Anders Gustafsson

Journal of Service Research 27(4) Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/10946705241253016

As firms increasingly uncover their activities to key stakeholders through various media, the perception of these activities is becoming more important for firm performance. Traditionally, access to industry-wide databases provides important metrics on customer perceptions of performance, such as customer satisfaction and brand equity. In addition, numerous studies have highlighted firms’ innovation-related actions (e.g., R&D spending and patent counts) as critical metrics linked to their financial performance. Perceived Firm Innovation (PFI) emerges as a relatively new and under-studied metric with the potential to impact a firm’s financial success. Keiningham et al. are among the pioneers in this area. This commentary views their article as a vital initial step in understanding PFI’s impact. Considering that the service sector accounts for over 70 percent of the GDP in any developed country, service innovation is a broad phenomenon. Given the breadth of the area, we point to the challenge of capturing this phenomenon with a single metric like PFI. We also discuss crucial methodological considerations for future research, including estimation methods, sample size, and financial metrics.

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-024-01021-0

Corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) refers to violations of the social contract between corporations and society. Existing literature documents its tendency to evoke negative consumer responses toward the firm involved, including unethical consumer behaviors. However, limited research attention deals with its potential impacts on prosocial consumer behavior. With six studies, the current research reveals that when consumers perceive harm due to CSI, they engage in more prosocial behavior due to the arousal of their anger. This effect is weaker among consumers who find the focal CSI issue more personally relevant but stronger among consumers with strong self-efficacy for promoting justice. Perceptions of CSI harm increase with the degree of control that the focal firm has over the CSI. This research thus establishes an effect of CSI harm on prosocial consumer behaviors, through the emotional mechanism of anger; it further shows that consumers seek to restore justice by engaging in prosocial behaviors.

Journal of Retailing 99(2) p. 247-264 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2023.03.003

Customer waits are commonplace in retail settings. To develop efficient wait management strategies, retailers need insights into how customers respond to waiting during service encounters. An intuitive insight supported by extensive research is that a longer wait duration decreases customer satisfaction. However, the same wait duration might have different effects on customers depending on whether it is shorter or longer than what customers expected. To address this question, we draw upon the research on time value and predict asymmetry in the customer satisfaction response to waiting shorter versus longer than expected: Though the clock is often said to be ticking, waiting longer than expected leads to a minor decrease in satisfaction, whereas waiting shorter than expected substantially increases satisfaction. We provide evidence for this asymmetric effect across three studies and identify two boundary conditions: if the source of the expectation is external (e.g., wait time estimate provided by the retailer) or if the wait is much longer than expected. Overall, our research encourages retailers to put the customer response to waiting into perspective: Customers will tolerate waiting longer than expected, up to a certain point.

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-023-00934-6

Product demonstrations are powerful promotional tools which can vary in how they present information, either illustrating step-by-step processes, or showcasing final outcomes customers may achieve after product usage. Our research investigates customers’ cognitive and social experiences while viewing product demonstrations to reveal which type is most effective in driving purchase intentions. Drawing on theories of mental simulation, cognitive flow, and narrative transportation, we propose that when a customer views a demonstration with a process (versus outcome) focus, this encourages a cognitive flow state which facilitates customers’ absorption into the product story, and results in increased purchase intentions for the demonstrated product(s). Effects are attenuated when the customer experiences the social presence of other audience members. We find support for our proposed process across five studies using multiple product categories and presentation modalities and offer practical guidance to help marketers optimize product demonstrations to motivate purchasing in a constantly evolving, increasingly digital marketplace.

Journal of Business Research 170 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114344

Customer emotion in services has been extensively studied, but prior research has overlooked the dynamics of emotion over time. Our research addresses this gap by studying how emotional arousal varies throughout a service encounter. Drawing from the psychology literature, we identify certain features (or patterns) that characterize how arousal varies throughout a service encounter and predict how they may affect customer approach response (e.g., spending, unplanned purchases). We explore the effect of these features in field studies in two stores using a psychophysiological measure (electrodermal activity) to capture arousal over time. We find that (1) the highest arousal level reached during the encounter and (2) the skewness of the distribution of arousal levels (i.e., the frequency of lower arousal levels relative to higher ones) predict customer approach response. This paper opens new avenues for understanding customers from an emotional perspective, which can improve the customer experience in service encounters.

Journal of Service Research Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/10946705231207992

The authors explore two important topics related to this special issue. One is how corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities impacts stakeholders, more specifically customers and shareholders/investors. Second is understanding customer recognition and demand for CSR activities. Insight into these topics is gained through the study of contextual differences in this value creation. Previous studies suggest that two important contextual differences have the potential to impact CSR-based value creation, the product versus service nature of the firm and whether the firm operates primarily in a business-to-business (B2B) versus business-to-consumer (B2C) channel. The lower innovative capabilities of service firms and the relative intangibility of services should hamper the impact of CSR activities in service versus product contexts. The impact should be higher, however, in a B2B versus B2C context based on the need for greater organizational alignment, adaptation, and relationship-specific investments. Results from a large-scale secondary dataset reinforce prior findings that CSR activities influence firm value through customer satisfaction. Moreover, the results reveal that this effect is weaker for service (vs. product) firms and stronger for B2B (vs. B2C) firms. The findings offer important implications for marketing theory and practice.

International Journal of Information Management 66 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2022.102542

The metaverse has the potential to extend the physical world using augmented and virtual reality technologies allowing users to seamlessly interact within real and simulated environments using avatars and holograms. Virtual environments and immersive games (such as, Second Life, Fortnite, Roblox and VRChat) have been described as antecedents of the metaverse and offer some insight to the potential socio-economic impact of a fully functional persistent cross platform metaverse. Separating the hype and “meta…” rebranding from current reality is difficult, as “big tech” paints a picture of the transformative nature of the metaverse and how it will positively impact people in their work, leisure, and social interaction. The potential impact on the way we conduct business, interact with brands and others, and develop shared experiences is likely to be transformational as the distinct lines between physical and digital are likely to be somewhat blurred from current perceptions. However, although the technology and infrastructure does not yet exist to allow the development of new immersive virtual worlds at scale - one that our avatars could transcend across platforms, researchers are increasingly examining the transformative impact of the metaverse. Impacted sectors include marketing, education, healthcare as well as societal effects relating to social interaction factors from widespread adoption, and issues relating to trust, privacy, bias, disinformation, application of law as well as psychological aspects linked to addiction and impact on vulnerable people. This study examines these topics in detail by combining the informed narrative and multi-perspective approach from experts with varied disciplinary backgrounds on many aspects of the metaverse and its transformational impact. The paper concludes by proposing a future research agenda that is valuable for researchers, professionals and policy makers alike.

Psychology & Marketing 40 p. 750-776 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21767

The initial hype and fanfare from the Meta Platforms view of how the metaverse could be brought to life has evolved into an ongoing discussion of not only the metaverse's impact on users and organizations but also the societal and cultural implications of widespread usage. The potential of consumer interaction with brands within the metaverse has engendered significant debate within the marketing-focused discourse on the key challenges and transformative opportunities for marketers. Drawing on insights from expert contributors, this study examines the marketing implications of the hypothetical widespread adoption of the metaverse. We identify new research directions and propose a new framework offering valuable contributions for academia, practice, and policy makers. Our future research agenda culminates in a checklist for researchers which clarifies how the metaverse can be beneficial to digital marketing and advertising, branding, services, value creation, and consumer wellbeing.

Marketing letters 33(33) p. 163-169 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11002-021-09609-0

After years of using AI to perform cognitive tasks, marketing practitioners can now use it to perform tasks that require emotional intelligence. This advancement is made possible by the rise of afective computing, which develops AI and machines capable of detecting and responding to human emotions. From market research, to customer service, to product innovation, the practice of marketing will likely be transformed by the rise of afective computing, as preliminary evidence from the feld suggests. In this Idea Corner, we discuss this transformation and identify the research opportunities that it ofers

AMS Review Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13162-022-00242-2

Marketing is a central discipline across all contexts that involve customers as stakeholders. The purpose of the academic discipline of marketing is to develop theoretically informed but practical advice for organizations to help them better navigate the constantly evolving markets. We argue that although marketing as a discipline does have some challenges, it is essentially in a good position to add value to society and organizations due to its focus on understanding customers and transforming this information into action. However, to improve as a discipline, we need to create a better balance between; rigor and relevance, research and education, and across sub-disciplines (strategy, modeling, and consumer behavior).

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-022-00915-1

Self-quantification, with the promise of motivating consumers to engage in health behaviors through measuring their performance, is a popular trend amongst consumers. Despite the economic impact of self-tracking technologies, consumers’ experiences with self-tracking devices and corresponding consequences for firms remain understudied. Six studies examine how the popular marketing tactic of anthropomorphization influences (a) consumers’ favorability towards wearable tracking devices, (b) their health motivation, and (c) their health behavior (number of steps taken) over time. The authors uncover a novel dynamic effect of anthropomorphism, such that with use, the initially positive evaluations of anthropomorphized (vs. non-anthropomorphized) devices decrease, and (contrary to prior literature), anthropomorphized devices are not favored. Importantly, health motivation and health behaviors are also reduced over time with the use of an anthropomorphized (vs. non-anthropomorphized) wearable device. This decrease occurs because anthropomorphized devices reduce the wearers’ perceived autonomy, which in turn, reduces their health motivation and health behavior. However, customizing the anthropomorphized device (by setting a customized goal or by monitoring a greater number of health-related indicators) can mitigate its negative effects. These findings provide novel insights to marketing scholars and managers, by suggesting that anthropomorphism can be a successful short-term selling strategy, but over time, it can have unintended consequences for both firms and consumers.

Psychology & Marketing n/a(n/a) Doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21703

Brands and social media platforms are two main players in online behavioral advertising (OBA), but the extant literature overlooks the interaction between them. Although advertising brands invest considerable resources to target potential consumers through social media advertising, our analysis indicates that publisher-platform-related activities can elicit negative consequences. Thus, we examined the role of perceived ad complicity, that is, consumers' perception regarding advertisers partnering with the social media platforms in the OBA process. We used perceived ad complicity as a moderator to explain the variation in consumers' negative responses to OBA in a social media context. Our results indicate that consumers with high perceived ad complicity experience greater perceived ad intrusiveness. This effect directly impacts their attitudes toward publisher platforms and advertising brands but consumers react more negatively toward brands (vs. publisher platforms) regarding this practice. Furthermore, we found that consumers who are more sensitive to social norms experience stronger perceived ad complicity and that informing consumers about why they are seeing specific ads on their social media platforms does not change their views on ad complicity.

Journal of Business Research Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.11.016

Previous research on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and firm innovativeness and their impact on financial performance has focused on firms’ actions (i.e., what firms do). However, how customers perceive these firm activities have not been fully explored; there is a lack of research particularly on the long-term effects of these actions. Consequently, the present study investigates the effects of customer-perceived CSR and firm innovativeness on financial earnings, both in the short and long term. Firm actions, if meaningful, should impact customer perceptions of a firm, which affect customer satisfaction and the firm’s earnings consequently. Using panel data from service firms, our analysis indicates that perceived firm actions positively influence future earnings through customers’ overall evaluations of a firm. Furthermore, the results reveal a carryover effect of perceived actions in the long term. The present research also indicates that customers’ positive perceptions of firm actions do not directly impact financial earnings; however, they do impact earnings through customer satisfaction. This emphasizes the importance of communicating innovation, and particularly CSR activities, to customers.

Journal of Services Marketing Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-04-2020-0122

Purpose Journal of services marketing (JSM) is a leading journal that has published cutting-edge research in services marketing over the past 34 years. The main objective of this paper is to provide a retrospective of the thematic structure of papers published in JSM over its publication history. Design/methodology/approach This study uses bibliometric methods to present a retrospective overview of JSM themes between 1987 and 2019. Using keywords co-occurrence analysis, this paper unveils the thematic structure of JSM’s most prolific themes. Bibliographic coupling analysis uncovers the research trends of the journal. Findings Leading authors, leading institutions, authors’ affiliated countries and critically, the dominant themes of JSM are identified. As its founding, JSM has published approximately 40 papers each year, with 2019 being its most productive year. On average, lead JSM authors to collaborate with 1.30 others. Keywords co-occurrence analysis identifies nine prominent thematic clusters, namely, “marketing to service”, “quality, satisfaction and delivery systems”, “service industries”, “relationship marketing”, “service failure, complaining and recovery”, “service dominant logic”, “technology, innovation and design”, “wellbeing” and “service encounters”. Bibliographic coupling analysis groups JSM papers into four clusters, namely, “brand & customer engagement behaviour”, “service co-creation”, “service encounters & service recovery” and “social networking”. Research limitations/implications This study is the first to analyse the thematic structure of JSM themes over its history. The themes are analysed across time periods and then compared to dominant themes identified in contemporary service research agendas. Recommendations are made based on the gaps found. This retrospective review will be useful to numerous key stakeholders including the editorial board and both existing and aspiring JSM contributors. The selection of literature is confined to Scopus. Originality/value JSM’s retrospection is likely to attract readership to the journal. The study’s recommendations regarding which areas have matured and which are still ripe for future contributions will offer useful guidelines for all stakeholders.

Journal of Retailing 98(2) p. 294-314 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2021.03.004

This study investigates how retailers can leverage their brand to shape customers’ satisfaction with service encounters. It develops and tests hypotheses about how brand, store, and consumer factors moderate customer responses to experience clues during retail service encounters. Six meta-regression analyses synthesize and compare results from 842 satisfaction equations describing customers’ encounters with a global retailer operating 400 stores in 32 countries. The results show how customers weigh their perceptions of service encounters differently depending on brand, store, and consumer factors. In markets where customers believe the retailer has high holistic brand quality, they place less weight on experience clues within the store. In markets where customers believe the retailer’s service brand promise, they place more weight on in-store experience clues. In markets where the retailer promises utilitarian value, customers weigh functional experience clues more heavily. In markets with an online purchasing channel, the effect of experience clues common to offline and online store environments is magnified, and unique clues are diminished. In addition, customers heavily weigh experience clues that fit their goals. In general, retail success factors include high brand quality (which makes customers more forgiving), a service brand promise that is mirrored in the store image (which makes customers attend to the experience clues aligned with them), and the careful monitoring and managing of retail touchpoints (to customize experience clues to each market). In this way, retailers can use customer-based strategies to effectively design and manage their global retail brand in different markets.

Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science (JGSMS) 31(3) p. 273-295 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/21639159.2021.1921606

This paper studies how customers of a global firm evaluate their experiences within and across 44 countries. It focuses on customers’ emotional, cognitive, sensory and behavioral responses to the catalog experience. It develops a theory-based model of satisfaction with the catalog experience as a function of experiential attributes and control variables. A second model captures how each experiential attribute’s contribution to the customer experience is influenced by market and customer characteristics. The models were operationalized using survey data from 366,185 customers who used the firm’s catalog across different trade areas in 44 countries, yielding 571 equations that describe satisfaction with the customer experience. Consistent with theoretical work on context-dependent judgments, nine contingency factors explain significant and substantial amounts of variation (30% on average) in the elasticities of the 12 experiential attributes. East and West can appear similar when market characteristics are similar – or when they are different. Emotional, cognitive, sensory, and behavioral responses to the customer experience systematically differ due to economic, demographic, technological, cultural and consumer characteristics. East and West especially differ in terms of responses to emotional and sensory experiences. Customer experience management can help to shape a strategy that resolves strategy differences between East and West.

Journal of Public Policy & Marketing Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/07439156211056538

BizEd

Journal of Business Research Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.11.075

Whether they know it or not, firms interact with lying consumers on a daily basis. However, surprisingly little is known about consumer lying behavior and its role in service encounters. Based on two empirical studies of 2,976 consumer lies, the study sought to explore consumer lying behavior by developing and testing a comprehensive conceptual framework encompassing motives for lying, characteristics of the lie, and outcomes for consumers. Study 1 explores and details the components of the conceptual framework, and Study 2 further investigates and tests the relationships between the components of consumer lying behavior and the emotional, behavioral, and financial outcomes for consumers. The findings suggest new policies and how frontline employees might be trained and educated to address consumer lying behavior. The paper concludes by outlining an agenda for future research on lying behavior in service encounters.

Journal of Service Research 24(4) Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/10946705211031302

This article utilizes input from service scholars, practitioners, reviews of published literature, and influential policy documents to identify service research priorities that push the boundaries of extant research. In a companion piece, we focused on four service research priorities related to managing and delivering service in turbulent times. Further, we identified a set of stakeholder-wants from the literature and included research questions that tie key stakeholder-wants to each of the three priorities in this article and the four priorities in the companion article. Here, we highlight the critical importance of scholarship and practice related to the design of sustainable service ecosystems and discuss three key service research priorities: large-scale and complex service ecosystems for transformative impact (SRP5), platform ecosystems and marketplaces (SRP6), and services for disadvantaged consumers and communities (SRP7). We call for an engaged service scholarship that considers the interrelationships among consumers, organizations, employees, platforms, and societal institutions and pursues transformative goals.

Journal of Business Research 131(July) p. 217-226 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.03.058

In July 2020 more than 1,100 companies paused their paid advertising on Facebook to demand clear and unequivocal actions to stop its platform from being used to spread and amplify racism and hate. This Business-to-Business (B2B) boycott phenomenon is related to both corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) and corporate social responsibility (CSR), as Facebook and other social media platforms can be seen to be engaging in CSI, while the boycotting advertisers are engaging in CSR. Understanding how consumers respond to this hybrid form of B2B boycotting, involving both CSI and CSR elements, is critical for marketing and branding practice and theories. This research develops a preliminary framework on the factors influencing consumer responses to both the transgressing brand (i.e., Facebook) and the boycotting brands (i.e., the advertisers). We then discuss the implications for the literature on traditional CSI and CSR. Finally, future research directions are presented on this under-studied issue.

Magma forskning og viten

Magma forskning og viten 2 p. 40-42

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science 50(1) Doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-021-00808-9

This study investigated how touchpoints moderate the antecedents of customer satisfaction with service encounters by comparing online and in-store encounters. Construal level theory was used within the Touchpoint, Context, Qualities (TCQ) Framework (De Keyser et al., 2020) to integrate a comprehensive model of how touchpoints—websites or stores—influence the magnitude of customer responses to qualities of service encounters. A hierarchical linear model (HLM) was estimated using survey data describing the service encounters of 2.4 million customers with a global retailer. Online customers weighed cognitive and behavioral qualities more heavily than in-store customers, whereas they weighed emotional and sensorial qualities less heavily. Moreover, random effects in the HLM model indicated that each country and store would have unique clientele effects for specific qualities. Since each firm has limited resources, this research offers guidance on key qualities in designing satisfying service encounters for each touchpoint and how qualities should be standardized and customized in global omnichannel environments.

