Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual framework of phygital consumer socialization, addressing the emerging challenge that existing socialization approaches do not sufficiently capture phygital service experiences. Design/methodology/approach This study developed 12 theoretical propositions that address the roles of parents and digital agents as knowledge transmitters in traditional and reverse socialization processes for four distinct types of phygital services. Findings Theoretical developments suggest that different types of phygital services, differentiated by the digital and physical intensity of consumer involvement in the service encounter, require different emphases on tacit and explicit consumption knowledge, with relationships depending on the ability of human and digital socialization agents to impart and apply this knowledge. These dynamics vary by consumers’ life stage (children, adolescents, adults), and family communication patterns (concept- vs socio-oriented). Originality/value This study presents a conceptual framework of phygital consumer socialization along with a phygital service matrix that classifies phygital services into four types: dematerialized, blended, bounded and embodied. The theoretical propositions address how knowledge asymmetries between children, parents and digital agents influence the transfer and acquisition of the tacit and explicit consumption knowledge required for phygital service success.

Recreation service evaluation systems are critical to forest park management; however, existing frameworks often emphasize static infrastructure while overlooking tourists’ dynamic perceptions and sentiments. This study develops a comprehensive recreation service evaluation framework by integrating objective geospatial indicators with social media-based tourist feedback. A total of 67 forest parks in the Yangtze River Delta were selected as the study area. Descriptive statistics and spatial autocorrelation analyses, including Global and Local Moran’s I, were applied to the statistical properties and spatial patterns of recreation service indicators, tourist comments, and sentiment. In addition, an Extreme Gradient Boosting model with SHAP interpretation was employed to identify key recreation service indicators and explore their non-linear effects on tourist participation and sentiment. The results reveal significant positive spatial clustering of tourist comments and sentiment. Service-related and safety indicators play a dominant role in shaping tourist participation and sentiment patterns, whereas ecological indicators show weaker direct effects. Several indicators exhibit clear non-linear and threshold effects. Overall, recreation service experiences in forest parks are primarily driven by accessibility, service facilities, and safety assurance, and the proposed framework enhances dynamic interpretability and supports the optimization of recreation services.

Purpose Despite rapid advancements in AI and large language models (LLMs), there remains a critical gap in understanding how AI agents function as service actors and how they influence service processes and outcomes. This study addresses this gap by integrating AI agency and service experience dimensions, categorizing AI capabilities across six levels, from passive automation to fully conscious AI, and examining their impact on service workflows, human and multi-agent collaboration, and decision-making. Design/methodology/approach This research adopts a conceptual approach, drawing from literature on service experience and AI agency. It illustrates real-world applications of AI agents in service settings and outlines a future research agenda to explore the strategic and ethical implications of AI-driven service ecosystems. Findings AI agents transform service experiences by shaping action, collaboration, processes, outcomes, and learning. Automaticity AI enhances process efficiency through task automation but lacks adaptability, while Relational AI improves personalization in customer and employee engagement. Cognitive AI enables data-driven decision-making, whereas Autonomous AI optimizes workflows without human oversight. Innovator AI drives service transformation, generating novel solutions such as AI-driven drug discovery, while Conscious Organizational AI raises governance and ethical concerns for strategic decision makers. Originality/value This study advances AI agency theory in service experience, offering a structured framework to guide AI agent integration and its impact on context, process, collaboration, action, outcome and learning.

Abstract Quantum computing (QC) advances will help solve high complexity challenges that classical system architectures cannot solve. This report examines the philosophical foundation for QC research using a PRISMA-compliant systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis. This review emphasizes business applications of QC, including optimization, cryptography and cybersecurity, machine learning, financial modeling and forecasting, supply chain management, healthcare and analytics, and materials design, showing how QC can improve prediction and forecast accuracy, data physicalness, large-scale optimization, and more. The research will also identify execution constraints such hardware readiness, qubit capacity, development and operation expenses, personnel availability, and regulatory and commercial governance. Bibliometric data showed a focus on foundational quantum theoretical contributions and algorithms, with multidisciplinary and practical work emerging. Scaled algorithms, quantum-resistant standards, and any solutions industry nexus to enterprise are among the research opportunities. The literature evaluation will also identify ethical, policy, and sustainability issues related to quantum benefits. The paper helps businesspeople understand QC’s current and future opportunities, including a research-based assessment of where we’ve come, common themes in the literature, and strategic domains for scaling QC as a research agenda from laboratory experiments to enriching the service experience as commercial utility.

