Embodied interaction in customer experience: a phenomenological study of group fitness

Kuuru, Tiina-Kaisa; Närvänen, Elina

doi:10.1080/0267257x.2019.1649295

Cited by 26 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 68 publications

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“…The findings expand on the current notions of the human body in service work by showing how embodiment covers much more than the visible actions during the service encounter. Our findings draw a picture of a body that is continuously interpreting and acting within and between bodies (Valtonen and Närvänen, 2015;Kuuru and Närvänen, 2019). Employees gain knowledge and understanding via their bodies, in turn guiding their speech and actions until the end of the service encounter and even afterwards (Schau et al, 2009).…”

Section: Reflection On the Findingsmentioning

confidence: 66%

“…These activities show how employees create emotional commitments (Schau et al, 2009;Solnet et al, 2019) by interacting with the customer. In particular, given our paper's focus, the results show that much of the interaction between employees and customers is embodied, with their bodies affecting and being affected by each other (Kuuru and Närvänen, 2019):…”

Section: Reflection On the Findingsmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…In the view of Palmer and Simmons (1995), embodiment can be identified as a communication vehicle in service employees' work: employees' gestures, position and gaze are not only being evaluated by the customer, but they also serve as employee tools to read the customer and make sense of their needs and wants; this notion highlights the body as an active and relational agent that is affecting and being affected by other bodies (Valtonen and Närvänen, 2015). Kuuru and Närvänen (2019) identified nine themes of embodied interaction in the context of group fitness services, including the observable interactions between the bodies and within each body. However, their study concentrated more on the customer's perspective.…”

Section: Considerations On Embodimentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The practice bundle of attuning highlights the use of the body as a central asset for understanding other bodies (Palmer and Simmons, 1995;Crossley, 2005;Kuuru and Närvänen, 2019). Employees mirror the signs and cues, both verbal and embodied, received from customers and modify their actions to suit the customers in the best possible way.…”

Section: Reflection On the Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, all practice bundles relate and affect each other. Connecting occurs as an embodied interaction when participants and the customers affect and are affected by each other (Kuuru and Närvänen, 2019), hence leading to the building of emotional connections (Solnet et al , 2019). The participants described their aim of making the customer feel, for example, relaxed, comfortable, happy, special or the focus of the employee’s concerns.…”

Section: Findings: Embodied Practices Of Service Employeesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Talking bodies – an embodied approach to service employees’ work

Kuuru

Närvänen

2020

JSM

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Purpose This paper aims to study the embodied nature of service employees’ work in human touch contexts. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts the practice theory as its interpretive approach, using focus group interviews with service employees from different industries. Findings The study identifies four practice bundles related to the embodied dimension of service employees’ work: orienting, attuning, connecting and wrapping up. The findings illustrate how employees’ knowledge, skills and capabilities are used via the body. Practical implications The study provides guidance for managers to use an embodied perspective in the management of service employees. Originality/value This study contributes to the discussion on embodiment in service encounters by highlighting the embodied nature of service employees’ work.

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Section: Reflection On the Findingsmentioning

confidence: 66%

Section: Reflection On the Findingsmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Considerations On Embodimentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Reflection On the Findingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Findings: Embodied Practices Of Service Employeesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Talking bodies – an embodied approach to service employees’ work

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2020

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Understanding the sense‐making process of visitor experience in the integrated resort setting: Investigating the role of experience‐centric attributes

Ke-fang

et al. 2023

Journal of Tourism Research

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Almost all existing customer experience research has been based on the stimulus‐organism‐response (S‐O‐R) paradigm or the interaction‐based perspective, and very few on the sensemaking theoretical perspective. This study aims to address this gap by developing and testing an integrated conceptual model of customer experience creation based on the sensemaking theory. Focusing on the case of six luxury integrated resorts in Macao, the findings indicate that experience‐centric attributes significantly affect self‐image congruity and sense of place respectively, which in turn are positively and significantly related to subjective well‐being. In addition, both self‐image congruity and sense of place play a mediating role between customer‐centric experience and subjective well‐being.

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The influence of tourists' emotional experiences on destination loyalty from the perspective of community economy

Li,

Yuan,

Zhang

2024

Journal of Tourism Research

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Community research has been a significant topic in various fields over time. This study (a) constructs a structural equation model for hypothetical community relationships between six factors: tourist interaction, positive emotional experience, general emotional experience, tourists' subjective well‐being, tourist satisfaction, and tourist destination loyalty, and (b) examines the impact of tourists' emotional experiences on their destination loyalty by taking community members as the main survey objects. The results show that tourist emotional experiences have a positive impact on tourists' loyalty. Finally, taking Guilin's evolution into a world‐class tourism city as an example, we propose suggestions on the development of community tourism.

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Embodied interaction in customer experience: a phenomenological study of group fitness

Cited by 26 publications

References 68 publications

Talking bodies – an embodied approach to service employees’ work

Talking bodies – an embodied approach to service employees’ work

Understanding the sense‐making process of visitor experience in the integrated resort setting: Investigating the role of experience‐centric attributes

The influence of tourists' emotional experiences on destination loyalty from the perspective of community economy

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