Purpose Retailers and service providers are increasingly adopting biophilic design elements to enhance the shopping experience and shape customers emotions. While the use of biophilic sounds such as natural soundscapes or nature-inspired auditory cues has been suggested to promote relaxation and boost sales of healthy foods, actual effects remain underexplored. This research investigates how biophilic soundscapes (symbolic, indirect nature-inspired sounds) influence healthy food and beverage choices, and sales outcomes. Design/methodology/approach We conduct three experimental studies, a field experiment in an actual supermarket, a laboratory experiment using a virtual store and an online experiment. Findings Our findings advance biophilic servicescape literature by highlighting the role of biophilic symbolic sound in utilitarian environments such as supermarkets. Using the stress recovery theory and regulatory depletion theory as our theoretical lens, we demonstrate that biophilic sounds, on their own, have a calming effect (increased relaxation), which in turn encourages consumer choices toward healthier options. Originality/value We offer new insights for service managers on how to create value for consumers by supporting their health and well-being while also achieving positive managerial outcomes, such as designing and delivering more relaxing customer experiences.
Purpose Although service research is an applied discipline, much of the field has emphasized confirmatory inquiry in relatively ordered settings. While such research remains valuable, it is often less well suited to emerging, relational and poorly understood service phenomena. This article therefore argues for an empirics-first approach to problem formulation in service research. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the Cynefin framework, the article distinguishes among clear, complicated, complex and chaotic service problems. Using a conceptual approach, it extends Cynefin to service research methodology by showing how different problem contexts call for different forms of theorizing, methodological fit and research design. Findings The article shows that what constitutes a meaningful contribution in service research depends on the nature of the problem being studied. In relatively ordered contexts, contributions often involve refinement, replication and the specification of contingencies. In complicated contexts, they involve disentangling mechanisms and clarifying trade-offs. In complex contexts, contributions center on sensemaking and explaining emergent practices and processes. In chaotic contexts, contributions often lie in understanding stabilization, adaptation and the restoration of order under turbulent conditions. Originality/value The article challenges service researchers to move beyond an overreliance on abstract literature gaps and theory-led confirmatory designs. Instead, it advocates careful empirical diagnosis of focal problems as the foundation for producing methodologically rigorous, theoretically meaningful and practically relevant research contributions.
PurposeWe propose contradiction as a theoretical lens for explaining the micro-level dynamics of value co-creation (VCC) and value co-destruction (VCD). Although these phenomena are often treated as interconnected, their exact relationship – how they dynamically interact, emerge and evolve in specific service contexts – remains insufficiently theorized and empirically examined. Design/methodology/approachWe draw on data from online discussion forums and in-depth interviews with geocachers. Through interpretive content analysis, we identify disturbances such as problems, errors and conflicts. These disturbances are categorized as VCC or VCD tensions from which underlying contradictions are derived. FindingsOur study shows how to uncover the dynamics of VCC and VCD in a service system. We identify eight distinct VCC and VCD practices and illustrate the associated contradictory poles embedded in the geocaching context. Research limitations/implicationsWe offer a micro-level analytical approach to studying VCC and VCD within service systems. By integrating the dialectical concept of contradiction, we are the first to explicitly conceptualize and justify its embedded connections with VCC and VCD. Practical implicationsThe findings provide actionable insights for the management of service systems, such as geocaching and related services. By identifying specific contradictions, managers can target interventions that enhance VCC while reducing VCD. Originality/valueThis research bridges service-dominant logic and dialectical theory to empirically examine the duality of VCC and VCD within a service system. Thus, the study advances the understanding of the dynamics between these two phenomena.