Abstract Introduction Sexuality Education is a comprehensive educational process that encompasses knowledge, skills, and values to promote improvements in sexual and general quality of life. Objective To describe the dynamics of an interdisciplinary service that aims to promote sexual education for individuals, both in person and virtually. Materials and Methods Instituto Ciranda Comportamento e Sexualidade is a sexual education service created in November 2019 by a physiotherapist and a psychologist, specialists in Human Sexuality. Together, they promote theoretically and scientifically based educational activities in both in-person and virtual environments. These include lectures and discussion groups, live broadcasts, and the promotion of educational materials posted on social media, such as Instagram and other communication channels. The aim is to promote improved sexuality by addressing various sexual education topics for the population. Results In March 2019, with the support of a marketing consultant, we developed an Instagram page, website, and LinkedIn page, where we have reached 2387 followers to date, 483 posts with educational content, including videos, texts with accessible vocabulary, and live broadcasts viewed. In addition, we held talks and discussion groups via the Google Meet platform for approximately 700 women. We also offer outreach courses for healthcare professionals since 2022, with more than 15 courses delivered to date. Conclusion Investing in equity, online or in-person educational activities, sex therapy services for vulnerable individuals, and sex education training for healthcare professionals is of utmost importance to promote improvements in sexual and general quality of life. Financing No conflict.

Purpose This study aims to examine how self-initiated trial experiences with innovative products by older consumers influence their future choice behavior. Specifically, it investigates whether such autonomous engagement increases self-efficacy and leads to a greater tendency to make risk-taking choices in later and unrelated consumption contexts. Rather than treating chronological age merely as a demographic factor, this study views it as a proxy for underlying psychological mechanisms that shape consumers’ openness to innovation and their willingness to engage with uncertainty. This study challenges prevailing assumptions that older consumers are passive or avoidant toward technological innovation. Design/methodology/approach Three studies were conducted using both survey and experimental methods. Study 1 surveyed 85 Korean adults (Mage = 46.5) to assess the relationship between the frequency of recent self-initiated use of nine innovative services (e.g. kiosks, AI appliances and metaverse) and consumers’ current self-efficacy in using innovative technologies. Study 2 used a 2 (generation: younger vs older) × 3 (experience type: self-use vs helped by others vs control) between-subjects design (n = 186) using a scenario involving an unmanned service. Study 3 replicated the findings with a new product extension scenario (n = 198), testing the mediating role of situational self-efficacy through a bootstrapped moderated mediation analysis. Findings Across three studies using both survey and experimental methods, older consumers who independently engaged in self-initiated trial experiences with innovative services showed higher self-efficacy, which in turn increased their willingness to make riskier or more novel consumption choices. Self-efficacy played the role of a mechanism linking self-initiated engagement with innovation to subsequent risk-taking behavior. In contrast, younger consumers exhibited no significant changes in self-efficacy or choice tendencies. These results were consistently supported across survey data (Study 1) and two experimental replications (Study 2 and Study 3). Research limitations/implications This study was conducted in a single cultural context (South Korea), which may limit generalizability. Future research could explore different innovation types, long-term behavioral changes of older consumers or cross-cultural effects. Although this study used chronological age as a proxy for generation differences, considering other variables such as cognitive age, perceived control and time perspective would also provide insights into examining the impact of older adults’ engagement with innovation. Moreover, future research could examine whether other internal mechanisms, beyond differences in self-efficacy, could drive behavioral change in middle-aged and older adults. Overall, the findings contribute to age-specific consumer innovation research and provide empirical support for self-efficacy as a key psychological mechanism in transformative service experiences. Practical implications New product development marketers should design technological experiences that allow older consumers to independently experience innovative services. As new innovative technologies continue to emerge, older consumers with significant purchasing power and a growing market are becoming a key segment deserving particular attention in the marketing landscape. The findings of this study suggest that encouraging these consumers to use new technologies on their own can enhance their confidence and increase their openness to novel or unfamiliar product choices, which has meaningful practical implications. Social implications This study challenges age-based stereotypes by showing that older consumers can adopt innovative technologies and become more confident and risk-tolerant when given self-directed experiences. Crucially, even a single encounter with new technology can enhance self-efficacy, suggesting that such experiences have the potential to transform older consumers’ lives. Consequently, these findings highlight the importance of inclusive service environments that respect both chronological and psychological age diversity, support digital equity and promote active engagement in technology-driven societies. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is among the first to highlight the role of self-motivated engagement with innovation in shaping older consumers’ decision-making behaviors. It integrates self-efficacy theory with innovation adoption and risk-taking behavior, offering theoretical as well as managerial insights for designing inclusive service environments.

