Showing papers on "Services marketing published in 2011"

How does product program innovativeness affect customer satisfaction? A comparison of goods and services

Abstract: This article attempts to provide deeper insights into the link between the innovativeness of a company’s offered goods/services and customer satisfaction. This study proposes an inverted U-shaped relationship between the innovativeness of the offered goods and customer satisfaction. For the innovativeness of services, information economics and services marketing literature indicate an inverted S-shaped relationship. Two separate studies conducted for goods and services confirm the proposed nonmonotonic effects of the investigated relationships. Both studies use dyadic data from marketing managers to assess innovativeness and from customers to indicate customer satisfaction.

The SAGE Handbook of Social Marketing

Abstract: Foreword - Philip Kotler and Nancy R. Lee Introduction: A Movement in Social Marketing - Gerard Hastings PART ONE: THEORETICAL DEBATES Theoretical Models of Behaviour Change - Rob Donovan Social Models for Social Marketing: Social Diffusion, Social Networks, Social Capital, Social Determinants and Social Franchising - R. Craig Lefebvre Relationship Marketing and Social Marketing - Susana Marques and Christine Domegan Understanding Social Norms: Upstream and Downstream Applications For Social Marketers - Patrick Kenny and Gerard Hastings Design Thinking, Demarketing and Behavioural Economics: Fostering Interdisciplinary Growth in Social Marketing - R. Craig Lefebvre and Philip Kotler Critical Marketing: Theoretical Underpinnings - Michael Saren New Approaches Towards Resistance to Persuasion - Petia K. Petrova and Robert B. Cialdini PART TWO: MARKETING PLANNING Segmentation and Targeting - Lynne Doner Lotenberg, Carol Schechter and John Strand Competition and Positioning - Gary Noble and Debra Z. Basil The Social Marketing Mix - A Critical Review - Ken Peattie and Sue Peattie Communications in Social Marketing - Dana L. Alden, Michael D. Basil and Sameer Deshpande New Media in Social Marketing - Darren Mays, James B. Weaver and Jay M. Bernhardt PART THREE: RESEARCH - ITS ROLE AND TECHNIQUES Evaluation in Social Marketing - Martine Stead and Robert J. McDermott Qualitative Research Methods In Social Marketing - Simone Pettigrew and Michele Roberts Measurement in Quantitative Methods - Fiona J. Harris PART FOUR: DANCING WITH THE DEVIL Critical Marketing: Applications - Janet Hoek Social Marketing's Response to the Alcohol Problem: Who's Conducting the Orchestra? - Sandra C. Jones From Social Marketing to Corporate Social Marketing - changing consumption habits as the new frontier of Corporate Social Responsibility - Guido Pallazo Ethical Challenges in Commercial Social Marketing - Thomas Anker and Klemens Kappel Internal Social Marketing: Lessons From the Field of Services Marketing - Anne M. Smith PART FIVE: UPSTREAM AND SOCIAL CHANGE Impoverished Consumers and Social Marketing - Ronald Paul Hill Social Marketing and International Development - Georgina Cairns, Bruce Mackay and Laura MacDonald Social Marketing for a Sustainable Environment - Sue Peattie and Ken Peattie Business as Unusual: The Contribution of Social Marketing to Government Policy Making and Strategy Development - Jeff French PART SIX: SOCIAL MARKETING IN PRACTICE: CASE STUDIES Social Marketing and Advocacy - William D. Novelli and Boe Workman Social Marketing and Tobacco Control - Timothy Dewhirst and Wonkyong Beth Lee Social Marketing and the Health Educator - Robert J. McDermott, Kelli R. McCormack Brown and Rosemary Thackeray Social Marketing: A Future Rooted in the Past - William Smith

Multidimensional perspective of perceived value in industrial clusters

Abstract: Purpose – This paper aims to demonstrate that aspects of a rational or functional character and aspects of an emotional and social nature condition the perceived value of the exchange relationships among firms in an industrial cluster.Design/methodology/approach: – The research uses structural equation models (SEM) to test the models and applies the maximum likelihood estimation method in all the causal models obtained in the course of the data analysis.Findings – The results obtained support the hypotheses put forward, and in particular the importance of emotional and social values in industrial relations.Research limitations/implications – Recent advances in consumer and services marketing consider that perceived value and satisfaction are central to explaining customer loyalty. However, very few studies in B2B explain the multidimensionality of perceived value. For this purpose, the authors test their working hypotheses in the Spanish ceramic tiles cluster. Specifically, they analyze the relationships ...