Journal of Service Research 24(3) p. 329-353 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/10946705211021915

Transformative changes in the societal and service context call out for the service discipline to develop a coherent set of priorities for research and practice. To this end, we utilized multiple data sources: surveys of service scholars and practitioners, web scraping of online documents, a review of published service scholarship, and roundtable discussions conducted at the world’s foremost service research centers. We incorporated innovative methodologies, including machine learning, natural language processing, and qualitative analyses, to identify key service research priorities that are critical to address during these turbulent times. The first two priorities—technology and the changing nature of work and technology and the customer experience—focus on leveraging technology for service provision and consumption. The next two priorities—resource and capability constraints and customer proactivity for well-being—focus on responding to the changing needs of multiple stakeholders. Further, we identified a set of stakeholder-wants from the literature and include research questions that tie key stakeholder-wants to each of the four priorities. We believe the set of research priorities in the present article offer actionable ideas for service research directions in this challenging environment.

Journal of Business Research 118(Sept) p. 253-261 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.06.057

The COVID-19 pandemic has been labeled as a black swan event that caused a ripple effect on every aspect of human life. Despite the short time span of the pandemic—only four and half months so far—a rather large volume of research pertaining to COVID-19 has been published (107 articles indexed in Scopus and the Web of Science). This article presents the findings of a bibliometric study of COVID-19 literature in the business and management domain to identify current areas of research and propose a way forward. The analysis of the published literature identified four main research themes and 18 sub-themes. The findings and propositions of this study suggest that COVID-19 will be the catalyst of several long- and short-term policy changes and requires the theoretical and empirical attention of researchers. The offered propositions will act as a roadmap to potential research opportunities.

Journal of Business Research Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.04.053

This editorial calls for greater use of academic-practitioner workshops to co-create value for academics, practitioners and wider network actors through promotion of research relevance and sharing of problems, ideas and data. It describes how one such workshop, the 2nd Academic-Practitioner Research with Impact Workshop focusing on the design and decision making for customer experience, co-hosted in Manchester on 18th and 19th of June 2018 by Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester and Loughborough University’s Centre for Service Management (CSM), was delivered. The key processes for success and issues to consider for future such events are discussed. The workshop resulted in 8 papers (six theoretical and two empirical). This Special Issue advances current understanding of CE through the research considering the role of technology (AI and big data) in CE research, atypical CE (vulnerability, deviance behaviours and service failure and recovery) and focusing on important organizational and B2B issues (business model innovation, and CEM in business markets).

Journal of Services Marketing 34(1) p. 1-7 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-11-2019-0443

The purpose of this study is to highlight the role of qualitative research in service research. This study discusses what qualitative research is, what role it has in service research and what interest, rigor, relevance and richness mean for qualitative service research. Design/methodology/approach This study examines the most common qualitative research methods and discusses interest, rigor, relevance and richness as key characteristics of qualitative research. The manuscripts in the special issue are introduced and categorized based on their contributions to service research. Findings The findings suggest that the amount of research using qualitative research methods has remained stable over the last 30 years. An increased focus on transparency and traceability is important for improving the perceived rigor of qualitative service research. Originality/value This special issue is the first issue that is explicitly devoted to the qualitative research methodology in service research. In particular, the issue seeks to contribute to a better use and application of qualitative research methodology.

Journal of Service Research 23(2) p. 111-115 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670520908929

Service innovations challenge existing offerings and business models, shape existing markets, and create new ones. Over the last decade, service research has shown increasing interest in the concept of innovation and should by now have reached maturity and created a strong theoretical basis. However, there is no coherent theoretical framework that captures all the facets of service innovation, and to move service innovation research forward, we must revisit the key assumptions of what an innovation is. To enable this, the present article addresses three fundamental questions about service innovation: (1) What is it and what is it not? (2) What do we know and what do we not know? and (3) What do we need to know to advance service research? By doing so, this article offers an updated and comprehensive definition of service innovation and provides a research agenda to suggest a path forward.

Journal of Business Research 117(Sept) p. 284-289 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.06.008

The COVID-19 outbreak is a sharp reminder that pandemics, like other rarely occurring catastrophes, have happened in the past and will continue to happen in the future. Even if we cannot prevent dangerous viruses from emerging, we should prepare to dampen their effects on society. The current outbreak has had severe economic consequences across the globe, and it does not look like any country will be unaffected. This not only has consequences for the economy; all of society is affected, which has led to dramatic changes in how businesses act and consumers behave. This special issue is a global effort to address some of the pandemic-related issues affecting society. In total, there are 13 papers that cover different industry sectors (e.g., tourism, retail, higher education), changes in consumer behavior and businesses, ethical issues, and aspects related to employees and leadership.

Journal of Consumer Research 47(4) p. 588-607 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucaa021

Previous research has highlighted the effects of receiving interpersonal touch on persuasion. In contrast, we examine initiating touch. Individuals instructed to touch engage in egocentric projection in which they project their own affective reaction onto their expectations for how the recipient will feel (i.e., empathic forecast), how they appear to the recipient (i.e., metaperception), and the evaluation of the interaction itself (i.e., interaction awkwardness). Touch initiators expect that recipients will feel worse with touch, express concern for how they, themselves, will be perceived, and think that interactions are more awkward. Interestingly, touch recipients do not evaluate these interactions more negatively and leave higher tips after having been touched; touch initiators do not expect this to be the case. As a result, instructed touch initiators (vs. volitional touch initiators) are less (more) likely to engage in subsequent interactions with customers, potentially undermining future service provided to customers. Across five studies, four of which involve actual dyadic interactions, we test the consequences of initiating touch with an inquiry into the effects of interpersonal touch on the initiator. We discuss theoretical and managerial implications.

Journal of Service Management (JOSM) Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-03-2020-416

Journal of Business Research 106 p. 273-276 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.10.062

Gamification is a rather significant trend in recent years. It builds on the emotional and involving qualities of gaming but may not entail a full-fledged game. Gamification exists in a large number of industries; retail, media, consumer goods, and healthcare. It is used as means to educate employees in all types of industry, create customer engagement to brands and businesses, and even nudge people to change their behavior. The present paper is an introduction to the special issue on “Theoretical Perspectives and Applications of Gamification in Business Contexts”. In total the special issue comprises of 11 novel and high-quality contributions on gamification. These are selected to enhance our understanding of underlying mechanisms that impact employees’ and customers’ attitudes and behaviors.

Journal of Business Research Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.09.012

The phrase the “customer is always right” assumes that customers provide universal benefits for firms. However, in recent years, customer deviance is on the rise and the academic literature has provided little insight into the drivers of deviance, the actual behaviors, and strategies for how managers can better manage a customer base that cannot be classified as universally benign. This article addresses customer deviance ranging from classic examples like shoplifting to engaging in hostile anti-brand behaviors on social media or even breaking established norms such as trespassing in stores after closing hours. In an effort to spur new research into customer deviance, we propose a customer deviance framework encompassing the triggers, behaviors, and consequences of customer deviance with attention given to differentiating firms, employees, and other customers as the possible targets of deviant behaviors. We outline prevention strategies that comprise social, design, and technological-oriented factors, which in turn can help firms better manage deviant behavior. In doing so, we identify gaps in the literature and close with an actionable agenda for future research that can help firms curtail these negative customer behaviors.

Journal of Business Research 104(November (11)) p. 146-160 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.06.041

Electrodermal activity (EDA) is a psychophysiological indicator of emotional arousal. EDA measurement was first employed in consumer research in 1979 but has been scarcely used since. In the past decade, the ease of access to EDA recording equipment made EDA measurement more frequent in studies of consumer emotions. Additionally, recent calls to include physiological data in consumer studies have been voiced, which in turn is increasing the interest in EDA. Such a growing interest calls for assessing why and how EDA measurement has been used and should be used in consumer research. To this end, we undertook a critical review of studies of consumer emotions that employed EDA measurement. We found that most of these studies did not sufficiently report how they recorded and analyzed EDA data, which in turn impeded the replication of the findings. We therefore make recommendations derived from the psychophysiology literature to help consumer researchers get meaningful insights from EDA measurements. Finally, we call on researchers to be more transparent when reporting how they recorded and analyzed EDA data.

Journal of Service Management (JOSM) 30(5) p. 621-649 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-05-2019-0135

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss recent developments in neuroscientific methods and demonstrate its potential for the service field. This work is a call to action for more service researchers to adopt promising and increasingly accessible neuro-tools that allow the service field to benefit from neuroscience theories and insights. Design/methodology/approach: The paper synthesizes key literature from a variety of domains (e.g. neuroscience, consumer neuroscience and organizational neuroscience) to provide an in-depth background to start applying neuro-tools. Specifically, this paper outlines the most important neuro-tools today and discusses their theoretical and empirical value. Findings: To date, the use of neuro-tools in the service field is limited. This is surprising given the great potential they hold to advance service research. To stimulate the use of neuro-tools in the service area, the authors provide a roadmap to enable neuroscientific service studies and conclude with a discussion on promising areas (e.g. service experience and servicescape) ripe for neuroscientific input. Originality/value: The paper offers service researchers a starting point to understand the potential benefits of adopting the neuroscientific method and shows their complementarity with traditional service research methods like surveys, experiments and qualitative research. In addition, this paper may also help reviewers and editors to better assess the quality of neuro-studies in service.

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 50 p. 122-130 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.05.006

The purpose of this study is to understand how gamification contributes to customers’ value creation in a retail context and how this value creation relates to brand engagement. The study builds on a field experiment using a two-group between-subjects design combined with correlational research. The experiment involved 378 participants recruited at a major European sports retailer. Participants were exposed to one of two conditions: one with a gamified activity in a store, and one in which the participants performed the same activity without being exposed to any game elements. The findings show that gamification affects the hedonic value of an activity and that this effect can be partly explained by positive affect. When this hedonic value was compared to the satisfaction with a reward, the hedonic value was found to be a better predictor of continued engagement intention. Finally, gamification through continued engagement intention is positively associated with brand engagement

Journal of Retailing 95(4) p. 186-203 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2019.10.007

This research investigates situations in which frontline employees deliberately restrict customers’ access to touch products on display (active interpersonal haptic blocking), and how this understudied form of sensory blocking may increase customers’ downstream purchasing. While previous research examines the benefits of increased product touch, we temporarily block touch for specific products in display areas and then investigate the subsequent impact on customer behavior. Through four studies, including a retail field experiment, we find that when an employee asks a customer not to touch a product on display, this initiates a serial mediation process which: (1) engenders feelings of psychological reactance that result in (2) increased compensatory touching of subsequently encountered products to counterbalance a loss of sensory freedom, and (3) increased spending and purchasing once the customer leaves the reactance-inducing encounter. Effects are moderated by socioeconomic status (SES) and need for touch (NFT) whereby psychological reactance was significantly stronger for high SES customers with a moderate or high NFT when actively blocked. Results also demonstrate that active interpersonal haptic blocking does not result in more negative attitudes toward retailers, thus retailers might consider implementing this counterintuitive practice to encourage downstream sales.

Journal of Services Marketing 32(2) p. 101-112 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-04-2016-0161

Purpose – Open service innovation is an emergent new service development practice, where knowledge on how to organize development work is scarce. The purpose of the present research is to identify and describe relevant archetypes of open service innovation. The study views an archetype as an organizing template that includes the competence of participants, organizing co-creation among participants and ties between participants. In particular, the study’s interest lies in how open service innovation archetypes are used for incremental and radical service innovation. Design/methodology/approach – For the research, a nested case study was performed, in which an industrial firm with nine open service innovation groups was identified. Forty-five interviews were conducted with participants. For each case, first a within-case analysis was performed, and how to perform open service innovation in practice was described. Then, a cross-case analysis identifying similarities and differences between the open service innovation groups was performed. On the basis of the cross-case analysis, three archetypes for open service innovation were identified. Findings – The nested case study identified three archetypes for open service innovation: internal group development, satellite team Development and rocket team development. This study shows that different archetypes are used for incremental and radical service innovation and that a firm can have multiple open service innovation groups using different archetypes. Practical implications – This study provides suggestions on how firms can organize for open service innovation. The identified archetypes can guide managers to set up, develop or be part of open service innovation groups. Originality/value – This paper uses open service innovation as a mid-range theory to extend existing research on new service development in networks or service ecosystems. In particular, it shows how open service innovation can be organized to develop both incremental and radical service innovations.