Lysosomal diseases highly specialised services: Five centers service evaluation and experiences of patients and clinicians in laboratory diagnosis in England, United Kingdom

This study aims to analyze the influence of Coffee Shop Atmosphere, Service Experience, and Brand Personality on Customer Satisfaction at Tomoro Coffee in Surabaya. The research employs a quantitative method involving 100 respondents selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected through a five-point Likert scale questionnaire and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 26, including validity, reliability, classical assumption tests, multiple linear regression, t-test, and F-test. The results indicate that all three variables have a positive and significant effect on customer satisfaction, both partially and simultaneously. Brand Personality is the most dominant variable influencing satisfaction. The coefficient of determination (R²) value of 0.750 explains that 75% of customer satisfaction variation is affected by these variables. The findings highlight that a pleasant coffee shop atmosphere, excellent service quality, and a strong brand personality are essential in enhancing customer satisfaction at Tomoro Coffee Surabaya.

ABSTRACT South Africa has the world's highest HIV burden. Assisted partner notification (APN) has been shown to improve HIV testing uptake and case finding, yet little is known about its implementation in contexts where gender inequalities, stigma and complex relationship dynamics shape disclosure. This qualitative study explored implementation experiences of APN services among healthcare providers and patients in Cape Town. Between March 2021 and February 2022, we conducted semi-structured interviews, WhatsApp diary studies and fieldwork observations with 34 participants, including 10 healthcare providers, 12 female patients and 12 key informants. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed significant disconnect between formal APN protocols and clinical practice. Despite official guidelines emphasizing voluntary participation, informal practices termed “getting involved” emerged where providers engaged in unstructured assistance with partner notification. Key challenges included compromised voluntary participation, coercive tactics, communication barriers and concerns about social harm and privacy breaches. In response, providers and patients developed alternative strategies, notably “collusion-testing” and reliance on informal “assistants” from personal support networks. APN processes and safeguards should be more clearly outlined in HIV testing policies, with greater provider training to reduce coercive practices and better integrate community support systems.

The rapid expansion of digital platforms has transformed how customers share service experiences, generating large volumes of online feedback that can be used to evaluate service quality in the retail pharmacy sector. This study applied computational linguistic techniques to analyze customer opinions and assess service performance in Vietnam's pharmaceutical retail industry. Using Python-based natural language processing and sentiment analysis, 11,938 customer reviews were collected from the top five drugstore chains and classified into positive, negative, and neutral sentiments. Aspect-based sentiment analysis was then employed to identify key service quality dimensions, including staff professionalism, product availability, pricing, consultation quality, and store environment. Results indicated that customer opinions were mainly positive, highlighting staff friendliness, cleanliness, and reliability, while negative sentiments were often related to waiting times and limited product availability. These findings support data-driven decision-making and service improvements in pharmacy retail.

