A critical incident technique investigation of customers’ waiting experiences in service encounters

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Prabha Ramseook-Munhurrun
Keyword(s):  
Critical Incident ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Affective Response ◽  
Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Distinctive Features ◽  
Type Design ◽  
Main Challenge ◽  
Service Organisation

Purpose This study explores customers’ reactions to waiting experiences in service encounters. It seeks to explore the key driving features determining customer satisfaction and dissatisfaction with waiting experiences during service encounters. The main challenge for service organisation is to understand the satisfactory and dissatisfactory features of the waiting experiences so as to design and deliver a memorable experience leading to positive post-consumption reactions. Design/methodology/approach The critical incident technique (CIT) was used to explore the salient factors on which customers forged their evaluation and based their satisfaction while waiting in lines in the context of various service encounters. To elicit incidents, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 customers in Mauritius and a total of 297 critical incidents involving customers’ waiting experiences in service encounters were identified. Findings Based on the CIT analysis, four distinctive features associated with the satisfying and dissatisfying waiting experiences emerged: social justice, servicescapes, affective response and service outcome. The customers exhibited mostly dissatisfying reactions to waiting experiences during the service encounters. Originality/value While CIT has been used extensively in services management, it has not been used to explore customers’ reactions to waiting experiences. Therefore, this study extended the waiting experience literature in service encounters to explain customers’ reactions to waiting.

Students’ perception of effective learning experiences at an Iranian dental school: A qualitative study using the critical incident technique

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-24
Author(s):  
Rojin Soleimanzadeh ◽  
Kousha Sarpari ◽  
Nasrin Abdi ◽  
Parisa Heydari ◽  
Yadolah Zarezadeh
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Clinical Skills ◽  
Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Dental Students ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Process Data ◽  
Effective Learning ◽  
Perceived Experiences

Background: Dental students need to learn effectively to promote their professional services as a part of their daily activities. This study is conducted to determine dentistry students’ experiences of factors that influence their learning. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted using the critical incident technique and content analysis approach to examine dental students’ experiences with factors that influence an effective learning process. Data were collected by individual in-depth semi-structured interviews with dental students at the Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences. Results: In all, 104 primary codes were obtained from the interviews and group discussions, classified into two major themes. The factors facilitating effective learning encompassed three categories: teacher-related perceived experiences (8 subcategories), learning-related perceived experiences (5 subcategories), and compelling student-related perceived experiences (3 subcategories). Two factors inhibited learning: practical teacher-related perceived experiences (3 subcategories) and learning-related perceived experiences (3 subcategories). Conclusion: The results showed that several instructor characteristics, such as being experienced in teaching methods, having the required clinical skills, and "interacting with students and patients" lead to effective learning. Several other factors involved in the learning process, such as student characteristics, a comprehensive curriculum fitting the theoretical and clinical needs of this field, interacting with peers, and keeping calm and being focused are the some of the most critical factors involved in effective learning.

Supervisor transgressions: a thematic analysis

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tessa E. Basford
Keyword(s):  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Employment Decisions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative Responses ◽  
False Accusations ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Initial Exploration

Purpose – Despite the harmful impact of supervisor transgressions, they have received little empirical attention. The purpose of this paper is to addresses this important gap, examining the nature of transgressions committed at work by supervisors against subordinates. Design/methodology/approach – A critical incident technique was employed in which employees described a transgression committed by their supervisor. Qualitative responses were then analyzed, resulting in the emergence of supervisor transgression themes. Findings – In total, 11 themes emerged, including: performance criticisms, demeaning insults, false accusations, undue demands, unfair employment decisions, inconsiderate treatment, inequitable behavior, inappropriate contextual selections, disregard of opinions, undersupplied resources, and underprovided recognition. Research limitations/implications – While this approach is not without limitations, including the potential for participant memory error and researcher analytical bias, it offers a necessary initial exploration into the content of supervisor transgressions. Findings open new areas for continued research exploration into the nature and functioning of supervisor transgressions. Practical implications – Practitioners also stand to benefit from this work, as this identification of supervisor transgression themes affords organizations knowledge about how to best target supervisory interventions. Originality/value – Though researchers have just begun to examine the nature of leader transgressions, they have yet to analyze the content of supervisor transgressions. This study offers an original investigation into how supervisors transgress against subordinates at work.

scholarly journals A experiência do estigma dos consumidores de baixa renda no encontro de serviços

