Service environment research opportunities

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to explore the evolution of the service environment literature and speculates about future research in this area. This paper focuses on studies regarding how the interior and exterior environments of physical service settings (including retail stores) influence consumer response. Web atmospherics are not covered in this paper. In addition, while a number of studies have been conducted on retail and service atmospherics elements in other disciplines, such as environmental psychology and leisure and hospitality, the focus is on research published in marketing and consumer-related journals. Design/methodology/approach This paper reports the results of empirical studies; however, as there are few empirical studies on the effects of exterior environmental characteristics (e.g. storefronts) in marketing, two conceptual papers on this topic will be reviewed to set the stage for future research on exterior design. Findings Over the past 40 years, there has been a proliferation of articles on how service environments influence consumer responses. The review covers illustrative examples of articles in several categories of environmental topics. The areas for future research based on the review are suggested. Originality/value An up-to-date review of service environment research that is broad in scope is provided. The authors also propose 41 different research questions based on the review that services scholars can use to take this area of inquiry forward.

Mapping of Journal of Services Marketing themes: a retrospective overview using bibliometric analysis

“…These points have been made numerous times over the years, but are worth repeating. Others highlighted a number of topics, perspectives or frameworks; specifically, the role of AI and robots (Bock et al , 2020; Klaus and Zaichkowsky, 2020), service environments (Baker et al , 2020c), social marketing services (Zainuddin and Gordon, 2020), service ecosystems (Mustak and Plé, 2020) and the role of institutional theory in service research (Koskela-Huotari et al , 2020). No doubt these are important topics.…”

Consumer responses to environmental corporate social responsibility and luxury

“…In the retail context, past research mostly relied on the S-O-R framework to understand consumer responses to several stimuli displayed by a retail setting (Baker et al , 2020; Ortegón-Cortázar and Royo-Vela, 2019; Vieira, 2013). This framework originates from environmental psychology and posits that a stimulus from the environment (S) influences individuals’ internal states (O) such as emotions, which in turn impact individuals’ responses (R), such as loyalty or attitudes (Mehrabian and Russell, 1974).…”

“…These authors revealed shopping mall atmospherics as relevant stimuli; however, they failed to examine environmental CSR and luxury dimensions. Besides mall atmospherics, other relevant elements stimulate individuals in the retail context, such as choice criteria, referring to merchandise quality, service quality and price (Baker et al , 2020). However, research remains scarce in the shopping mall setting about service quality as a relevant stimulus.…”

“…Prior research in retailing emphasized the need to account for the environmental trend to meet consumer societal and environmental expectations (Baker et al , 2020; Dang et al , 2020). In this study, we give interest to the environmental dimension of CSR, i.e.…”

The embodied experience of hospitality in service environments

“…With use of the SOR-model, atmospherics and the servicescape, effects of various environmental characteristics such as design, colours, lighting, background music, temperature and scent, were found on service evaluation and behavioural variables in service settings such as hotels (Countryman & Jang, 2006;Dedeoğlu, Kucukergin, & Balıkçıoğlu, 2015;Ladeira et al, 2013;Lin, 2016), restaurants (Han & Ryu, 2009;Jang & Namkung, 2009;Liu & Jang, 2009;Nguyen, 2006), and retail (Baker, Parasuraman, Grewal, & Voss, 2002;Chebat & Michon, 2003;Donovan & Rossiter, 1982;Milliman, 1982). Recently, Baker et al (2020) provides an overview of the literature on service environment research.…”