The rapid expansion of the coffee shop industry in Yogyakarta has been accompanied by a shift in business orientation from efficiency-driven coffee-to-go outlets to experience-oriented slow-bar coffee shops, creating distinct patterns in customer loyalty formation. This study aims to compare how brand experience, customer service perception, and customer price perception influence customer loyalty, with trust and satisfaction acting as mediating variables across the two coffee shop models. A quantitative research design was applied using survey data collected from 240 coffee shop customers in Yogyakarta. The data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) and supported by Multi-Group Analysis (MGA) to identify differences between coffee-to-go and slow bar segments. The findings reveal that the mechanisms underlying loyalty formation vary significantly between the two models. In coffee-to-go shops, customer price perception and service perception have a stronger impact on satisfaction and loyalty, whereas in slow bar coffee shops, brand experience and trust play a more prominent role. Trust and satisfaction are empirically validated as significant mediating variables in both contexts. These results indicate that different business models require distinct strategic approaches to effectively strengthen customer loyalty.

This study examines the service quality of deaf employees at Deaf Café Gading Serpong using the SERVQUAL framework within the context of inclusive culinary tourism. A qualitative descriptive approach with a case study design was employed to capture in-depth service experiences. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews with eight customers selected via purposive sampling, complemented by passive participant observation and documentation. Data analysis followed the interactive model of Miles and Huberman, involving data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The findings reveal that the tangibles dimension was positively perceived, reflected in the professional appearance of employees, clean service areas, and the availability of visual communication aids that supported the ordering process. Reliability was demonstrated through accurate order fulfillment with minimal errors. Responsiveness was evident in employees’ attentiveness and willingness to assist customers despite communication differences. Assurance emerged from employees’ competence and their ability to build customer trust through consistent service behavior. Empathy was identified as the most prominent dimension, shown through friendliness, patience, and heightened nonverbal attentiveness toward customers. Overall, hearing impairments did not hinder service quality; instead, they encouraged adaptive communication strategies and innovative service practices. This study contributes to the literature on inclusive tourism by highlighting how disability-friendly workplaces can deliver quality service, and it offers practical insights for culinary business managers seeking to implement inclusive and sustainable service models.

Urban air mobility solutions such as drone taxi services are increasingly viewed as a promising response to congestion, sustainability, and smart-city mobility challenges. However, the large-scale adoption of such services depends on users’ perceptions of service experience, trust, and readiness to engage with emerging technologies. This study investigates the determinants of sustainable adoption of drone taxi services in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by examining technology readiness and service experience factors, interpreted through conceptual alignment with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). A structured questionnaire was administered to potential users, capturing perceptions related to optimism, innovation readiness, efficiency, control, privacy, insecurity, discomfort, inefficiency, and perceived operational risk, along with behavioral intention to adopt drone taxi services. Measurement reliability and validity were rigorously assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, average variance extracted (AVE), and the heterotrait–monotrait (HTMT) criterion. The validated latent construct scores were subsequently used to estimate a structural regression model examining the relative influence of each factor on adoption intention. The results indicate that privacy assurance and perceived control exert the strongest influence on behavioral intention, followed by optimism and innovation readiness, while negative readiness factors such as discomfort, insecurity, inefficiency, and perceived chaos demonstrate negligible effects. These findings suggest that in technologically progressive contexts such as the UAE, adoption intentions are primarily shaped by trust-building and empowerment-oriented perceptions rather than deterrence-based concerns. By positioning technology readiness and service experience constructs within established TAM and UTAUT theoretical perspectives, this study contributes a context-sensitive understanding of adoption drivers for emerging urban air mobility services. The findings offer practical insights for policy makers and service providers seeking to design user-centric, trustworthy, and sustainable drone taxi systems.

