Line Lervik-Olsen is professor of marketing at BI Norwegian Business School and the head of department for department of marketing. Lervik-Olsen received her Ph.D. degree in marketing in August 2002 from the Norwegian Business School. In partial fulfillment of her degree Lervik-Olsen spent one year as a visiting Ph.D. student at the University of Michigan Business School. Prior to her Ph.D. Lervik-Olsen studied hospitality management at the Norwegian School of Hotel Management, University of Stavanger and Florida International University.
At BI Norwegian Business School Lervik-Olsen teaches classes in service marketing and strategic marketing at various levels.
Lervik-Olsen has been the research leader of the Norwegian Customer Satisfaction Barometer and is currently affiliated with the Center for Service Innovation at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) where is the research director for the Norwegian Innovation Index. Lervik-Olsen has published her work in journals such as the Journal of Service Research, the Journal of Economic Psychology, Managing Service Quality, the Journal of Service Theory and Practice and PLOS One.
Lervik-Olsen has published several book chapters as well as a Norwegian textbook on service and innovation, based on her research. Lervik-Olsen's current research interests are within the field of service marketing and strategic marketing with a special focus on service innovation, consumer trends, customer satisfaction and complaint behavior.
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.
Lervik-Olsen, Line; Andreassen, Tor W. & Fennis, Bob M. (2023)
When enough is not enough: behavioral and motivational paths to compulsive social media consumption
Purpose Compulsive social media use has the potential to reduce well-being. In this study, the authors propose that there are two main paths to compulsive social media consumption. One is behavioral and based on habit; the other is motivational and rooted in the fear of missing out. This study aims to test the antecedents of these two drivers as well as their consequences for the tendency to engage in compulsive social media consumption. Design/methodology/approach The authors applied a quantitative research design and collected data through a survey of 600 respondents from a representative sample. The authors used structural equation modeling to test their conceptual model and hypotheses. Gender and age were included as moderators to investigate the model’s boundary conditions. Findings The authors found support for all the suggested relationships in the conceptual model. The findings indicate two main manifestations of compulsive social media use – always being logged in (i.e. the frequency of social media consumption) and excessive use (the intensity of consumption) – that in turn spurred a reinforcer of compulsivity: disconnection anxiety. The findings also indicate two main paths to compulsive social media consumption. One path is behavioral, based on habit, and the other is motivational, based on fear of missing out. Moreover, the authors identified the key antecedents of both paths. Habit formation was observed to be a function of situational cues (technological nudges in the online sphere) and consumer engagement. Fear of missing out was shaped by both injunctive norms (a consumer norm to be online) and descriptive norms (social proof). Research limitations/implications Although the antecedents of compulsive social media consumption suggested in this study have a strong and significant effect, the explained variance in the dependent variables being always logged in and excessive social media use indicates that there might be other drivers as well. These should be explored along with moderators other than gender and age to identify the potential boundary conditions of the model. Practical implications The main implications of the present work point to the “ease” with which typical or normal social media use may spiral out of control and become compulsive, with adverse implications for consumer health and well-being. Originality/value The behavioral and motivational paths to compulsive social media consumption have been less explored and have not yet been studied in conjunction, nor have their antecedents and consequences. Thus, this is a novel approach to understanding how social media use can potentially lead to reduced control and well-being.
Caruelle, Delphine Sylvie Sophie; Lervik-Olsen, Line & Gustafsson, Anders (2023)
The Clock is Ticking—Or Is It? Customer Satisfaction Response to Waiting Shorter vs. Longer than Expected During a Service Encounter
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.
Kurtmollaiev, Seidali; Lervik-Olsen, Line & Andreassen, Tor W. (2023)
The Norwegian Innovation Index: Methodological Foundations
Samfunns- og næringslivsforskning.
Kurtmollaiev, Seidali; Lervik-Olsen, Line & Andreassen, Tor W. (2022)
Competing through innovation: Let the customer judge!
