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The paper aims to introduce a reliable and valid green Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) servicescape measure (i.e. one that utilises extraordinary leadership in energy and environmental design supporting green building design, construction, and operations) that examines the direct effects of the physical environment on consumers' evaluation of a service encounter. In addition, the mediating effects of service quality perception, customer satisfaction, and consumers' attitude toward a service provider are considered.

The study is based on a sample of 522 Brazilian respondents' evaluation of their experience with the green LEED servicescape. A comprehensive research model and its moderating effects are investigated using LISREL model. The LISREL model consists of two parts: the measurement model and the structural equation model. The measurement model specifies how latent variables or hypothetical constructs depend upon or are indicated by observed variables. It describes the measurement properties (reliabilities and validities) of the observed variables. The structural equation model specifies the causal relationships among the latent variables, describes the causal effects, and assigns the explained and unexplained variance. The LISREL method estimates the unknown coefficients of a set of linear structural equations. It is particularly designed to accommodate models that include latent variables, measurement errors, namely reciprocal causation, simultaneity, and interdependence in both dependent and independent variables.

Overall, the study provided significant support (p≤0.05) for seven of eight hypotheses with the eighth marginally supported by the data. Specifically, the results suggest that consumers' perceptions of the green servicescape have a direct effect on their service quality perceptions and on their overall satisfaction with the environment. Findings also suggest that a consumer's perception of service quality has a direct effect on their level of satisfaction with the service environment, and satisfaction along with service quality has a direct effect on a consumer's attitude‐towards‐a green service provider. The consumers' attitude‐towards‐a green service provider influences their purchase intentions.

A reliable and valid green LEED servicescape measurement scale is introduced to the literature.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of physical servicescape, social servicescape and age on gay consumers’ evaluations of a LGBT advertisement of a gay bar of a gay bar.

A 2 × 2 × 2 experimental design was used to test the effects with a sample of gay males in the USA. Data were analyzed using ANCOVA and bootstrapping mediation.

Results of this study indicate a statistically significant three-way interaction effect of the two independent variables and age on the gay bar’s perceived LGBT (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender)-friendliness. Perceived friendliness mediated the effects of the independent variables on behavioral intentions. Furthermore, the mediation effect was moderated by the age cohort.

The findings indicate a changing perception of gay servicescape between the older and younger gay men. Implications for hospitality managers are provided.

This research contributes to the servicescape literature by expanding the realm of research to gay servicescape and gay consumers, an emergent and more visible hospitality segment.

The popularity of online shopping has grown in the recent years, enhancing the interest in identifying the factors that influence shoppers’ loyalty. The purpose of this paper is to investigate, through aesthetic appeal, layout and functionality, and financial security, the impact of customers’ perceptions of the e-servicescape in online shopping on perceived e-shopping value and customer loyalty defined as a two-component construct (attitudinal loyalty and behavioural loyalty), following the sequence of the S–O–R framework.

Data were gathered using an Internet survey in which 221 active online shoppers participated who had at least one online purchase in the past six months. The research model was analysed using the partial least squares approach to analyse structural equations (SEM).

Based upon empirical evidence of a web-based survey of online shoppers, this study shows that consumers’ interpretation of e-servicescape exerts a positive influence over perceived e-shopping value and loyalty. Specifically, the study finds that layout and functionality and financial security, as the salient attributes of the e-servicescape dimension, set the point of perceived e-shopping value which affects attitudinal loyalty.

The authors expose several practical implications how marketing management could use the dimensions of e-servicescape perceived e-shopping value. Managers are advised to incorporate the dimensions of the e-servicescape to build perceived e-shopping value and loyalty. Online shops need to invest in particular in layout and functionality and financial security, dimensions that had a stronger effect on perceived e-shopping value in order to achieve costumers’ loyalty in a fashion product context.

The transition from physical service locations to virtual service processes has increased the research interest of e-servicescape. This study analyses it through its aesthetic appeal, layout and functionality, and financial security connecting them with the constructs of perceived e-shopping value and customer loyalty in the application for fashion products. This work emphasises the connection between servicescape attributes in creating perceived value which affects attitudinal and behavioural loyalty. In this way, the e-servicescape is seen as stimuli, the perceived e-shopping value represents the organism and the loyalty the response of the sequence of the S–O–R framework. This research provides insight into the new effects of each dimension of e-servicescape on perceived e-shopping value and the two dimensions of loyalty, thus improving the existing knowledge in the field of servicescape and online shopping customer behaviour.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The purpose of this paper is to determine the role played by the social servicescape and positive emotions in the post-use in terms of response – satisfaction, perceived value and consumer loyalty – in hedonic services.

A quantitative study was conducted to gather data from 867 opera-goers through e-mail with a link to a questionnaire. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling based on partial least squares. The effects of the social servicescape and emotions as moderators were examined using interaction techniques.

The paper provides empirical support on the multidimensional configuration of the social servicescape composed by both characteristics and interactions of employees and customers. The results demonstrate significant relationships between the social servicescape and positive emotions in perceived value, satisfaction and loyalty of consumers. Positive emotions are a moderating variable, intensifying the relationship between the social servicescape and perceived value. The opposite effect in the relationship between the social servicescape and loyalty is found.

Further research is required to generalize the findings to other hedonic services.

Knowledge on both social servicescape and emotional effects on consumer behavior may enable cultural managers to improve the consumption experience of performing arts attendees.

This paper fulfills a research gap in the area of social servicescape as well as the effects of emotions in hedonic services. It makes two main contributions. First, it provides knowledge on social servicescape conceptualization and measurement. Second, the moderation, by interaction effect, of emotions and social servicescape in consumer behavior are confirmed.

