A1 Journal article (refereed)
How is social capital formed across the digital-physical servicescape? (2022)

Nyrhinen, J., Uusitalo, O., Frank, L., & Wilska, T.-A. (2022). How is social capital formed across the digital-physical servicescape?. Digital Business, 2(2), Article 100047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.digbus.2022.100047

The research was funded by Strategic Research Council at the Research Council of Finland.

JYU authors or editors

Nyrhinen, Jussi
Uusitalo, Outi
Frank, Lauri
Wilska, Terhi-Anna

Publication details

All authors or editors: Nyrhinen, Jussi; Uusitalo, Outi; Frank, Lauri; Wilska, Terhi-Anna

Journal or series: Digital Business

ISSN: 2666-9544

eISSN: 2666-9544

Publication year: 2022

Volume: 2

Issue number: 2

Article number: 100047

Publisher: Elsevier

Publication country: Netherlands

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.digbus.2022.100047

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/83834

Abstract

This study examines how consumers create social capital in interactions with other customers and service personnel while shopping in retail stores that consist of both physical and digital locations. We draw on servicescape literature to explore the role of social capital in determining the social realm in digital-physical servicescapes using data from focus group discussions. We demonstrate how customers utilize both the digital and physical servicescapes in a convergent manner to form the social realm of the servicescape with the other people in service encounters. The implications provide guidelines on how the integration of digital and physical channels facilitates trust, human contact, interpersonal relationships, and networks of social exchange that are termed ‘social capital’.

Keywords: customer experience; customer service; distribution channels; consumers; social capital; social interaction

Free keywords: channel integration; omnichannel consumers; servicescape; customer experience; social capital

Fields of science: