PhD defense by Donna Isabella Caroline Sundbo June 18
Monday June 18, 2012 at 13.00 – 16.00 in room 44-3.40
Donna Isabella Caroline Sundbo defends her thesis:
Reciprocity and Professionalism in Service Encounters
This thesis provides in depth analyses of some concrete interactions of the service encounters, and investigates the role and mindsets of some frontline service employees. It is based on two case studies, one at a café and another at a tour operator. It takes an anthropological approach by using ethnographic methods such as participant observation and interviews and by using anthropological theory in the analysis of the interactions, roles and mindsets studied. The results are presented in three articles and a frame. It was found that the exchange processes of the service encounters are better conceptualised as reciprocity and three kinds of reciprocity were then identified in the service encounters studied, namely formal, social and personal reciprocity. These processes follow certain specific patterns and form greater networks of reciprocity. It was also found that the frontline employees could be performing what is termed a hyperprofessional role which relies strongly on display of professionalism in manner and appearance (but not necessarily in content), and that they had a concomitant mindset of othering or viewing the users as fundamentally different from themselves in important ways. These roles and mindsets are likely to hinder sourcing ideas from users during service encounters.
Assessment Committee
Flemming Sørensen, Associated professor, CBIT, Roskilde University, Denmark (chairman)
Anders Gustafsson, Professor, Service Research Center, Karlstad University, Sweden
Mervi Hasu, Senior Researcher, Finish Institute of Occupational Health, Finland
Head of defense
Søren Jagd, Associated professor, CBIT, Roskilde University
Supervisor
Lars Fuglsang, Professor, Lillehammer University College, Norway (former CBIT, Roskilde University)
Thesis is available for examination<media 14994 _blank external-link-new-window> here</media>.