The Natural Environment
Introduction
Announcing a special issue of Service Business, on Natural Environment In Service Businesses, edited by Esteban Fern?ndez and Beatriz Junquera; DL 30 Sep 2007
: : : Posting
: : new journal
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2006 01:12:33 +0200
From: "Domingo Ribeiro" <Domingo.Ribeiro@uv.es>
SPECIAL ISSUE CALL FOR PAPERS: NATURAL ENVIRONMENT IN SERVICE BUSINESSES
Guest Editors: Professor Esteban Fernández and Dr. Beatriz Junquera
Volume 2 (issue 3) will be a special edition devoted to the implementation of environmental practices in service businesses. Businesses tend to develop environmental actions that go beyond mere regulatory compliance when they perceive that such actions can bolster business’ a competitive advantage. Environmental actions have been indicated as useful in service operations to improve customer loyalty and employee satisfaction, lower costs and increase competitiveness. However, although there are studies that have assessed this issue in manufacturing businesses, this same subject has not been seen in research dealing with service businesses.
In the context of service businesses, until recently, the relation between environmental management practice and performance has failed to draw researchers’ attention. Existing studies so far have focused on very few types of services, oftentimes hotels and hospitals. Therefore, the studies must be replicated in order to obtain results that provide proper guarantees as to the influence of environmental actions on customer satisfaction, efficiency, or increase in competitiveness in other business activities in the service sector. Likewise, in spite of the paucity of analyses in this regard and the lack of conclusive results, there are indications of certain characteristics of services that could impact the competitive consequences derived from environmental innovation in this type of businesses. Even so, very few of these relations have been studied, despite the fact that the literature addressing environmental innovation in service businesses could be strengthened if the knowledge accumulated by the classical bibliography regarding service businesses were to be used to address environmental management in this type of businesses. As a result, this call for papers looks for papers with specific answers to the following question: In what circumstances may environmental practices improve environmental performance and competitiveness in service businesses?
The editors of the special issue, Professor Esteban Fernández and Beatriz Junquera, would welcome articles, both theoretical and research based papers, on any aspect and factors of the natural environment in service businesses. In particular, they would welcome articles on:
- What is the effectiveness of environmental practices in service businesses in terms of environmental performance (considering its several dimensions) and competitiveness?
- Which is the role of the new environmental practices that cover the entire value chain?
- Are there differences between the effects of front- versus back-office environmental practices?
- Which is the efficiency of some programs to save resources?
- What kind of housekeeping and maintenance practices does reduce impacts, waste and costs?
- How must responsible environmental practices be included into the facility design and building?
- What is the role of environmental information systems?
- What is the importance of supplier cooperation in service design and provision?
- What is the customer role when he/she is co-involved in service design and provision? Which is the role of the contact with the customer?
- What is the effect of environmental practices on environmental and organizational performance in service businesses?
- Which are the specific concerns in small and medium service businesses?
- How do environmental practices influence the consumer satisfaction and loyalty? And which is their influence on the employee satisfaction and loyalty?
- Is there heterogeneity in several service industries?
Researchers interested in publishing in this special issue should send the full paper to Dr. Beatriz Junquera, beatrizj@uniovi.es, by 30st September, 2007. Please clearly identify your submission in the e-mail subject line, SB Natural Environment in Service Businesses Special Issue.
No preference will be given to articles adopting any particular research paradigm. All papers will go through the regular double-blind review process, and must follow the Service Business style guidelines (). The special issue will include 6-8 articles of approximately 8,000 words each, and will published in March, 2008.
Esteban Fernández and Beatriz Junquera
Faculty of Economics and Business Administration
University of Oviedo
Spain
September, 2006