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1 – 10 of over 1000This study aims to examine the impact of green atmospheric and communicative servicescape dimensions on customers’ emotional and behavioral outcomes and explores the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the impact of green atmospheric and communicative servicescape dimensions on customers’ emotional and behavioral outcomes and explores the moderating effect of customer familiarity.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from coffee shop customers in the USA. Structural equation modeling and a multigroup analysis were used for analysis.
Findings
The findings indicated that the atmospheric dimensions of green coffee shops have a greater impact than communicative dimensions on customers’ green place attachment and loyalty. However, the effects of green servicescape depend on customer familiarity. The impact of the communicative servicescape on customers’ attachment and loyalty is significantly greater in a high-familiarity group than in a low-familiarity group.
Practical implications
The findings provide coffee shop managers with insights into effective design of a green service environment. Although managers focus on both dimensions, they may use customer familiarity as a segmenting or targeting tool in designing the green service environment and developing a sustained relationship with customers with different levels of familiarity.
Originality/value
This study extends the existing servicescape models by incorporating green place attachment as a construct to comprehend customers’ inner evaluations. It also contributes to the literature on attachment by demonstrating the clear linkage between both green servicescape dimensions and place attachment. This study highlights customer familiarity construct that should be a critical issue in advancing the understanding of customer behavior in the green servicescape context.
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This study aims to investigate the effect of hotel servicescape on customer citizenship behaviors “CCBs” by addressing customer engagement as a mediator and gender as a moderator.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the effect of hotel servicescape on customer citizenship behaviors “CCBs” by addressing customer engagement as a mediator and gender as a moderator.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 619 questionnaires were collected from hotel customers. Structural equation modeling was applied for data analysis.
Findings
Customer engagement mediates the effects of physical and social servicescapes on CCBs of providing feedback to an organization, making recommendations and helping other customers. Moreover, the indirect effects of physical servicescape on the three types of CCBs through customer engagement are stronger for male than for female customers, whereas no significant gender difference is observed in those effects of social servicescape on these types of CCBs through customer engagement.
Research limitations/implications
This study can help hotels promote the three types of CCBs and customer engagement by creating wonderful physical and social servicescape elements. The major limitation is that this study collected survey data outside the hotel environment.
Originality/value
This study enriches current knowledge on the servicescape-driven responses by exploring how hotel servicescape elements affect the three types of CCBs through customer engagement. Additionally, the different moderating roles of gender in the indirect influences of servicescape elements on these types of CCBs are presented.
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Seobgyu Song, Courtney Suess, Makarand Amrish Mody and Tarik Dogru
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between two dimensions of servicescape (i.e. substantive and communicative servicescape), health care…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between two dimensions of servicescape (i.e. substantive and communicative servicescape), health care travelers’ emotions, perceived value and word-of-mouth intentions. It also assesses the moderating effects of accommodation type (i.e. hotel and Airbnb) and interior design styles (i.e. traditional and modern) on the relationship between the two servicescape dimensions and travelers’ emotions.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a sample from a survey of 692 health care travelers who stayed at either a peer-to-peer accommodation (i.e. Airbnb) or a hotel, a multi-step structural equation model analysis tested the relationships among variables. It examined the moderating effects of accommodation type and interior design style.
Findings
The relationships between servicescape, emotions, perceived value and word-of-mouth were significant. Also, the two moderators affected how servicescape influenced the emotions of health care travelers. For Airbnb guests, communicative servicescape had a more substantial effect on enhancing their positive emotions than hotel guests. For health care travelers who stayed at an accommodation with a traditional interior design style, in addition to enhancing positive emotions of health care travelers, substantive servicescape significantly reduced their negative emotions.
Practical implications
The findings suggest the need for the lodging industry to examine how health care travelers perceive and experience their accommodations with unique interior design characteristics. Also, stakeholders in the lodging industry should leverage the aspects of substantive servicescape in terms of relevant interior design styles, which, in turn, influence health care travelers’ positive word-of-mouth intentions. Given the increase in medical mobility and demand for accommodations by those traveling to receive health care services, understanding the lodging environment and how it affects travelers in this segment is essential.
Originality/value
This research develops a comprehensive servicescape model with a focus on the communicative dimension. Moreover, this study significantly contributes to the hospitality literature regarding how the core experience and various interior design styles influence a rapidly growing segment of health care travelers. Health care travelers’ emotions are essential to consider given the propensity to experience stress related to travel situational health factors.
