literature review on service marketing

A Comprehensive Literature Review on Marketing Strategies Adopting by Various Industries

9 Pages Posted: 30 Dec 2022

Rashini Hansika

Uva Wellassa University, Faculty of Management

Date Written: December 20, 2022

Marketing is the process of promoting and selling products and services, including market research and advertising. Today, marketing is an essential part of any organization's growth strategy. Many firms use marketing methods unknowingly to promote themselves and increase sales of their products and services. Marketing is one of the most crucial elements of organizations nowadays. Any strategy used to assist a group, company, or individual in accomplishing their objectives falls under the very broad category known as marketing. The goals of marketing are to raise brand awareness among the target market, increase market share, introduce the firm to new domestic or international markets, boost ROI, increase business profit, optimize the conversion funnel, acquire new leads, foster customer loyalty, and boost sales. A marketing strategy is a company's overarching plan for connecting with potential customers and persuading them to purchase its products or services. A marketing plan typically includes the value proposition of the company, key brand messages, data on target customer demographics, and other significant elements.

Keywords: Marketing Strategy, Premium pricing

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Journal of Services Marketing

ISSN : 0887-6045

Article publication date: 1 May 2020

Issue publication date: 19 June 2020

The growing service sector has experienced several revolutions that have transformed the way services are created and delivered. In parallel, services increasingly pique the interest of scholars, resulting in an expanding body of knowledge. Accordingly, it is time to reflect on extant service research, assess its boundaries, and think about its future. This paper aims to consider three research questions: How has service research evolved over the past 27 years? Which articles have most influenced the evolution of service research in the past 27 years? What are the most promising research themes for the future?

Design/methodology/approach

To answer these questions, the authors analyze the contents of 3,177 service research articles published in ten major academic journals between 1993 and August 2019. Multiple correspondence analysis reveals the evolution of key service research themes and their underlying relationships.

The research themes are organized in a growth–share matrix with four quadrants (stars, question marks, cash cows and pets) and also combine into four research clusters (human resource management, organizational behavior and strategy, technology, and operations and customer behavior and marketing). Together with a specified list of influential articles that have shaped the evolution of service research, these insights suggest an agenda for research.

Originality/value

Acknowledging the vast growth of service research, this study presents an up-to-date picture of the discipline and an agenda to stimulate continued research.

• Service innovation
• Content analysis
• Technology adoption
• Service dominant logic (SDL)

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Catrina Bur and Thibaud Salamin for their help with the preparation and coding of the data. They also would like to thank the two associate editors of this special issue, J. Joseph Cronin, Jr. and Duane Nagel, and the two anonymous reviewers for their support and insightful comments.

Furrer, O. , Yu Kerguignas, J. , Delcourt, C. and Gremler, D.D. (2020), "Twenty-seven years of service research: a literature review and research agenda", Journal of Services Marketing , Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 299-316. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-02-2019-0078

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Managing Service Employees: Literature Review, Expert Opinions, and Research Directions

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• Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (KU)

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The Developed Concept of Service Marketing Mix : A Literature Survey

The objective of this article is to acquire the comparison of service marketing mix [SMM] concept gap and to develop a comprehensive model in identifying SMM. Market strategy and marketing mix strategy are expected to influence customer value creating/customer satisfaction which eventually give positive influence to marketing perfomance. STP in this issue is chosen because of the disagreement among marketing experts. One critisism about 4P frame is having the diffrence between the philosophy behind marketing mix and the fundamental from management school of marketing. The aproach used in this article is journal reviews which contains the concepts from the creation of marketing mix concept , elaborates concept gaps and compains, and eventually it is expected to givea model of designing SMM concept, which will give academical contrubution in developing the concept that can be practically implemented in the businees world.The latest concept used as the main reference in this article is about SMM which basically focusing on the dimentional development of SMM from 4P and 8P [producer] and 8c [customer].

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This study will examine the phenomenon of public relations in service marketing. Public relations is a business function and administrative tool that serves to establish mutual communication, understanding, acceptance, trust and cooperation between an organization and its target groups and to make this environment permanent. The current business environment, which is highly competitive, makes public relations essential for service marketing. This qualitative and descriptive study analyzes public relations in service marketing in a linear perspective from past to present based on a review of the relevant literature. Keywords: Public Relations, Service Marketing, Service, Marketing Communication, Corporate Image.

