Other consumers in service encounters: A script theoretical perspective

Hospitality service consumptions often involve sharing the service environment with other consumers. Drawing upon the Script Theory, this research provides a theoretical perspective of consumer responses to behaviors of other consumers in service encounters. The results from an experimental study provide strong support for the dual-mode consumer responses (felt emotions and displayed emotions) and for the moderating effect of psychological closeness on consumer responses. Managerial implications for training, service management and service design in hospitality businesses are also discussed.     

Developing a multidimensional scale of customer-oriented deviance (COD)

Although frontline employees' bending of organizational rules and norms for customers is an important phenomenon, marketing scholars to date only broadly describe over-servicing behaviors and provide little distinction among deviant behavioral concepts. Drawing on research on pro-social and pro-customer behaviors and on studies of positive deviance, this paper develops and validates a multi-faceted, multi-dimensional construct term customer-oriented deviance. Results from two samples totaling 616 frontline employees (FLEs) in the retail and hospitality industries demonstrate that customer-oriented deviance is a four-dimensional construct with sound psychometric properties. Evidence from a test of a theoretical model of key antecedents establishes nomological validity with empathy/perspective-taking, risk-taking propensity, role conflict, and job autonomy as key predictors. Results show that the dimensions of customer-oriented deviance are distinct and have significant implications for theory and practice.     

The silence of the Kogi in front of tourists

This article sets out to explain the silent behavior of the indigenous Kogi people of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta when in front of tourists. It was found that silence corresponds to indigenous cosmology, to Kogi behavioral protocol when faced with outsiders, and to a defense strategy in front of tourists. Understanding the interactions between tourists and indigenous peoples has practical implications for designing cultural policies in these territories. The work is original in its use of ethnography in place of quantitative methods for studying the factors that determine the behavior of the residents in front of tourists. Equally it constitutes a contribution to the few studies that exist on silence as a rhetorical strategy in power relations.     

Differences in Cross-Cultural Negotiation Behavior Between Manufacturers and Service-Oriented Firms

ABSTRACT

In this age or the global economy, Cross-Cultural negotiations is becoming an ever increasing important part of the management and marketing process for nearly every firm. In this study, we compare the cross-cultural negotiations behavior and differences in the perceived processes between manufacturers and service-oriented firms. We report significant differences between the two groups and provide analysis.     

Host/Guest Encounters in the Commercial Home

Abstract

Commercial homes, which provide hospitality where the private home dimension is significant, blur traditional boundaries between home and work and social constructions of hospitableness versus hospitality. Drawing on interviews with owner‐managers of these micro businesses and a guest‐researcher’s experiences and observations, this paper explores the home space as a dual‐purpose site of both commercial work and domestic retreat. First, use and meanings of domestic symbols in performances on the home as stage are examined. Second, there is an exploration of social control and spatial management strategies employed by hosts and guests. The findings reveal that domestic symbols add to the construction and interpretation of negotiated normative practices within these home‐based enterprises. They may adopt the role of identity markers and communication tools. Hosts employ an array of mechanisms to achieve physical or emotional distance between the domains of home and work. Social constructs may be subtle as well as explicit, including spatial as well as temporal mechanisms of social control and boundary setting, framed by unspoken protocols.     

Use encounter standards and curves for achieved privacy in wilderness

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between wilderness use encounters and degree of privacy achieved at three locations within a wilderness. The theoretical perspective of the research was grounded in environmental psychology, which emphasized the dynamic nature of person and situation fit, rather than the sociology of normative behavior. The study depicted privacy as a dependent measure and argued that privacy is not the opposite of perceived crowding. It also suggested that privacy may be a more appropriate dependent variable for encounter studies than those measures used in past recreation research. Privacy was operationalized as ‘'the level of desired privacy achieved,’’ measured on a 10‐point scale. It was then compared with level of actual, ideal, and maximum use encounters for 600 users of a South Carolina wilderness area. Results indicated that number of actual group encounters was inversely related to degree of desired privacy achieved, in the hypothesized inverse curve pattern anticipated but never proved for satisfaction research. Encounter‐privacy curves for ideal and maximum encounter levels also resulted in predicted patterns. Finally, degree of privacy achieved was negatively affected when ideal and maximum encounters were exceeded by actual encounters, showing a high degree of congruency between theorized and empirical findings.     

Perceived importance of native language use in service encounters

Despite the importance of interactions in services, the role language plays in services is an under-researched field. This paper outlines for which services language is especially important. Consistent across studies in three countries (Belgium, Canada and Finland), the findings suggest that bilingual consumers find it particularly important to be served in their native language in high-involvement services. Moreover, for high-involvement services, all consumers find it important to be served in their native language. For low-involvement services, elderly consumers are less willing to switch language than young consumers. The importance of native language use did not differ between males and females.     

Managing the Real Estate Salesforce Through Career Stages

Rcsearchers have identified four career stages hat employees pass through: exploration, establishmcnt, maintenance, and disengagcrnent. This study explored the impact of real estate salespeople's career stages on attitudes toward their jobs and perfor- mance. The sample consisted of 241 full-time real estate salespeople in Missouri. The results of this study showed that Ule lowest levels of organizational commitment, job involvement, perceived job chal- lenge, and job satisfaction were found for real estate salespeople in the exploration stage and the disengagement stage of their careers. Real estate salespeople in the exploration stage had lower job perfor- mance than did real estate salespeople in the other career stages. Suggestions for motivating salespeople in a service industry are provided.     

Factors Influencing Intercultural Sensitivity of Hospitality Employees

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the factors influencing the development of intercultural sensitivity among hospitality employees. The study particularly looks at the relationship between intercultural sensitivity levels of hospitality employees and their previous educational work experiences. Based on a survey (Intercultural Sensitivity Scale) scale with 443 hospitality employees overall means were calculated. Results of the analysis show that exposure to other cultures by participating previously in student exchange programs (e.g. ERASMUS), work and travel programs, and spending long periods of time abroad increased people’s intercultural sensitivity. Interestingly though, the study found that having formal tourism and hospitality education did not have any influence on the level of intercultural sensitivity of hospitality employees.     

Understanding the interfaces:: How ocean freight shipping lines can maximize satisfaction

Physical distribution services are becoming increasingly important as supply chains strive to become more efficient in the logistical flow of goods to industrial customers. Performance of these services, however, takes place during encounters that customers have with various interfacing departments within the firm. These encounters may ultimately determine the level of satisfaction clients have with the service and the concomitant perceived quality. While previous research in this area has focused on service quality assessment, little attention has been given to determining the pattern of interfacing departments that maximize service satisfaction. This study examines a sample of shipping managers in Singapore who evaluated the service dimensions of ocean freight shipping lines (or companies). Using an analytical method called decision tree calculus, this article identifies the combination of interfacing departments that maximize service satisfaction. The results of this approach offer definite guidance to ocean shipping lines in terms of the importance of key interfacing departments in shaping satisfaction and perceived quality. Implications are discussed.