Search results

This paper aims to provide a personal view of the institutions underpinning the academic publishing service ecosystem as a basis for a discussion of change and innovation.

A 25-year comparison of the norms, rules, practices, meanings and symbols in the service ecosystem is made.

Eleven institutional states have been identified, which represent the good, and not so good, changes that have occurred over the period.

This editorial represents an approach, using service ecosystem concepts, to gain an understanding of service innovation possibilities in the academic publishing domain.

This editorial aims to highlight the challenges and dilemmas faced by journal editors and the implications for the editorial process.

A sporting metaphor has been used. A soccer referee is used to highlight the tasks, roles and dilemmas faced by editors.

Editors need to identify the role they wish to play in the editorial process, and this role involves balancing the dilemmas and identifying trade-offs.

This research offers insight into the editorial role for authors to assist them in understanding both the process and the decisions that are made in a complex, competitive environment of publishing.

The purpose of this paper it to highlight the challenges of managing and handling data for services marketers that have been brought about by the contemporary environment and emerging schools of thought.

A comparison is made between conventional data collection and statistical analysis, and the need to glean information from large, pre-existing data sets for future contributions to service research.

For service marketers to tackle real world, large problem areas, there will be a need to develop methods of dealing with data which pre-exist in many forms, as well as data that are collected via well-established procedures.

The study should be an encouragement for services marketing researchers to develop innovative methods of data handling which recognize a world of burgeoning data sources and types.

To demonstrate how techniques from creative writing can be used to develop interesting and insightful journal articles.

This paper aims to use the creative writing techniques related to style, theme and character development to offer advice for academic writers.

Authors should venture beyond the conventional writing techniques if they seek to produce a compelling, logical and original article that is appealing to an academic reader.

This research offers insight into the writing process for authors to assist them in understanding how to avoid submitting manuscripts that are uninteresting or difficult to read.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the role that journal article titles play in engaging the reader.

This paper build on previous commentaries to provide evidence for the role of the title.

A snappy title acts as a device to capture attention and generate interest in an article. This is the first step to engaging the reader with the article content.

This editorial focuses attention on a crucial aspect of an individual’s publication strategy which can easily be overlooked or simply not given sufficient consideration.

Retailers are using the term retail theatre (theater) to imply a service offer that is different and special. An important component of the offer is an increased opportunity for consumers to interact and participate within the overall experience. This article compares consumer participation in retail theatre with audience participation in actual theatre. It draws on ideas from Bertolt Brecht, a playwright who is widely recognised for his application of radical and innovative methods to engage his audiences in all aspects of a performance. A detailed examination of Brecht’s methods is structured around his management and development of the roles and performances of actors, his techniques for providing planned opportunities for audiences to influence performances, and his arrangement of staging and mechanics to stimulate audience participation. Implications for retailers, of the comparison, relate to both human resource management and operational considerations, and challenge conventional practice. It is advocated that the actual theatre is a rich source of ideas for retailers wishing to offer different and engaging “experiences” to consumers.

Student perceptions of service quality in higher education, particularly of the elements not directly involved with content and delivery of course units, are researched using a performance‐only adaptation of the SERVQUAL research instrument. A principal components factor analysis performed on data collected from a sample of 333 undergraduate business and management students suggests that students’ perceived service quality has three dimensions: “requisite elements”, which are essential to enable students to fulfil their study obligations; “acceptable elements”, which are desirable but not essential to students; and “functional elements”, which are of a practical or utilitarian nature. A comparison of perceptions of service quality between first and final year students suggests that perceptions of service quality elements change over a period of study, with “acceptable elements” having increasing importance. Implications for course management teams are discussed, and suggestions for further research are made.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the importance of citations as a success metric and provide practical tips for increasing citations.

The authors build on previous commentators to provide evidence for citations.

The purpose of academia is not to merely publish. It is to contribute to the body of knowledge. This means shifting focus from publishing as an end goal to publishing as a means to an end.

The editorial reminds scholars of their duty to science and the need to take individual responsibility for the spread of knowledge. The generation of citations is not a difficult process as illustrated by the practical tips offered.