Digital Technology in Service Encounters: Effects on Frontline Employees and Customer Responses

Description

Digital technology is disrupting the prerequisites for most firms in the service industry and frequently forces them to reassess the ratio of human interaction and technology use in service encounters. To retain competitiveness, it seems mandatory to increase service encounter efficiency by embedding digital technology into the existing processes. However, there is little empirical evidence on how such technological implementations affect the sentiments, attitudes, and behaviors of frontline employees. Likewise, research on interrelated customer responses is scarce. To address this matter, this book presents four distinct yet related studies to investigate the impact of digital technology on frontline employees, customers, and ultimately service firms. The results and implications provide meaningful insights for theory and practice. Abstract Contents Abbreviations List of Figures List of Tables 1 Introduction 1.1 Motivation 1.2 Research Question and Research Design 1.3 Structure of the Thesis 2 Technology in Service Management 2.1 The Characteristics of Service 2.1.1 The Evolution of Service Management as a Research Discipline 2.1.2 The Role of Frontline Employees in Service Management 2.1.3 The Contribution of Customers to Service 2.2 The Technology-induced Transformation of Service Encounters 2.2.1 The Changing Nature of Service Encounters 2.2.2 Technology as an Enabler of Innovation in Service Encounters 2.2.3 Augmented Reality as a Means to Enhance Service Encounters 3 Theoretical Foundations 3.1 Theories on Stress and Strain in the Occupational Context 3.1.1 Transactional Theory of Stress and Coping 3.1.2 Conservation of Resources Theory 3.1.3 Job Demands-Resources Model 3.2 Individual Predisposition and Appraisal of Technology 3.2.1 Dispositional Resistance to Change 3.2.2 Technology Readiness 3.2.3 Technostress 3.3 Formation of Customer Evaluations of Service Encounters 3.3.1 Expectancy-Disconfirmation Paradigm 3.3.2 Equity Theory 3.3.3 Service Fairness 4 Study A: The Impact of Technology on Frontline Employees’ Process Deviance 4.1 Context, Aim, and Design of Study A 4.2 Theoretical Framework 4.2.1 Conceptual Model 4.2.2 Main Effect Hypotheses 4.2.3 Moderating Effect Hypotheses 4.3 Methodology 4.3.1 Data Collection and Sample 4.3.2 Measures 4.3.3 Quantitative Data Analysis 4.4 Results 4.4.1 Main Effects 4.4.2 Moderating Effects 4.4.3 Alternative Models 4.5 Discussion 4.5.1 Implications for Theory 4.5.2 Implications for Practice 4.5.3 Limitations and Avenues for Further Research 5 Study B: A 360-Degree View of Technology Deployment 5.1 Context, Aim, and Design of Study B 5.2 Theoretical Framework 5.2.1 Technology-Induced Job Demands and Resources 5.2.2 Customer Expectations in Technology-Induced Service Encounters 5.3 Methodology 5.3.1 Data Collection and Sample 5.3.2 Interview Guideline 5.3.3 Qualitative Data Analysis 5.4 Findings 5.4.1 Benefits of Restaurant Technology 5.4.2 Barriers to Technology Deployment 5.4.3 Technostress Triggers 5.4.4 Prerequisites for Technological Enhancement 5.4.5 Customer Satisfaction with Restaurant Technology 5.4.6 Importance of Personal Touch 5.5 Discussion 5.5.1 Implications for Theory 5.5.2 Implications for Practice 5.5.3 Limitations and Avenues for Further Research 6 Study C: A Dyadic Study on Employees’ Technostress and Customer Responses 6.1 Context, Aim, and Design of Study C 6.2 Theoretical Framework 6.2.1 Conceptual Model 6.2.2 Hypotheses Regarding the Employee Perspective 6.2.3 Hypotheses Regarding the Customer Perspective 6.3 Methodology 6.3.1 Data Collection and Sample 6.3.2 Measures 6.3.3 Quantitative Data Analysis 6.4 Results 6.4.1 Validation of the Research Model 6.4.2 Demographic and Control Variables 6.4.3 Alternative Models 6.5 Discussion 6.5.1 Implications for Theory 6.5.2 Implications for Practice 6.5.3 Limitations and Avenues for Further Research 7 Study D: Fairness Perceptions of Customer Participation in Online Services 7.1 Context, Aim, and Design of Study D 7.2 Theoretical Framework 7.2.1 Conceptual Framework 7.2.2 Hypotheses on Customer Fairness Perceptions 7.2.3 Hypotheses on Customer Behavioral Intentions 7.3 Methodology 7.3.1 Data Collection and Sample 7.3.2 Measures 7.3.3 Quantitative Data Analysis 7.4 Results 7.5 Discussion 7.5.1 Implications for Theory 7.5.2 Implications for Practice 7.5.3 Limitations and Avenues for Further Research 8 Summary and Outlook 8.1 Summary and Contributions 8.2 Implications for Theory and Management 8.2.1 Implications for Theory 8.2.2 Implications for Practice 8.3 Outlook and Conclusion Bibliography