Search results
1 – 3 of 3Antti Talonen, Jukka Mähönen, Lasse Koskinen and Päivikki Kuoppakangas
This paper explores and identifies customer-value-related sacrifices that consumers attach to interactive health/life insurance. This paper aims to increase understanding of why…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores and identifies customer-value-related sacrifices that consumers attach to interactive health/life insurance. This paper aims to increase understanding of why individual consumers are not willing to embrace behaviour-tracking-based insurance applications.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors analysed data from a qualitative survey of Finnish insurance consumers who were not keen on adopting interactive insurance products.
Findings
Developed through thematic analysis, the framework presented in this paper illustrates consumers’ value sacrifices on four dimensions: economic, functional, emotional and symbolic value.
Research limitations/implications
The framework and insights emerging in the study hold several implications related to increased understanding of consumers’ perceptions of insurance and to developing interactive insurance services. In addition, this work provides a promising foundation and avenues for further considerations related to digital ethics in insurance.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first piece applying a value sacrifice perspective in studying consumers’ unwillingness to adopt interactive insurance products.
Details
Keywords
Ulla Hytti, Päivikki Kuoppakangas, Kati Suomi, Chris Chapleo and Massimo Giovanardi
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how healthcare professionals understand a new organisational brand and examine the ideas discussed in relation to it within healthcare…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how healthcare professionals understand a new organisational brand and examine the ideas discussed in relation to it within healthcare organisations.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on a discursive approach that facilitates understanding how the informants perceived a new organisation brand and how that might shape their activities in the enterprise.
Findings
The study identified four distinct interpretative repertoires: the organisational brand as an economic solution, the magic wand, the factory and a servant to the customer. The new brand was understood in terms of economic and business-like functions marked by external branding and its signs (logos, etc.). The brand is not communicated to patients or colleagues and the factory metaphor is applied to work practices. Hence, several potential dilemmas arise concerning the brand promise, customer expectations, economic and efficiency gains and the professional values of employees.
Research limitations/implications
Adoption of private-sector practices in semi-public or public-sector organisations is common. This study focuses on how private-sector ideas diffuse into the organisations and how they are translated within them.
Practical implications
The authors suggest a stronger emphasis on internal branding as a reconciliation to enhance legitimacy, high-quality customer service and staff wellbeing.
Originality/value
Theoretically, the unique contribution of the study is drawing upon healthcare branding, dilemma theory and discursive institutionalism in its interpretation. Consequently, it demonstrates how ideas about the brand and public healthcare are translated and communicated in the examined discourses and how those ideas reconstruct understanding and change behaviour within the organisations.
Details
Keywords
Kati Suomi, Päivikki Kuoppakangas, Ulla Hytti, Charles Hampden-Turner and Jukka Kangaslahti
– The purpose of this paper is to explore the dilemmas that challenge reputation management in the context of higher education (HE).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the dilemmas that challenge reputation management in the context of higher education (HE).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper introduces one Finnish multidisciplinary master's degree programme as a case in point. The empirical data comprises a student survey and semi-structured interviews with internal and external stakeholders whose work relates to the master's degree programme in question.
Findings
The findings identify different types of dilemmas arising from collaboration between stakeholders of HE.
Practical implications
The paper demonstrates how the dilemma-reconciliation method can be used to enhance reputation management in HE.
Originality/value
The novelty of the paper is in applying dilemma theory (Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars, 2000) in parallel with reputation theories. Dilemma theory attributes reputation risks to conflicting aims.
Details