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
Kurtmollaiev, Seidali; Lervik-Olsen, Line & Andreassen, Tor W. (2021)
Hvordan balansere mellom digitale og sosiale innovasjoner
Ledere som ønsker at deres bedrift skal være relevant og attraktiv, må bedre balansere forholdet mellom to innovasjonsstrategier: digitalisering av kundefronten og innovasjoner forankret i samfunnsansvar. Sistnevnte kaller vi sosiale innovasjoner. For ledere fortoner dette seg som et valg mellom å sette søkelys på innovasjoner som er til bedriftens beste, gjennom å digitalisere kundeløsninger, eller å gi oppmerksomhet til innovasjoner som er sosiale, miljø- og samfunnsnyttige. Sagt på en annen måte: Hvilke innovasjoner bidrar mest til å øke kundelojaliteten og dermed kundebasens økonomiske verdi? I denne artikkelen belyser vi problemstillingen med utgangspunkt i virksomhetenes viktigste interessentgruppe – kundene. Vi har intervjuet mer enn 10 000 kunder av norske bedrifter. Tallenes tale er klar: Sosiale innovasjoner er tre ganger så viktige som digitale i sin samvariasjon med opplevd innovasjonsevne, relativ attraktivitet og kundelojalitet. Samtidig viser resultatene at digitalisering kan være en svært viktig forutsetning for å lykkes med sosiale innovasjoner. En bedrift som vil oppnå vekst i omsetning og lojale kunder, bør derfor ikke stoppe ved digitalisering av kundeopplevelsen, men bruke de mulighetene digitalisering gir til å skape sosiale innovasjoner som bidrar gir positive bidrag til miljø og samfunn. I artikkelen belyser vi også ulike innovasjonsorienteringer som vi finner blant bedrifter og virksomheter, om de er digitalt eller sosialt forankret. Til slutt diskuterer vi hvilke ledelsesmessige implikasjoner de ulike orienteringene gir.
van Riel, Allard C. R.; Andreassen, Tor W., Lervik-Olsen, Line, Zhang, Lu, Mithas, Sunil & Heinonen, Kristina (2021)
A customer-centric five actor model for sustainability and service innovation
Service industries are increasingly unsustainable. Considering consumers as change agents, we show how service innovation may contribute to a service ecosystem that helps achieve emerging sustainability goals. To achieve sustainability the dyadic focus on value-co-creation is complemented with a broader stakeholder perspective, abandoning the shareholder-first-doctrine toward a collaborative stakeholder perspective, emphasizing profit, planet, and people. We propose a five-actor model and argue that one stakeholder - the consumer - is a central driver of sustainability. Consumers’ sustainability-focused behaviors drive the market for sustainable products and services, leading to sustainable firm and investor behavior. Beyond a conceptual model, our empirical study shows that innovations in social and environmental dimensions drive customer loyalty to the brands. Consumers aware of the consequences and risks associated with unsustainable consumption tend to consume more responsibly. Service firms integrating a stakeholder perspective into the design of their service systems perform better on the triple bottom line.
Lervik-Olsen, Line (2019)
Adopsjon av sosiale medier i kjøpsprosessen
Magma forskning og viten, 22(4), s. 33- 41.
Bedrifter ønsker i større grad å benytte sosiale medier i reklame og markedsføringsøyemed. Kundene er betenkte, og stadig flere velger å reservere seg mot reklame i sosiale medier. Et betimelig spørsmål er derfor hva som må til for at kunder skal adoptere sosiale medier. I denne artikkelen studerer vi hvordan teknologisk tilrettelegging og sosial innflytelse fra familie og venner påvirker vår motivasjon til å adoptere sosiale medier. Resultatene viser at både teknologisk tilrettelegging og sosial innflytelse motiverer oss til å bruke sosiale medeier, men gjør det på ulikt vis.
Caruelle, Delphine; Gustafsson, Anders, Shams, Poja & Lervik-Olsen, Line (2019)
The use of electrodermal activity (EDA) measurement to understand consumer emotions – A literature review and a call for action
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.
