The role of social incompatibility in customer discomfort

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 815-837 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Scott Rosenbaum ◽  
Tali Seger-Guttmann ◽  
Ofir Mimran
Keyword(s):  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Experimental Design ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Survey Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
Israeli Arabs ◽  
Place Avoidance ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of customer discomfort in service settings when employees and customers who share social incompatibilities, stemming from war, nationalism, religious differences or terrorism, work together in service settings. Design/methodology/approach The authors engage in triangulation research to understand how Israeli Arabs and Jews experience comfort/discomfort in services. Study 1 uses an experimental design to show how comfort differs when Israeli Jews work with Arabs and Jews in three different service settings. Study 2 employs survey methodology to explore how comfort differs among Israeli Arabs when they work with either an Arab or a Jewish employee. Study 3 uses grounded theory methodology to provide a theoretical framework that explains reasons for customer discomfort occurrence between Israel’s Arabs and Jews, its impact on customers’ attitudes and behaviors and suggestions for increasing comfort. Findings Israeli Arabs and Jews express various feelings of discomfort when working with each other, and Druze, in service settings. Israeli Jews express higher levels of discomfort when working with Arabs than vice versa, while Israeli Arabs express discomfort when working with Druze employees. Five strategies for increasing customer comfort are defined and developed. Research limitations/implications Social incompatibilities prevent many consumers and employees from experiencing comfort during service exchanges; however, managers can alleviate some of the factors that exacerbate customer discomfort. Practical implications Managers need to realize that customer discomfort leads to place avoidance and thus should implement strategies to assuage it. Social implications Unabated service situations that result in customer discomfort may lead to customer ill-being, including fear. Originality/value This study is the first to explore customer discomfort due to social incompatibilities in depth.

Perceived interviewee anxiety and performance in telephone interviews

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 320-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debora Jeske ◽  
Kenneth S. Shultz ◽  
Sarah Owen
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Design ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Telephone Interview ◽  
Subjective Assessment ◽  
Audio Recording ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on the role of interviewee anxiety as a predictor of perceived hireability (Study 1, n=82) and job suitability (Study 2, n=74). Design/methodology/approach Using an experimental design, participants were randomly allocated to one of two conditions (an audio recording of either a confident or anxious job candidate with identical scripts) and asked to take the role of an interviewer. Findings The anxious interviewee (played by an actor) was consistently rated as less hireable (in a combined sample based on Studies and 2), less suitable to the job and received less favorable hiring recommendations (as assessed in Study 2) than the confident interviewee (played by the same actor). Research limitations/implications The study was conducted with students who may have less interview experience than experienced interviewers. Practical implications The results suggest that anxiety has a negative biasing effect on perceived hireability and job suitability ratings. In other words, the behavioral manipulation of anxiety affects hireability ratings, independent of any subjective assessment of anxiety. Originality/value The findings provide evidence of an anxiety bias in telephone interview settings. The results highlight the importance of considering anxiety cues when training employment interviewers.

The role of reciprocity and reputation in service relationships with arts organisations

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giulio Toscani ◽  
Gerard Prendergast
Keyword(s):  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Mutual Benefit ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Relationships ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose In an arts organisation context, this paper aims to further the understanding of service relationships by developing a framework explaining how sponsored arts organisations could better manage their relationships with sponsors to facilitate mutual benefit and relationship persistence. Design/methodology/approach Grounded theory methodology was applied to sponsorship of arts organisations through interviews with the managers of arts organisations worldwide who had been involved in seeking and managing sponsorship relationships. Findings Reciprocity was found to be the key factor in successful sponsorship relationships, but emotional reference to reputation was also important. Together they link uncertainty in the complex sponsorship environment with an arts organisation’s artistic ambitions. Practical implications This study extends the understanding of service relationships by shedding light on the sponsorship relationship from the sponsored organisation’s point of view and in particular highlighting the role of reciprocity in managing the relationship with their sponsor. Originality/value Understanding the moderating roles of reciprocity and reputation in sponsorship relationships helps to explain key facets of such relationships which can partially negate sponsor benefits and threaten a sponsorship’s continuation.