How do we keep them coming?: examining museum experiences using a services marketing paradigm

Abstract: This research models the interrelationship of service quality, perceived value for time and money, and satisfaction to establish a system of relationships that predicts repurchase intention and repeat visits in museums. With increased competition from many leisure pursuits and dwindling funding, museums have more constraints in managing and designing customer retention programs. As a sector that ranges in offerings from large diverse public museums to small themed regional venues, research into visitor behavior offers support for the sector. Even though some museum managers are moving to marketing focused approach, the focus on custodianship is the legacy of many smaller and underfunded museum offerings. Although, a system of relationships including quality value and repurchase have been explored in other contexts, knowledge of the predictors of customer judgments in repurchase intention in a service paradigm is undeveloped in the museums sector. This article applies a model previously tested in the cultu...

The influence of service quality and trade show effectiveness on post‐show purchase intention

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and test an integrative services framework to investigate the role of perceived trade show effectiveness on overall trade show service outcome, conceptualised as the intention to purchase a related product after, rather than during, a show.Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on the services marketing and trade show literature, the authors test a model of trade show effectiveness with data collected from 592 attendees at a major automotive trade show in a large metropolitan centre.Findings – Results show that improving trade show visitors' perceived service quality positively affects visitor perceptions of trade show effectiveness. Furthermore, both trade show effectiveness and service quality directly influence future purchase intention.Research limitations/implications – Employing a services theoretical framework to evaluate trade show visitor experiences provides an alternative to the traditional marketing communications approach. By viewing such visit...

Cross-Cultural Examination of Relationship Quality

Abstract: This study of relationship quality contributes to the field of global industrial services marketing by examining relational and economic determinants and an outcome of relationship quality in a cross-cultural setting. The sample includes 202 buyers of industrial services from 42 countries. A conceptual model is proposed and tested using structural equation modeling. The study concludes that a buyer's expectation of continuity with a service provider is influenced more by relationship quality than by perceived economic value. Relationship quality, in turn, is impacted by perceived economic value, relationship bonds, and relationship investments. Results partially confirm the interpersonal predispositions of collectivist cultures. For example, buyers from collectivist cultures place significantly more emphasis on relationship investments than do buyers from individualist cultures. These findings have important implications for marketing theory and practice.

Eleven years of scholarly research in the Journal of Services Marketing

Abstract: Purpose – The publication of papers in scholarly journals is an important channel for the dissemination of academic knowledge. Analyzing academic content provides useful insights into how services marketing evolves over a selected time frame. The purpose of this paper is to determine key trends published in the Journal of Services Marketing during the recent 11‐year period from 1998 to 2008.Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents a content analysis of the papers published in the Journal of Services Marketing during the period 1998‐2008. A total of 417 papers, excluding book reviews, were analyzed. Descriptive statistics provide an overview of the research contributions.Findings – The main finding is that most of the papers published in the Journal of Services Marketing during the recent 11‐year period are research‐based papers. Other findings include a trend towards co‐authorship, the use of surveys and empirical data, adults as research subjects, factor analysis, structural equation modeling, a...

Mapping impulse buying: a behaviour analysis framework for services marketing and consumer research

Abstract: A deep understanding of how consumers engage in impulse buying (IB) would be extremely valuable to service providers when attempting to develop marketing strategies and messages that will effectively influence consumer purchasing. By systematically reviewing current research on impulsivity among a range of disciplines, the consumer behaviour analysis (CBA) framework is proposed as an integrative platform to synthesise existing empirical work in this field. The paper makes several contributions: it organises a currently disjointed field of IB research, connects consumer and marketing research to high-level theorisation of impulsive buying behaviour across three broad disciplines; it is the first to propose that CBA is a potential platform to integrate existing studies in the area, and it seeks to outline specific avenues for future research in this area.

