Thursday, June 3, 2025, 13:00 AM – 17:00 PM at Roma Tre University, Department of Business study, Via Silvio D’amico 77, Rome
Organized by:
This thought leadership forum is organized by the editors-in-chief of Journal of Services Marketing.
Background
This pre-conference workshop at the QUIS conference brings scholars together to develop impactful research that will shape the future of the field. It addresses one of today’s most pressing challenges: the effects of societal polarization on service ecosystems.
As society becomes increasingly polarized, both ideologically and socially, businesses are facing new challenges in engaging with diverse consumer groups. The rise of digital echo chambers, identity-based divides, and political fragmentation are reshaping how individuals interact with brands and various actors (Kitchens, Johnson, & Gray 2020; Schoenmueller, Netzer, & Stahl 2023; Weber et al. 2021). Consumers are increasingly gravitating toward like-minded groups, while media, technology, and hyper-personalization reinforce their existing beliefs and preferences (Ulver et al. 2022; Arora et al. 2022). In this fragmented landscape, firms must navigate the complexities of building trust, fostering inclusivity, and designing services that bridge these divides. Against this backdrop, the workshop aims to explore the role of service in a polarized world.
Workshop highlights
The four-hour workshop feature a mix of plenary and breakout sessions.
- Interactive discussions: Presentations of initial research ideas for feedback and discussion in plenary sessions and smaller groups, with opportunity to expand and develop the concepts collaboratively.
- Collaborative idea development: Work in small groups to brainstorm and develop entirely new research ideas and directions.
- Networking: Form connections and establish collaborations for future projects, even beyond specific themes.
- Publication opportunities: Develop research for potential publication in the Journal of Services Marketing, with guidance from the editors-in-chief to align research ideas with journal priorities.
Topics
The workshop will explore the following themes:
- Third places: Exploring the evolving role of “third places” in fostering community and cohesion amid growing societal divisions.
- Echo chambers: Examining how social “bubbles” shape and isolate consumers and other ecosystem actors.
- Digital trust: Investigating strategies for building and maintaining consumer trust in service ecosystems amid misinformation and data privacy concerns.
- Algorithmic divides: Exploring how AI and algorithms can polarize or bridge gaps.
- Polarized consumption: Investigating how societal divisions influence consumer experiences and engagement.
- Identity divides: Investigating the role of services in bridging identity-based divides and creating spaces for inclusion.
- Political polarization: Understanding how political divisions influence consumer behavior and service ecosystems.
- Intergenerational divides: Addressing how to bridge generational gaps in service ecosystems to foster mutual understanding and value creation.
- Bridging divides: Identifying stakeholder strategies to act as agents of cohesion and foster dialogue in polarized communities.
- Mediated connections: Examining how institutions such as governments, educational systems, legal frameworks, or market systems—can serve as mediators by providing structures, rules, and processes that guide behavior and interaction.
Who should attend and how to participate
The event welcomes all scholars, whether you are a tenured professor, early career researcher, or doctoral student. It provides a valuable platform to exchange ideas with thought leaders in service research and contribute to innovative research avenues.
The workshop objective is to create research teams around emergent topics to be developed into articles. There are two options to participate.
- Join as presenter of a research idea: Participants submitting initial ideas will have the opportunity to share and expand their ideas through plenary and lead small-group sessions, allowing their proposals to be discussed and developed during the workshop.
Submit a brief abstract (250–300 words) of your idea, including preliminary title, description of the research proposal or concept, specific questions or challenges to explore further. Please include your contact information, affiliation, department and current role/ title. - Join as a participant: Participants can contribute to discussions and collaborate on research ideas. If you wish to participate in the workshop without submitting initial ideas, we ask you to submit an expression of interest to attend in the workshop.
Submit your interest by outlining your areas of expertise or interest, your motivation for attending, and whether you would like to serve as a team captain or join as a member. From the list above, indicate your top three preferred themes. Please include your contact information, affiliation, department and current role/ title.
The organizers will connect participants in advance based on shared themes and interests. Teams will be invited to kick-start discussions on initial ideas and set goals for the collaboration. This early connection will help ensure smooth and productive sessions during the workshop.
More information and submit your application
Kristina Heinonen (kristina.heinonen@hanken.fi) and Mark Rosenbaum (mrosenba@citadel.edu)
References
– Arora, S. D., Singh, G. P., Chakraborty, A., & Maity, M. (2022). Polarization and social media: A systematic review and research agenda. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 183, 121942.
– Schoenmueller, V., Netzer, O., & Stahl, F. (2023). Frontiers: Polarized america: From political polarization to preference polarization. Marketing Science, 42(1), 48-60.
– Kitchens, B., Johnson, S. L., & Gray, P. (2020). Understanding echo chambers and filter bubbles: The impact of social media on diversification and partisan shifts in news consumption. MIS quarterly, 44(4).
– Weber, T. J., Hydock, C., Ding, W., Gardner, M., Jacob, P., Mandel, N., & Van Steenburg, E. (2021). Political polarization: Challenges, opportunities, and hope for consumer welfare, marketers, and public policy. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 40(2), 184-205.
– Ulver, S. (2022). The conflict market: Polarizing consumer culture (s) in counter-democracy. Journal of Consumer Culture, 22(4), 908-928.