The service concept plays a key role in service design and development. But while the term is used frequently in the service design and new service development literature, surprisingly little has been written about the service concept itself and its important role in service design and development. The service concept defines the how and the what of service design, and helps mediate between customer needs and an organization’s strategic intent. We define the service concept and describe how it can be used to enhance a variety of service design processes. As illustrations here, we apply the service concept to service design planning and service recovery design processes. Employing the service concept as an important driver of service design decisions raises a number of interesting questions for research which are discussed here.

This study investigates the applicability of a modified SERVQUAL instrument as a means of measuring residents' perceptions of long-term health-care service quality in the USA and UK. The results confirm a stable, four-factor structure that is similar to previously defined service quality dimensions and is invariant across the countries studied.

PurposeThe study aims to examine the association between job satisfaction and demographic variables, such as years in profession, of healthcare professionals in an in‐patient rehabilitation hospital setting.Design/methodology/approachA total of 128 employees were surveyed using a 47‐item opinion survey to assess demographic variables and overall job satisfaction, as well as nine facets of job satisfaction.FindingsThe findings indicate that years in profession (professional experience) is associated with job satisfaction in a defined pattern.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings need to be tested in other professional groups where plateauing is common. The results are limited by the use of a convenience sample, relatively small sample size, some categorical data that restricted the forms of analysis, and the fact that only demographic variables were examined. The use of continuous measures and broadening the study to include other organizational variables and personal variables would provide more robust results.Practical implicationsThe paper suggests a two‐tier program of coaching and mentoring to address issues in job motivation, which may lead to increased job satisfaction and retention of health care professionals.Originality/valueDrawing from earlier literature, strategies such as mentoring and coaching are proposed for moderating the negative effect of plateauing on satisfaction. The value of the paper is the identification of a pattern in the motivation of plateaued employees and the application of previous findings about coaching and mentoring that may address issues of employee motivation and retention.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine career‐life issues of successful women in the Americas.Design/methodology/approachA total of 30 interviews were conducted with successful women in Canada, Argentina and Mexico. Themes were pulled from the interview transcripts for each country, analyzed and then compared across countries, looking at universalities and differences of experiences.FindingsThe women in all three countries conveyed more subjective measures of career success, such as contributing to society and learning in their work, with Canada and Mexico particularly emphasizing receiving recognition as a hallmark of career success.Practical implicationsThis research provides insight into the experiences of successful women in the Americas, which can inform the career development of women in business.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the literature on women's careers, highlighting successful women's experiences across cultures and in an under‐researched area: Latin America.

Purpose -Through means of an empirical study of service recovery in US retail banking this paper aims to examine the link between satisfaction and various recovery strategies. Design/methodology/approach -A total of 310 bank customers responded to a survey addressing customer demographics, levels of satisfaction, types of recovery strategies, and service recovery employees. Frequencies, chi-square analysis and correspondence analysis were used to analyze the data. Findings -The findings show no significant difference in recovery strategies or satisfaction by customer age, gender, or tenure with bank. However, the degree of customer satisfaction was strongly influenced by the type of recovery strategy used by the bank. The results indicate that recovery efforts are best directed toward empathic listening and fixing the problem rather than apologizing or making atonement.Originality/value -This study of service recovery in US retail banking provides useful information on the link between satisfaction and various recovery strategies.