Role theory, role management and service performance

Abstract

Outlines the essential elements of a role theoretical perspective and explores its potential importance to service performance in people‐based service encounters. Drawing on Biddle, and on Solomon et al.’s interpretations, how role theory enhances our marketing exchange understanding by focusing on the interactive features within successful service encounters is demonstrated. Outlines how role management offers a framework to evaluate the degree of interactivity sought in relationship approaches. Role theory, it is argued, can enable organizations to identify role development needs for service personnel within interactive service formats and permits organizations to monitor processual elements of service performance. A managerial framework, which identifies specific role management tasks in client encounters, is developed. This, it is proposed, may operate in two domains, internally within the service process and externally within the service encounter with clients. The contribution of role to the service life cycle, as a factor in service performance, and as a means to encourage customer retention is discussed: its application in different services contexts is briefly outlined.

Changing roles. Role theoretical approach to customer involvement in industrial service development

“…Service research has identified service development and service design as potential application areas of role theory (Broderick, 1998). However, Broderick (1999) argues that role change within new service development is only rarely acknowledged in practice.…”

“…As the service encounters are becoming more participatory and less spectator-based, the role boundaries between the customer and the service providers are blurred (Broderick, 1998), and role behaviors become interdependent (Solomon et al, 1985). When services are developed or modified to better address market needs, also the degree of interactivity in service provider-customer relationship may change significantly (Broderick, 1998).…”

“…Role theory is previously applied mainly in studying service encounters and service performance (Broderick, 1998(Broderick, , 1999Solomon et al, 1985). Service research has identified service development and service design as potential application areas of role theory (Broderick, 1998).…”

“…When services are developed or modified to better address market needs, also the degree of interactivity in service provider-customer relationship may change significantly (Broderick, 1998).…”

“…The adoption of collaborative approach in creating and implementing the offer requires modifications to the roles of the customer and the service provider either by adding or subtracting their tasks or rights (Broderick, 1998(Broderick, , 1999Solomon, Surprenant, Czepiel, & Gutman, 1985;Turner, 1990;Williams & Anderson, 2005). Since a role bears a functional or representational relationship to other roles, change in one role means change in a system of roles (Turner, 1990).…”