Four Positive Effects of a Salesperson’s Regional Dialect in Services Selling

Abstract: This research analyzes how a salesperson’s regional dialect influences the efficacy of services selling. Four dialect effects are derived from theories of information processing, accent prestige th...

The 7Ps Classification of the Services Marketing Mix Revisited: An Empirical Assessment of their Generalisability, Applicability and Effect on Performance - Evidence from Jordan’s Services Organisations

Abstract: The purposes of this research are: (a) to investigate the generalisability of Boom and Bitner's (1981) services Marketing Mix Paradigm (SMM), 7Ps, and (b) to examine the effect of SMM on business performance in Jordan's services organisations. A quantitative methodology was adopted in which a structured questionnaire was developed and distributed to a sample of 164 marketing managers in Jordan's services organisations. With a response rate of 91.2%, 146 questionnaires were returned and were valid for data analysis. Structural equation modeling was used to test the research model and hypotheses. The empirical findings of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicate that the 7Ps of the SMM are found to be only 5Ps in the Jordanian context. Structural paths analyses findings indicate that the 5Ps of SMM have a positive and significant influence on Jordan's service organisations performance. The findings also indicate that the strongest predictors of the 5Ps model on performance are people (the service providers), service price and service distribution, respectively. A major finding is that the expanded 3Ps (people, process, physical evidence) of SMM have loaded on only one factor named as "people", meanwhile the 4Ps of traditional marketing mix loaded on four factors as theoretically proposed. Managers should adopt the 5Ps of SMM but the fifth P (people) should include the expanded 3Ps (people, process, physical evidence) as an integrated approach to achieve intended performance levels. However, the research model is developed and tested in Jordan's services organisations which may limit its generalisability to other service industries without further examination. The major contribution of this study is that it is the first quantitative empirical study that has examined the SMM model elements and their effect on business performance in the Jordanian context.

Understanding customer satisfaction in opera: first steps toward a model

Abstract: Despite the frequent call for a strengthened customer orientation in performing arts organizations, no efforts have been made to investigate customer satisfaction in opera so far. The paper aims at filling this gap by suggesting a first integrative model of customer satisfaction in opera. This model integrates insights from both services marketing literature (i.e., general services marketing and performing arts marketing) and performing arts literature (i.e., music perception and theater studies). The model is tested in afield study interviewing 116 visitors of a public German opera house. Results reveal visitors' level of appraisal to be the main antecedent of their satisfaction, followed by their perception of the artistic quality, empathy/identification with the actors on stage, and recall from memory. Furthermore, differences within the audience regarding the relative importance of the antecedents of customer satisfaction in opera are investigated. Using gender and attendance frequency as segmentation variables, only minor differences are found, though. Managerial implications for opera marketing are discussed in conclusion. First, efforts in opera marketing should rather concentrate on the core service quality instead of the peripheral service quality. Second, professional opera companies may attract broader audiences if they focus on the emotional satisfaction of their customers. Third, since only minor and mostly insignificant differences between men and women, and occasional compared to frequent visitors are found, a need for further research to explore alternative segmentation variables in the opera context is identified.

Students as Consumers: Programming for Brand Loyalty

Abstract: Identifying factors of first-semester programming that lead to student satisfaction can provide the basis for an increase in brand loyalty or student retention. This research uses a case study approach at a public liberal arts college in the northeastern United States. The results show that introducing students to the social and academic life of the campus, as well as building a relationship with an instructor and the freshman class community, increases their satisfaction. Significant outside employment decreases satisfaction. Administrators can improve student satisfaction, and thus brand loyalty and student retention, by incorporating particular services marketing elements in first-semester programming.