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 210-227
Author(s):  
Gabriel Roberto Dellacasa Levrini ◽  
Lucas Poletti
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Social Stigma ◽  
Cognitive Appraisals ◽  
Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Functional Relationships ◽  
Coping Processes ◽  
And Coping ◽  
Low Income Consumers

This article focuses on low-income consumers facing social stigma in service encounters with contact employees. Research have regarded the income-consumers from the disadvantaged perspective but few from the stigmatized perspective. The literature tends to propose direct functional relationships between emotions and coping processes. Further studies suggested that emotional and cognitive appraisals interact to influence consumers' choice of coping strategies. Our study was designed using Critical Incident Technique and Content Analysis in 210 low income individuals. The results state the existence of that stigmatized behavior beyond the legitimate expected interaction between the parties involved. The construction of the stigma model evolution illustrated this research. 

Praise or revenge: why do consumers post about organizations on social media

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Whiting ◽  
David L. Williams ◽  
Joe Hair
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Comprehensive Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managerial Implications

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate motives for engaging in electronic word of mouth (eWOM) about organizations on social media sites. This study explores motives for posting positive eWOM and motives for posting negative eWOM. It also investigates whether existing WOM frameworks adequately capture consumers’ motives for spreading eWOM within the context of social media. This study seeks to confirm established motives in literature while also identifying new motives specific to social media. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative study was conducted using the critical incident technique. In all, 64 positive incidents and 60 negative incidents were analyzed. Findings This study provides a typology for understanding consumers’ motivations for engaging in positive and negative WOM within the context of social media. Four new motives for sharing eWOM are identified; eight established WOM motives are re-confirmed; and new subcategories for eWOM motives are proposed. The study also finds that further refinement of WOM motives and scales within a social media context is needed. Research limitations/implications An integrated conceptual framework of both positive and negative motives is developed to illustrate a more comprehensive model of motives of eWOM within social media. Managerial implications for managing negative eWOM and amplifying positive eWOM are discussed. A limitation is that the study is exploratory in nature. Originality/value This study identifies new motives for sharing eWOM, re-labels existing WOM and eWOM motives with more descriptive and comprehensive titles and confirms established WOM and eWOM motives within the context of social media. This study is conducted across multiple firms and industries, leading to more generalizable results.

Husserl’s epoche and the way of the sword: exploring pathways into phenomenological inquiry

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 391-402
Author(s):  
Bradley Edward Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Continental Philosophy ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Phenomenological Inquiry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Nuanced Understanding

Purpose Phenomenology is widely recognised for its power to generate nuanced understanding of lived experience and human existence. However, phenomenology is often made inaccessible to prospective researchers due to its specialised nomenclature and dense philosophical underpinnings. This paper explores the value of the researcher’s lived experience as a pathway into phenomenological inquiry. The purpose of this paper is to improve the accessibility of phenomenology as a method for qualitative analysis. It achieves this by aligning Husserl’s concept of phenomenological epoche, or bracketing of preconceptions, and the author’s lived experience as a practitioner of kendo, or Japanese fencing. Design/methodology/approach The paper employs the narrative vignette as a means of illuminating the intersections between kendo practice and the application of phenomenological epoche as it applies to the understanding of embodied sensemaking. Reflections on the narrative vignette identified a suite of techniques from kendo practice that were applied to a phenomenological approach for critical incident interviews. These techniques were then applied to 30 critical incident, semi-structured interviews as part of a PhD research project into embodied sensemaking. Findings The results from these interviews suggest that the kendo-derived techniques were effective in generating thick narratives from participants during semi-structured interviews. Examination of the results provided insights into the linkage between phenomenology as a continental philosophy and eastern perspectives such as those found within the Zen traditions and other aesthetic practices. Originality/value This research suggests that lived experience such as kendo practice can provide a ready-to-hand pathway to phenomenological inquiry.

scholarly journals Teamwork in a coronary care unit: facilitating and hindering aspects

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 482-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bethania Ferreira Goulart ◽  
Silvia Helena Henriques Camelo ◽  
Ana Lúcia de Assis Simões ◽  
Lucieli Dias Pedreschi Chaves
Keyword(s):  
Critical Incident ◽  
Coronary Care Unit ◽  
Physical Therapists ◽  
Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Positive Behaviors ◽  
Coronary Care ◽  
One Year ◽  
Interprofessional Relationship ◽  
Nursing Professionals