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Notice of RetractionAfter careful and considered review of the content of this paper by a duly constituted expert committee, this paper has been found to be in violation of IEEE's Publication Principles.We hereby retract the content of this paper. Reasonable effort should be made to remove all past references to this paper.The presenting author of this paper has the option to appeal this decision by contacting [email protected] years, marketing mix has been at the heart of marketing management. Marketers have always strived to strategize their marketing mix more effectively and implement those strategies more competitively. In this sense over past decades conventional marketing mix has been elaborated repeatedly in literature but we are living in the global village and Internet is sweeping all aspects of business and marketing is not an exception. Internet marketing is increasingly attracting attention from executives and scholars as a crucial body of modern marketing. Thus, traditional marketing mix requires a revision and modification for marketing in the Internet era. This paper addresses this issue and undertakes a comprehensive literature review to extract and explain main constructs of Internet marketing mix (IMM) and elaborate building blocks this concept. Subsequently this study proposes an anatomy for IMM to be further used by other researchers and practitioners in studying Internet marketing and formulating marketing strategies.

BUSINESS SCIENCES INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL

ANVESHAK, International Journal of Management (AIJM) [ISSN 2278-8913 (Print), ISSN 2350-0794 (Online)], published by Indira Institute of Management, Pune (IIMP), India,

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marketing strategy in China with the case of iPhone

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The current dynamic and competitiveness of the market means that marketing must continually adapt its strategies to challenges of constant change, in order to fulfill its obligations to the consumer. Marketing managers therefore seek a dynamic balance, working with the variables of the marketing mix, in accordance with the innovation challenges set by the market and demanded by the consumer. This Scientific article aims to contribute to the reflection on the variables of the marketing mix, exploring the possibilities of the traditional P’s, normally associated with marketing services- Processes, Physical Evidence and People, extended to the industrial sector, as well as the introduction of an eighth P, Partnerships, into the puzzle of the 8 contemporary P’s, and finally the verification of its applicability in the business sector. In this context, an analysis will be made of the development of the composition of the marketing mix over time and the most recent contributions to the discussion of the topics under analysis via studies, articles and cases. The research methodology present in this article includes 40 interviews with marketing decision makers and company managers using a non-causal sampling method by quotas and stratification, collected online. The research allowed the recognition of the pertinence of the theme, confirming the increasing importance of the marketing services in the industrial sector and the partnerships as a strategic instrument for companies and brands.

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A literature review of service research since 1993

• Published: 30 December 2010
• Volume 2 , pages 173–212, ( 2010 )

Cite this article

• Salim Moussa 1 &
• Mourad Touzani 1  

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The history of any field of study is an important topic, but few authors have taken on the task of writing the history of service research since the early 1990s. We attempt to fill this gap by providing a comprehensive account on the general course of the service literature from 1993 to now. We propose an extension of the evolutionary metaphor originally proposed by Fisk et al. (1993). Drawing on an extensive multidisciplinary literature, we paint a portrait of the evolution of the service literature over three new stages termed Racing Ahead (1993–1999), Looking Back and Moving Forward (2000–2003), and Airborne (2004–Now). Within each era, we first identify key observations that make it distinguishable from the other stages, and then specifically highlight the major contributions that were made. We also underscore and provide some recommendations for further consideration by interested thinkers in the field for moving it forward.

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Higher Institute of Management, University of Tunis, Tunisia, Tunisia

Salim Moussa & Mourad Touzani

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Salim Moussa (M.Sc. University of Tunis, Tunisia) is a Ph.D. candidate in marketing at the Higher Institute of Management, University of Tunis, Tunisia. His current research interests include service science, marketing education, consumer behavior, and scientometrics. Salim has already published in Marketing Education Review, International Journal of Consumer Studies , and Journal of Informetrics

Mourad Touzani (Ph.D., IAE Aix-en-Provence, France) is Associate Professor at the Higher Institute of Management, University of Tunis, Tunisia. He enjoys research dealing with service marketing, consumer innovativeness, and applied qualitative/quantitative methodology. His papers have appeared in Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science , Advances in Consumer Research, La Revue des Sciences de Gestion , and La Revue Française du Marketing .

