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The Service Triad: Modelling Dialectic Tensions in Service Encounters

Andersson Cederholm, Erika LU orcid and Gyimothy, Szilvia LU (2010) In Service Industries Journal 30(2). p.265-280
Abstract
SUMMARY: Models of service encounters are often fraught by reductionism, describing business relationships as mathematical combinations of dyadic constellations. Metaphors of ideal social relationships (marriages or friendships) are highlighted to stress normative aspects of equal, balanced and long-term business partnerships. However, these approaches are limited in their analytical sensitivity, as they cannot address the complexity of multipart relationships, where meanings, roles and relationships are continuously constructed and reconstructed. In order to understand the ambivalent quality of business interactions, this article analyses the corporate travel market by applying Georg Simmel’s depiction of the triad as a specific social... (More)
SUMMARY: Models of service encounters are often fraught by reductionism, describing business relationships as mathematical combinations of dyadic constellations. Metaphors of ideal social relationships (marriages or friendships) are highlighted to stress normative aspects of equal, balanced and long-term business partnerships. However, these approaches are limited in their analytical sensitivity, as they cannot address the complexity of multipart relationships, where meanings, roles and relationships are continuously constructed and reconstructed. In order to understand the ambivalent quality of business interactions, this article analyses the corporate travel market by applying Georg Simmel’s depiction of the triad as a specific social form. Triadic constellations and more complex service networks involve dialectic tensions, simultaneously exhibiting loyalty and disloyalty, trust and distrust, empowerment and disempowerment. It is argued that a qualitative methodology is more adequate approach to grasp such dynamic and contextual social realities, because (opposed to a quantitative approach) it is not confined to operate with mutually exclusive analytical categories. (Less)
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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
corporate travel, service relationships, service triad, hybrid market
in
Service Industries Journal
volume
30
issue
2
pages
265 - 280
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • wos:000272209800007
  • scopus:77951654736
ISSN
0264-2069
DOI
10.1080/02642060802123384
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3bd86528-d108-4ba2-b549-4e4ef92c8372 (old id 1216372)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:09:08
date last changed
2022-12-11 22:11:51
@article{3bd86528-d108-4ba2-b549-4e4ef92c8372,
  abstract     = {{SUMMARY: Models of service encounters are often fraught by reductionism, describing business relationships as mathematical combinations of dyadic constellations. Metaphors of ideal social relationships (marriages or friendships) are highlighted to stress normative aspects of equal, balanced and long-term business partnerships. However, these approaches are limited in their analytical sensitivity, as they cannot address the complexity of multipart relationships, where meanings, roles and relationships are continuously constructed and reconstructed. In order to understand the ambivalent quality of business interactions, this article analyses the corporate travel market by applying Georg Simmel’s depiction of the triad as a specific social form. Triadic constellations and more complex service networks involve dialectic tensions, simultaneously exhibiting loyalty and disloyalty, trust and distrust, empowerment and disempowerment. It is argued that a qualitative methodology is more adequate approach to grasp such dynamic and contextual social realities, because (opposed to a quantitative approach) it is not confined to operate with mutually exclusive analytical categories.}},
  author       = {{Andersson Cederholm, Erika and Gyimothy, Szilvia}},
  issn         = {{0264-2069}},
  keywords     = {{corporate travel; service relationships; service triad; hybrid market}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{265--280}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Service Industries Journal}},
  title        = {{The Service Triad: Modelling Dialectic Tensions in Service Encounters}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02642060802123384}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/02642060802123384}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}