Mothers' negotiation of welfare support: the emergence of privatized entitlement

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 1439-1454
Author(s):  
Orly Benjamin
Keyword(s):  
Grounded Theory ◽  
Longitudinal Data ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Negative Outcomes ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Material Scarcity ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposePrevious accounts of exclusion, primarily those proposed in the context of access to welfare, marginalize the role of negotiation and its potential for highlighting distinct barriers and possibilities within specific institutional configurations. Furthermore, when negotiation is examined in the context of access to social services, it is rarely considered as reflecting changes in exclusion or the need to distinguish among exclusionary outcomes in mothers' lives. The author proposes a conceptualization of the distinction between civic exclusion and isolated exclusion, introducing the latter as a specific condition in which mothers are forced to respond to their children's needs by resorting to privatized entitlement.Design/methodology/approachStructured interviews were conducted between 2016 and 2017 with 90 mothers “providing in poverty” from seven marginalized categories in Israel. The interviews were analyzed using a grounded theory perspective.FindingsThree negotiation positions are revealed: positive citizenship, privatized entitlement and inconsistent gains. These positions reflect specific conditions of civic exclusion, which manifests in the form of multiple disadvantage in the lives of mothers, regardless of available forms of welfare support; and isolated exclusion, which manifests as the inability to protect one's children from harsh material scarcity, regardless of attempts to establish eligibility.Research limitations/implicationsLongitudinal data could better reflect the ramifications of isolated exclusion, particularly when translated into privatized entitlement.Practical implicationsThe consequences of isolated exclusion should be studied, in order to prevent negotiation failure leading to this phenomenon.Originality/valueUp until recently, the notion of exclusion was used without relevant distinctions obscuring the meaning of failing to negotiate access to welfare, in mothers' lives. Conceptualizing negative outcomes of negotiation as leading to isolated exclusion and privatized entitlement clarifies the meaning of poverty as dependency. Further, without relevant distinctions, scholars' and activists' effort to introduce higher commitment to mothers' negotiation among street-level bureaucrats cannot be accounted for.

scholarly journals Coopetition in temporary contexts: examining swift trust and swift distrust in humanitarian operations

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 1449-1473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Schiffling ◽  
Claire Hannibal ◽  
Yiyi Fan ◽  
Matthew Tickle
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Nonprofit Sector ◽  
Humanitarian Relief ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Trust Theory ◽  
Humanitarian Operations ◽  
Swift Trust ◽  
Limited Choice ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeBy drawing on commitment-trust theory, we examine the role of swift trust and distrust in supporting coopetition under conditions of uncertainty and interdependence in the setting of humanitarian disaster relief organisations.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents findings from case studies of 18 international humanitarian relief organisations based on 48 interviews and the analysis of publicly available documents.FindingsWe find that both swift trust and swift distrust support coopetition. As coopetition is simultaneous cooperation and competition, in this study we show how swift trust and swift distrust also occur simultaneously in coopetitive contexts.Research limitations/implicationsCoopetition as a strategic choice is well-researched in the private sector, yet has received less attention in the nonprofit sector, particularly in contexts that are shaped by interdependence and uncertainty. We show the importance of swift trust and swift distrust in coopetitive relationships by drawing on commitment-trust theory.Practical implicationsIn focusing on a competitive environment in which cooperation is essential, we find limited choice of coopetitive partners. Humanitarian relief organisations must often simply work with whichever other organisations are available. We highlight how trust and distrust are not opposite ends of a spectrum and detail how both contribute to coopetitive relationships.Originality/valueOur findings contribute to commitment-trust theory by explaining the important role of distrust in forging coopetitive relationships. Furthermore, we contribute to prior work on coopetition by focusing on an uncertain and interdependent nonprofit environment.