PurposeThe paper advocates inductive methods and qualitative data for grand service challenges that are complex, uncertain and context-dependent. Revisit the inductive origins of core service concepts and show why such challenges suit induction. Offer pragmatic guidance, demonstrate how induction explicates mechanisms and builds theory (often via extreme cases and understudied actors) and outline a future agenda spanning sustainability, nonprofit and informal care, more-than-human perspectives and diverse tech- and low-tech service experiences. Design/methodology/approachThis is a methodological essay and integrative review defining qualitative data and collection modes, synthesizing inductive analysis approaches and offering practical guidance for conducting inductive research. Clarifies complementarities with experiments and quantitative modelling, including abductive iteration and illustrates practices with exemplars. FindingsFour insights emerge: (1) Qualitative data flexibly capture multifaceted, co-created, culturally embedded service experiences across contexts and actors. (2) Emergent inductive designs reveal unanticipated mechanisms, boundary conditions and theory – especially from extreme cases. (3) Rigorous interpretive practice leverages embodied knowledge to craft midrange, process explanations that identify causal mechanisms in context, complementing regularity-based inference. (4) Induction augments deduction by informing stimuli and measures, clarifying endogeneity and mediation and strengthening ecological validity. Inductive work forged pivotal constructs and remains vital for complex, uncertain service problems. Research limitations/implicationsEvidence is illustrative and selective, with Western-leaning exemplars. Recommendations assume training, ethics and access are not uniformly available. Qualitative inference privileges analytic over statistical generalization and requires transparency about positionality, robustness and saturation. Implications: expand underused approaches; develop rigorous hybrids with computational text/LLMs while centering human interpretation; prioritize process theorizing, scale development and triangulated mixed-method programs. Practical implicationsThe authors recommend that researchers start with consequential contexts, map stakeholders and use flexible qualitative toolkits. Employ emergent designs; pursue saturation and robustness via triangulation, discrepant cases and member checks; translate insights into service design, recovery, journey orchestration, inclusion and tech deployment. Use qualitative work to craft realistic stimuli, refine constructs, reveal mechanisms and mitigate endogeneity; invest in training and cross-disciplinary mentorship; leverage extreme/understudied cases for scalable interventions. Originality/valueThe paper reframes qualitative, inductive inquiry as the first and best approach for grand service challenges, integrating historical lineage with actionable “how-to” guidance. Positions embodied, interpretive reasoning as indispensable alongside computation and shows how process-oriented induction identifies contextual mechanisms and enables impactful mixed-method research.
Purpose The purpose of this article is to create a forum for understanding how policymakers and the legislative process impact and are impacted by service providers. Design/methodology/approach This article is conceptual in nature and is based on a web-based literature review through library search engines to uncover the latest service delivery-public policy issues in the United States in three distinct industries. Additional Google searches and examination of policymaker websites were also conducted. Findings Our conclusions clarify the importance of understanding how the public policy process can have a significant impact on the conduct of service organizations. Originality/value While public policy is an important topic for service management scholars, this offering provides specificity to how an industry can be reviewed and the conclusions that should be forthcoming.
Purpose- Digital servitization (DS) is transforming value creation and appropriation for manufacturing firms. However, existing research predominantly focuses on dyadic relationships, overlooking possible dynamic, multi-actor interactions that shape servitization outcomes. This paper introduces the concept of DS value-in-context (DS-ViC) as a theory-driven explanation of how value aggregates and evolves across actors, governance structures and technological settings in digital servitization. Design/methodology/approach- Building on a structured synthesis of prior research across digital servitization and multi-actor platform contexts, we develop a conceptual framework for understanding how value is created and appropriated through digital servitization in terms of DS-ViC. Findings- DS value is not static but dynamically shaped by two spatio-temporal mechanisms: contextual value aggregation (spatial expansion across multiple actor settings at a specific point in time) and contextual value evolution (longer-term transformation of governance structures, actor roles and business models). The DS-ViC taxonomy comprises four forms of value contextualization: (1) lateral, (2) horizontal, (3) vertical and (4) intermediary contextualization. Each is shaped by distinct dynamic configurations of governance structures, platform control and data-driven learning mechanisms. Originality/value- This study extends servitization research by offering a dynamic, multi-actor perspective on value creation and appropriation in DS. We introduce the concept of DS-ViC, which illustrates how digital servitized offerings aggregate value and reshape value across contexts and actors over time and space. By integrating service-dominant logic with platform governance theory, we develop a fourfold taxonomy of value contextualization and provide real-world examples of is manifestation. Managerial implications address issues such as pricing strategies, data-driven learning and role transitions in servitized settings associated with DS-ViC.