Based on the stimuli-organism-response (SOR) model and relationship marketing theory, the paper aims to examine whether servicescape influences trust, service credibility and affective commitment amongst older adults, and their effects on the intention to recover in a rehabilitation setting.

The study takes a quantitative approach, applying confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model to examine the responses. A total of 400 data were collected using questionnaires distributed to older adults in Malaysia. Respondents were selected based on two criteria: they should be over 65 years, and they should have been visiting the rehabilitation centres in the last 12 months.

The results suggest that trust and affective commitment play significant roles in increasing the intention of older adults to recover. Contradicting previous research findings, service credibility does not have any significant impact on the intention to recover as hypothesised. The direct effect of service credibility on trust and affective commitment enhances the premise further that the relationship between service credibility and intention to recover is primarily indirect. Even though we expect servicescape to be a significant driver in forming the behaviour of older adults, its impact on intention to recover, trust and affective commitment remain non-significant, with the exception of service credibility.

Past studies have focused on the roles of servicescape and service credibility separately. We have extended the literature by examining the combined effects of both servicescape and service credibility. The findings, therefore, contribute to a deeper understanding of the literature on the intention–behaviour relationship in the context of healthcare, as well as in service marketing.

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, develop and test a conceptual model to understand the relationship between customers’ servicescape perceptions, self-image congruity and attitude in healthcare context. Second, to examine the extent to which the relationship between customers’ self-image congruity to attitude in a fully mediated model is moderated by their prior experience.

Utilizing a self-administered survey of 320 customers, the study tested the proposed relationships with robust data analytic techniques.

The results show that favorable servicescape perceptions help customers to form image congruence in terms of symbolic and functional elements and thereby strengthen their attitude. Further, servicescape accentuated image congruence have varying effects on customers’ attitude depending up on customers’ prior experience.

This study emphasized the role of servicescape on self-image congruity formation and customer attitude in a new service context (healthcare), and contribute to the body of existing knowledge on servicescapes and image congruity and further verify the soundness and robustness of the integrative theoretical framework.

Favorable servicescape perceptions may encourage customers to form image congruence and attitude. In this respect, managers should make efforts to signal desired servicescape perceptions in order to retain existing customers and attract new ones.

This study was the first to apply an integrative perspective of inference theory and image congruity theory to the context of hospital services to understand the relationship between servicescape, image-congruity and customer attitude.

Previous studies of e-servicescapes have considered general internet consumers as the main research subjects; however, some studies have argued that heavy users are the main sources of consumption. Understanding heavy user’s consumption traits is crucial for enhancing company profits; hence, the purpose of this paper is to compare the significant attributes of e-servicescapes and clarify their relationship with purchase intention by employing heavy and light internet users as moderators.

An online questionnaire was used to collected data from 342 valid internet users with online shopping experience, and the differences were compared through structural equation modeling.

Aesthetic appeal and interactivity significantly increase general users’ purchase intentions. For heavy users, interactivity was the most crucial factor, followed by esthetic appeal, and then layout and functionality. For light users, Aesthetic appeal was the only crucial factor. The data also reveal that financial security does not have significant positive effects on general, heavy, or light users.

Using the insight gained by integrating purchase intention with e-service quality and segmentation theory in the e-servicescape, the authors display how heavy and light internet users evaluate the e-servicescape for signals of quality attributes and contribute their cognitive response and purchase intention according to different consumption traits. Internet retailers are recommended to segment heavy and light users, redesign their current e-servicescapes, and provide more appropriate marketing strategies to attract and keep heavy and light users and enhance their purchase intentions.

This paper aims to investigate the interactive effect of Gestalt versus non‐Gestalt situations, and arousal seeking tendency (AST) on customers' pleasure and arousal with matching color and music to hotel bars and hotel guest rooms; thereby providing guidance for service providers.

This is an experimental design study with four treatments. Fictitious hotel bar and guest room video clips were created with the appropriate manipulation of color schemes and music as independent variables. After the video clip was shown, subjects were asked to complete a survey instrument. The hypothesized model was then tested.

The results showed that the interactive effect of Gestalt versus non‐Gestalt, and AST on an individual's pleasure and arousal are both positive and statistically significant. As an individual's AST increases, both the arousal score and pleasure score increased in Gestalt situations (dynamic bar and tranquil guest room) and decreased in non‐Gestalt situations (tranquil bar and dynamic guest room).

Only jazz music and a specific type of hotel bar and hotel guest room settings with a limited target market were utilized. Similarly, the color schemes that were included were the two extremes (dynamic and tranquil). Results can be generalized to other similar settings only with caution.

Hospitality firms should design spaces taking into account the holistic or Gestalt effect of objective elements of a servicescape. Managers should understand that individual uses of a servicescape and reactions to objective servicescape elements will be different depending on a specific type of servicescape.

No research has been done investigating the effects of the color and music combined in two distinct service settings. The value of assessing effects of different settings is demonstrated.

This paper seeks better to conceptualise, operationalise and subsequently to test a multi‐dimensional and more social view of servicescape and the direct and moderated linkages with loyalty intentions.

A survey research method was used to study servicescapes in the context of UK restaurants.

In furtherance of conceptualisation efforts, a model is developed to evaluate the linear influences of nine servicescape variables on customers' loyalty intentions. Additionally, the model appraises the impact of personal and environmental factors which moderate the servicescape‐loyalty intentions relationship. Analysis of survey responses finds a number of significant associations with loyalty intentions.

The results of the study indicate that practitioners should reflect carefully on a range of servicescape variables and judiciously manage such factors to improve the extent to which consumers are likely to foster positive intentions to be loyal.

The paper contributes a multi‐dimensional and more social framework of servicescape that is subsequently operationalised and tested. It also supplies a measure of servicescape that future researchers may find useful.