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Purpose – The purpose of this article is to employ Self-Determination Theory to explain the mediated impact of work design – empowerment and serial and investiture socialization – on employee work affect. The theory proposes fulfilment of three psychological needs – autonomy, competence, and relatedness – will mediate individuals' ability to achieve contextually relevant well-being. An empirical study tests this claim and exposes the structure of the mediating effects. Design/methodology/approach – Survey responses were collected from a sample of 239 front-line service employees using snowball data collection. SEM was used to test hypotheses. Findings – Findings suggest that empowerment and serial and investiture socialization are significantly differentially related to need fulfilment. Additionally, all forms of need fulfilment do not directly influence employee affect. Instead, there are both direct and interactive effects that work simultaneously to influence employees' positive work affect. Practical implications – This study exposes specific work design levers managers can manipulate to benefit employees. This research highlights the different effects of specific work design variables on employee work affect. Originality/value – This paper extends understanding of Self-Determination Theory by exposing the direct and interactive effects of need fulfilment on work affect for service workers. Also, it delivers a deeper exploration of the impact of work design on employees by modelling multiple work design variables as well as process variables simultaneously to provide a more detailed picture of how work design influences employee work affect.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss how, using a futures studies perspective, marketing is uniquely positioned to address future challenges facing health-care service systems. Design/methodology/approach The futures studies perspective involves predicting probable, preferable and possible futures. Using digital and face-to-face data collection methods, health-care professionals, academics and patients were asked about their perspectives and expectations of health care’s future. Using grounded theory, responses were analyzed to a point of thematic saturation to expose the immediate probable future and a preferred future of health care. Findings Patients expressed a desire to participate in health-care delivery, impacting caregivers’ roles. Thus, co-creation of value in this context is contingent on the relationship among stakeholders: patients, patients’ families, caregivers and health-care organizations. Concordance, a type of value co-creation, is an effective way for physicians and patients to ameliorate health outcomes. Research limitations/implications Although a more diverse sample would be ideal, insight from health-care professionals, academics and patients across global regions was obtained. Practical implications To achieve a preferred future in health care, practitioners should implement a three-pronged approach, which includes health promotion and prevention, appropriate use of technology in health care and concordance. Originality/value Using patients, health-care professionals and academics, this research broadens the concept of value co-creation in health care. Additionally, paths (i.e. promotion and prevention, technology use and concordance) to a preferred health-care future are uncovered.

Service captivity occurs when consumers engage in services that significantly constrain their choice, voice, and power—and yet, despite these restrictions, consumers are limited in their option to exit the exchange. The authors conceptualize and develop an empirically grounded framework of service captivity, contextualize service captivity within two settings to further support the framework and expose negative service delivery, and then highlight its pervasiveness through a typology of captivity archetypes. Service captivity is more pervasive than current marketing literature would suggest, and consumers experience constraints that can lead to felt vulnerability, which then contributes to a negative spiral of service. Findings from this research extend the broader marketing conversation by revealing consumers’ common market experiences and highlighting the importance of understanding service captivity for consumer and policy researchers. The authors discuss the potential for policy makers and consumer advocates to interrupt the negative service spiral and alleviate consumer vulnerability through policy and market actions connected to service captivity.

Purpose Low-income consumers’ perceptions of access and inclusion in financial services, remain underresearched. To fill this gap, the purpose of this study, is to investigate elements of low-income consumers’ informal and formal financial service experiences, from their personal experience. Design/methodology/approach Mixed methods using data collected from low-income consumers in Latin America, reveal a spectrum of consumer perceptions making up access, inclusion and social dependence within financial service experiences. Scales, grounded in the consumer experience, are developed, validated and used to test a model of consumers’ service inclusivity perceptions. Findings Service costs, information and documentation difficulty, convenience and social dynamics influence low-income consumers’ perceptions of financial service inclusivity. Research limitations/implications Analysis reveals differentiation in the impact of aspects of low-income consumers’ experiences between formal and informal financial services. Working directly with this unique population exposes the nuance of their financial service experiences. Practical implications This research provides a more holistic perspective on low-income consumers’ financial service experience and provides contextually relevant scales with robust psychometric properties. Services marketers can use this research to inform design and evaluation of financial service offerings for low-income consumers. Originality/value This research contributes to study of the wellbeing of low-income consumers by providing understanding of their financial service experiences from their point-of-view and providing contextually-relevant, empirically validated tools for future inquiry.