PurposeThis study explores how healthcare staff enact organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) in everyday practice, how patients and staff interpret these behaviors and how staff implement them under contextual constraints.Design/methodology/approachA single qualitative case study was conducted in four departments (geriatrics, oncology, spinal surgery, orthopedics) of a German hospital group. Data comprise 48 semi-structured interviews with patients, healthcare professionals and managers, field observations, and document analysis.FindingsThe study finds that OCB consists of symbolically rich behaviors that create moments of connection and joy between patients and staff. Four OCB categories are identified: enhancing physical comfort, providing food and personal items, facilitating activities and engaging in conversation. Four strategies used by staff to engage in OCB under constraints are derived: making time for gestures, responding to opportunities in interaction, improvising when resources are scarce and navigating rules.Practical implicationsTo foster OCB in every day practice, healthcare organizations can create a supportive culture, enable time for patient interaction, provide practical resources and guide staff in balancing discretion with professional boundaries.Originality/valueThis study extends prior literature on OCB by identifying different types of OCB in healthcare, highlighting its symbolic meaning, and shifting the analytical lens from healthcare professionals' motivations to engage in OCB toward the strategies they use to navigate contextual constraints.
PurposeService firms have the crucial responsibility of enabling value co-creation for their own and their customers' benefit. Therefore, it is imperative to gain a deeper understanding of how the organizational capabilities instilled in service interactions relate to the co-created value outcomes. Design/methodology/approachGrounded in configurational theory, organizational capabilities and value co-creation literature, this study aims to explain the complex relationships between interactional capabilities – a specific type of organizational capability that supports service interactions and contributes to a higher-level value co-creation capability – and key relational co-created value outcomes in two high-interaction service contexts. Relying on the service-dominant orientation model (SDO), the authors combine partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), finite mixture partial least squares (FIMIX-PLS) analysis and fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). FindingsThe PLS-SEM results establish the higher-level value co-creation capability construct and its positive relationship with the value outcomes. The FIMIX-PLS results indicate unobserved heterogeneity in the structural model, suggesting equifinality. The fsQCA results reveal how interactional capabilities, at a lower level, assemble in various configurations, resulting in both value co-creation and value no-creation. Originality/valueOffering substantial theoretical and empirical reasoning with practical implications for service management, this study demonstrates how conjunction, equifinality and causal asymmetry characterize the relationships between interactional capabilities and value outcomes. In doing so, the paper expands knowledge about the value co-creation process in relation to value realization. The results also contribute to a more detailed understanding of the concept of value no-creation, as the absence of value realization.
PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand how manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can navigate digital servitization to cocreate value propositions.Design/methodology/approachThe present exploratory study interviewed managers from 18 manufacturing SMEs holding managerial positions. The analysis started with a Gioia-inspired approach consisting of first establishing inductive first-order in vivo codes, followed by an abductive coding process based on current literature about cocreating value propositions.FindingsThe study identified three dimensions of digital servitization that manufacturing SMEs must undergo to transition to digital servitization and create value: (1) value-driven digitalization, (2) workforce-driven digitalization and (3) collaborative-driven digitalization. In these dimensions, entangled drivers and challenges related to customer demand, investments, employees and service platform providers must be addressed. A conceptual framework was developed for how manufacturing SMEs can navigate digital servitization and create value propositions.Research limitations/implicationsThis study's manager-focused interviews may limit insights from an employee perspective. As employees play crucial roles as drivers and challenges in digital servitization, future research should incorporate employee interviews to gain a holistic understanding. While interviews within 18 manufacturing SMEs provide a broader perspective on navigating digital servitization to provide value propositions, they lack the depth that a single case study could offer.Originality/valueThis research advances the literature by offering insights into how manufacturing SMEs can use value propositions to navigate the three dimensions of digital servitization, including its drivers and challenges.
