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Article
Publication date: 5 November 2021

Valerie Merindol, Alexandra Le Chaffotec and David W. Versailles

Health care ecosystems instantiate different innovation trajectories, driven either by science-/techno-push or user-centric rationales. This article focuses on organization…

Abstract

Purpose

Health care ecosystems instantiate different innovation trajectories, driven either by science-/techno-push or user-centric rationales. This article focuses on organization intermediaries (OIs), respectively, active in health care ecosystems driven by science- and techno-push versus user-centric innovation processes; it aims at characterizing their operation and intervention modes. The analysis elaborates on network and content brokerage. Innovation also needs to consider various challenges associated with physical vicinity. The authors check whether territorial anchoring plays a role in brokerage, depending on the innovation model.

Design/methodology/approach

The article offers an investigation of eight French organizations matching the definition of OIs and active in different areas of health care-related innovation. It follows a qualitative and abductive research protocol adhering to the precepts of grounded theory.

Findings

First, the authors show that content and network brokerage specialize in specific activities in each innovation model. On network brokerage, the authors show that OIs foster the development of communities of practice in the science-/techno-push model, while they nurture communities of innovation in the user-centric model. Services materializing content brokerage are typical consequences of activities performed in each model. The second contribution deals with physical vicinity. In the science-/techno-push model, OIs install a physical space (the “internal” dimension) to support the development of communities of practice, while the “external” dimension copes with agglomeration effects. In the user-centric model, OIs deliver services thanks to the “internal” space; communities of innovation create a leverage effect on the physical space to operate their activities that are supported by “external” network effects.

Originality/value

The originality of the article lies in the description of the alternative roles plaid by organization intermediaries in the science-/techno-push versus user-centric approaches of innovation. In these two approaches, (contents and network) brokerage and physical vicinity play different roles.

Article
Publication date: 6 February 2024

Jagdish N. Sheth, Varsha Jain and Anupama Ambika

This study aims to develop an empathetic and user-centric customer support service design model. Though service design has been a critical research focus for several decades, few…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to develop an empathetic and user-centric customer support service design model. Though service design has been a critical research focus for several decades, few studies focus on customer support services. As customer support gains importance as a source of competitive advantage in the present era, this paper aims to contribute to industry and academia by exploring the service design model.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a theories-in-use approach to elucidate mental models based on the industry’s best practices. In-depth interviews with 62 professionals led to critical insights into customer service design development, supported by service-dominant logic and theory of mind principles.

Findings

The ensuing insights led to a model that connects the antecedents and outcomes of empathetic and user-centric customer service design. The precursors include people, processes and technology, while the results are user experience, service trust and service advocacy. The model also emphasises the significance of the user’s journey and the user service review in the overall service design.

Research limitations/implications

The model developed through this study addresses the critical gap concerning the lack of service design research in customer support services. The key insights from this study contribute to the ongoing research endeavours towards transitioning customer support services from an operational unit to a strategic value-creating function. Future scholars may investigate the applicability of the empathetic user service design across cultures and industries. The new model must be customised using real-time data and analytics across user journey stages.

Practical implications

The empathetic and user-centric design can elevate the customer service function as a significant contributor to the overall customer experience, loyalty and positive word of mouth. Practitioners can adopt the new model to provide superior customer service experiences. This original research was developed through crucial insights from interviews with senior industry professionals.

Originality/value

This research is the original work developed through the key insights from the interview with senior industry professionals.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 October 2016

Jieun Kim, Sungjoo Lee and Yongtae Park

The purpose of this paper is to propose the use of a user-centric service map to facilitate the visual exploration and monitoring of user context information for proactive market…

1541

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose the use of a user-centric service map to facilitate the visual exploration and monitoring of user context information for proactive market analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper supports a context-based market analysis by developing a user-centric service map which comprehensively visualizes a variety of contexts, users, and services. Empirical data were gathered from service descriptions and reviews of 100 mobile application services in the Apple App Store’s lifestyle and healthcare and fitness categories.

Findings

The user-centric service map supports the analysis of the context information from using various mobile app services, and can therefore be effectively applied for market-segment analysis and user-value analysis.