Abstract OBJECTIVE To identify, within a multidisciplinary team, the facilitating and hindering aspects for teamwork in a coronary care unit. METHOD A descriptive study, with qualitative and quantitative data, was carried out in the coronary care unit of a public hospital. The study population consisted of professionals working in the unit for at least one year. Those who were on leave or who were not located were excluded. The critical incident technique was used for data collection, by means of semi-structured interviews. For data analysis, content analysis and the critical incident technique were applied. RESULTS Participants were 45 professionals: 29 nursing professionals; 11 physicians; 4 physical therapists; and 1 psychologist. A total of 49 situations (77.6% with negative references); 385 behaviors (54.2% with positive references); and 182 consequences emerged (71.9% with negative references). Positive references facilitate teamwork, whereas negative references hinder it. A collaborative/communicative interprofessional relationship was evidenced as a facilitator; whereas poor collaboration among agents/inadequate management was a hindering aspect. CONCLUSION Despite the prevalence of negative situations and consequences, the emphasis on positive behaviors reveals the efforts the agents make in order to overcome obstacles and carry out teamwork.

scholarly journals Thinking about service encounters boosts talking about them

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 506-515
Author(s):  
Magnus Söderlund ◽  
Jan Mattsson
Keyword(s):  
Critical Incident ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Service Encounter ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Special Role ◽  
Dominant Position ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of thinking about an event as an antecedent to subsequent talk about this event with others (i.e. word-of-mouth). Thinking has been a neglected variable in word-of-mouth research, despite the fact that several conceptual arguments indicate that thinking is likely to enhance talking. Here, the thinking–talking association is examined in the context of service encounters. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected with a critical incident method, and the main variables were measured with questionnaire items. Findings Thinking about a service encounter – after it has been completed – had a positive influence on subsequent talk to others about the encounter. The association was mediated by the memorability of the service encounter and the extent to which what had happened had been subject to rehearsal with the purpose of telling others about it. In addition, with respect to antecedents of consumer thinking, the results indicate that service encounter incongruity had a special role in why the consumer thinks about encounters after they have been completed. Originality/value The findings should be seen in relation to the dominant position of customer satisfaction as an antecedent to word-of-mouth in the existing literature. The present results, however, indicate that satisfaction’s contribution to the variation in talking about the encounter was modest.

Attitudes of police officers toward offenders: implications for future training

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Soares Cunha ◽  
Rui Abrunhosa Gonçalves
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Graduate Students ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Police Officers ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Correctional Officers ◽  
Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Police Service

Purpose Police officers’ attitudes toward criminals are critical to the justice system’s response to crime. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the attitudes toward offenders (ATOs) among police officers. Design/methodology/approach To assess police officers ATOs, the authors adapted the Attitudes Toward Prisoner scale to produce the ATO scale. The scale was completed by 431 male police officers in a Portuguese police institution. Findings The results revealed that police officers hold more negative ATOs than correctional officers and graduate students. Moreover, the results revealed significant differences in average ATO scores according to police officers’ age, years of service, marital status and education; namely, police officers who were older, married, less educated, and with more years of police service had more positive ATOs. However, the results revealed that these demographic factors had a limited value in predicting attitudes, as none of them emerged as a predictor of ATOs. Originality/value Nonetheless, considering the relevance of attitudes in law enforcement procedures, the implications for training police officers are provided, specifically using critical incident technique strategies.

scholarly journals When Commitments Conflict: Making Ethical Decisions Like a Funambulist

M n gement ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 44-58
Author(s):  
Jean Nizet ◽  
Pauline Fatien Diochon ◽  
Lakshmi Balachandran Nair
Keyword(s):  
Executive Coaching ◽  
Critical Incident ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
Critical Incident Technique ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Multiple Stakeholders ◽  
Executive Coaches ◽  
Ethical Decisions ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Way

Given the complexity of organizations, individuals nowadays are handling an increasing number of commitments. When these commitments come into conflict, they can turn into ethical dilemmas. However, little is known about how individuals make ethical decisions in the face of such conflicting commitments. We investigated this issue within the context of executive coaching, since coaches often interact with multiple stakeholders as part of their assignments. We conducted 37 semi-structured interviews using the critical incident technique, that is, by asking executive coaches to share a situation that was ethically challenging for them. Based on our study, we derive the metaphor of funambulism to depict how individuals make decisions in the case of conflicting commitments. By building on the systemic framework, we show that executive coaches manage an equilibrium ‘along the way’ through an emergent system of practices, which involves making adjustments that can maintain or restore their system’s equilibrium (i.e., compatibility between commitments). This contribution alludes to the dynamic and constructed nature of ethics.

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