PurposeThis study investigates how healthcare professionals make complex adoption decisions that transform service encounters and value co-creation processes. While most research has focused on patient-side technology adoption, this study advances the understanding of the configurational conditions that drive provider-side adoption of digital service innovations.Design/methodology/approachEmploying fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this study analyzes data from 315 self-employed otolaryngologists (ENTs) who interacted with a virtual-reality-based healthcare service. The configurational approach reveals how combinations of technological, professional, and contextual factors jointly shape professionals' intentions to adopt service innovations.FindingsFour conditions are necessary for adoption: performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, price value, and social influence (consistency = 0.90). When combined with effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and low Anxiety, they form a sufficient configuration explaining 63% of high adoption cases (consistency = 0.97). This pattern shows professional service innovation adoption needs cognitive evaluation, intrinsic motivation, economic viability and social legitimacy, unlike consumer technology adoption where single factors may suffice.Originality/valueBeyond methodological innovation through fsQCA application, this study advances professional service theory by revealing how adoption requires multiple psychological mechanisms: expectancy-value calculations, intrinsic motivation, social validation and emotional regulation. The necessity of these conditions distinguishes professional service innovation from consumer technology adoption and IT implementation. These insights extend professional service firm theory by showing how knowledge intensity, low capital intensity and workforce shape digital transformation patterns. The study provides guidance for designing provider-centered digital healthcare services in post-pandemic ecosystems.
PurposeThis article aims to investigate how service design can aid actors in cultivating institutional imagination – their ability to speculate on alternative constellations of widely shared and entrenched logics in service ecosystems. Design/methodology/approachThis study applies a research-through-design approach involving 25 generative interviews, 2 co-creation workshops with 23 system actors, and 2 reflection sessions with 25 system actors in the Estonian mental healthcare service ecosystem. FindingsThis research develops a process model for institutional imagination, which includes the core processes of: (1) unpacking current logic configurations; (2) fantasizing on desired logic reconfigurations and (3) identifying transformative logic movements. In addition, this research delineates fourteen transformative logic movements for shifting from current to desired logic constellations. Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to efforts within service research to realize transformative aims in service ecosystems through three core contributions: (1) building actors’ capacity for doing institutional analysis; (2) delineating how actors can imagine institutional logics otherwise and (3) expanding the repertoire of logic movements. Practical implicationsDesigners and other practitioners can use the process model, core processes and substeps outlined to guide actors through a structured, facilitated process of cultivating institutional imagination. The visualized repertoire of logic movements can act as a useful prompt for speculating around desired alternative institutional logics. Originality/valueThe processes of institutional imagination provide a critical missing bridge between building reflexivity and intentionally reforming institutional logics to transform service ecosystems.
PurposeThis research investigates the phenomenon of AI complacency - The employee's tendency to intentionally neglect validating AI-generated output even in the presence of systematic errors. It identifies the lack of monitoring accountability as the underlying driver of this phenomenon, assesses its consequences, and offers strategies for mitigation.Design/methodology/approachGrounded in contingency theory, this research employs six experimental studies (N = 1,370 participants), including one study with service employees across industries (N = 160 participants), to examine how insufficient monitoring accountability facilitates the emergence of AI complacency. The research explores both the causal mechanisms and the boundary conditions that modulate this effect.FindingsThe results show that the primary driver of AI complacency is the lack of accountability in monitoring AI-generated outputs. This complacency leads to detrimental work-related outcomes, such as increased commission errors and a diminished willingness to evaluate AI-generated outputs critically. The research also identifies situational factors that exacerbate and buffer these effects.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight the critical need for organizations to implement systemic accountability frameworks that ensure employees actively engage with and oversee AI-generated output.Originality/valueThis research is among the first to examine AI complacency in the context of service provision empirically. It provides a theoretical framework, robust empirical evidence, and practical recommendations for improving Employee-AI collaboration in service provision, contributing to both academic discourse and managerial practice.