Gustafsson, Anders & Lervik-Olsen, Line (2018)
The Past, Present and Futrure of Service Marketing: From Understanding Quality to Understanding Customers
Sasson, Amir (red.). At the Forefront, Looking Ahead: Research-Based Answers to Contemporary Uncertainties of Management
Kurtmollaiev, Seidali; Lervik-Olsen, Line & Andreassen, Tor W. (2018)
Norske bedrifter er opptatt av innovasjon. Motivasjonen er mangslungen. Noen innoverer for å kutte kostnader i produksjon og administrasjon eller for å bli mer bærekraftige. Andre ønsker å innovere i bedriftens eksisterende tilbud for å heve kvaliteten på leverte varer og tjenester eller for å redusere variasjonen i kvaliteten. Atter andre innoverer i organisasjonskultur for å bli mer kundesentriske. Felles for de fleste bedrifter er at kundene ikke blir spurt om bedriftens innovasjonsaktiviteter, og at kundenes syn på kvalitet blir tillagt begrenset betydning. Dette er typisk ved for eksempel klagehåndtering. I denne artikkelen benytter vi data fra Norsk Innovasjonsindeks utviklet ved Center for Service Innovation (CSI) på Norges Handelshøyskole. Vi hører fra markedsdirektører i utvalgte bransjer og bedrifter som forteller om hvilke innovasjoner som har funnet sted, og fra kunder som forteller om hva de opplever at bedriftene har gjort av endringer. Avstanden mellom hva bedriftene gjør, og hva kundene opplever at de faktisk gjør, gir ny innsikt som ledere kan bruke i sitt innovasjonsarbeid. Vi finner at i motsetning til stereotypiske oppfatninger om kunders manglende evne til å vurdere bedriftens innovasjonsarbeid, legger kundene godt merke til endringer. Innovasjonene oppfattes imidlertid ikke som enkeltstående tiltak, men som et resultat av den totale kundeopplevelsen. Ikke overraskende er det ofte forskjeller mellom bedriftens og kundenes vurdering av type endringer og omfanget på endringene. I noen tilfeller fører disse forskjellene, og bedriftens manglende kundeforståelse, til sterke emosjonelle kundereaksjoner, noe som igjen kan ha store konsekvenser for bedriftens omdømme og økonomi.
Andreassen, Tor W.; Lervik-Olsen, Line, Snyder, Hannah, Allard, Van Riel, Sweeney, Jill & Yves, Van Vaerenbergh (2018)
Business model innovation and value-creation: the triadic way
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.
Feilbruk av internett kan føre til økt stress, redusert velvære og at vi logger av i økende grad. Dette får store konsekvenser for norske bedrifter. Hva skal de gjøre nå? Vise ansvar og oppfordre til å logge av? Etablere fysiske butikker i stedet? Eller legge til rette for mer hensiktsmessig og meningsfylt bruk? Spørsmålene er mange og ubesvarte. I denne artikkelen ser vi derfor på hva som får oss til å logge av internett, hvilke konsekvenser dette har for oss selv som individer, og ikke minst hvilke konsekvenser dette kan ha for bedriftene som vil beholde kundene sine – også på nett.
Andreassen, Tor W.; van Oest, Rutger Daniel & Lervik-Olsen, Line (2018)
Customer Inconvenience and Price Compensation: A Multiperiod Approach to Labor-Automation Trade-Offs in Services
Purpose – Improving the commercial success rate of innovations requires alternative approaches based on social science methodologies for identifying subtle, emerging changes in consumer needs and behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to address this call by proposing trend spotting to guide innovation researchers and service managers towards innovations that are more in accordance with emerging consumer needs. Design/methodology/approach – The authors develop, describe, and employ a methodology for trend spotting to derive eight consumer trends that will have a strong influence on their choices. To provide further insights into these trends, the authors label and describe three customer segments as a function of life-cycle. The goal is to provide a framework for identifying innovations that are of higher value consumers. Findings – The authors identified eight consumer trends, i.e. Always on the go, Always logged-in, Quality information faster, Nowism, Look at me now, Privacy, Sustainable living, and return on time (RoT), present across the three life-stage segments, i.e. Young free and single, Chaos in my life, and Got my life back. Practical implications – For illustration purpose, the authors elaborate on the trend RoT and employ their findings and framework to illustrate how the airline industry may derive ideas for valuable innovations. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first time trend spotting has been employed in the field of service marketing and service innovations.
Lervik-Olsen, Line & Andreassen, Tor W. (2014)
Social Media Usage and Adoption: Are People Ready?
Ayanso, Anteneh & Lertwachara, Kaveepan (red.). Harnessing the Power of Social Media and Web Analytics
Lervik-Olsen, Line; Witell, Lars & Gustafsson, Anders (2014)
Turning customer satisfaction measurements into action