Angus Laing

Marketing in the public sector: towards a typology of public services

The concept of marketing has conventionally been viewed by public service professionals as inappropriate to organizations concerned with the delivery of public good services. However, the adoption of private sector based approaches to theorganization of public services in many post-modern western economies has forced a fundamental reconsideration of the potential contribution of marketing to thedelivery of public services. Against such a backdrop this paper critically reviews the underlying characteristics of public sector services and through articulating aclassification of such services based on the nature of the organization-service user interaction, explores the application of particular conceptualizations of marketing to discrete categories of public services.

Inter‐organisational relationships in professional services: towards a typology of service relationships

Purpose – Research into inter‐organisational relationships has been one of the key drivers in the development of services marketing theory. Yet the understanding of the nature of such relationships, and the management of the relationship process, remains limited. Focusing on the development of buyer‐seller relationships in an archetypal professional business service, this paper aims to critically examine the nature and format of inter‐organisational service relationships.Design/methodology/approach – Research reported in the paper is based on case study research across multiple dyads (n=7) in the occupational health sector supported by large‐scale survey data.Findings – Argues that, rather than adhering to a single format in terms of characteristics or pattern of development, relationships are diverse and complex. A typology of “ideal type” relationship formats, ranging from quasi‐transactional to internalised, is proposed. Each of these ideal types is characterised by a unique set of causal and resultant...

Consumers, channels and communication: Online and offline communication in service consumption

This paper reports on a study that investigated consumer use of e-services in a multi-channel context. Many HCI studies on the use of e-services focus on the use of the online channel in relative isolation. This study attempts to develop a deeper understanding of what makes consumers decide to use the online channel in examining consumer channel-choice beyond the instances of internet use. The consumption behaviour of its participants was investigated across channels in an in-depth qualitative study. The analysis of the rich data produced specifically focused on the investigation of voluntary consumer movements between online and offline channels during the course of a consumption process. The results indicate that participants often use multiple channels in parallel and frequently switch between channels. Literature from marketing and consumer research was used as the perspective to explore the rationale for the complex and dynamic reported consumer behaviour.

The professional service encounter in the age of the Internet: an exploratory study

This paper considers the impact of the Internet on professional services, which are characterised by high levels of interpersonal interaction and where a significant component of the service product is information and expertise. For such services the Internet is primarily an accessible information resource, which has potential to fundamentally change the way in which consumers interact with service providers. The context for the research is healthcare, a professional service that has traditionally been characterised by an information asymmetry that has rested power in the hands of the professional. Based on interviews with healthcare professionals, Web site hosts and consumers, this paper considers the way in which consumers use the Internet to educate themselves about their condition and the consequent effect on the service encounter and the doctor/patient relationship. The findings indicate that patients are increasingly engaging in virtual, parallel service encounters that change the nature of the primary encounter and present challenges to professionals both in terms of relationships and their professional judgement.

Predicting a diverse future: Directions and issues in the marketing of services

Driven by technological developments, deregulation, and globalisation the service sector in post-industrial economies is facing unprecedented change. Utilising a scenario planning framework, the paper examines the impact of such changes on a cross-section of service categories. Acknowledging that the derivation of generic sector wide trends from the analysis of discrete service categories runs the risk of over simplification, three core trends were identified: the increasing importance of technological mediation; changing consumer and professional roles; and decreasing importance of relational factors in consumer decision making. These trends pose fundamental challenges to service providers and offer researchers a rich context in which to advance marketing theory.

Assumed empowerment: consuming professional services in the knowledge economy

Purpose – This paper considers the notion of consumer empowerment across the financial, legal and medical service sectors in the UK. Although the advent of the internet is generally seen as potentially enabling consumer empowerment, theoretical papers divide on the question of efficacy. On the one hand, it is argued the much‐vaunted internet opportunity must not be simply taken as evidence of change in the consumer‐producer relationship. On the other the change must not be unquestioningly be taken as advantageous to the consumer.Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data were generated through ten consumer focus groups and eight interviews with professionals.Findings – The paper supports the contention that empowerment is partial and unevenly distributed among consumers. It is argued that characterisations of consumer indifference and producer discipline as preventing effective empowerment are too simplistic. Additionally, any taboo restraining the questioning of professional judgement is largely absent...

A multidimensional typology of customer relationships: from faltering to affective

Purpose – The complexity of customer relationships has been recognized in the relationship marketing literature. Yet, the understanding of how this complexity impacts on the formation and development of different relationship forms is limited. Focusing on the development of customer‐service provider relationships in a financial services context, this paper aims to critically examine the nature and formation of business‐to‐consumer service relationships.Design/methodology/approach – Qualitative methods were employed, with in‐depth interviews undertaken with a sample of UK bank customers.Findings – The complexity of customer relationships was documented by approaching relationships as multidimensional, dynamic and contextual. A relationship typology based on four key relationship components (trust, commitment, buyer‐seller bonds, and relationship benefits) is proposed. This typology suggests that for a relationship to exist it does not necessarily have to encompass an emotional dimension. Moreover, the pape...

The Net Generation Children and Young People, the Internet and Online Shopping

Children have long been acknowledged as playing an important role within family purchasing decisions, with their ability to directly and indirectly influence family purchasing. In addition to their role within the family, children are seen as an important group of consumers in their own right due to their individual purchasing power. Over recent years the use of the Internet by children has increased and they are commonly portrayed as confident and able users of Internet technology. It is important to understand how the Internet will be used by children as an additional shopping medium and to explore the issues surrounding this use. This paper reports on data collected during an in-depth study exploring family purchasing behaviour and the role of the Internet. The findings discussed address a specific and important aspect of the data, namely the use of the Internet as a shopping medium by children for purchases for themselves. A number of important themes were identified including; use of the Internet as ...

Patterns of inter-organizational purchasing: Evolution of consortia-based purchasing amongst GP fundholders☆

Abstract In the last few years there have been considerable changes in the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. Arguably the most significant of these has been the introduction of competition into health care with the split of the health service into purchasers and providers of care. Central to this development has been the introduction of General Practice fundholding, whereby practices purchase health care for their patients directly from competing suppliers. Those practices that have become fundholders have faced considerable challenges in developing their purchasing function given the complexities of contracting within the context of the NHS internal market. Although one of the original aims of GP fundholding was to facilitate locally responsive purchasing, such have been the complexities of contracting that many fundholding practices have attempted to reduce the managerial demands of purchasing through membership of purchasing consortia. Based on an in-depth study of GP fundholders across Scotland, this paper explores the development of consortia-based purchasing in terms of the managerial implications for the participant practices of purchasing through such inter-organizational networks.

Meeting patient expectations: healthcare professionals and service re-engineering

A central theme underpinning the reform of healthcare systems in western economies since the 1980s has been the emphasis on reorienting service provision around the patient. Healthcare organizations have been forced to re-appraise the design of the service delivery process, specifically the service encounter, to take account of these changing patient expectations. This reorientation of healthcare services around the patient has fundamental implications for healthcare professionals, specifically challenging the dominance of service professionals in the design and delivery of health services. Utilizing a qualitative methodological framework, this paper explores the responses of healthcare professionals to service redesign initiatives implemented in acute NHS hospitals in Scotland and considers the implications of such professional responses for the development of patient-focused service delivery. Within this, it specifically examines evolving professional perspectives on the place of a service user focus in a publicly funded healthcare system, professional attitudes towards private sector managerial practices, and the dynamics of changing professional behaviour.