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Moussa, S., Touzani, M. A literature review of service research since 1993. J Serv Sci 2 , 173–212 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12927-010-0008-9

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Received : 14 November 2010

Accepted : 24 December 2010

Published : 30 December 2010

Issue Date : December 2010

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s12927-010-0008-9

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• How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

Published on January 2, 2023 by Shona McCombes . Revised on September 11, 2023.

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic .

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

• Search for relevant literature
• Evaluate sources
• Identify themes, debates, and gaps
• Outline the structure
• Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes , and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

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Table of contents

What is the purpose of a literature review, examples of literature reviews, step 1 – search for relevant literature, step 2 – evaluate and select sources, step 3 – identify themes, debates, and gaps, step 4 – outline your literature review’s structure, step 5 – write your literature review, free lecture slides, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions, introduction.

• Quick Run-through
• Step 1 & 2

When you write a thesis , dissertation , or research paper , you will likely have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

• Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and its scholarly context
• Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
• Position your work in relation to other researchers and theorists
• Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate
• Evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

Writing literature reviews is a particularly important skill if you want to apply for graduate school or pursue a career in research. We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below.

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Writing literature reviews can be quite challenging! A good starting point could be to look at some examples, depending on what kind of literature review you’d like to write.

• Example literature review #1: “Why Do People Migrate? A Review of the Theoretical Literature” ( Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.)
• Example literature review #2: “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines” ( Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and production.)
• Example literature review #3: “The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Thematic literature review about the effects of technology on language acquisition.)
• Example literature review #4: “Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Chronological literature review about how the concept of listening skills has changed over time.)

You can also check out our templates with literature review examples and sample outlines at the links below.

Download Word doc Download Google doc

Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic .

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research problem and questions .

Make a list of keywords

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research question. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in, and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list as you discover new keywords in the process of your literature search.

• Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
• Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health
• Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents, youth

Search for relevant sources

Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some useful databases to search for journals and articles include:

• Your university’s library catalogue
• Google Scholar
• Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
• Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
• EconLit (economics)
• Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)

You can also use boolean operators to help narrow down your search.

Make sure to read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

You likely won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on your topic, so it will be necessary to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your research question.

For each publication, ask yourself:

• What question or problem is the author addressing?
• What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
• What are the key theories, models, and methods?
• Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
• What are the results and conclusions of the study?
• How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?

Make sure the sources you use are credible , and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

You can use our template to summarize and evaluate sources you’re thinking about using. Click on either button below to download.

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It is important to keep track of your sources with citations to avoid plagiarism . It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography , where you compile full citation information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

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To begin organizing your literature review’s argument and structure, be sure you understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

• Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
• Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
• Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
• Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
• Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

• Most research has focused on young women.
• There is an increasing interest in the visual aspects of social media.
• But there is still a lack of robust research on highly visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat—this is a gap that you could address in your own research.

There are various approaches to organizing the body of a literature review. Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.

Try to analyze patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods , you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

• Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
• Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
• Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework . You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Like any other academic text , your literature review should have an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion . What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, you can follow these tips:

• Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
• Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers — add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
• Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transition words and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and contrasts

In the conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance.

When you’ve finished writing and revising your literature review, don’t forget to proofread thoroughly before submitting. Not a language expert? Check out Scribbr’s professional proofreading services !

This article has been adapted into lecture slides that you can use to teach your students about writing a literature review.

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If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Sampling methods
• Simple random sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Cluster sampling
• Likert scales
• Reproducibility

 Statistics

• Null hypothesis
• Statistical power
• Probability distribution
• Effect size
• Poisson distribution

Research bias

• Optimism bias
• Cognitive bias
• Implicit bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Anchoring bias
• Explicit bias

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a thesis, dissertation , or research paper , in order to situate your work in relation to existing knowledge.

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

• To familiarize yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
• To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
• To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
• To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
• To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your thesis or dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other  academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An  annotated bibliography is a list of  source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a  paper .  

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