Linkage between productivity and innovation in different service sectors

Abstract: The purpose of the paper is to find out whether linkages between productivity and innovation are different among Estonian service sector sub-sectors. In this paper productivity is measured as value added per employee. An original approach toward measurement of productivity is used, decomposing it into three components: labour costs, depreciation and gross profit per employee. Four types of innovation are studied: product, process, organizational and marketing innovation. The empirical analysis is based on productivity data from the Estonian Business Register and innovation data from the Estonian Community Innovation Survey 5, covering the period between 2004 and 2006. Results based on Estonian service sectors reveal that in different sub-sectors different types of innovation are linked to productivity. Still, all linkages between innovation and productivity or its components are positive. There is one exception: among assisting services marketing innovation and gross profit are negatively associated with each other.

This thing called marketisation

Abstract: Marketing and marketisation are not the same. However, it is not a simple task to disentangle one from the other. At one end of the distribution of meaning, marketing may be taken to be about the provision of information to help people make decisions, while at the other end of this distribution, marketisation challenges stakeholders with radical change encompassing issues of power, funding, labour, markets, and complexity. Nor is this a comprehensive list (see, e.g., Hemsley-Brown & Oplatka, 2006). Indeed, the idea of a definitive list is misleading. Meanings and lists tend to chop and change according to the particular perspective slicing the dialogue.While it is difficult to get an intellectual handle on what is happening with regard to marketing higher education – never mind what to do about it – the reader might like to think that that is rather the point: the complexity keeps the stakeholder guessing at what is difficult, if not impossible, to predict, and so this keeps us on our academic toes. Nevertheless, there are three very important characteristics evident in the literature to describe the situation and help us to develop an intellectual understanding of marketisation: (1) higher education is characterised by plurality; (2) it is competitive and likely to get even more competitive; and (3) it is rife with contestation. More than anything else in our research into marketing and the marketisation of higher education, we need analytical concepts to deal with these highly prominent yet not all-embracing characteristics. As the complexity and diversity of the literature in the subject area suggests, this is not going to come from a single disciplinary source. With regard to these characteristics, it is not simply a question of a variety of institutions of higher education competing, but these varied institutions are occupied by academics with competing theories. So institutional plurality and intellectual plurality add to the competitive fuel. Burning themes arising from these characteristics set within academic contestation are: increasing complexity, the rise of consumerism, rankings, the promotion of relevance, and identity. With regard to the second characteristic, it is irrelevant whether you like or approve or not; competition will define higher education and its being in the world and where that being is placed. Higher education’s identity and how stakeholders identify with it will alter radically. Indeed, it is already inaccurate to speak of the identity of higher education rather than identities. In consideration of the third set of characteristics, none of these goes unchallenged. Consensus is a long way off. The way forward is paved with many possibilities and potential directions. The plurality and competitive characteristics have multiple implications that work their way through how we approach marketing for higher education, understand it, and then deal with it. The articles in this special issue are just some of the research outcomes that link the major themes emanating from the characteristics. It would be impossible, of course, to cover all these themes in one special issue. Nevertheless,the articles in this special edition of the Journal of Marketing Management illustrate how marketing for higher education research is intricately bound up with (a) the characteristics and (b) the themes, and (c) how researchers break these themes down into manageable research topics such as marketing strategy, services marketing, consumer behaviour, and so on.

How after-sales service quality dimensions affect customer satisfaction

Abstract: An understanding of the effect of after-sales services in satisfaction and post behavioural intentions is important to services marketing managers because it allows them to differentiate their offering substantially, in a way that strengths the relationship with their clientele in the short, as well as in the long run. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of after-sales services on customers’ satisfaction as well as on their behavioural intentions, namely “repurchase intention” and “word-of-mouth” (WOM). The research conducted followed a quantitative methodology. The selected research tool was a questionnaire. The study conducted was targeted at customers of a large retail chain marketing home appliances in Iran and 302 usable responses were utilised. A path analysis was performed using the “Amos 18” software. Findings show that after-sales service quality, affect satisfaction, which in turn affects behavioural intentions. Hence, after-sales services affect the overall offering and thus, the quality of the relationship with customers. Key words: Retailing, after-sales services, service quality, customer satisfaction, word-of-mouth, repurchase intention.