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Nidhi Kampani and Deepika Jhamb
The purpose of this study aims to explore the dimensions assessing the servicescape of beauty salons and provides suggestions to improve the salon's servicescape.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study aims to explore the dimensions assessing the servicescape of beauty salons and provides suggestions to improve the salon's servicescape.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-method design is used in the sequence of thematic analysis through focus group technique followed by exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to assess the beauty salon's servicescape.
Findings
The exploration of factors in beauty salons is determined with three dimensions: the substantive staging of servicescape, the communicative staging of servicescape and the social staging of servicescape. These dimensions are mentioned in the order of importance perceived by the customers. The substantive staging of servicescape was identified with five factors: ambient conditions, facility aesthetics, artifacts, provisions and spatial layout. Communicative staging of servicescape explored four factors: employee duties, employee commitment, employee–customer interactions and employee image. Social staging derived two factors: customer characteristics, customer-to-customer interactions.
Research limitations/implications
The findings enrich the previous literature with the addition of new factors while assessing servicescape in beauty salons and the development of new items through qualitative research in the domain of servicescape.
Practical implications
The study offers the managers to understand the importance of various factors affecting the servicescape in beauty salons. The salon managers can beautify the service environment through the implementation of the factors identified, thus resulting in enhancing the experience of customers at the salons.
Originality/value
Considering no research has been conducted on beauty salons scale development, this study serves as the first empirical research effort.
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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…
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.
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Berta Tubillejas-Andrés, Amparo Cervera-Taulet and Haydee Calderon Garcia
This paper aims to posit servicescape from a multi-dimensional formative approach beyond mere conceptualizations limited to its physical dimensions. An analysis is carried…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to posit servicescape from a multi-dimensional formative approach beyond mere conceptualizations limited to its physical dimensions. An analysis is carried out to predict loyalty behaviours in a cultural service.
Design/methodology/approach
Partial least square was conducted for testing a third-order aggregate formative construct of servicescape on a sample of 867 opera goers. In addition, the authors carried out a predictive performance assessment of our model.
Findings
The proposed research model was largely supported by the evidence. Results show that the physical (exterior and interior) and social dimensions (employees’ and attendees’ characteristics and interactions) must be considered together in the artscape, servicescape named in the performing arts services, conceptualization and measurement. An appropriate servicescape can be of vital importance in the perception and subsequent consumer evaluation of the service in terms of loyalty.
Research limitations implications
Further research is required to extend the analysis of the holistic servicescape.
Practical implications
Cultural managers are provided in terms of highlighting the importance of managing the artscape in all its dimensions “not only physical but also social – showing its relevance as an antecedent of opera goers” loyalty.
Social implications
Besides the cultural product itself, designing appropriate artscapes can enhance the experience and post-use behaviour of performing arts attendees.
Originality/value
The authors make a relevant contribution in the configuration of high-order formative constructs, showing that marketing literature should appraise servicescape from a comprehensive perspective to predict post-consumption behaviour.
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Quynh Xuan Tran, My Van Dang and Nadine Tournois
This study aims to investigate the effects of servicescape on customer satisfaction and loyalty – centered on social interaction and service experience in the café setting.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the effects of servicescape on customer satisfaction and loyalty – centered on social interaction and service experience in the café setting.
Design/methodology/approach
Data for this study were collected from approximately 1,800 customers at 185 coffee stores located in the three largest cities in Vietnam through the self-administered questionnaires.
Findings
The research findings pointed out the significant impacts of café servicescape on social interaction quality, including customer-to-employee interaction (CEI) and customer-to-customer interaction (CCI). Social interactions and servicescape were shown to remarkably influence customer experience quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty. Moreover, the study confirmed the interrelation between service experience, satisfaction and loyalty in the café setting.
Practical implications
This study provides marketers and service managers a deeper understanding of improving customer satisfaction and loyalty through the control of servicescape attributes and social interactions in café contexts.
Originality/value
This research explores the significant impacts of café servicescape on social interaction quality (CEI and CCI). Additionally, it provides insights within the role of social interactions to customer’s affective and behavioral responses in service settings, especially the CCI quality.
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Eric Olson and Heelye (Jason) Park
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…
Abstract
Purpose
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.
Design/methodology/approach
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.
Findings
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.
Research limitations/implications
The findings indicate a changing perception of gay servicescape between the older and younger gay men. Implications for hospitality managers are provided.
Originality/value
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.
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Kim Piew Lai and Siong Choy Chong
Based on the stimuli-organism-response (SOR) model and relationship marketing theory, the paper aims to examine whether servicescape influences trust, service credibility…
Abstract
Purpose
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.
Design/methodology/approach
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.
Findings
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.
Originality/value
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.
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