Stress and coping connected to higher education study structures: combined views from teachers and students

Experienced stress by students and teachers in higher education has attracted increasing interest, but the two groups are rarely studied together. We combine their perspectives by considering the stress and coping among students and teachers concerning the development of study structures in a business school context. The findings indicate a strong connection between stress experienced by students and teachers, reflecting their interactive nature in this context. We categorize factors causing stress to those for which effective coping mechanisms exist, those causing tensions and requiring active management, and stressors that are difficult to remove because a coping mechanism for one group increases the stress of the other. Our findings add to existing knowledge on stress and coping mechanisms in higher education by combining the perspectives of students and teachers concerning study structures in business education

Constructing customer knowledge in knowledge‐intensive customer relationships

Abstract Knowing your customers and their needs is a topic that has attracted increasing interest in the business and academic worlds. In line with this, constructing customer knowledge has come under examination in this study. A firm’s ability to construct customer knowledge creates solid ground for responding better to its customers’ needs. In the business‐to‐business markets, customers are demanding increasingly knowledge‐intensive services. Therefore, examining the topic is particularly important in this specific context. In this study, the purpose is to find out how customer knowledge is constructed in knowledge‐intensive customer relationships. To accomplish this purpose, a qualitative multiple case study is organized around seven case relationships allowing within‐case and cross‐case comparisons. The findings of this study describe a variety of practices knowledge‐intensive firms can utilize in constructing customer knowledge in their daily activities. This study helps KIBS organizations in their efforts to create a source of competitive advantage as customer knowledge is a critical asset for firms, especially in a fast‐changing knowledge‐intensive environment

Communicating value in knowledge-intensive business relationships

Abstract This study investigates the communication of value in the customer relationships of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) in relation to value propositions, service modularity, customer knowledge construction, and purchasing criteria. While customer knowledge construction and purchasing criteria form the basis for understanding the characteristics of these relationships, value propositions and service modularity illuminate the detail of how value is communicated in them. The results of the study highlight the importance of creating trust in KIBS customer relationships to foster successful collaboration and open communication, which becomes a means for customer knowledge construction. This study reveals a range of communication practices as well as proposes additional and critical ways to construct such knowledge in the development of customised value propositions. In addition, the essential purchasing criteria in KIBS customer relationships are explored, and the results show that the customer relationship itself influences which criteria are emphasised during the purchasing process. This study also challenges the idea that value proposition is always co-created in KIBS customer relationships and distinguishes value components in new and established KIBS customer relationships both at relationship and project levels. The results of this study also propose how service modularity can be utilised to customise value propositions through configuration of knowledge as well as internal and external resources to various and often complex customer needs. This study contributes to the scientific discussion on KIBS customer relationships by drawing on research in the areas of value propositions, service modularity, customer knowledge construction, and purchasing criteria. The focus of this study, the communication of value, is novel and has not been discussed largely in the literature of KIBS customer relationships from these perspectives.Tiivistelmä Tämä väitöskirja käsittelee arvon viestimistä tietointensiivisten liike-elämän palvelujen (KIBS) asiakassuhteissa arvolupausten, palvelumodulaarisuuden, asiakastiedon rakentamisen ja ostokriteerien näkökulmista. Asiakastiedon rakentamisen ja ostokriteerien näkökulmat auttavat huomioimaan KIBS-asiakassuhteiden ominaispiirteiden vaikutuksen arvon viestimiseen, kun taas arvolupausten ja palvelumodulaarisuuden näkökulmat luovat tarkemman käsityksen siitä, miten arvoa viestitään KIBS-asiakassuhteissa. Tämä tutkimus korostaa luottamuksen merkitystä yhteistyön onnistumiselle ja avoimelle viestinnälle luoden perustan asiakastiedon rakentamiselle. Tämä tutkimus paljastaa erilaisia viestintäkäytäntöjä sekä näitä täydentäviä käytäntöjä asiakastiedon rakentamiseksi, mikä on keskeistä arvolupausten räätälöimiseksi. Tämä tutkimus paljastaa myös olennaisimmat ostokriteerit KIBS-asiakassuhteissa. Lisäksi tämän tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat, että kyseessä oleva KIBS-asiakassuhde vaikuttaa siihen, mitkä ostokriteerit korostuvat ostoprosessin aikana. Tämä tutkimus myös haastaa aiemman käsityksen arvolupausten yhteisluonnista KIBS-asiakassuhteissa ja esittelee arvokomponenttien painotukset uusissa ja vakiintuneissa KIBS-asiakassuhteissa sekä suhteiden että projektien tasolla. Tässä tutkimuksessa kuvataan myös, kuinka KIBS-yritys voi hyödyntää palvelumodulaarisuutta yhdistelemällä tietoaan sekä resurssejaan arvolupausten räätälöinnissä vastaamaan asiakkaiden usein monimutkaisiakin tarpeita. Tämä väitöskirja kontribuoi erityisesti KIBS-asiakassuhteista käytyyn tieteelliseen keskusteluun erilaisilla näkökulmillaan, jotka tuottavat kontribuutiota yhdessä ja erikseen arvon viestimiseen KIBS-asiakassuhteissa. Tämän tutkimuksen näkökulma arvon viestimiseen on tuore, sillä sitä ei ole aiemmin laajemmin käsitelty KIBS-asiakassuhteita käsittelevässä kirjallisuudessa näistä näkökulmista

Purchasing of knowledge-intensive business services:a case study of relevant factors

