implications
Service organizations are encouraged to design their offerings in a manner that promotes inclusion and permits customers to realize value.
Originality/value
This comprehensive research agenda challenges service scholars to use design to create inclusive service systems worldwide by the year 2050. The authors establish the moral imperative of design for service inclusion.
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This commentary describes ServCollab’s perspective on Elevating Human Experience and urges researchers to join in collaborating on research to reduce suffering and improve human…
Abstract
Purpose
This commentary describes ServCollab’s perspective on Elevating Human Experience and urges researchers to join in collaborating on research to reduce suffering and improve human well-being.
Design/methodology/approach
This commentary is based on ServCollab’s pioneering approach to building a serving humanity logic and growing service research capacity to work on the hardest service systems problems humanity faces.
Findings
ServCollab’s ongoing efforts to Elevate the Human Experience are described. First, ServCollab seeks to develop a serving humanity logic. Second, ServCollab seeks to coalesce divergent perspectives on service. Third, ServCollab seeks to build a serving humanity movement capable of addressing complex service systems problems.
Practical implications
Practical ideas are offered for serving humanity through collaboration.
Social implications
Because human life depends on service systems, this ServCollab commentary has broad application to all human experience.
Originality/value
This commentary offers a unique approach to building collaborative service research projects capable of addressing service inclusion, service language and climate change.
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Jörg Finsterwalder, Sertan Kabadayi, Raymond P. Fisk and Silke Boenigk
The overarching goal of this paper is to increase awareness among researchers and practitioners that refugees are disproportionally impacted by COVID-19, which increases their…
Abstract
Purpose
The overarching goal of this paper is to increase awareness among researchers and practitioners that refugees are disproportionally impacted by COVID-19, which increases their suffering. Second, it extends a recently introduced transformative refugee service experience framework by integrating and conceptualizing refugees' resource and service inclusion during a pandemic. Third, it explores lessons learned and implications from the COVID-19 pandemic for the future of service research and practice.
Design/methodology/approach
This study synthesizes approaches on refugees, resources and transformative service research to develop an extended framework for addressing one of society's pressing issues during and after pandemics.
Findings
Recognizing refugees as providing resources rather than just needing or depleting resources can enable more inclusion. It facilitates refugees' integration into society by drawing on their skills and knowledge. This requires hospitable refugee service systems that enable service inclusion and opportunities for refugee resource integration.
Research limitations/implications
This article focuses on one vulnerable group in society. However, the extended framework presented warrants broader application to other contexts, such as subsistence marketplaces.
Practical implications
Managers of service businesses and public policymakers should create more inclusive and hospitable service systems for refugees. This may result in redesigning services, changing consumer behavior and reformulating public policy.
Social implications
Better inclusion and integration of refugees and their resources should increase their individual well-being, reduce social issues in society, increase overall societal well-being and productivity.
Originality/value
This article presents a novel extended framework for service scholars and service providers to increase resource and service inclusion of refugees in a disaster context.
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Rebekah Russell-Bennett, Raymond P. Fisk, Mark S. Rosenbaum and Nadia Zainuddin
The purpose of this paper is to discuss two parallel but distinct subfields of marketing that share common interests (enhancing consumers’ lives and improving well-being): social…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss two parallel but distinct subfields of marketing that share common interests (enhancing consumers’ lives and improving well-being): social marketing and transformative service research. The authors also suggest a research agenda.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper offers a conceptual approach and research agenda by comparing and contrasting the two marketing fields of transformative service research and social marketing.
Findings
Specifically, this paper proposes three opportunities to propel both fields forward: 1) breaking boundaries that inhibit research progress, which includes collaboration between public, private and nonprofit sectors to improve well-being; 2) adopting more customer-oriented approaches that go beyond the organizational and individual levels; and 3) taking a non-linear approach to theory development that innovates and co-creates solutions.
Originality/value
This paper presents the challenges and structural barriers for two subfields seeking to improve human well-being. This paper is the first to bring these subfields together and propose a way for them to move forward together.
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Raymond P. Fisk, Sertan Kabadayi, Karim Sidaoui and Rodoula H. Tsiotsou
The purpose of this commentary is to complete the synthesis of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into Seven Commentaries on Service Research Themes…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this commentary is to complete the synthesis of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into Seven Commentaries on Service Research Themes developed by ServCollab and the Journal of Services Marketing. As an approach to achieving SDG #17, ServCollab’s collaborative logic and design perspective for collaboration services for sustainable development partnerships are presented.
