Conceptualizing service ethics for the complexity of modern service interactions

Sebhatu, Samuel Petros, Qusay Hamdan, and Raymond P. Fisk (2024)

Service Industries Journal

https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2024.2359651

Abstract

The emergence of digital service platforms enabled numerous interaction effects that remain largely unexplored, especially when it comes to the intended or unintended impacts on non-customers. This article conceptualises service ethics for modern interactions enabled by digital service platforms. The conceptual framework is illustrated through two narratives of non-customers intentionally and unintentionally exploited by customer interactions enabled by digital service platforms. By integrating theoretical insights with illustrative narratives, this article demonstrates the potential impact of digital service platforms on non-customer well-being, highlighting instances of exploitation and unintended consequences. This study advances service research by focusing on non-customers who might experience intentional or unintentional exploitation. Furthermore, this article outlines a future research agenda for exploring and advancing the understanding of service ethics along with implications for fostering ethical business practices and shaping ethical societal norms.

Journal of Services Marketing / ServCollab Special Issue on Improving Life on Planet Earth

In collaboration with Emerald Publishing’s Journal of Services Marketing, ServCollab is announcing a ServCollab Special Issue on Improving Life on Planet Earth.

Uniquely, this is the first business journal issue that covers all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which makes it the first comprehensive set of SDG-related business research frameworks.

We are happy to announce that Emerald is making each of these articles available for free download during the month of February.

You can find these articles at this Emerald link: https://bit.ly/3Uin93F

The 17 United Nations SDGs are well known. Working with Rebekah Russell-Bennett and Mark Rosenbaum (the editors of the JSM), ServCollab synthesized the 17 UN SDGs into seven Service Research Themes that enable service researchers to focus their research on one or more of these seven service research themes.

We are attaching the graphic for these Service Research Themes.

Seven teams of coauthors from eight countries collaborated to write these invited commentaries. Each commentary explores service research on a Service Research Theme and proposes research agendas to accelerate progress on improving life on Planet Earth.

In creating this synthesis, we are not seeking to replace the work of the UN. Rather, we are seeking to amplify the SDGs by urging service researchers to focus on a seven service research themes that they want to research.

ServCollab urges researchers from any discipline to engage with the profound problems facing humanity and collaborate together on research that serves humanity.

As you read these articles, please consider developing a research project that builds on one of these service research themes.

ServCollab will soon be providing instructions on how such projects can become ServCollab research projects.

Healing the Digital Divide - Journal of Service Research Article - 2nd ServCollab Research Article

The purpose of the second ServCollab research article was to explore how the digital divide affects customers experiencing vulnerability. Service interactions in essential service settings (health care, education, and social services) were empirically investigated and practices service system members might adopt to address vulnerability were identified. This research upframes the pillars of service inclusion framework to define human capabilities that result from service inclusion practices.

This article, like all ServCollab articles, is intended to encourage more research on important serving humanity topics.

Fisk, Raymond P., Andrew S. Gallan, Alison M. Joubert, Jenine Beekhuyzen, Lilliemay Cheung and Rebekah Russell-Bennett (2023), "Healing the Digital Divide with Digital Inclusion: Enabling Human Capabilities," Journal of Service Research, 26 (4), 542-559.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10946705221140148