Institutt for markedsføring

Journal of Service Management (JOSM) s. 1-17 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1108/josm-04-2026-0291

Purpose: Although service research is an applied discipline, much of the field has emphasized confirmatory inquiry in relatively ordered settings. While such research remains valuable, it is often less well suited to emerging, relational and poorly understood service phenomena. This article therefore argues for an empirics-first approach to problem formulation in service research. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on the Cynefin framework, the article distinguishes among clear, complicated, complex and chaotic service problems. Using a conceptual approach, it extends Cynefin to service research methodology by showing how different problem contexts call for different forms of theorizing, methodological fit and research design. Findings: The article shows that what constitutes a meaningful contribution in service research depends on the nature of the problem being studied. In relatively ordered contexts, contributions often involve refinement, replication and the specification of contingencies. In complicated contexts, they involve disentangling mechanisms and clarifying trade-offs. In complex contexts, contributions center on sensemaking and explaining emergent practices and processes. In chaotic contexts, contributions often lie in understanding stabilization, adaptation and the restoration of order under turbulent conditions. Originality/value: The article challenges service researchers to move beyond an overreliance on abstract literature gaps and theory-led confirmatory designs. Instead, it advocates careful empirical diagnosis of focal problems as the foundation for producing methodologically rigorous, theoretically meaningful and practically relevant research contributions.

Journal of Business Research 207 s. 116015-116015 Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2026.116015

Journal of Business Research

Psychology & Marketing

Oxford University Press Doi: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/consumer-consciousness-9780198909057?lang=en&cc=es#

How do people experience products, brands, and digital environments through their senses and awareness? Drawing on philosophy, psychology, marketing, and neuroscience, Consumer Consciousness examines how our engagement with everyday consumption and digital experiences can be enhanced or disrupted by technology. Conscious awareness through touch, sight, sound, and even virtual experiences shape our perception, decision-making, and well-being. Central to this argument is the concept up the conscioumer: an ethically aware, reflective, and engaged individual, whose market choices align with personal, societal, and environmental values. Olivia Petit and Carlos Velasco highlight the role of unconscious mechanisms by tracing the historical and philosophical evolution of the consumer, advocating for a renewed focus on conscious experience as a tool for empowerment. Multisensory marketing, sensory ecosystems, and immersive technologies are shown not only to influence perception, but also to expand the possibilities of reflective and meaningful engagement. Emerging technologies such as Artificial intelligence, IoT, XR, and robotics, are reshaping consumer consciousness, creating hybrid human-technology assemblages which challenge traditional notions of agency. The ethical stakes of these developments are high: Petit and Velasco make the case for responsible design, meta-cognitive capacities, and societal frameworks that foster well-being and sustainability. More than a theoretical exploration, Consumer Consciousness offers a practical and philosophical guide to understanding and cultivating conscious consumption.