After several years of working on it, I’m happy to inform that we just got our study about service productivity and service innovation accepted at Journal of Service Research (JSR)– with Jan Klein (Tilburg University), Henrikki Tikkanen (Aalto University), and Xueming Luo (Temple University). The final title for the study is, “The Dilemma of Service…
Author: Cers Blogs
Love for endangered species: Finnish quality products
I have always loved products labelled “Made in Finland”. True or not, I have thought this way we can keep the Finnish society going as jobs stay in Finland, quality remains secured, and our environment is better off, thanks to the high environmental protection laws. But do the Finnish companies offer high quality made in…
Technology is not sufficient for success. Customer-focused business model innovations are desperately needed
A study from IMD in Switzerland confirms what we at CERS always have advocated. A firm that is truly customer-focussed and customer-driven performs better. Being truly customer-driven requires that top management does not only claim that being customer-focused is the top priority, but in reality nevertheless consider finance, technology, operations, and other business aspects equally…
Rage, rage against the dying of the light
There is a growing trend in the universities of Northern America that we should be weary of in Europe. North American, especially American, trends seem to wash to our shores with some delay and sometimes it seems there is little to do against the mcdonaldization of the world. Most of the trends we embrace, who…
It’s not the prize but the thrill, honey! Thoughts on organizing customer competitions on social media
Have you ever dreamt of winning these Finnair intercontinental flight tickets and eagerly filled in your e-mail address to participate in the draw? Maybe you even spent some minutes browsing their website to find out whether you would pick Osaka or Singapore for your imaginary prize trip. Or maybe a chance to get a branded…
Reaching out to the real world
I sometimes think about the role of marketing and service research in the larger academic context. What’s our purpose, and how should we orient ourselves towards ”the real world”? Recently I got a chance to reflect on this issue together with around 40 other young scholars from around the world, in the Let’s Talk About…
#Hanken brister?
Jag har avlagt ett nyårslöfte, jag med (#metoo). En del kanske frågar sig, varför det. På Hanken är ju allt så bra. Tyvärr är #DammenBrister (den Finlandssvenska listan på #metoo-incidenter) upprörande läsning för oss som jobbar med ungdomar. Det kan hända att Hanken finns med på den listan. Ifall man generaliserar förekommande det två grupper bland…
Let’s find out what the customer wants – and then forget about it!
The customer is always right! This golden gospel is very dear to marketers and is often quoted, used and even abused. The natural corollary to this statement is – if the customer is always right – then – we should listen to the customer and give her what she wants (as she is right and…
Oh I love the Nordic countries
My fascination for the Nordic countries comes from long ago, when I was a child and read some books where the main character lived in one Nordic country. Therefore, coming from Porto University to lecture at Hanken for a week as a Visiting Professor seemed like a wonderful program, despite it implying going from 23…
Microgrids, Blockchain, and my rooftop
Suddenly my rooftop on my house in Sundom/Vaasa where I live can reduce my living costs, and even be a source of income. There is much happening right now, within the energy sector. The traditional one-way electricity flow from Utilities (power plants) via transmission and distribution companies to end users is in transition due to…