Understanding technology mediation and new service provider roles in health care

Daskalopoulou, Athanasia ORCID: 0000-0003-0859-1143, Keeling, Kathy and Jones, Rowan Pritchard (2019) Understanding technology mediation and new service provider roles in health care JOURNAL OF SERVICES MARKETING, 33 (2). pp. 245-254. ISSN 0887-6045

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Abstract

Purpose: Service research holds that as services become more technology dominated, new service provider roles emerge. On a conceptual level, the potential impact of different roles has been discussed with regard to service provider readiness, job performance and overall experience. However, as yet, there is sparse empirical support for these conceptual interpretations. The purpose of this paper is to provide an understanding of the new service provider roles that emerge due to the increase of technology mediation in services. Design/methodology/approach: This study follows a qualitative methodology. Insights are drawn from in-depth interviews with 32 junior and senior health-care service providers (across 12 specialties) and 5 information governance/management staff. Findings: This analysis illustrates that new service provider roles include those of the enabler, differentiator, innovator, coordinator and sense-giver. By adopting these roles, health-care service providers reveal that they can encourage, support and advance technology mediation in services across different groups/audiences within their organizations (e.g. service delivery level, peer-to-peer level, organizational level). This paper further shows the relationships between these new service provider roles. Originality/value: This study contributes to theory in technology-mediated services by illustrating empirically the range of activities that constitute each role. It also complements prior work by identifying that service providers adopt the additional role of sense-giver. Finally, this paper provides an understanding of how by taking on these roles service providers can encourage, support and advance technology mediation in services across different groups/audiences in their organization.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Services marketing, Service providers, Role enactment, Technology mediation
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	07 Jan 2019 10:35
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2026 13:32
DOI:	10.1108/JSM-11-2017-0368
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3030643
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