Abstract Purchasing of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) is often a critical decision for business customers as it can affect their businesses in numerous ways, such as creating a competitive advantage or fulfilling financial and regulatory objectives. Hence, customers tend to make careful and systematic decisions to purchase these services, and it is both theoretically and managerially important to know the factors that influence these decisions. However, the extant research has not shed sufficient light on those factors. The purpose of this study is thus to explore the factors that influence customers' KIBS purchasing decisions. A qualitative case study is used to gain a multidimensional understanding of the issue. The findings reveal that several factors influence customers' purchasing decisions: convincing value propositions, perception of service quality, perception of potential risks, potential for customisation, quality customer relationships, individual preferences, geographic proximity and availability of information. The findings are discussed further, and the implications and limitations of the study are noted

Evolving value propositions in knowledge-intensive business services

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore what value dimensions and related value components are highlighted in the value proposition of knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS), both at the relationship and project levels, how value propositions can differ between new and established customer relationships, and finally what is characteristic to the evolution of value proposition in the KIBS context. Design/methodology/approach: This study uses a comparative, qualitative multiple case study method. Findings: The aim is to offer a comprehensive picture of the variety of value components in KIBS relationships, likewise, how the nature and composition of value proposition changes as a relationship evolves from conducting a single project toward a more established customer relationship. Individual experts seem to possess a crucial role in that development. Originality/value: This study contributes theoretically by providing insights into the current literature on core dimensions and components of value propositions in this specific context, and differences there can be between new and established customer relationships. The study also offers much-needed, context-specific knowledge of knowledge-intensive services for managers. Empirically, these findings reflect the perspectives of both the service provider and four of its customers, ensuring a multi-sided description of the phenomenon

Jokes in the store and its effects on customer satisfaction

Abstract This study assesses the impact of employee use of jokes embedded in face-to-face conversations with customers. Our main finding — derived from experiments in which employee use of jokes was manipulated — was that jokes reduced customer satisfaction. This reduction occurred regardless if jokes were related or unrelated to the employee’s overall message. Our results also indicate that the use of jokes had a negative impact on perceived message relevance, and that perceived relevance mediated the link between employee use of jokes and customer satisfaction. In addition, our results show that no joke usage vs. joke usage did not produce different emotional responses. This suggests that the impact of jokes on affect is attenuated when jokes are embedded in conversational content

Matching value propositions with varied customer needs:the role of service modularity

Abstract Organizations seek to manage varied customer segments using varied value propositions. The ability of a knowledge‐intensive business service (KIBS) provider to formulate value propositions into attractive offerings to varied customers becomes a competitive advantage. In this specific business based on often highly abstract service offerings, this requires the provider to have a clear overview of its knowledge and resources and how these can be configured to obtain the desired customization of services. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how a KIBS provider can match value propositions with varied customer needs utilizing service modularity. To accomplish this purpose, a qualitative multiple case study is organized around 5 projects allowing within‐case and cross‐case comparisons. Our findings describe how through the configuration of knowledge and resources a sustainable competitive advantage is created through creating the right kind of value propositions for varied customers with the help of modularity. Understanding gained through this research helps KIBS organizations in their efforts to increase organizational effectiveness through modular services

Supporting value co-creation through interaction during the pre-purchase customer journey:empirical evidence from B2B HR services

Abstract Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the role of interaction in supporting value co-creation during pre-purchase customer journey stages when selling professional B-to-B services. First, value co-creation in professional service firms (PSFs) is reviewed, and, second, the role of interaction in the different stages of a customer’s pre-purchase journey is explored, specifically in the context of B-to-B human resource management services. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative, semi-structured interview data was collected from potential B2B customers of a PSF in question, providing a broad coverage of prospective clients in architecture, engineering and IT sector. Findings: In general, the findings of this study indicate that interaction plays a crucial role in pre-purchasing stages of a customer journey. In particular, these findings form understanding of how various interaction channels and content support PSF’s ability to co-create value with its prospects. Originality/value: The existing research tends to concentrate on how value is created for existing customers, and far less attention has been paid to the perspective of prospects. This study contributes theoretically by providing novel insights into the current literature on value co-creation in PSFs by providing an understanding of how interactions in pre-purchase phases affect the co-creation of value from the perspective of prospects, which is a less researched viewpoint. Empirically, this study offers managers much-needed, context-specific knowledge of PSFs by comparing differences and pulling together similarities from each customer journey stage of PSF prospects

Stress and coping connected to higher education study structures:combined views from teachers and students

Abstract Experienced stress by students and teachers in higher education has attracted increasing interest, but the two groups are rarely studied together. We combine their perspectives by considering the stress and coping among students and teachers concerning the development of study structures in a business school context. The findings indicate a strong connection between stress experienced by students and teachers, reflecting their interactive nature in this context. We categorize factors causing stress to those for which effective coping mechanisms exist, those causing tensions and requiring active management, and stressors that are difficult to remove because a coping mechanism for one group increases the stress of the other. Our findings add to existing knowledge on stress and coping mechanisms in higher education by combining the perspectives of students and teachers concerning study structures in business education

Linking concepts of playfulness and well-being at work in retail sector

Abstract This conceptual article discusses the roles of playfulness and well-being at work in the retail sector with a specific emphasis on service encounters. The aim is to create a new conceptual framework to enhance research on how the element of playfulness can be part of an employee’s working environment in the retail sector, and to discuss how playfulness could enhance employee’s well-being at work. The framework identifies various interactive relationships characteristic to the retail environment. Furthermore, the application of playfulness in these relationships is discussed from the viewpoint of well-being at work. The framework provides a solid basis for further research to produce results with practical implications