Doktorska se disertacija usmjerava na istraživanje utjecaja fizičkog okruženja, preciznije,
utjecaja implementacije ciljno odabranog olfaktornog podražaja u fizičkom okruženju na
emocionalno stanje pojedinca, percepciju fizičkog okruženja i procjenu vrijednosti usluge,
što dovodi do više razine zadovoljstva korisnika uslugom. Utjecaj fizičkog okruženja
značajan je jer doprinosi pozicioniranju i diferencijaciji poslovnih subjekata, posebice onih
koji se bave uslugama. Neopipljivost je jedno od glavnih obilježja usluga, a preko fizičkog
ih se okruženja nastoji učiniti opipljivijima i približiti korisnicima. U marketingu usluga,
ponuda se temelji na četiri osnovna elementa marketinškog miksa – proizvodu, tj. usluzi,
cijeni, distribuciji i promociji, ali uključuje i dodatna tri elementa i to ljude (pružatelje
usluge), procese i fizičko okruženje. Fizičko okruženje doprinosi olakšavanju i
pospješivanju transakcija između ciljnog tržišta i poslovnog subjekta. Otuda proizlazi
važnost proučavanja fizičkog okruženja za poslovne subjekte koji žele poslovati na
temeljima marketinške koncepcije poslovanja, odnosno biti konkurentni.
Fizičko okuženje definiraju elementi koji se u njemu nalaze, a koje pojedinac percipira
osjetilima (vid, sluh, njuh, dodir). U kontekstu ovog istraživanja fokus se usmjerava ka
ciljno odabranom olfaktornom podražaju eteričnog ulja Mentha piperita. Ovaj je olfaktorni
podražaj ciljno odabran s obzirom da se istraživanje smješta u okvir transfera znanja –
pružanja edukacijskih usluga, a njegovo je svojstvo kefalično djelovanje (potiče
koncentraciju). Prema prethodnim teorijskim istraživanjima, očekuje se da će navedeni
olfaktorni podražaj djelovati na afektivne reakcije korisnika usluge, percepciju fizičkog
okruženja, kao i na kognitivnu procjenu vrijednosti pružene usluge, a time i na višu razinu
zadovoljstva korisnika transferom znanja.
Na temelju prethodnih istraživanja izveden je model koji se i empirijski istražuje
metodama eksperimenta i ispitivanja. Implementacija ciljno odabranog olfaktornog
podražaja Mentha piperita utjecala je na percepciju fizičkog okruženja boljim. Percepcija
fizičkog okruženja boljim povezana je s osjećajem ugode što se odražava na zadovoljstvo
korisnika transferom znanja. Isto tako percepcija fizičkog okruženja boljim utječe na
zadovoljstvo korisnika transferom znanja. Percepcija fizičkog okruženja boljim utječe i na
procjenu vrijednosti usluge višom, što ponovno rezultira višom razinom zadovoljstva
korisnika transfera znanja. Suprotno očekivanjima na temelju prethodnih istraživanja,
izravna veza olfaktornog podražaja s emocionalnim stanjem i procjenom vrijednosti usluge
na cjelokupnom uzorku nije dokazana.
Buduća bi se istraživanja, stoga, uz klasične metode, ponajprije trebala orijentirati prema
istraživanjima koja se oslanjaju na metode originalno korištene u neuroznanosti da bi se
dobio jasniji uvid u reakcije pojedinaca na određene podražaje i njihovo donošenje
odluka/izražavanje stavova. Navedenom u prilog ide i spoznaja da je utvrđena razlika u
percipiranju vrijednosti usluge transfera znanja između onih ispitanika kojima se olfaktorni
podražaj svidio i onih kojima se nije svidio kada je u fizičkom okruženju postojala
implementacija olfaktornog podražaja. Drugim riječima, iako za to nije postojala osnova u
samoj ponudi sadržaja usluge, sviđanje olfaktornog podražaja utjecalo je na procjenu
vrijednosti usluge.The doctoral thesis is directed towards researching influence of physical environment,
more precisely, the influence of implementation of purposely selected olfactory stimulus
within physical environment on emotional state of an individual, perception of physical
environment and estimation of service value, which leads to a higher level of customer's
satisfaction with service. Influence of physical environment is significant, since it
contributes to positioning and differentiation of business organizations, particularly those
dealing with the service segment. Intangibility is one of the main characteristics of services
and by means of physical environment the services are intended to become tangible and
accessible to customers. As regards service marketing, offer is based on four basic
elements of marketing mix – product/service, price, distribution and promotion. However,
it includes additional three elements, precisely, people (service providers), processes and
physical environment. Physical environment facilitates and upgrades transactions between
target market and business organizations. Hence, the studying physical environment is
important to business organizations that are willing to act based on the marketing concept
of business, namely, be competitive.
Physical environment is defined by the elements within it that an individual perceives by
senses (vision, hearing, smell, touch). This research is focused on purposely selected
olfactory stimulus of essential oil Mentha piperita. This olfactory stimulus is purposely
selected, given the fact that the research is conducted within the transfer of knowledge –
rendering of educational services, and the olfactory stimulus concerned has cephalic
features (it encourages concentration). In line with previous theoretical research it is
expected that the above mentioned olfactory stimulus will influence affective reactions of
the customer, the customer’s perception of physical environment as well as cognitive
appraisal of the value of the service provided, influencing, consequently, a higher level of
the customer’s satisfaction with the transfer of knowledge.
Based on the previous research a model is derived and also empirically tested by
experimental and survey methods. By implementation of purposely selected olfactory
stimulus physical environment was perceived as better. The perception of physical
environment as better is connected with the feeling of pleasure, which is reflected on
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customer’s satisfaction with the transfer of knowledge. Likewise, perception of physical
environment as better influences customer’s satisfaction with the transfer of knowledge.
The perception of physical environment as better also improves the service value estimate,
which, thus, results in a higher level of the customer’s satisfaction with transfer of
knowledge. Contrary to the expectations based on the previous research, a direct
connection of olfactory stimulus with emotional state as well as with estimation of the
service value, as regards the whole sample, has not been proven.
Therefore, in addition to classical methods, future research would be primarily oriented
towards research, which rely on the methods originally used in neuroscience, in order a
better insight into reactions of individuals to certain stimuli and their decisionmaking/
attitude expression may be obtained. The above mentioned is also supported by the
cognition that a difference in perceiving the value of transfer of knowledge is established
between the individuals who liked the olfactory stimulus and those ones who did not like it
(when olfactory stimulus was implemented in physical environment). In other words,
although the service content itself did not include any basis for the above mentioned, liking
of olfactory stimulus influenced estimation of the service value
