CCSC Seminar Prof Sanjit Roy (Edith Cowan University)

Dignity matters in B2C service encounters

Abstract

Transformative Service Research (TSR) emphasises the need to positively affect customer well-being through services by promoting human dignity. Considering the moral and practical importance of customer dignity, the construct has been examined in fields related to transformative services, such as business ethics and humanistic management. Further, a systematic literature review on dignity suggests dimensions of dignity in health, judicial, bioethics, and human rights contexts. However, limited research has focused on defining and identifying the dimensions of dignity in B2C service encounters. Therefore, this study aims to define dignity and explore its dimensions in B2C service encounters. We build our argument that dignity is an essential dimension of service delivery. The empowerment of customers through the gain of knowledge and consumerisation have led to a growing need among customers to be treated with dignity in service encounters. Further, treating customers with dignity enables a more efficient exchange of information and personalised and holistic attention from the service provider. As a result, we advocate a tight connection between co-creating value, delivering outstanding service and improving customers' well-being. Hence, this study aims to provide a concrete definition of customer dignity and identify the dimensions of customer dignity in B2C service encounters. Treating customers with dignity during service encounters may provide desirable outcomes such as increased trust, improved service quality perceptions, and customer retention. Hence, the concept of customer dignity also carries significant practical implications.

About the speaker

Sanjit K. Roy is Professor of Marketing and Service Science and the Vice Chancellor's Professorial Research Fellow at Edith Cowan University. Prior to joining ECU, he worked at UWA Business School, The University of Western Australia. He is the Director of the Metamarketing Lab @ECU School of Business and Law. He was one of the founding fellows of the Centre for Business Data Analytics at UWA Business School. He is a certified LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® Facilitator. He serves as Associate Editors at European Journal of Marketing and Australasian Marketing Journal and on the editorial boards of International Journal of Information Management, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Services Marketing, Journal of Strategic Marketing, and Journal of Service Theory & Practice. His research interests include Service Science, Customer Experience Management, and Impact of New Technologies (i.e., AI, robotics) on Services. He has published in British Journal of Management, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Business Research, European Journal of Marketing, Technovation, Journal of Marketing Management, International Journal of Information Management, Information Systems Frontiers, Internet Research, Journal of Services Marketing, among others.