Journal of Marketing Research 55(1) p. 69-79 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.15.0247

Consumer lay theory suggests that women will spend more money than men in the presence of a physically dominant male employee, whereas theories of intrasexual competition from evolutionary psychology predict the opposite outcome. A retail field study demonstrates that male customers spend more money and purchase more expensive products than their female counterparts in the presence (vs. absence) of a physically dominant male employee. This effect has a more powerful impact on male customers who lack bodily markers of dominance (shorter stature or measures linked to lower levels of testosterone). When confronted with other physically dominant (vs. nondominant) men, these male customers are particularly prone to signal status through price or logo size. Their elevated feelings of intrasexual (male-to-male) competitiveness drive them to spend more money on status-signaling, but not functional, products and to prefer and draw larger brand logos. Because pictorial exposure is sufficient for the effect to occur, these findings are not limited to in-store interactions with dominant male employees but have broad implications for marketing and advertising.

At the Forefront, Looking Ahead: Research-Based Answers to Contemporary Uncertainties of Management p. 251-266 Doi: https://doi.org/10.18261/9788215031583-2018-16

Journal of Service Research 21(1) p. 1-14 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670517746780

Journal of Business Research 79(Oct) p. 269-280 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.04.014

Industrial Marketing Management 67(Nov) p. 106-121 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2017.08.002

International Journal of Production Economics 192(Oct) p. 157-168 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2016.12.007

Journal of Business Research 79 p. 269-280 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.05.006

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 28 p. 165-170 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2015.09.004

A retail store is a multi-sensory environment filled with messages to tempt customers into making unplanned purchases. The purpose of this field study was to examine the interplay between three factors claimed to precede and influence unplanned purchases: store familiarity, visual attention, and navigational fluency (the subjective ease of navigating). Eye-tracking recordings and post-study questionnaires from 100 grocery store shoppers showed that store familiarity was positively associated with navigational fluency. However, customers’ levels of dynamic gaze behavior (a frequent, widely distributed viewing pattern) moderated this effect. Dynamic gaze behavior significantly predicted navigational fluency among customers with low and moderate store familiarity, but not among customers familiar with the store. These findings challenge the formerly held assumption that store familiarity automatically implies navigational ease, and store unfamiliarity implies navigational difficulty. The results have implications for navigational aspects in stores.

Journal of Business Research 69(7) p. 2397-2400 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.008

This Journal of Business Research special section includes 7 articles selected from papers presented during the 2014 Global Marketing Conference held July 15-18, 2014. The Conference’s theme was “Bridging Asia and the World: Globalization of Marketing and Management Theory and Practice.” This special edition introduces current topics concerning researchers and practitioners about service innovation, renewal, and adoption/rejection research. Following the Conference’s theme, this special edition emphasizes the need for educators and business leaders to make sense, plan, and interpret outcomes accurately of implementing service innovations in dynamic global contexts.

Journal of Business Research 69(8) p. 2863-2872 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.12.055

Research on service innovation appears in several research disciplines, with important contributions in marketing, management, and operations research. Although the concept is widely used, few research papers have explicitly defined service innovation. This dearth of research is the motivation for the present study. Through a systematic review of 1301 articles on service innovation appearing in academic journals between 1979 and 2014, this article examines research defining service innovation. The study identifies the key characteristics within 84 definitions of service innovation in different perspectives (assimilation, demarcation and synthesis) and shows how the meaning of the concept is changing. The review suggests that the large variety in definitions limits and hinders knowledge development of service innovation.

Journal of Business Research 69(7) p. 2401-2408 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.01.009

Service innovation acts as society’s engine of renewal and provides the necessary catalyst for the service sector’s economic growth. Despite service innovation’s importance, the concept remains fuzzy and poorly defined. Building on an extensive and systematic review of 1,046 academic articles, this research investigates and explores how service innovation is defined and used in research. Results identify four unique service innovation categorizations emphasizing the following traits: (1) degree of change, (2) type of change, (3) newness, and (4) means of provision. The results show that most research focuses inward and views service innovation as something (only) new to the firm. Interestingly, service innovation categorizations appear to neglect both customer value and financial performance.

Journal of Services Marketing 29(6/7) p. 425-429 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-02-2015-0103

Purpose –The purpose of this essay is to encourage the reader to think differently about service related issues, and to strive to conduct service research that makes a transformational impact on individuals, organizations, and society. The authors suggest that service researchers are in an excellent position to develop research that matters by making stronger connections with theory, and elevating purely applied research to research that is higher in both practical relevance and methodological rigor. Design/methodology/approach – This paper takes a conceptual approach, connecting pertinent literature with new ideas highlighted in this special issue. Findings – This essay proposes that service researchers look beyond traditional service applications, take a multi-disciplinary approach to problem solving, and make greater strides towards connecting theory and practice. The authors propose a Model of Rigorous and Relevant Research, and call for fresh thinking across a wide range of research areas, including: enhancing the customer experience, crafting innovation, integrating technology, and measuring service outcomes. Originality/value – The originality of this essay lies in its focus on revitalizing the discussion on relevance and rigor as a path forward for service research. Additionally, this essay offers new insights on core management aspects of service provision that provide a solid platform for future work in service research.

Magma forskning og viten 18(4) p. 52-60

Psychology & Marketing 32(1) p. 94-106 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20765

Derived from previous research on social influence on food consumption and social comparison theory, this article examines the effect of service employees’ appearance on consumers’ food choice using an experimental study, involving a video manipulation and eye-tracking technique. The video shows a menu being proffered by a waitress whose degree of apparent healthiness varies (healthy, overweight, unhealthy lifestyle). The menu contains both healthy and unhealthy meal alternatives. The analysis of participants’ eye movements demonstrated that exposure to the overweight employee did not stimulate greater (i.e., earlier or longer) attention to unhealthy meal alternatives, whereas exposure to the employee who displayed an unhealthy lifestyle did. These findings have social and managerial implications: The postulated stigma according to which the presence of overweight others encourages unhealthy eating appears questionable. Service providers that might secretly hire according to body weight have no grounds to do so. In contrast, employees signaling an unhealthy lifestyle through their style choices prompt patrons to pay more attention to unhealthy meal alternatives. Food service providers might want to take this factor into consideration and actively manage the aspects that can be altered by simple measures.