This scoping literature review explored disability-related experiences among adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors [ages 15-39], including their knowledge of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and awareness of associated rights. Seven databases (PubMed, Academic Search Complete, MEDLINE, ERIC, SocINDEX with Full Text, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, and APA PsychINFO) were searched for U.S. based literature (2010-2025) using relevant MeSH terms and boolean operators (e.g., "cancer surviv*" AND ("disab*" OR "impair*") AND ("young" OR "adolescent" OR "AYA"). Included studies focused on employment-related discrimination, cancer-related disclosure, psychosocial outcomes, and survivors' unmet disability-related needs. A narrative synthesis summarized key themes, with quantitative results tabulated and qualitative findings categorized. A total of 715 articles were screened, with 21 studies included for analysis. These studies highlight key gaps in legal awareness and support for adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors. Three main themes were identified: (1) employment, education, and workplace barriers, (2) legal, policy, and system-level barriers, and (3) psychosocial and identity-related challenges. AYA cancer survivors encounter barriers in daily life and navigate changes to their social identity that could be described as disability based on existing legal and social definitions. Despite growing research capturing the experiences of AYA survivors, there remains limited research addressing survivorship in relation to disability. Current survivorship literature lacks discussion of disability experiences of survivors and relevant disability support. Addressing this gap could better document the lived experiences of AYA survivors and design supportive services informed by disability law and policy.

Abstract Purpose Researchers exploring lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and other sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ+) family, domestic and sexual violence (FDSV) work in a climate in which much research, policy and practice has been shaped by heteronormative and cisnormative frameworks. LGBTQ+-focused FDSV researchers are faced with the challenge of trying to center LGBTQ+ people in a field of research that has traditionally denied their experiences of FDSV. In this paper, we apply the concept of liminality to interviews with practitioners providing LGBTQ-focused FDSV and programs, considering what strategies they use to navigate marginalization as they try to support LGBTQ+ service users. We explore what researchers might learn from these practitioners who, in providing LGBTQ+-focused FDSV services and programs, are also marginalized by prevailing FDSV theory and systems that have traditionally excluded LGBTQ+ people and their experiences. Methods Between 2021 and 2023, we conducted 45 in-depth semi-structured interviews with practitioners about their experiences providing specialist LGBTQ+ FDSV services and programs. Interviews provide crucial insight into how practitioners challenge prevailing theory and systems to center LGBTQ+ people and experiences in FDSV services and programs. Findings Practitioners performed their work within an FDSV system in which LGBTQ+ people, their experiences of violence and their needs were marginalized. Three main themes demonstrated how practitioners navigated the challenges of what we describe as a liminal state of service provision: a) challenging prevailing systems; b) tailoring services and programs; and c) bringing pride to the work. These strategies are a useful guide for researchers, whose work is also marginalized, and who are similarly challenged to push back against the rigidity of prevailing, gender-binary approaches to FDSV as they center the experiences of LGBTQ+ practitioners and specialist services. Policymakers also have the opportunity to help innovate service and research systems by helping to support the challenging of systems, the tailoring of approaches and the integration of culturally competent, lived-experience expertise in the FDSV sector and research field. Conclusions Researchers exploring LGBTQ+-focused FDSV can draw on knowledge of the experiences of practitioners in navigating liminal states relevant to the marginalization of their work and LGBTQ+ people in the FDSV sector. Researchers might see similarities in the conditions in which they work and the strategies that practitioners employ in response as they seek to perform high-quality work. Policymakers could help support continued efforts of researchers and practitioners to innovate their work – challenging rigid, exclusionary theory and systems – and to center FDSV affecting LGBTQ+ people as an issue that is as important to understand and address as any other type of FDSV.