The “Halalification” of tourism

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 558-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faiza Khan ◽  
Michelle Callanan
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Market Segment ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Review Of Literature ◽  
Primary Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the confusing use of terminology associated with tourism undertaken by Muslims and to identify key concerns associated with this type of tourism. Design/methodology/approach This is an exploratory study and adopts a critical review of literature following the evolutionary concept analysis method. Content analysis of popular UK media, UK-based tour operators’ websites and tourism strategies of destinations popular with Muslim tourists were conducted to examine the use of terminology. Findings There is no clear difference between the various terms (halal, Muslim friendly, Islamic, etc.) used. Overall, academia uses the term Islamic tourism, while the industry and media use various terms. Among destinations, however, there is no clear and consistent use of terminology. A key concern of Islamic tourism is the role of certification in assuring travellers and the lack of standardisation of halal certification. Research limitations/implications The paper is based on literature review and secondary data analysis. It lacks primary research. Practical implications This study highlights the need for consistent use of terminology across industry. Another implication is the issue surrounding halal certification of food and the importance of trust in the seller/service provide. Another trend that industry providers need to consider is the growth of the Muslim millennial traveller and the needs of this market segment. Originality/value The paper highlights the importance of studying the Muslim tourist market and provides a starting point for further research. It highlights several issues such as the need to develop a typology of Muslim tourists. Of particular interest is the concern whether halal values in danger of being commodified in the absence of a universal agreed criterion for halal certification.

scholarly journals Stewardship theory: is board accountability necessary?

2017 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 1292-1314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Keay
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Agency Theory ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Agency Problems ◽  
Stewardship Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate that notwithstanding the fact that stewardship theory embraces things like trust of directors, their professionalism, loyalty and willingness to be concerned for the interests of others, as well as rejecting the foundations of classic agency problems that are asserted by agency theory, board accountability is as relevant to stewardship theory as it is to agency theory. Design/methodology/approach The paper applies the theory underlying board accountability in corporate governance, which is so often applied both in the corporate governance literature and in practice with agency theory in mind, to stewardship theory. Findings While the idea of accountability of boards is generally associated with an explanation and conceptualisation of the role and behaviour of directors as agents within classic agency theory, the paper demonstrates that board accountability is a necessary part of board life even if the role of directors is explained and conceptualised in terms of stewardship theory. Practical implications The paper suggests some accountability mechanisms that might be employed in a stewardship approach. Originality/value While many authors have talked in general terms about board accountability and its importance, this is the first paper that has engaged in a substantial study that links board accountability directly with stewardship theory, and to establish that accountability is necessary.

What makes court-referred mediation effective?

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amira Galin
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Process And Outcome ◽  
Refusal To Participate ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Theoretical Insight ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Low Rate

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to obtain insight into court-referred mediation in the Israeli Labor Courts, by analyzing its processes and outcomes, as a function of tactics used by both the disputants and the mediator. Design/methodology/approach – Observation of 103 court-referred mediations, for each of which a detailed process and outcome were documented. Data on disputants' refusal to participate in the mediation was also collected. At the end of each mediation case, disputants were given a questionnaire in which they expressed their satisfaction with the outcome and their evaluation of the mediator's contribution. Findings – A low rate of refusal to participate in court-referred mediation was found. Also, the higher the ratio of soft tactics to pressure tactics employed (by all parties involved) during the process, the higher the rate of agreements. Mediators use significantly more soft tactics than disputants, and are more active in using tactics. The two significant variables that predict the mediation's agreement are the ratio between soft tactics to pressure tactics used by all parties, and mediator contribution to the process. Practical implications – The significant role of soft tactics in the process, outcome, and satisfaction of court-referred mediation may serve as a guideline for disputants and mediators. Originality/value – This unique research, which examines the impact of tactics on court-referred mediation, may provide added and significant theoretical insight into its process and outcome, as well as a better understanding of other “hybrid” (compulsory at the beginning, voluntary at the end) mediations.