Journal of Business Research 68(1) p. 95-101 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.05.001

When we visit a retail outlet, we go there to complete some type of shopping goal. These goals may be very specific and precisely planned prior to entering the store, or more abstract, and something we think of on the spur of the moment. The stores may display tens of thousands of different products, making it difficult to achieve the shopping goal in a rational manner. As a result, we use different types of heuristics to meet our shopping goals. In this study, we investigate how a customer’s visual attention is influenced by their shopping goal, based on the results of three field experiments in three different contexts  a gas station, a sports store, and a grocery store. Firstly we establish that differences do exist in viewing behavior based on whether shopping goals are planned or unplanned. A more complex and unplanned shopping goal leads to increased observations of in-store stimulus. We then study whether or not the complexity of the first shopping goal also influences the viewing behavior of the next shopping goal, independently of the characteristics of the second goal. The findings confirm that complex decision heuristics deplete cognitive recourse. This finding results in diminished visual attention during subsequent choices. In turn, this has implications for a customer’s shopping behavior.

Journal of Services Marketing 26(6/7) p. 430-435 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-01-2015-0054

Purpose – The purpose is to provide directions for future research on: (1) broadening the role of customers in customer experience; (2) taking a practice-based approach to customer experience; and (3) recognizing the holistic, dynamic nature of customer experience across all touch points and over time. Design/methodology/approach – The approach is conceptual identifying current gaps in research on customer experience. Findings – The findings include a set of research questions and research agenda for future research on customer experience. Originality/value – This research suggests fresh perspectives for understanding the customer experience which can inspire future research and advance theory and managerial practice.

Journal of Business Research 68(2) p. 391-404 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2014.06.009

Although brands are acknowledged as significant assets in a firm‟s value creation and differentiation process, branding literature often describes opposing perspectives and contradictory demands. This article develops a framework of three strategic brand management archetypes that provide new insights into the complexity and often paradoxical ambiguity of branding. By combining an empirical qualitative study with extant brand management and relational exchange theory, the authors suggests that firms create, reinforce, switch, or allow certain brand management archetypes to coexist to optimize specific effects and manage paradoxes. From a managerial perspective, the article suggests that understanding strategic brand management and related paradoxes is fundamental for organizations to achieve desired effects with their value creation.

Magma forskning og viten 18(4) p. 41-51

Journal of Service Management (JOSM) 25(2) p. 253-274 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-01-2014-0034

Journal of Service Management (JOSM) 25(4) p. 556-571 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-01-2014-0025

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature on customer orientation by developing and empirically testing a model that attempts to explain the elements that constitute customer orientation and that, in turn, influence customer satisfaction. In particular, this study focuses on how service firms design, collect, analyse and use customer-satisfaction data to improve service performance. This study has the following three research objectives: to understand the process and, as a consequence, the phases of customer orientation; to investigate the relationships between the different phases of customer orientation and customer satisfaction; and to examine activities in the different phases of customer orientation that result in higher customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – This study, combining quantitative and qualitative research, is based on a cross-sectional survey of 320 service firms and a multiple case study of 20 organisational units at a large service firm in the European telecom industry. Findings – The results show that customer orientation consists of a process that includes three phases: strategy, measurement and analysis and implementation. Contrary to previous research, implementation has the strongest influence on customer satisfaction. In turn, customer satisfaction influences financial results. In-depth interviews with managers provided insights into the specific activities that are key for turning customer-satisfaction measurements into action. Originality/value – This research contributes to the literature on customer orientation by developing and empirically testing a model that attempts to explain what constitutes customer orientation and, in turn, influences customer satisfaction and financial results. Given the large amount of research on customer satisfaction, studies on how service firms collect and use customer-satisfaction data in practice are scarce.

European Journal of Marketing 48(9/10) p. 1709-1730 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/EJM-03-2011-0119

Purpose – This study aims to investigate how customer information obtained at different phases of a new product development (NPD) process influences profits from new offerings. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted in the context of NPD in goods and services. A unique database was constructed that merged key informant survey responses with financial data for 244 firms. This database was used to replicate and extend previous research by posing a number of hypotheses regarding the role of obtaining customer information in NPD. Findings – The results show that obtaining customer information during NPD influences the profits from new offerings, which vary depending on the phase of the NPD process. The financial rewards from obtaining customer information for goods are highest in the early phases of the NPD process and decline in later phases. The financial rewards for services, on the other hand, are high in the early and late phases of the NPD process. Research limitations/implications – The research is based on a survey combined with objective financial data, that is, a combination of different data sources. The research would have benefitted from longer data series and a higher response rate. Originality/value – This study replicates and extends previous research by testing the role of obtaining customer information in both manufacturing and service firms by combining survey data with objective financial data.

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 21(5) p. 676-684 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2014.05.002

We used two eye-tracking field experiments to investigate the extent to which in-store signage is used during navigation and decision making, and how the viewing of signage influences customers’ visual attention and choice behavior. One hundred and seventy-five customers at a grocery store were exposed to signage stimuli while carrying out predefined shopping tasks. Experiment 1 shows that attention toward signage is affected by customers’ levels of store familiarity and in-store search stage (navigation vs. decision making). Experiment 2 demonstrates that signage has a considerable impact on the direction and magnitude of customers’ visual attention during decision making.

Packaging technology & science 27(9) p. 727-738 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/pts.2064

There are several reasons why people find it troublesome to use and handle consumer packages. A test method for evaluating the ease of opening of such packages was presented in the “Technical Specification” (TS) [1]. The present study has expanded the procedure by including consumer satisfaction measurements in two steps and engaging panels comprising two separate age groups. The expanded method, which used six different packages as test objects, engaged 75 panelists, 40 in the older group (65–80 years), and 35 in the younger group (25–40 years). The expanded method included the same operations as described in the TS, but also included panelists who graded each handling element separately on a “smiley” scale, along with feedback for their grades, and an overall judgment of the package handling. The grading feedback differed between the two groups. The younger panelists mainly noted issues that were not connected to openability, while older panelists noted openability as the most influential factor. Further analysis revealed that openability was also a key issue for the younger panelists, despite their claims to the contrary. Satisfaction was the most critical TS element for describing a package as being easy to open.

British Food Journal 115(8) p. 1211-1225 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/BFJ-08-2011-0208

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate how the positioning of textual and pictorial design elements on a package affects visual attention (detection time) toward these element types. Design/methodology/approach – The study has a 3 × 2 (Stimulus × Location) between-subjects design. One pictorial and two textual package elements, located on the top right- or top left-hand side of a package, were used as stimuli. Visual attention was measured by eye-tracking. A total of 199 university students participated. The data were analysed using a two-way ANOVA and a Pearson’s chi-square analysis with standardised residuals. Findings – The results show that in order to receive the most direct attention, textual elements should be on the left-hand side of a package, whereas pictorial elements should be on the right-hand side. This is inconsistent with previous design directions (based on recall), suggesting the opposite element organisation. Originality/value – Previous research has focused on recall (whether respondents remember having seen package elements) or preference (whether respondents prefer a package based on element positioning). The focus of the present study was whether respondents actually saw the different elements on a package, and how long it took them to detect such elements. Detection time for certain element types can be viewed as a new and complementary way of evaluating the position of package elements. The paper also addresses whether preference is a result of easy information acquisition.