Can there only be one? Towards a post-paradigmatic service marketing approach

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to unlock positions regarding the goods/services dichotomy in service marketing and to offer an argument that treats goods and services on an ontologically equal basis.Design/methodology/approach – A close reading of influential texts that argue in favor of a service‐dominant logic (SDL) and new paradigms in service marketing.Findings – Both the SDL proposal and calls for new service paradigms can be understood as ad hoc solutions that serve to reproduce and even strengthen the asymmetry between goods and services. A post‐paradigmatic analysis opens up new possibilities for service marketing research and practice.Research limitations/implications – By showing how goods and services can be positioned equally, hitherto invisible sites of value creation become potential subjects for analyses in service marketing.Practical implications – Service marketing practices are situated so as to explain the value creating interactions between service providers and customers in a ...

Marketing Plans for Services: A Complete Guide

Abstract: Preface vii The structure of this book and how to use it ix List of figures xi 1 Marketing and services 1 2 The nature of services marketing 23 3 Marketing planning for services: the process 49 4 Marketing planning for services: the problems 63 5 Marketing planning Phase One: the strategic context 79 6 Marketing planning Phase Two: the situation review (Part 1) 107 7 Marketing planning Phase Two: the situation review (Part 2) 141 8 Marketing planning Phase Three: marketing strategy formulation 183 9 Marketing planning Phase Four: resource allocation, monitoring and detailed planning (Part 1: the budget, the service product plan and the communications plan) 213 10 Marketing planning Phase Four: resource allocation, monitoring and detailed planning (Part 2: price, place, people, processes and customer service) 267 11 Organizing for marketing planning 307 12 Measuring the effectiveness of marketing plans for service businesses 347 13 A step-by-step marketing planning system for service businesses 373 Examples of marketing plans 411 Glossary of marketing planning terms 469 References 477 Index 485

Internal social marketing: lessons from the field of services marketing

Abstract: Copyright and Moral Rights for the articles on this site are retained by the individual authors and/or other copyright owners. For more information on Open Research Online's data policy on reuse of materials please consult the policies page.

Attitude toward wealth management services: Implications for international banks in China

Abstract: Purpose – In a time of global recession and customers' pejorative perceptions of financial products, international banks need to understand the determinants of behavioral intentions of high‐net‐worth individuals when considering business tactics for capturing the lucrative wealth management services (WMS) markets. This paper aims to build a predictive model using the theory of planned behavior to determine behavioral intentions of Taiwanese nationals based in the People's Republic of China (the PRC) in respect of their choice and decisions about WMS providers.Design/methodology/approach – Two‐phased sequential mix methods, based on the theory of planned behavior, are employed to investigate factors that influence the choice of wealth management services providers by Taiwanese based in the PRC. An elicitation study plus three pilot tests were administered for questionnaire development, refinement and finalization. The main study employs a cross‐sectional study of Taiwan home nationals resident in China.Fin...

Lost in Transition? The Human Influence on Marketing’s Emerging Service-Dominant Logic

Abstract: The managerial implications of the service-dominant logic (SDL) of marketing are discussed in this article. In 2004, Vargo and Lusch outlined the SDL. That same year, the American Marketing Association (AMA) released a new definition of marketing based on the SDL. Because services are intimately tied to service providers (i.e., people), this paper focuses on how different types of people customers, managers, scholars, and students – influence the SDL. Explained first is how these four groups contribute to defining marketing under the SDL. Then, the challenges employees will face as their firms adopt the SDL are discussed; managers at these firms must answer many difficult questions about how to structure their organizations. Third, the competitive dynamics of the SDL are examined; specifically, this article discusses how evolving market conditions will force the SDL to change. Last, propositions are offered that explain how the SDL is likely to change in the future.

A renewed approach to services marketing effectiveness

Abstract: Purpose – Marketing as a function is under increasing pressure to develop and implement business‐oriented methods and measures to improve its effectiveness. This paper approaches the subject of marketing audits and aims to examine its impact and perceived benefits in service organizations. Based on the Index of Services Marketing Excellence framework, it seeks to develop an updated instrument and to test the hypothesized relationships – connections between input and output marketing measures.Design/methodology/approach – Data were taken from DunsPep Financial Sector Database. First, to validate the measurement instrument content, five individual interviews with marketing managers were carried out. Then, the same type of professionals were surveyed. Regarding structural equations modelling, a PLS‐GRAPH was utilized.Findings – This work tries to demonstrate the connection between marketing activities and company performance, sustaining the importance of a framework designed to evaluate the former. Findings ...

Factorial and discriminant analyses of environmental sensitivity and initiative of Nigerian firms

Abstract: The issue of environmental protection has been of interest to Africa just as it is to the rest of the world. Such rising interest in environmental protection has resulted in a number of environmentally friendly initiatives, such as landscaping, by firms in Nigeria. This article adopts the organizational buying behavior theory to study a comprehensive list of potential facilitators of landscaping adoption and to discriminate between organizational adopters and nonadopters in Nigeria. The data were factor-analyzed to determine the key dimensions of facilitators. On the basis of the resulting dimensions, discriminant analysis was conducted. The results show that environmental factors, organizational factors, and managerial factors are important discriminants. The findings are salient in environmental management in Africa, and in designing strategies for landscaping services marketing and landscaping diffusion. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Services Marketing Mix of Foreign Coffee Franchiser in Bangkok

Abstract: Title: Services Marketing Mix of Foreign Coffee Franchiser in Bangkok Program: Inte ...

Marketing Research Regarding Mobile Marketing Implications for Romanian Services Consumers

Abstract: Over the last decades, marketing concepts, tools, and knowledge have gone through tremendous developments. The emergence of high speed wireless network technologies and the rapid proliferation of mobile phones and other mobile devices have created a new channel for marketing. The mobile channel enables business entities to establish a pervasive electronic presence alongside their customers anytime, anywhere.These technologies bring together a broad range of information regarding its users ranging from location and transaction details, to personal identifiable information. Mobile devices allow people to stay informed, gather information and communicate with others without being tied to a physical location. These characteristics offer significant opportunities for marketers to reach customers at anytime and anyplace.The present article emphasize the conclusions based upon a exploratory research conducted by the authors in order to determine the degree of acceptance among Romanian users for mobile marketing techniques regarding different types of services – banking and financial services, medical services, traveling, etc

A review on multiple perspectives of IT services in Information Systems and Computer Science (A multi-disciplinary overview)

Abstract: Services innovations are intensively associated with ICT innovations and adoption and diffusion of ICT. Recently, various issues and views of services have been addressed through new disciplines of services. This paper attempts to review multiple disciplines of IT services in Information Systems and Computer Science briefly. While in SSME and ITSM, the focus is mostly on planning and management of IT services, in Services Computing discipline and in service oriented domains of services such as SOA and SOI, the emphasis is on service design and operation. As we discussed in this paper, there is a call to conducting research in service-oriented technology and management for the coming decade. Also there is a rich context for researchers on services design, services development, services marketing, services delivery, services management, and services operation from behavioural, economics, technical, and organizational perspectives in computer science, information systems, e-commerce and management disciplines. For achieving any research in this area, quantitative, qualitative and experiment methods, case and field studies, and design science approaches were encouraged to be considered.

Sustainable container haulage industry in malaysian west ports: service quality perspective

Abstract: The challenges faced by the haulage industry in meeting with the rapid growth of eminent volume of global containerized cargoes have entailed for reengineering of the industry. Despite of the remarkable research on service quality that measures the customer service satisfaction level in service sector, there is a lack of empirical studies on the haulage industry. Considering the fact of measuring service quality within container transportation services is relatively different compared with the services marketing, there is a need to look into service quality dimensions for the industry. This study focused on service quality rendered by haulage provider and derived service quality determinants critical to haulage industry in Malaysia. These determinants will be gauged by adopting the modified version of SERVQUAL model, which is the most widely used instruments of service quality and the Gap Model of Service Quality by Parasuraman et al, was used to gauge the service gap. By using sequel questionnaires, a survey was conducted with random sampling of selected manufacturers in the hinterland of West Coast Ports, Malaysia to measure the sustainable dimensions to service quality in business-to-customer setting of haulage industry which in turn considered the most critically important by customer.