Size does matter – span of control in hospitals

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Holm-Petersen ◽  
Sussanne Østergaard ◽  
Per Bo Noergaard Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Leadership Capacity ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Span Of Control ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Frontline Leaders ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Centralization, mergers and cost reductions have generally led to increasing levels of span of control (SOC), and thus potentially to lower leadership capacity. The purpose of this paper is to explore how a large SOC impacts hospital staff and their leaders. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a qualitative explorative case study of three large inpatient wards. Findings The study finds that the nursing staff and their frontline leaders experience challenges in regard to visibility and role of the leader, e.g., in creating overview, coordination, setting-up clear goals, following up and being in touch. However, large wards also provide flexibility and development possibilities. Practical implications The authors discuss the implications of these findings for decision makers in deciding future SOC and for future SOC research. Originality/value Only few studies have qualitatively explored the consequences of large SOC in hospitals.

Employee's lying behavior and the role of self-awareness

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirk Chang ◽  
Sylvain Max ◽  
Jérémy Celse
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Deductive Reasoning ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
Laboratory Setting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Employee’s lying behavior has become ubiquitous at work, and managers are keen to know what can be done to curb such behavior. Managers often apply anti-lying strategies in their management and, in particular, the role of self-awareness on lying intervention has drawn academic attention recently. Drawing on multi-disciplinary literature, this study aims to investigate the efficacy of self-awareness in reducing lying behavior. Design/methodology/approach Following the perspectives of positivism and deductive reasoning, a quasi-experimental research approach was adopted. Employees from Dijon, France were recruited as research participants. Based on the literature, different conditions (scenario manipulation) were designed and implemented in the laboratory, in which participants were exposed to pre-set lying opportunities and their responses were analyzed accordingly. Findings Unlike prior studies which praised the merits of self-awareness, the authors found that self-awareness did not decrease lying behavior, not encouraging the confession of lying either. Employees actually lied more when they believed other employees were lying. Practical implications This study suggests managers not to rely on employee’s self-awareness; rather, the concept of self-awareness should be incorporated into the work ethics, and managers should schedule regular workshops to keep employees informed of the importance of ethics. When employees are regularly reminded of the ethics and appreciate its importance, their intention of lying is more likely to decrease. Originality/value To the best of the atuhors’ knowledge, the current research is the first in its kind to investigate lying intervention of employees in the laboratory setting. Research findings have brought new insights into the lying intervention literature, which has important implication on the implementation of anti-lying strategies.

Promoting authenticity through celebrity brands

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Kennedy ◽  
Stacey M. Baxter ◽  
Alicia Kulczynski
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Consumer Attitudes ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Consumer Perceptions ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Monetary Compensation ◽  
High Level ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to examine the importance of celebrity brands in influencing consumer perceptions of celebrity authenticity, which drives positive consumer attitudes and intentions. In addition, the notion of low-celebrity investment is investigated as a factor that diminishes the positive outcomes associated with celebrity brands. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 examines the effect of brand situation (endorsement versus celebrity brand) on consumer attitudes and intentions. Studies 2 and 3 investigate the role of celebrity authenticity in explaining the effects observed in Study 1. Study 4 examines celebrity investment as a bound of the phenomenon. Findings Study 1 demonstrates that consumers report heightened attitudes and intentions towards celebrity brands when compared to endorsements. Studies 2 and 3 provide evidence that authenticity explains the effects observed in Study 1. Results of Study 4 show that when consumers are aware of low-celebrity investment, the celebrity is viewed as inauthentic regardless of brand situation. Research limitations/implications This research is limited as it focuses only on known celebrity endorsers who were matched with products that had a high level of fit. In addition, purchase intentions were measured as opposed to the study of actual purchase behaviour. Practical implications This research has important implications for the development of endorsements and celebrity brands by demonstrating that consumers view celebrities as authentic when they are involved with brands for reasons other than monetary compensation. Originality/value This research shows that consumers have heightened attitudes and intentions towards celebrity brands compared to endorsements. This research identifies celebrity authenticity as the process underlying the observed phenomenon. However, celebrity investment is identified as a boundary condition demonstrating that knowledge of low investment results in a celebrity being viewed as inauthentic.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document