Purpose This research advances theoretical insights in AI-enabled service design and transformative service, while offering practical guidelines in developing GenAI tools to empower older adults and support positive aging. Design/methodology/approach Three progressive scenario-based experimental design studies are conducted to investigate (1) whether AI-enabled self-learning service outperforms among older adults (Study 1), (2) what features contribute to increased service engagement (Studies 2 and 3) and (3) how service design elements enhance transformative service outcomes (Studies 1, 2 and 3). Findings This research finds the dual impact of AI-enabled transformative service on older adults' behavioral engagement (service usage and referral intentions) and psychological well-being (purpose of life and satisfaction with life) with these effects mediated by perceptions of personal growth and social connectedness respectively. Practical implications The research findings emphasize the value of embedding emotionally intelligent and socially engaging features in AI-enabled service to maximize customer lifetime value and well-being among older adults. Service providers are suggested to invest in AI designs that go beyond functionality and incorporate personalized support and social connection cues to better serve the psychological needs of older adults and foster positive aging. Originality/value This research offers theoretical advancements in multiple ways. It confirms GenAI's role as a transformative service provider, validates digital pathways to positive aging and empirically tests two critical psychological well-being mechanisms – personal growth and social connectedness – as mediators linking AI-enabled transformative service to an enhanced senses of life purpose and life satisfaction.
Purpose This article explores how service research can contribute to the creation of age-friendly and digitally enhanced services that improve the well-being of older adults. Design/methodology/approach The paper employs a conceptual and integrative approach rooted in transformative service research and the emerging literature on the longevity economy. Findings The study highlights three crucial areas for advancing service research concerning longevity challenges. Collectively, these findings suggest that the longevity economy can evolve into a transformative space where technology, inclusion and innovation intersect to boost both individual and societal value. Research limitations/implications The commentary provides advice for managers, designers and policymakers. By incorporating well-being and social value as key performance indicators, organizations can align technological advancements with responsible and sustainable development to promote active aging and well-being. Practical implications The paper provides practical advice for service managers, designers, and policymakers. By incorporating well-being and social value as key performance metrics, organizations can align technological advancements with responsible and sustainable development, ensuring that digital transformation effectively promotes active aging and enhances quality of life. Originality/value This study contributes to service research by positioning the longevity economy as a driving force for transformative and inclusive innovation in which older adults play an active role. By connecting well-being, inclusion and value creation, the paper provides a conceptual framework for understanding how the digitalization of services can yield both economic and societal benefits in the context of an aging population.
Purpose-Kunz et al.'s (2011) earlier research presented the first customer-centric measurement of firm innovativeness and its links to consumer loyalty and shareholder value. Other research shows the relationship between innovativeness and customer value co-creation (Kim et al., 2018), as well as the fact that it guides customer comparisons of competing firms Kurtmollaiev et al. (2022). If customer innovativeness is as pivotal as the many citations in the Kuhn paper show, then customer innovativeness measurement is essential to demonstrate these linkages and validate the contentions in previous research using company-focused measures. Design/methodology/approach-I focus on the additional ways to examine and measure perceived innovativeness based on what I have learned from scale development with my colleagues Len Berry and Parsu Parasuraman. Each of the SERVQUAL lessons learned has a direct bearing on alternative approaches to measuring perceived innovativeness. In the following sections, I will describe SERVQUAL and what we learned from that measurement, then discuss how it could be applied to perceived innovativeness. Findings-I challenge other researchers to conduct studies similar to the SERVQUAL studies to develop an instrument that companies can adapt to their situations. Research limitations/implications-Kunz et al. infer from their analysis that young customers and the elderly view innovativeness differently. Does that mean that we need different scales for the different subgroups? Or can one overall scale capture both segments? If a company serves only one of the segments, such as in the restaurant industry, separate scales would be preferable because it can then focus completely on its target segment and not give incorrect or too broad messages about its innovativeness. However, I contend that if they want to test empirically their inferences about the differences between young and old, they need an overall scale. One way they can do this is to conduct focus groups with each segment and then create an overall scale that contains both aspects found in the two focus groups. Practical implications-Understanding innovativeness at a company level can help firms assess how they are perceived by customers. Originality/value-I challenge researchers to extend the work of Kuhn to create a measurement instrument to assess perceived innovativeness.
