A systematic literature review of service-related research on refugees
ISSN: 0887-6045
Article publication date: 9 June 2022
Issue publication date: 6 September 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to systematically review and conceptualise service-related research on refugees to identify gaps in the literature, derive future research avenues and stimulate interdisciplinary research and practice to improve well-being of refugees.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a systematic literature review (SLR) of 102 journal articles published or available online from 2010 to 2020.
Findings
Ten themes are identified across the three phases of the refugees’ service journey (entry, transition and exit). Most of the articles focus on the exit phase. One-third of the literature analyses refugees’ access and adaptation to health-care services. The dearth of research on other refugee services reflects the failure to attend to all aspects of service provision across all phases of the refugee service journey.
Research limitations/implications
While the ten themes across the three phases require scholars’ and practitioners’ attention, different aspects of the SLR’s findings necessitate further investigation. To reinvigorate research and practice, and stimulate interdisciplinary collaboration, a novel Communities of Practice approach is suggested.
Practical implications
Practitioners and policymakers should place more focus on the entry and transition phases of the refugee service journey.
Social implications
Lack of research and engagement with the first two phases of the refugee journey might come at the expense of refugees. More service support is needed to buffer the journey from homeland to host country.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this SLR on refugee-related services is the first of its kind from a service research perspective.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the two guest editors, Sertan Kabadayi and Rodoula Tsiotsou, for initiating and coordinating this special issue. The authors declare no conflict of interest. This research received support from the Research Cluster for Community and Urban Resilience (CURe), University of Canterbury, for the write-up of this paper.
Citation
Subramanian, I., Finsterwalder, J. and Hall, C.M. (2022), "A systematic literature review of service-related research on refugees", Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 36 No. 7, pp. 908-939. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-09-2021-0312
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited