Customer positivity and participation in services: an empirical test in a health care context

Many service interactions require customers to actively participate, yet customers often do not participate at levels that optimize their outcomes, particularly in health care. To gain insight into how customers shape a service experience with highly uncertain outcomes, we construct a model on the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. The model is used to empirically assess how situation-specific emotions and customer participation during a health care service experience affect perceptions of the service provider. The model is tested using data from 190 medical clinic customers. Consistent with theory, results reveal that as customers’ relative affect levels become more positive, levels of participation increase as well. In turn, higher levels of positivity and participation improve customer perceptions of the quality of the service provider and satisfaction with the co-produced service experience. Implications of this research focus managers on designing services to help clients manage their emotions in ways that facilitate positivity and participation and thus improve service perceptions.     

The service imperative

Services dominate the world's established economies (such as those of the US, Germany, and Finland) and are becoming increasingly important in developing economies, including those of China and India. Yet most companies, national governments, and universities do not put much energy into service research, innovation, or education. This ironic juxtaposition of facts has led us, along with others, to promote a focus on service research and service innovation across companies and institutions. We call this the “service imperative.” In this article, we present our view of the service imperative as a burning platform that is giving birth to many hopeful directions for the future of the global economy. We believe that companies and nations that embrace the service imperative will prosper and benefit, as will individuals who do the same. We also contend that widespread embracing of the service imperative can lead to improved quality of life for people worldwide.     

Risk Communication and the Social Amplification of Public Sector Risk

Concerns exist within the public sector about the ability of organizations to communicate issues of risk. These concerns include: the nature and magnitude of risks; the vulnerability of those who may bear the consequences associated with an event; and the sense of helplessness felt by victim groups. Apart from the public sector's role as risk generator, regulator and communicator, it also has some responsibility for dealing with the consequences of a major catastrophic event through agencies such as health care and the emergency services. Under certain conditions, it is apparent that concerns over risk issues can escalate beyond a level expected by those charged with the management of that risk. Within this framework, the effective communication of risk and uncertainty is an integral, but often neglected, part of public sector activities. This article explores the process of risk communication and risk amplification and suggests a number of perspectives on policy development.     

A Markovian cross-impact model

The author describes a cross-impact method which is based on Markov-chain theory. This allows scenarios to be derived which explicitly include the time dimension. An example of the use of the method is included which deals with the installation of nuclear reactors for energy production.     

Is the secondary loan market valuable to borrowers?

In recent years, the secondary loan market has developed into an over-the-counter market where loans are not only sold but also subsequently traded. This shift away from traditional banking is altering the business of lending. Loan sales are valuable to banks because they free up capital, generate fee-based income and facilitate risk management; but they may be costly to borrowers because they negatively affect bank monitoring incentives. In this paper, however, we argue that there is another potential benefit to borrowers from loan sales. Borrowers with trading loans, in particular those with liquid loans, may “demand” a share of bank benefits from loan sales when they take out new loans as it will be easier for banks to sell these loans afterwards. We investigate this potential benefit of the secondary loan market by comparing the interest rates borrowers pay before their loans start to trade with the interest rates they pay on loans originated post-trading. Our results show that, on average, borrowers pay higher spreads on the loans they take out after the onset of trading on their loans. Importantly, our results also show that borrowers with liquid trading loans are able to borrow at lower interest rates after the onset of trading on their loans. Thus, while the banks’ decision to sell loans may initially impose a cost on borrowers, those whose loans enter the secondary loan market and become liquid benefit from an interest rate discount on their subsequent loans.     

Predicting an American future for cohousing

Cohousing is an innovative form of accommodation. It offers economic, environmental and social advantages over existing forms of development. Cohousing emerged in the USA during the past 20 years as an innovative housing form with a niche market, but adoptions to date have been limited. This paper seeks to determine the future for cohousing in the USA, using innovation diffusion theories. It reviews the factors influencing the rate of diffusion of cohousing (relative advantages, compatibility, complexity, trialability and observability). It investigates the impact of path dependencies and the existence of disruptive technologies on adoptions. It considers the potential for cohousing to “cross the chasm” and be adopted by the mainstream. The findings of the research suggest that “grass-roots” approaches to the creation of cohousing communities are likely to result in the greatest number of adoptions in the future.     

几何形状与压实对无线射频识别（RFID）标签印刷天线性能的影响

采用印刷天线的无线射频识别（RFID）标签,成本低,但性能不如金属天线标签。在不增加成本的情况下,提高印刷天线的性能则可替代金属天线。阻抗越低印刷天线的性能越高,而阻抗又取决于天线的厚度和导电油墨的阻抗。为了研究油墨紧度和粗细对阻抗的影响,制备了不同线径的印刷天线。实验结果显示,通过压实印刷天线线圈,阻抗降低40％以上,而电感和电容则维持不变,且印刷天线经压实的RFID标签识别距离明显增加。此外,测试了试制的印刷天线RFID标签,结果表明识别范围已经可以与铜质天线媲美,且发现RFID标签的信号读取范围不依赖于标签的几何形状。稳定读取范围的存在使低精度印刷天线技术的应用成为可能,从而可降低标签制作成本。     

Assessing Nonlinear Dynamics of Central Bank Reaction Function: The Case of Mozambique

This paper sheds some light on the elements governing monetary policy‐making during the period 2000Q1–2015Q1 in Mozambique. We estimate a time‐varying Taylor‐type rule for the BM, using a Markov‐switching (MS) model and a Threshold model. The general finding is that the behaviour of the BM can be characterised by two regimes. In regime 1, only changes in inflation trigger a reaction by the monetary authority. This behaviour is prominent after the establishment of the monetary policy committee in 2007 (CPMO). In regime 2, the BM reacts aggressively both to cool off the economic activity and to curb inflationary pressures. Regime 2 occurred most frequently during 2000–2006, when the fiscal policy might have played an important role in output stabilization. After the establishment of the CPMO, regime 2 occurred in the context of a steep rise in fuel and food prices in 2007–2008 and in 2010. Both the MS model and the Threshold model show similar asymmetric effects. We find evidence that inflation is viewed more seriously by the monetary authorities when it is accompanied by a high output‐gap in the previous period, which triggers a more aggressive response from the monetary authorities.     

China Spillovers: New Evidence from Time-Varying Estimates

The recent “rebalancing” of China’s economy has raised concerns that the country’s growth slowdown may have large global implications. This note looks at this issue by analyzing the effects of China’s growth shocks on the output of other countries and how these effects have changed over time. Estimates indicate that the magnitude of China’s spillovers has steadily increased during the last two decades, but remains yet limited. Spillovers are larger in neighboring (Asian) countries and in emerging markets and developing economies. Trade linkages remain main transmission channels. In addition, a negative shock in China has (marginal) positive effects for net commodity importers while negative for net commodity exporters.     

Impact of tacit knowledge on customer loyalty

Tacit knowledge about customers held by contact personnel is a priority for better satisfying customer needs and creating added value. This research project seeks to develop a model to analyse the impact of tacit knowledge on loyalty for rural tourism lodgings. A questionnaire was applied to the clients of rural tourism lodgings who had either already consumed rural tourism services at least once or were then currently consuming such services. By applying structural equation models, the results demonstrate how tacit knowledge does improve the performance of employees in engaging in affective bonds and enables better understanding of the needs and expectations of customers. Furthermore, the results confirm how tacit knowledge about customers represents a resource able to promote customer loyalty and thus a very strong potential source of competitive advantage.