PurposeGenerative AI-enabled chatbots are now capable of engaging in natural, dynamic and relationship-oriented interactions. Building on strength-based approach and transformative service research, this study explores consumer experience with GenAI companions apps designed to provide consumers with synthetic interaction partners. It examines how such companions can be effective in alleviating situational vulnerability (e.g. depression, loneliness) and in supporting sustained well-being.Design/methodology/approachUsing large-scale data from GenAI companion apps and online communities, this study employs a multi-method approach that combines fine-tuned large language models (LLMs) to detect situational vulnerability, BERTopic modelling to identify service experience dimensions, and debiased Lasso regression to estimate their effects on situational vulnerability alleviation and consumer well-being.FindingsThe findings indicate that GenAI companions can meaningfully alleviate situational vulnerability through key service experience dimensions such as AI-enabled coping strategies, humorous interactions, AI intelligence and emotional bonding. However, design frictions such as app accessibility issues, AI sexualisation and content censorship, and communication and memory challenges, may hinder their effectiveness. Additionally, the results confirm the mediating role of situational vulnerability alleviation that mediates the relationship between service dimensions and influencing app recommendations.Originality/valueThis study offers one of the first empirical, theory-driven examinations of GenAI companions as strength and transformative well-being services. By applying the strength-based approach within a Transformative Service Research framework, it advances understanding of how GenAI companions can function as vulnerability-alleviating service mechanisms and provides actionable insights for the design and governance of AI-enabled well-being services.
PurposeService innovation is undergoing a fundamental transformation due to digitization, sustainability imperatives, platformization and particularly the rapid diffusion of artificial intelligence (AI). AI-driven service innovation requires specialized and domain-specific expertise, which is increasingly derived from university–industry collaboration (UIC) contexts. However, UICs are often prone to failure, and new, uncertain and ambiguous characteristics of AI can further exacerbate these challenges. This paper, therefore, explores how UICs can be successfully managed to develop and deploy AI-driven service innovations. Design/methodology/approachA qualitative, illustrative case study research design featuring expert interviews and secondary data sources was employed to analyze multiple UIC contexts, with a focus on understanding AI-driven service innovation. The interpretive thematic analysis revealed inductive data-driven insights that were used to refine and augment deductive insights from the literature. FindingsA framework for enhancing the success of UIC for AI-driven service innovation is proposed, based on illustrative case data, alongside theoretical perspectives from UIC, service-dominant logic and service ecosystems. The framework incorporates the mechanisms for thriving partnerships and defines how AI-driven stakeholder value can be enhanced. Therein, it identifies key enablers, processes/practices and outcomes/benefits of UIC for AI-driven service innovation. The conclusion brings together theoretical and practical implications from the framework and presents a future research agenda. Originality/valuePrior literature has primarily examined UIC for technological, product and process innovation. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to focus on UIC collaborations for service innovation, specifically in AI contexts. It synthesizes existing literature and insights from successful UIC in the context of AI to develop a novel framework to guide further theory development, practical collaborations and policy design.
PurposeThis study conceptualizes how the implementation of digitalization strategy acts as both an enabler and a catalyst for tensions within service ecosystems. It adopts a holistic, multi-actor perspective to articulate the complexity of ecosystem orchestration in the digital era. Design/methodology/approachThis study develops a conceptual model building on theoretical discussions regarding inter-organizational tensions and empowerment, synthesizing the implications of four critical aspects of digitalization strategies: digital resources, information architecture, digital platforms, and Corporate Digital Responsibility (CDR). FindingsThe conceptual model illustrates that digitalization strategies enable value creation via resource and structural empowerment while simultaneously generating structural, psychological, and behavioral tensions. The study posits that the interplay between empowerments and tensions shapes governance and investment decisions, which influence how firms and their business partners collaboratively orchestrate service ecosystems when implementing new digitalization strategies. Originality/valueThis research develops a comprehensive conceptual model elucidating how different aspects of digitalization strategies act as both an enabler and a catalyst for tension within service ecosystems. A key theoretical contribution lies in identifying the strategic alignment between empowerment mechanisms and emerging tensions as the central mechanism for the digital transformation of service ecosystems. This perspective reframes strategy implementation as a continuous and iterative process of achieving and reinforcing this alignment. Furthermore, the study extends the literature on CDR by positioning it as a critical factor across the wider ecosystem rather than an initiative by a single firm.
