Customer interaction in service innovation: seldom intensive but often decisive. Case studies in three business service sectors

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arja Kuusisto ◽  
Mikko Riepula
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Business Service ◽  
Customer Interaction ◽  
Service Sectors

How to wow with service innovation

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (9) ◽  
pp. 21-24
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Life Stage ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Quality Information ◽  
Sustainable Living ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – The authors identified eight consumer trends, i.e. always on the go, always logged-in, quality information faster, nowism, look at me now, privacy, sustainable living and return on time (RoT), present across the three life-stage segments, i.e. young free and simple, chaos in my life and got my life back. Practical implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

scholarly journals Boosting Service Innovation: The Role of Consultancies

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 41-68
Author(s):  
Manuela Rezende Pinto ◽  
Irina Saur-Amaral ◽  
Carlos Brito
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Service Industry ◽  
Service Innovation ◽  
Previous Literature ◽  
Service Companies ◽  
Innovation Intermediaries ◽  
Key Innovation ◽  
Initial Focus ◽  
Innovation Outcomes

This paper seeks to make a particular contribution in what are the roles of consultancies as key innovation intermediaries in service industry. In line with previous literature, the research purposes to test the application of Pinto et al (2016) framework within service companies, triangulating the findings of Pinto et al (2017). Four in-depth case studies of service companies were developed, resulting on detailed descriptions of the phenomenon using constructs to order the data and relate to earlier literature. Key findings highlight changes in motivations for consultancy engagement, from an initial focus on knowledge (output) to a focus on methodology (process). The adequacy of the framework proposed by Pinto et al (2016) is confirmed, and a new function of intermediaries arises from this study, related with “evaluation of innovation outcomes”. The study highlights the contribution of consultancies in preparing companies to innovate.

Managing Motherhood: Job Context and Employer Bias

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christy Glass ◽  
Eva Fodor
Keyword(s):  
Business Service ◽  
Business Services ◽  
Entry Level ◽  
Service Sectors ◽  
Skill Requirements ◽  
Job Context ◽  
Depth Interviews

How does job context influence employers’ views of mothers as workers? Drawing on 51 in-depth interviews with employers in the finance and business service sectors of Hungary, the authors find that finance employers rely on a variety of strategies aimed at excluding mothers from entry-level professional jobs, while business services employers invest significant resources aimed at recruiting and accommodating mothers. To explain this variation, the authors suggest that employers’ views of mothers are dependent on their perception of skill requirements and knowledge/skill dynamism.

Exploring service failure in a business-to-business context

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 367-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xia Zhu ◽  
Judy Zolkiewski
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Service Failure ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Careful Consideration ◽  
Business Service ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Failures ◽  
Business To Business

Purpose – This study aims to explore how business-to-business service failures manifest in a manufacturing context. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical research involved two case studies: case study one included 20 interviews in the metal finishing industry; case study two included 20 interviews in the paint and coatings industry. In both case studies, suppliers and customers’ perceptions were obtained to facilitate a dyadic understanding of the phenomena. Findings – Business-to-business service failure is a complex, dynamic and interactive process. It varies according to type of service, services supporting the products and services supporting the customers, service quality dimensions and the source of the failure. It can have a more profound impact than service failure in a consumer context because it may cause disruption to customers’ production and have a negative influence of failure on their clients in the network. Research limitations/implications – Business customers may play a role in value co-destruction rather than value co-creation by causing service failures due to errors on their part. The consequences of the domino effects revealed in this study need to be given careful consideration by managers. The research is exploratory, and the findings may be influenced by the manufacturing sector in which the case study firms are based. Originality/value – Business-to-business service failure has its own distinct characteristics, as it may impact widely in the business-to-business network. Domino effects implicitly dominate business-to-business service failure episodes where negative outcomes cascade downstream and affect service recipients’ customers.

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