Industrial Marketing Management 42(1) p. 18-30 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2012.11.004

Manufacturing firms have always delivered services, by supplying spare parts, installing equipment, training employees, or performing maintenance. In competitive markets though, firms seek new ways to differentiate their business, including an increased focus on service, often referred to as service infusion. Of the studies that seek to understand this phenomenon, most focus on large multinational firms; little is known about service infusion in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study adopts an explorative approach to investigate how SMEs construct new value constellations that enable value creation through services. The findings, based on in-depth interviews with key informants from 13 SMEs, suggest that there is no predefined transition process for service infusion in SMEs, which seldom have the resources to build new organizational units or create new specialties. Instead, they differentiate themselves through new value constellations within business networks. The heterogeneity of service offerings and business networks means those value constellations take many forms.

Journal of Service Research 16(2) p. 121-137 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670512465958

Service firms seek customers with high revenues, profits or lifetime value. However, they frequently ignore variations in consumption that lead to cash flow variability and adversely influence service operations and financial performance. This study shows that variation in individual customers’ consumption or spending on services can be decreased in ways that are actionable by most managers, without decreasing revenues or profits. Empirical findings are robust across two settings: telecommunications and financial services. Customer satisfaction has a “double-whammy” effect: lower cash flow variability and higher cash flow levels. This finding is important because firms can increase satisfaction in many ways. Second, customers who participate in loyalty programs have more variable cash flows, but not higher average cash flows. Hence, firms should design loyalty programs to improve customer satisfaction or intangible benefits (e.g., membership recognition), rather than offering economic incentives. Third, customers who purchase many different offerings, or allocate a large share of their purchases to the firm, have higher cash flow variability and higher average cash flows. Firms can optimize the customer portfolio by combining customers with high variability with customers who have different, offsetting cash flow patterns. Fourth, personal characteristics, such as age and income, also influence cash flow variability. The study describes sensitivity analyses of how different service and relationship marketing strategies influence a firm’s business outcomes. The article concludes with insights on how to integrate service management principles, which emphasize consistency or low variability in processes, with customer relationship management principles that emphasize growing relationships and cash flows.

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 19(6) p. 553-560 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2012.06.010

This study concerns the effect that music has on consumer behavior in two different retail contexts during regular opening hours. Two studies were conducted in a field setting with consumers (N = 550). Consumers were recruited to answer questions regarding behavioral measures, attitudes, and mood during days when background music was played. The conclusions from the two studies are that music affects consumer behavior, but also that the type of retail store and gender influences both the strength and direction of the effect.

Journal of Cleaner Production 24(1) p. 141-148 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2011.11.044

The amount of food waste needs to be reduced in order to sustain the world’s limited resources and secure enough food to all humans. Packaging plays an important role in reducing food waste. The knowledge about how packaging affects food waste in households, however, is scarce. This exploratory study examines reasons for food waste in household and especially how and to what extent packaging influences the amount of food waste. Sixty-one families measured their amount of food waste during seven days and noted in a diary why each item was wasted. Thirty of the families had participated earlier in an environmental project including education in environmental issues of everyday life. About 20–25% of the households’ food waste could be related to packaging. Three packaging aspects dominate the packaging related waste: packages that the consumer noted as being too big and packages that were difficult to empty, and wastage because of passed “best before date”. The environmentally educated households wasted less, especially of prepared food. They also wasted less food due to passed “best before date”. These households were more observant to packaging aspects in relation to food waste. The observations made could be used to learn more about packaging attributes that affect food waste. Although they recognised packaging influence on food waste, these households expressed lower satisfaction with packaging functions and wanted packaging to a lower extent.

BI Marketing Magazine 1 p. 8-9

Journal of Service Management (JOSM) 23(3) p. 311-327 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/09564231211248426

Purpose – Customer co-creation is becoming increasingly popular among companies, and intensive communication with customers is generally seen as a determinant of the success of a new service or product. This study analyzes customer co-creation based on four dimensions of communication – frequency, direction, modality, and content – in order to understand the value of customer co-creation in service innovation. One of the key aims of the study was to investigate whether all dimensions of customer co-creation have an effect on product and market success, and if the effect depends on the degree of innovativeness of a development project. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted a study including 334 managers with experience in new service and product development to examine how development projects applied customer co-creation in terms of communication in order to address future customer needs. Data was analyzed using PLS (partial least squares). The first analysis was performed with a sub-sample of 207 development projects regarding incremental innovations. A subsequent analysis was performed with a sub-sample of 77 development projects on radical innovations. Findings – Three of the four dimensions of customer co-creation (frequency, direction, and content) have a positive and equally significant effect on product success when developing incremental innovations. For radical innovations, frequency has a positive effect and content has a negative significant effect on product success. These findings suggest that co-creation and innovation can be combined, but that the choice of methods for co-creation differs depending on whether incremental or radical innovations are developed. Originality/value –Despite a general consensus that co-creation with customers is beneficial, there is a lack of agreement regarding how and why. The present article addresses this shortcoming and shows that co-creation is largely about communicating with customers in order to understand their future needs. On the other hand, a company working on radical innovations may wish to limit customer input that is too concrete or solution based.

Journal of International Marketing 19(3) p. 59-86 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1509/jimk.19.3.59

Journal of Business Research 64(12) p. 1270-1280 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.01.015

This paper examines the relationship among the complexity of customer needs, customer centricity, innovativeness, service differentiation, and business performance within the context of companies that have made a service transition from pure goods providers to service providers. A survey of 332 manufacturing companies provides the basis for the empirical investigation. One key finding is that a strong emphasis on service differentiation can lead to a manufacturing firm’s strategies for customer centricity being less sensitive to increasingly complex customer needs, which can increase a firm’s payoff for customer centricity. In contrast, the payoff from innovativeness appears to be higher if the firm focuses its resources on either product or service innovation; that is, a dual focus does not work well. This paper discusses the implications of these findings for researchers and managers