Our research - One step ahead

The research tradition at CERS encourages and supports a questioning and problematizing approach, which is not limited to existing conceptualisations and norms.

The goal is to publish research that is not simply new but also provides alternative perspectives and alters researchers' thinking and doing.

Our research is focused on service business and philosophy within it the four focus areas, also shown in the figure below:

1. customers and relations

(e.g., customer experience and value formation)

2. marketing logics and strategizing

3. business, markets and societal dynamics

4. marketing effectiveness and profitability

Our roots and our theoretical lens is in service, which is in the centre of our focus.

Below you can familiarize yourself with some of our research projects, and short video presentations.

Feel free to contact us at cers[at]hanken.fi, in case you are interested in any of our publications. A complete list of CERS publications can be found in HARIS Opens in new window (Hanken Research Information System). Hanken's own publications can be downloaded from the Library or DHanken.

Doctoral dissertations

Doctoral dissertations from the Department of Marketing

2023

Khalil, Fares (2023). Every Piece Matters – Technology and Service Integration for Individual Empowerment Opens in new window

2022

Penttinen, Valeria (2022). Marketing in the Rise of Online Data: Dealing with the Shifts in Firm-Consumer Information Asymmetry
Tikkanen, Hannu (2022). I Would Walk 10 000 Steps: The Role of Smart Technology Services in Responsibilisation of Consumer Well-Being.
Schauman, Sebastian (2022): Meaningfulness and the Significance of Things: An Exploration of Meaningful Consumer-Object Relations
Sonja, Sarasvuo (2022): Coherence or diversity in corporate identity?: Varying perceptions of the company as sources for corporate branding
Maria, Sandberg (2022):Sufficiency Transitions : Realizing Consumption Changes for Environmental Sustainability

2021

Arafat, Rahman (2021): Whence the well-being of individuals?: Organizational roles of a transformative service provider in a healthcare setting
Meri-Maaria, Frig (2021): Mediated business sustainability communication for a better world

2020

Michaela Lipkin (2020): Exploring Customer Experiences with Smart Self-service: A Customer Ecosystem Approach
Marja-Leena Sarvikivi (2020): Reklam och marknadsföringstänkande i Finland. Varuhuset Stockmanns annonsering under 100 år.
Dube, Apramey (2020): Service Experience in Customers’ Everyday Contexts. An Investigation of Customers’ Experiences from Using Smartphone Apps

2018

Lindeman, Sara (2018): Early-phase market organizing in subsistence settings

2017

Vuoristo, Lotta (2017): Making Sense of Customer Relationships - a Consumer Perspective Opens in new window
Solja, Eeva (2017): Let me tell you a story. Consumer responses to company-created brand stories Opens in new window
Laamanen, Mikko (2017): The Politics of Value Creation Opens in new window

2016

Medberg, Gustav (2016): How Do Customers Perceive Value-In-Use? Empirical Insights from Bank Service Stories Opens in new window

2015

Virtanen, Henrik (2015): Integrated and Sequential Cooperation between Competitors: A Study of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in an International Context Opens in new window

2014

Kedzior, Richard (2014): How Digital Worlds Become Material: An Ethnographic and Netnographic Investigation in Second Life Opens in new window
Huotari, Kai (2014): Experientializing: how C2C communication becomes part of the service experience Opens in new window
Liewendahl, Helena (2014): What Motivates Employees to Live up to Value Promises: An Employee Discourse Opens in new window
Diaz Ruiz, Carlos A. (2014): Market Representations in Action: Foundations for the Performativity of Representations in Marketing Opens in new window
Hellman, Pia (2014): The Effect of Communicating E-service Benefits on Consumer E-service Adoption Opens in new window
Kiehelä, Hanna (2014): Dimensionality of the Consumer Perceived Value of Product Colour Opens in new window
Mickelsson, Jacob (2014): Customer Activity: A Perspective on Service Use Opens in new window