Giordano: positioning for international expansion

Abstract: Subject area Retailing, services marketing, marketing strategy Study level/applicability Undergraduate Business and Management, MBA, MA Marketing/International Business Case overview Giordano is one of Asia's most successful retailers, with operations in East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East With a strong emphasis on customer service and value-for-money, Giordano was able to differentiate itself from its competitors The question is: how can Giordano maintain its competitive advantage in the future? Amid increasingly stronger competitors and changing industry conditions, Giordano had to critically evaluate its sources of competitive advantage and key success factors, and perhaps consider repositioning itself in current and new markets Expected learning outcomes This case is suited for a retailing or services marketing/management course It demonstrates the power of a tight integration of marketing, operations, and human resource management to deliver value-for-money Specifically, it can be used for the following teaching objectives: from a marketing perspective, this case can be used to demonstrate the successful integration of a strategy based on service orientation, value-for-money positioning, and aggressive advertising and promotions; and from a management perspective, the case can be used to highlight how the marketing strategy is being delivered through a clear focus on service staff (selection, training, and motivation) and operations (logistics, IT, and communications), combined with an organizational culture that encourages staff to try new things (and accept errors as a consequence) Supplementary materials Teaching notes

Health care services marketing in a cross-cultural context : Elekta in Brazil

Abstract: Purpose of the paperThis research deals with the Internationalization of health services focusing on two services characteristics intangibility and heterogeneity. The study analyzes how adaptation/standardization, trust and network development are achieved when marketing a Swedish health care service in Brazil, a culturally distant country to Sweden.Literature addressedThe theoretical framework of the study is based on theories on International Marketing Services, trust, networks and cultural differences. Adaptation/standardization is important when operating in a foreign market for acceptance of services, creating confidence in the foreign market and establishing contacts with the local environment. Networks are needed to get information and gain access to resources the firms need to run their activities. By creating trust long term business relationships can be developed. Using trust and networks can service providers communicate with customers and understand and satisfy their needs.Research MethodWe apply a case study for data collection. A case on a Swedish invention for radio surgery, Gamma Knife in Brazil has been conducted in its real life context. Qualitative data have been collected in form of semi-structured interviews. Direct observation of the working environment and activities in Sweden has also been used as data source. We concentrate on the process of the marketing of the service.Research FindingsThe study shows that cultural adaptation makes service characteristics tangible by increasing the understanding between service providers and local customers. It suggests that foreign company’s service offerings, values and beliefs connected to the quality of the service are to be standardised. This standardisation communicates the offering both of a treatment and also of a learning process and helps the service to be visible and tangible. It further demonstrates that relationships related to the local market are to be adapted to customers´ tastes, habits and preferences to develop trust and networks. The study suggest that a balanced combination of adaptation and standardisation makes services homogenous and tangible increasing the possibility of success for service providers and the acceptance of services by the local customers.Main contributionThe research contributes to the International services marketing literature developing a model of internationalization of health services marketing based on adaptation/standardization, trust and network, to overcome issues of intangibility and heterogeneity of services. Managers should recognize that marketing people-processing services requires development of local networks to gain trust, and legitimacy in the local market. Keywords: Cultural Adaptation, Network, Intangibility, Heterogeneity, Trust, Gamma Knife, Health Service, Brazil.

Online Bookstore - A New Trend in Textbook Sales Management for Services Marketing

Abstract: The research study explores the phenomenon of increase in the use of online medium for textbook sales. The study uses the basics of commerce transactions, incorporating them into a model to explain their effects on different mediums of textbook sale. The study uses theoretical approach in explaining the influence of advantages and disadvantages of each medium on transactions occurring through it. The study designs two different models each representing a single medium. The method of flowchart analysis is used to describe the various processes occurring in each medium and transactions are incorporated at the point of sales in both the models. Overall the study concludes by explaining the theory behind the growth of online medium when compared to other mediums.