Blending services and crises: a few questions and observations

Abstract

Purpose -Proposes stimulating future thought and research among service scholars and practicing service marketers as to the relevance of crises and crisis management issues in the service sector. Design/methodology/approach -This article offers the author's perspective of the issues discussed. Eight crisis-related questions are raised and discussed, with insights from various business leaders also woven into the discussion. Findings -Several themes are addressed, including: crisis-related issues (including crisis management) should be of particular interest to service organizations; although crises may be linked to specific dates or events, their occurrence is not necessarily random and unpredictable; a proactive approach to crisis management is called for; some organizations (e.g. small and powerless firms) may be more crisis-prone than others; the term "crisis" means different things to different people and is used in both negative and positive contexts; and when organizations are interconnected with partners or constituencies, it is not always clear who "owns" a crisis -the organization or those affected by it. Practical implications -To enhance service recovery efforts and ensure service continuity, the article promises to help practicing managers and service providers better understand the nature of crises and how crises might be effectively dealt with in their respective organizations. Originality/value -The article takes a fresh look at the issues, highlights their particular relevance in the service sector, and includes the perspectives of numerous well-known business leaders from around the world.

Small Business in the Face of Crisis: Identifying Barriers to Recovery from a Natural Disaster1

“…High consequence. Martin (2005) argued that crises may be dependent on firm size. For example, cash flow impediment would constitute a crisis for a small firm.…”

Impact of the Covid-19 Crisis on Service Enterprises and their Attitudes Towards Marketing Investments

“…A significant part of the literature on services marketing has been written by researchers who explore concepts in other disciplines from a perspective of their potential relevance to services. These applications are appropriate to the interdisciplinary nature of service practice (Martin, 2005).…”

“…Mele et al (2021) draw on an analysis of over 200,000 research papers using AI to categorize them with a focus on services in times of crisis (Mele et al, 2021), highlighting the need for further research areas focused on grasping the notion of 'essential services' or innovation and market-shaping in services. The need to examine and predict the impact of crises and crisis management issues in the service sector among service scholars and practicing service marketers has already been highlighted by Martin (2005). He also addresses the questions of whether 'a proactive approach to crisis management is required, whether some organizations may be more crisisprone than others', as well as the controversy over the polarity of the perception of the concept of crisis.…”

Support for small businesses during a health crisis

“…For firms facing a crisis, the key factor espoused across prior work is the need to adapt and change as a response to the crisis (Elliott et al , 2005; Martin, 2005; Smith, 2005). An “operational crisis” occurs when the firm must manage the crisis as it is occurring (Smith, 2005).…”

“…It is during times of crisis, such as the pandemic, when businesses that serve their communities most need the help of their communities. Prior work on crisis management in business has focused primarily on the perspective of the firm (Martin, 2005), and how they would mitigate or react to the event (Smith, 2005). The works that have examined consumer responses to a crisis have taken the view that consumers react negatively to businesses during times of crisis by reducing their demand (Rhee and Haunschild, 2006).…”