Purpose of the Study: Experiential learning allows students to bridge theory and practice, and there is substantial research that points to the benefits of this approach. However, prior research has not explored reasons why experiential learning is effective. Not all experiential learning is created equally and not all students experience equal success; so, empirical research is needed to explain experiential learning effectiveness and provide guidance on course design that promotes success. This research uses Self-Determination Theory to address this gap in scholarship. Method/Design and Sample: Self-Determination Theory suggests contextual fulfillment of psychological needs - autonomy, relatedness, and competence - is associated with increased student motivation and improved student outcomes. An Integrated Marketing Communication course was designed with the goal of increasing student perceptions of need fulfillment. Using a before/after survey with paired observation t-tests, this research compares student perceptions of need fulfillment and key learning outcomes in the current course to prior courses. Ordinary least squares regression was used to uncover the relationships between specific needs and outcomes. The sample consisted of 98 juniors and seniors. Results: Consistent with SDT, results suggest that course design was successful in increasing psychological needs fulfillment and student perceived outcomes. Also, significant relationships were found between need fulfillment and student outcomes. Findings help illuminate underlying mechanisms that give experiential learning its power. The study suggests courses can be designed to promote psychological needs and, therefore, better student outcomes. Value to Marketing Educators: This research informs design of future experiential learning marketing curricula according to Self-Determination Theory.

The purpose of this participatory research project is to examine the lived experiences (counter-life stories) of current and former Dunbar residents and congregants of Dunbar churches to demonstrate how local stories counter the dominant perspective about the experiences of American Americans in the Dunbar community. Once a thriving community at the center of civil rights activities in Hays County, Texas, the neighborhood has evolved in many ways in the past several decades, contrary to popular belief. This case study employs counter-life story methodology to uncover the hidden truths about Dunbar residents and congregants’ experiences to generate new knowledge about the experiences of African Americans in San Marcos, Texas, and Hays County. Thematic analysis of unfiltered commentary from Dunbar community members revealed three emergent themes: history of racism and slavery, impact of environmental and social racism, and rebuilding and restoring the community. Individual and shared strengths make the community unique and resilient. In-migration of new community members has been outpaced by outmigration. Finally, issues of taxation, representation, and the ongoing deterioration of neighborhood infrastructure are forefront in community members’ minds. In sum, the bedrock of personal and community values and hard work has not changed, but external forces continue to affect the community and compel it to pivot and make plans for change. Personal and communal strengths make the community unique and resilient. Future work will enlist geographic data and methods to help further investigate changes over time.

Purpose This paper aims to develop an understanding of key variables for designing and marketing healthcare services for immigrant consumers – widely considered a vulnerable consumer group. Design/methodology/approach Data collected from 277 participants was analyzed using ANOVA models and mean score comparisons. Findings Differences based on immigrant status and acculturation level are identified. Differences between immigrant acculturation levels based on service quality dimensions are also revealed. Research implications This research indicates that acculturation-based studies are insightful and finds that immigrants’ service responses do not mirror those of native respondents in healthcare services. Practical and social implications This research highlights key nuances within immigrant populations that hold significant implications for service providers. Culturally appropriate service design and marketing can enhance service utilization by the target population. Originality/value This study focuses on the healthcare service experiences of immigrant populations and application of this information to service design.

Purpose This paper aims to examine how other-regarding personality traits relate to reciprocity among frontline employees (FLEs). Design/methodology/approach Other-regarding personality variables were used to model the propensity for reciprocity and actual reciprocal behaviors with coworkers. Surveys of 276 FLEs were examined via structural equations modeling. Findings Other-regarding personality traits proved to be antecedents of reciprocity. Cynicism was particularly interesting in that it was positively related to reciprocity contrary to findings in other research. Research limitations/implications Among the interesting findings relating personality to reciprocity are a more affective type of reciprocity based on empathy and altruism, and a more calculative type based on cynicism related to Machiavellianism. Practical implications Managers can use the effects of personality traits on reciprocity and cooperation to hire and place FLEs in ways that provide superior service and increased profits. Social implications This paper indicates that certain individuals who might not typically be thought of as cooperative can in fact reciprocate. Specific ideas about cynicism and Machiavellian reciprocity in FLEs are discussed. Originality/value The findings will aid researchers and managers in understanding personality and FLEs cooperation. The findings on cynicism are particularly valuable in that they contradict some earlier research and commonly held managerial ideas.

This article conceptualises transformative service research and encourages service researchers to engage in research activities that promote human well-being. The authors advance a new research agenda that, unlike traditional service research, treats outcomes related to consumer well-being, including quality of life issues, as important, managerially relevant, and worthy of study. Both (i) services/service systems that already possess transformational qualities through their inherent design and are intended to enhance well-being (but in actuality may not do so) and (ii) other services/service systems that do not focus on transformational qualities but could enhance or unintentionally hurt well-being are worthy of additional research and study. Although transformative service research may be challenging, we argue that both consumers and the organizations that serve them may benefit from research that examines how services can and do improve or reduce the welfare of individuals, communities, nations, and the global ecosystem. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

Services often fail because they are not grounded in customer needs and wants; therefore, it is important that service providers explicitly consider customer needs when designing and managing service processes. Service process design, the topic of this chapter, provides a structured approach to developing and managing service offerings. The chapter highlights research on service process design with particular emphasis on identifying resources, capabilities, and service design tools. A five-stage design process is recommended, which service providers may find helpful when planning the service provision. Specific tools and techniques that designers can use to better meet customer needs and facilitate the planning and/or evaluation of service processes are suggested for each stage. The chapter concludes with a discussion of new approaches to service process design and suggestions for future research.