Queer people experience high rates of depression and suicidality and are more likely to seek and use mental health services compared to heterosexual people. Few studies have investigated how mental health service experiences regarding sexual orientation and satisfaction/dissatisfaction with these services may be related to demographic characteristics and mental health outcomes among queer people. A national sample of 500 queer adults (Mage = 33.7, SD = 10.0; 60% female; 86% cisgender) in the United States completed an online survey that measured demographic characteristics, depressive symptoms, suicidal outcomes (ideation, planning, and attempts), mental health service experience about sexual orientation, and degree of helpfulness/unhelpfulness of these services. Results showed 39% of participants had talked with a mental health professional about their sexual orientation. Among those, 58% found the experience to be helpful to some degree, 24% found the experience to be unhelpful to some degree, and 18% found the experience neither unhelpful nor helpful. Regression results indicate that compared to individuals who had never talked with a mental health professional about their sexual orientation, those who had an unhelpful experience reported slightly higher levels of depressive symptoms, were nearly three times more likely to have seriously considered suicide, and were nearly four times more likely to have attempted suicide. Lack of education and training for mental health professionals about queer-specific issues, experiences, language, and affirmative practice may contribute to unhelpful experiences. Improvements in training, services, and policies are needed so that service use is helpful and not associated with elevated depression and suicidality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

This study investigates how AI-enabled digital banking service quality drives customer satisfaction and continuance intention through customer perceived value (CPV) and AI-enabled service experience (AISE) in Pakistan’s evolving financial landscape. Drawing upon E-S-QUAL, Expectation–Confirmation Theory (ECT), and Technology Continuance Theory (TCT), a conceptual framework was developed to capture both the cognitive and affective mechanisms that link digital service quality to customer loyalty. Using data collected from 201 active users of AI-integrated digital banking services, the study employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test direct and mediating relationships. Results reveal that Online Core Service Quality (OCSQ), Online Interaction Service Quality (OISQ), and Banking System Performance Quality (BSPQ) significantly enhance CPV, which, in turn, strengthens AISE. The findings confirm that AISE exerts a strong positive effect on both Customer Satisfaction (CS) and Behavioural/Continuance Intention (BI/CI), while mediating the indirect influence of perceived value on loyalty outcomes. The model achieved moderate-to-high predictive accuracy (R² = 0.42; Q² = 0.32), confirming its robustness and theoretical soundness. The study contributes to digital service research by integrating AI trust, personalization, and experiential intelligence into traditional service-quality frameworks. It demonstrates that in emerging economies such as Pakistan, AI operates not merely as a technological enabler but as a relational co-creator of satisfaction and loyalty. Practical implications emphasize the need for transparent, human-centric AI design to build trust, sustain engagement, and drive digital transformation in banking.

Development and validation of the children's subjective service experience scale during social service delivery in Mainland China.

Abstract: The insurance industry is rapidly changing due to digital innovations, also called InsurTech. Tools like AI, chatbots, Big Data, mobile apps, and IoT are improving customer experience by making insurance services faster, easier, and more transparent. Customers can buy policies, renew them, track claims, and get instant support online. Insurance companies benefit from reduced errors, lower costs, faster processing, and better risk management. This article explores the role of digital innovations in insurance, their benefits, challenges, impact on customers, and future trends, showing how technology is reshaping the insurance sector.

The CHIME Model has become the dominant model of mental health recovery. The model has been grounded in the lived experience literature of people recovering from mental health problems. Four of the components were first articulated by Australian researchers. These were Hope, Identity, Meaning and Empowerment. English researchers added Connection, thus forming the acronym CHIME. In this paper we show how we have added to this basic model. Robert and Jerome were the first to describe C-CHIME, with the C reflecting Creativity. This was also Jerome’s experience in mental health services, that often those people who recovered most, had creative talents, such as photography, artistic skills, filmmaking, or poetry. Lisa and Jerome discovered that a critical element in recovering from addiction was the concept of Growth. For someone to give up an all-consuming addiction, something needs to replace this in their lives. This could be education or developing a new career. Ije found that there were additional critical elements in her recovery from lupus. She felt that Pain, Acceptance, Adaptation and again Growth, were key in addition to the core elements of CHIME. Andrew Voyce briefly describes his own long journey of recovery that took place over a 20-year period. He illustrates how CHIME can be harnessed to explain his own recovery. Finally, we look at how practitioners might apply the CHIME model and its variants in their clinical practice. We note the lack of an assessment that might just guide this process, but which could also serve as an outcome measure.