Keeping up appearances : service environments as symbolic communication

148 Pages·2010·3.07 MB·English

KEEPING UP APPEARANCES:
SERVICE ENVIRONMENTS AS SYMBOLIC COMMUNICATION

JOOST W.M. VERHOEVEN

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Thesis, University of Twente, 2009
© Joost W.M. Verhoeven
ISBN: 978-90-365-2972-3
Cover Design: Alexander van Deursen
Printed by: Ipskamp Drukkers

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KEEPING UP APPEARANCES:
SERVICE ENVIRONMENTS AS SYMBOLIC COMMUNICATION

PROEFSCHRIFT

ter verkrijging van
de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit Twente,
op gezag van de rector magnificus,
prof. dr. H. Brinksma
volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties
in het openbaar te verdedigen
op donderdag 28 januari om 15.00 uur

door

Joost Wilhelmus Martinus Verhoeven

geboren op 6 december 1979

te Gilze-Rijen

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Dit proefschrift is goedgekeurd door de promotor prof. dr. A.Th.H. Pruyn en
de assistent-promotor dr. T.J.L. van Rompay.

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Samenstelling Promotiecommissie

Promotor Prof.dr. A.Th.A. Pruyn
Assistant-promotor Dr. T.J.L. van Rompay
Leden Prof.dr. J.P.L. Schoormans
Prof.dr. T.B.C. Poiesz
Prof.dr. C.C.J.M. Miller
Prof.dr. W.A. Poelman
Dr. M.D.T. de Jong

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Contents

Chapter 1: General Introduction: The Role of Environmental Cues in 9
Service Settings

Chapter 2: Theoretical Framework: Environmental Inferences 23

Part I: Social Cues

Chapter 3: Personal Belongings & Physical Appearance in the 35
Service Environment

Part II: Design Cues

Chapter 4: The Price Façade: Symbolic and Behavioral Price Cues 55
in Restaurants

Chapter 5: The Art of Visual Communication: Effects of Artwork 73
Display on Consumer Perceptions

Part III: Ambient Cues

Chapter 6: Interior Color in the Service Environment 89

Chapter 7: General Discussion & Conclusions 105

References 121

Samenvatting (Summary in Dutch) 139

Dankwoord (Acknowledgements in Dutch) 145

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1

General Introduction:
The Role of Environmental Cues in
Service Settings

In chapter one, we will first introduce the subject of this dissertation. Then we will
elaborate on the role of the environmental cues in service settings. In the third part of this
chapter, we will explain how and why consumers search for information prior to purchasing
a service, and how they use environmental cues for this purpose. Finally, we will give an
overview of the empirical studies that are reported in this dissertation.
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