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“A Behavioral Approach to the Study of Service Phenomena”

“A Behavioral Approach to the Study of Service Phenomena”. Mike Brady Florida State University.

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“A Behavioral Approach to the Study of Service Phenomena”

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  1. “A Behavioral Approach to the Study of Service Phenomena” Mike Brady Florida State University

  2. Overview:- *My views* on Service Research: - A look backwards - A look at today- Implications for service research- Implications for you- Implications for doing research- Implications for the job market

  3. *Disclaimer: I’mnot REALLY a behavioral researcher (I don’t even own a pair of sandals….)

  4. Conceptual Modeling • An emphasis of early service research was “conceptual modeling.” • One focus in this trend had to do with understanding constructs: • Service quality (PZB 1985, 1988) • Value (Zeithaml 1988) • Satisfaction (Oliver 1981, 1997) • Behavioral intentions (ZBP 1996) • Loyalty (Oliver 1999) • Service recovery (Smith, Bolton & Wagner 1998; Tax and Brown 1998)

  5. Conceptual Path Models • A second focus in this trend had to do with understanding how constructs relate to each other (“path models”): • Bolton & Drew 1991 • Ostrom and Iacobucci 1995 • Fornell et al. 1996 • Boulding et al. 1993 • Sweeney, Soutar, and Johnson 1999 • Andreassen 1998 • Cronin, Brady, and Hult 2000

  6. Service Research Trends • Relatively few studies enlisted behavioral techniques. • Some (un)scientific evidence: • JSR 2000 – 2002: • 20 path models • 4 experimental studies • 2 qualitative • JSR 2006 – 2007: • 15 path models • 8 experimental studies • 6 qualitative

  7. Service Research Trends • Some more (un)scientific evidence: • 2006 SERVSIG Award Winning Paper: • “Inferences about the Brand from Counterstereotypical Service Providers,”Matta and Folkes

  8. Recent JSR Examples • “The Influence of Angry Customer Outbursts on Service Providers’ Facial Displays and Affective States” • “Aesthetics and Professionalism of Virtual Servicescapes” • “Managing Voice-to-Voice Encounters: Reducing the Agony of Being Put on Hold” • “The Moderating Role of Familiarity in Fairness Perceptions of Revenue Management Pricing” • “The Impact of Sponsor Fit on Brand Equity: The Case of Nonprofit Service Providers” • “Should Recommendation Agents Think Like People?”

  9. Implications for Service Research • We need to remember that service research is still relatively new. • It appears that now that a conceptual foundation is established, the next steps entail an infusion of other areas (e.g., behavioral research) • The establishment of conceptual linkages allows for causal verification. • Recent JSR Examples: • “How Effective Are Loyalty Reward Programs in Driving Share of Wallet?” • “Differential Effects of Preferential Treatment Levels on Relational Outcomes”

  10. Implications for doing behavioral service research • Some Things I’ve noticed: • On the upside: • IRB headaches aside, data are easier to obtain • Findings are conclusive • There’s no “reasonable” significance • p-values are not inherently flawed • Internal validity is within your control • CMV

  11. Implications for doing behavioral service research • Some Things I’ve noticed: • On the downside: • The learning curve is relatively steep • A fair degree of cleverness is needed • Misbehaving data • Residual distaste for practical implications

  12. Implications for the Job Market • A Word of Caution: • The largest number of students on the job market last year (and every year) defined themselves as “consumer behavior” • Only 4% defined themselves as “services” the last three years • Do you really want to compete with the majority of the market? • If you’re not from a CB-oriented school, do you really want to compete with students from CB schools?

  13. Implications for the Job Market • You might consider adopting “a behavioral approach to the study of service phenomena” (or the like) • Consider looking at research questions that build on prior research and have interesting strategic and/or practical implications.

  14. Some Working Projects • “Consumer Responses to Performance Failures by High-Equity Brands” (in press) • Conveying Trust to Online Consumers • Service Bundle Incentives • On the Use of Humor in Service Encounters • Web-Based Instructor Ratings • Grace Under Pressure

  15. My Christmas List 2007….

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