Design/methodology/approach
Collaboration is ServCollab’s Service Research Theme #7, which reframes the UN SDG meta goal #17 of Partnerships. In prior ServCollab research, four possible human interactions were identified: conflict, competition, cooperation and collaboration. Only the shared purpose of collaboration enables elevating the human experience.
Findings
The authors found no published service research that studied SDG #17, which means there are huge opportunities for service research on the role of collaboration in service systems. The alignment between the UN SDGs and ServCollab’s goals is explored. A research agenda for service research and SDG goals was proposed for collaborative communications, collaborative technologies and collaborative projects.
Practical implications
Practical ideas are offered for serving humanity through collaboration. Collaborations are the only practical solutions to humanity’s myriad sustainable development problems.
Social implications
When the United Nations developed its first 16 SDGs, they knew that accomplishing these goals required complex collaborations. That is why SDG #17 is Partnerships. ServCollab’s serving humanity logic applies collaboration to all social settings (large or small) where working together can sustain and regenerate the service ecosystem of Planet Earth.
Originality/value
This commentary describes a unique approach to building collaborative capacity for conducting service research projects for sustaining and regenerating the service ecosystem of Planet Earth.
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This commentary seeks to enable service researchers in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) regions and those in other regions to pursue service research that addresses the many…
Abstract
Purpose
This commentary seeks to enable service researchers in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) regions and those in other regions to pursue service research that addresses the many difficult service system problems in the MEA.
Design/methodology/approach
This commentary is based on more than 40 years of service research experience and unique insights from a service research pioneer. The commentary addresses what service systems are and why they are important to human progress.
Findings
Three service wisdoms are offered to enable service researchers. Serving Human Needs focuses on the essential role of service because all human economies exist to serve human needs. It also provides the aspirational goal of improving human well-being by transforming service systems. The topic of Designing New Service Rules urges service researchers to design new service systems based on the win-win logic of mutualism. Collaborating With Each Other is the third service wisdom. With more than 7 billion humans living today, mutually beneficial collaborations are one of the best strategies for improving human well-being and the well-being of our crowded planet.
Practical implications
Practical ideas are offered for improving the human condition through collaboratively serving each other’s needs.
Social implications
Because service systems are both nonmonetary and monetary solutions to human needs, their social implications are profound. Human life itself depends on service systems.
Originality/value
This commentary offers service researchers guidance in understanding services, in designing better services, and in pursuing collaborative solutions to service system problems.
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Edythe Moulton-Tetlock, Sophia Town, Hoori Rafieian, Canan Corus and Raymond P. Fisk
Our purpose is to offer the service research field a framework for cultivating wiser service systems via wise communication–which we define as “interactional activity that…
Abstract
Purpose
Our purpose is to offer the service research field a framework for cultivating wiser service systems via wise communication–which we define as “interactional activity that reflects and reifies the integrative, practical, and relational nature of organizations.”
Design/methodology/approach
We draw on the Communicative Constitution of Organizations (CCO) theory to integrate insights and findings from three primary research fields – service, communication, and organizational science – to develop a framework for cultivating wiser service systems through wise communication.
Findings
Our framework identifies three major components of wise communication: integrative, practical, and relational. These components require that wise communication be “holistic,” “dynamic,” and “constitutive” (the integrative component); “active,” “contextual,” and “pragmatic” (the practical component); and “compassionate,” “open-minded,” and “humble” (the relational component). We use illustrative examples from healthcare to show how these nine characteristics enable wise communication practices that facilitate wiser service systems.
Practical implications
Our framework provides helpful ways to organize and inspire insights into cultivating wiser systems. This framework identifies the theoretical components of wise communication and specific communicative actions that system members can implement to shape wiser service systems.
Social implications
Wiser service systems are necessary to tackle humanity's complex social, economic, and environmental challenges.
Originality/value
We propose a novel framework for cultivating wiser systems centered on wise communication. This framework contributes new insights into theory and practice. The application of CCO theory to service systems is unique. Our article is also an early example of adding normative context to the CCO literature. While wisdom literature primarily focuses on aspects of individual wisdom, we broaden the wisdom literature to service systems.
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