Abstract
Purpose This paper aims to explore how tensions and alignments between different actors’ needs in a transformative services network affect balanced centricity, which is an indicator of well-being. Balanced centricity describes a situation in which all network actors’ interests and needs are fulfilled simultaneously. In such cases, all actors are better off, which increases both individual actors’ and overall actor-network well-being. Design/methodology/approach The empirical study takes place in nursing homes in which in-bed baths represent co-created service encounters that affect the well-being of focal actors (i.e. patients), frontline service employees (i.e. nurses) and transformative service mediators (i.e. family members), who have potentially competing needs. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, the study inductively explores and deductively categorizes actors’ personal experiences to gain deep, holistic insights into the service network and its complex web of actor interdependencies. Findings The resulting conceptual model of balanced centricity identifies actors’ lower-order needs as different manifestations of the psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. If actors’ needs are aligned, their psychological needs can be satisfied, which facilitates balanced centricity. If actors exhibit competing needs though, balanced centricity is impeded. Practical implications This study establishes actors’ psychological needs as the origin of tensions/alignments in multi-actor networks that impede/contribute to balanced centricity. Transformative service providers should try to address all actors’ psychological needs when co-creating services to achieve network well-being. Originality/value This study adopts a novel, multi-actor perspective and thereby presents a conceptual model that contributes to the understanding of balanced centricity. Future research could test this model in other transformative service settings.
Highlights
Well-being is a central consideration for transformative service research (TSR) scholars and practitioners, especially as it relates to vulnerable populations (Johns and Davey, 2019; Ostrom et al, 2015)
We investigate in-bed baths because they represent transformative health-care encounters that affect the well-being of multiple actors, including vulnerable focal actors, with potentially competing interests
We focus on the multi-actor service setting of in-bed baths – a recurring, co-created service encounter related to basic care – which was associated with an imbalance identified in prior research (Verleye et al, 2017)
Summary
Well-being is a central consideration for transformative service research (TSR) scholars and practitioners, especially as it relates to vulnerable populations (Johns and Davey, 2019; Ostrom et al, 2015). Health-care, as an example of a TSR context highly relevant to societal and individual well-being (LeroiWerelds, 2019), can enhance the well-being of vulnerable patient populations and workers, though such outcomes often are challenging and healthcare systems are in distress The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/0887-6045.htm. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
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