Purpose This literature review examines how core intelligent technological capabilities, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing, augment rather than replace service agents across the various stages and tasks of customer service interactions. Design/methodology/approach This study provides a systematic and cross-disciplinary review of empirical studies on applications of technology in human-to-human service interactions published over the last decade. The resulting 99 studies are analyzed using thematic mapping and interpreted through the lens of socio-technical systems theory and service-dominant logic. Findings The thematic mapping revealed six central themes on the integration of technology in human-to-human service interactions: (1) pre-service optimization, (2) interaction intelligence, (3) service agent well-being, (4) service agent monitoring, (5) emotion work and (6) collaborative service. These themes are organized into a conceptual framework that highlights key tensions and boundary conditions, forming the basis for a comprehensive future research agenda. Practical implications The findings underscore the importance of a human-centered approach, demonstrating how technology can enhance service agent roles, promote well-being, and enable collaboration in customer service. Originality/value The review shifts the focus from technology replacing service agents to technology augmenting their roles. It contributes new insights into how augmentation enhances service agent effectiveness, efficiency and well-being, offering a foundation for sustainable improvements in service interactions.
PurposeBy virtue of its own powerful generation ability, generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has been widely used in many service scenarios. However, the situation of service failure still cannot be completely avoided. Currently, the exploration of remedy strategies that match the unique capabilities of GenAI is still in an insufficient state. Therefore, this study aims to explore the impact of different task types and failure attribution explanations on users' forgiveness willingness in the context of GenAI.Design/Methodology/ApproachThis study integrates the associative-propositional evaluation (APE) model and expectancy disconfirmation theory (EDT), employing a multi-study approach with scenario-based experiments and event-related potential (ERP) technology. Study 1a (N = 480) utilized a 2 (task type: innovative vs. mechanical) x 2 (explanation of failure reasons: internal vs. external) x 2 (severity of failure: mild vs. severe) between-subjects scenario experiment to measure users' deliberate forgiveness attitudes. In the general daily consumption scenario, Study 1b carried out relevant explorations (N = 287), using a between-subjects design of 2 (task types) x 2 (explanation of failure reasons) to test the stability of the core mechanism. Study 2 is an ERP experiment of 2 (task types) x 2 (explanation of failure reasons), capturing the key neural components N2 and P3, so as to track the automatic and implicit neural responses of users when facing AI explanations in real time.FindingsStudy 1 shows an extremely obvious three-way interaction among task type, failure severity and failure reason explanation, and this interaction is tightly dependent on specific situations. ERP data show that there is a two-stage neural processing flow: first, the cognitive conflict caused by "task expectation-reality" is quickly detected by the interaction of N2 amplitude; then the P3 component reflects that the brain will allocate more cognitive resources to deal with the higher uncertainty brought by external attribution.Practical implicationsThis exploration has directly given experiential guidance to the design and interaction strategies of artificial intelligence products. AI service recovery systems must abandon the "one-size-fits-all" apology template and instead develop adaptive strategies that can dynamically adjust based on the nature of the task, the consequences of failure and the user's history.Originality/ValueFor the first time, the APE model and EDT were integrated and applied to the failure scenarios of GenAI services, and the applicable boundaries of the traditional attribution theory in the field of human-computer interaction were corrected. In terms of methodology, it innovatively combines behavioral experiments with ERP neural experiments, providing cross-level and more powerful evidence for the "dual-path" psychological mechanism of user forgiveness than a single method.