2013 and earlier

Nyman, Henrich (2013): Service Profitability: An Augmented Customer Lifetime Value Approach Opens in new window
Holttinen, Heli (2013): Cultural Ideals, Practices and Value Propositions in Consumer Everyday Value Creation Opens in new window
Arantola-Hattab, Johanna (2013): Family as a customer experiencing co-created service value Opens in new window
Viio, Paul (2011): Strategic sales process adaptation : relationship orientation of the sales process in a business-to-business context Opens in new window
Persson, Andreas (2011): Profitable Customer Management: A Study in Retail Banking Opens in new window
Gummerus, Johanna (2011): Customer Value in E-Service: Conceptual Foundation and Empirical Evidence Opens in new window
Hellén, Katarina (2010): A Continuation of the Happiness Success Story: Does Happiness Impact Service Quality? Opens in new window
Helkkula, Anu (2010): Service Experience in an Innovation Context Opens in new window
Holma, Anne (2009): Adaptation in Triadic Business Relationship Settings Opens in new window
Steinby,Camilla (2009): Multidimensionality of Actors in Business Networks: The Influence of Social Action in Pharmacy Networks in Finland Opens in new window
Nenonen, Suvi (2009): Customer Asset Management in Action: Using Customer Portfolios for Allocating Resources Across Business-To-Business Relationships For Improved Shareholder Value Opens in new window
von Koskull, Katharina (2009): Use of Customer Information: An Ethnography in Service Developent Opens in new window
Höykinpuro Ritva (2009): Service Firms' Action Upon Negative Incidents in High Touch Services: A Narrative Study Opens in new window
Holmqvist, Jonas (2009): Language Influence in Services Opens in new window
Ravald, Annika (2009): Hur Uppkommer Värde för kunden? Opens in new window
Golik Klanac, Natasa (2008): Customer Value of Website Communication in Business-to-business Relationships Opens in new window
Pihlström, Minna (2008): Perceived value of mobile service use and its consequences Opens in new window
Rindell, Anne (2008): Image heritage - The temporal dimension in consumers' corporate image constructions Opens in new window
Wägar, Karolina (2007): The nature of learning about customers in a customer service setting - a study of frontline contact persons
Berndtson, Mikael (2007): Informell marknadskommunikation - Teoretisk analys jämte en studie av användningsmöjligheter inom banksektorn
Rytting, Leif (2006): Visst gör kunden en stor del av jobbet - Referensramar för kunders medverkan vid tillkomsten av konsumenttjänster
Korkman, Oskar (2006): Customer value formation in practice - A practice-theoretical approach
Kauppinen, Hannele (2005): Colours as Non-Verbal Signs on Packages.
Kokko,Teemu (2005): Offering Development in the Restaurant Sector - A Comparison between Customer Perceptions and Management Beliefs
Finne, Åke (2004): Hur den aktiva kunden konstruerar budskap. Ett synsätt inom relationskommunikation.
Wendelin, Robert (2004): The nature and change of bonds in industrial business relationships
Åkerlund, Helena (2004): Fading customer relationships
Leino, Mirel (2004): Value creation in professional services - propositions for understanding financial value from the customer perspective
Heinonen, Kristina (2004): Time and location as customer perceived value drivers
Nordman, Christina (2004): Understanding customer loyalty and disloyalty - The effect of loyalty-supporting and -repressing factors
Ballantyne, David (2004): A relationship mediated theory of internal marketing
Sääksjärvi, Maria (2004): Consumer Evaluation of Hybrid Innovations
Owusu, Richard A. (2003): Collective Network Capability in International Project Business Networks - A Case Study of the Business Network for the Ashanti Electrification Project in Ghana
Arantola, Heli (2002): Relationship Drivers in Provider - Consumer Relationships, Empirical Studies of Customer Loyalty Programs
Polsa, Pia (2002): Power and Distribution Network Structure in the People's Republic of China - The Case of an Inland City in Transition
Lindberg-Repo, Kirsti (2001): Customer Relationship Communication - Analysing Communication from a Value Generating Perspective
Voima, Päivi (2001): Negative Internal Critical-Incident Processes - Windows on Relationship Change
Kinnunen, Ritva (2001): Creating and testing of service ideas and service production concepts
Roos, Inger (1999): Switching Paths in Customer Relationships
Leminen, Seppo (1999): Gaps in Buyer-Seller Relationships. Case Studies in the Telecommunication Industry.
Ojasalo, Jukka (1999): Quality Dynamics in Professional Services
Ojasalo, Katri (1999): Conceptualizing Productivity in Services
Stenbacka, Caroline (1998): Brand Visibility - en referensram för marknadskommunikation med ett relationsmarknadsföringsperspek-tiv. Brand Visibility - A Frame of Reference for Marketing Communications with a Relationship Marketing Perspective. English Summary.
Rosenbröijer, Carl-Johan (1998): Capability Development in Business Networks. A Study of Distribution
in the Fine Paper Sector in the United Kingdom.
Holmlund, Maria (1997): Perceived Quality in Business Relationships.
Liljander, Veronica(1995): Comparison Standards in Perceived Service Quality.
Strandvik, Tore (1994): Tolerance Zones in Perceived Service Quality
Storbacka, Kaj (1994): The Nature of Customer Relationship Profitability - Analysis of Relationships and Customer Bases in Retail Banking.