Practical implications

The user-centric service map involves implications in terms of multi-disciplinary proactive market orientation and data-driven strategy development, allowing firms to respond to changing market conditions in the mobile business promptly and even preemptively.

Originality/value

The initiative uncovering of latent needs through examining context of use have been an important focus of prior work, but little attempt has been presented in the way of frameworks for converting abundant context data into strategic information. The paper provides new methods and procedures to establish and interpret service maps using flexible visual features.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 54 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 2004

Guy W. Mullarkey

Any research conducted in the Internet arena will require appropriate and accurate data with which to conduct analysis. This article critically reviews the two currently available…

2902

Abstract

Any research conducted in the Internet arena will require appropriate and accurate data with which to conduct analysis. This article critically reviews the two currently available Internet data types (site‐centric and user‐centric) for audience analysis and strategic planning on the World Wide Web. Interviews with providers of both data types are also reported in order to objectively compare the two approaches. Based on the analysis, a set of guidelines is developed to guide academics and practitioners in their choice of measurement data for online marketing and advertising research studies. The article offers increased technical understanding of the two data types as well as an objective means of selecting Web data given a particular study and research objectives.

Details

Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 22 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-4503

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 August 2012

Thadsin Khamkanya, George Heaney and Stanley McGreal

The office is considered as a strategic resource that can support knowledge‐based organisations to gain competitive advantage and operational efficiency. Although the modern…

1179

Abstract

Purpose

The office is considered as a strategic resource that can support knowledge‐based organisations to gain competitive advantage and operational efficiency. Although the modern scholar emphasises the role of user involvement in workplace design and management, there is little evidence showing how it can be linked to occupancy cost performance. The purpose of this paper is to investigate benefits of a user‐centric workplace practice by focusing on working time and space utilisation practice of office users.

Design/methodology/approach

A scenario‐based approach was designed to analyse office occupancy cost performance. A questionnaire survey was conducted from a number of UK‐based offices to create three workspace utilisation scenarios, namely, existing, property‐centric and user‐centric. Key comparison criteria include potential areas of savings, potential total cost savings and cost saving per person.

Findings

It was found that a user‐centric approach reflects an opportunity to save annual occupancy costs in terms of total costs and cost per person where users indicated how they utilised working time and space. In return, the organisations can gain more productivity from office users who are likely to perform better when they can work in the preferred workplace practice.

Practical implications

By adopting this approach, organisations can understand the occupancy characteristics of the offices from multi perspectives, leading to better management in office premises.

Originality/value

This paper is concerned with the analysis of how to achieve higher office efficiency by focusing on office user's working time and space utilisation practice.

Details

Property Management, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-7472

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 August 2022

Matti Haverila, Kai Christian Haverila and Caitlin McLaughlin

Health authorities have introduced non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) with the aim of reducing the spread of viruses. Against the backdrop of social marketing, normative and…

Abstract

Purpose

Health authorities have introduced non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) with the aim of reducing the spread of viruses. Against the backdrop of social marketing, normative and utility theories, the purpose of the paper is to examine the relationships between user centric measures such as perceived effectiveness, user satisfaction, and value for effort on intentions to continue to use NPIs. Furthermore, the moderating role of value for effort on user satisfaction and, subsequently, intentions to continue to use NPIs was also considered.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional online survey was completed in British Columbia, Canada (N = 287). Analysis was done with partial least squares structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results show that the relationships between user centric measures are positive and significant on intentions to continue to use NPIs. Furthermore, value for effort moderated the relationship between user satisfaction and intentions to continue to use NPIs – but the relationship was negative. Thus, the higher values of the value for effort construct cause the relationship between user satisfaction and reuse intention to somewhat diminish.

Originality/value

The results confirm the positive and significant relationships between user centric measures in the context of the use of NPIs and introduce a new understanding of the effect of value for effort on the relationship between user satisfaction and intentions to use NPIs. This enables health officials to better understand how to encourage the use of NPIs.

Book part
Publication date: 4 October 2019

Karl-Emanuel Dionne and Paul Carlile

Innovation challenges are increasingly complex, cutting across distributed actors from different disciplines, organizations, and fields. Solving such challenges requires creating…

Abstract

Innovation challenges are increasingly complex, cutting across distributed actors from different disciplines, organizations, and fields. Solving such challenges requires creating the capacities of opening up for innovation to access and develop a greater amount and variety of knowledge and resources. Perspectives on open source, open innovation, and interorganizational collaboration have explored such capacities, but from different origins and scopes of analysis. Our practice-based integrative framework of “opening innovation” helps highlight these differences and connect their relative strengths. Through a critical literature review paired with an analysis of different empirical cases from Hacking Health, a non-profit organization helping drive digital health innovation, the authors reveal the user-centric, firm-centric, and field-centric approaches to opening innovation that progressively connect a greater variety of actors and resources. The authors show how specific new relational practices they produce address the new relational dynamics these connections bring to accumulate more resources for innovation to keep progressing.

Details

Managing Inter-organizational Collaborations: Process Views
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78756-592-0

Keywords

Content available

Abstract

Details

info, vol. 16 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-6697

Article
Publication date: 14 March 2016

Aimilia Tasidou, Pavlos S. Efraimidis, Yannis Soupionis, Lilian Mitrou and Vasilios Katos

This work aims to argue that it is possible to address discrimination issues that naturally arise in contemporary audio CAPTCHA challenges and potentially enhance the…

Abstract

Purpose

This work aims to argue that it is possible to address discrimination issues that naturally arise in contemporary audio CAPTCHA challenges and potentially enhance the effectiveness of audio CAPTCHA systems by adapting the challenges to the user characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

A prototype has been designed, called PrivCAPTCHA, to offer privacy-preserving, user-centric CAPTCHA challenges. Anonymous credential proofs are integrated into the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) protocol and the approach is evaluated in a real-world Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) environment.

Findings

The results of this work indicate that it is possible to create VoIP CAPTCHA services offering privacy-preserving, user-centric challenges while maintaining sufficient efficiency.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed approach was evaluated through an experimental implementation to demonstrate its feasibility. Additional features, such as appropriate user interfaces and efficiency optimisations, would be useful for a commercial product. Security measures to protect the system from attacks against the SIP protocol would be useful to counteract the effects of the introduced overhead. Future research could investigate the use of this approach on non-audio CAPTCHA services.

Practical implications

PrivCAPTCHA is expected to achieve fairer, non-discriminating CAPTCHA services while protecting the user’s privacy. Adoption success relies upon the general need for employment of privacy-preserving practices in electronic interactions.

Social implications

This approach is expected to enhance the quality of life of users, who will now receive CAPTCHA challenges closer to their characteristics. This applies especially to users with disabilities. Additionally, as a privacy-preserving service, this approach is expected to increase trust during the use of services that use it.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first comprehensive proposal for privacy-preserving CAPTCHA challenge adaptation. The proposed system aims at providing an improved CAPTCHA service that is more appropriate for and trusted by human users.

Details

Information & Computer Security, vol. 24 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4961

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 September 2014

Ilse Mariën and Jernej A. Prodnik

This article aims to highlight the main limitations of the emancipatory potentials of digital inclusion policies and information and communication technologies (ICTs)…

2267

Abstract

Purpose

This article aims to highlight the main limitations of the emancipatory potentials of digital inclusion policies and information and communication technologies (ICTs). Increasingly, empowerment is put forward as one of the main goals of digital inclusion. By applying user-centric and participatory approaches, assumptions are made that individuals will be empowered and, as such, will be re-included in society.

Design/methodology/approach

These assumptions, however, tend to ignore the social, economic, political and technical conditions within which individual choices are made and within which individuals must inevitably act. Instead of attempting to narrow the existing social gap between class-divided societies, and of probing the limitations given at the macro-level by questioning the wider social structure, digital inclusion policies tend to individualize problems that are in fact social in their nature.

Findings

This contribution will, therefore, aim to identify the key causes of structural (dis)empowerment and how these resonate to digital inclusion. The article positions itself within the political economy of communication research tradition and aims to confront the structural consequences of social inequalities, existing social hierarchies and power structures against mechanisms of digital inequalities and against the implementation of digital inclusion policies.

Originality/value

By proceeding from a critical perspective, it aims to demonstrate the limitations of user-centric and micro-level approaches, while questioning their normative interpretations of digital empowerment which tend to be reductionist in their essence and instrumental in their aims.

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