IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v195y2025ics0148296325001845.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Psychosocial resources linking consumer identification and social well-being: Integrating the social identity approach with transformative service research

Author

Listed:
  • Inoue, Yuhei
  • Sato, Mikihiro
  • Swanson, Steve
  • Lock, Daniel
  • Du, James
  • Funk, Daniel C.

Abstract

This research integrates the social identity approach (SIA) to health and well-being with Transformative Service Research to explore how group-based psychosocial resources mediate the relationship between consumers’ identification with service organizations and their social well-being. Two studies with US and UK consumers of sport organizations found that purpose and meaning, perceived pro-group norms, and in-group trust functioned as mediators between consumer identification and social well-being. In addition, in-group trust served as an immediate mediator, transmitting the effects of purpose and meaning as well as perceived pro-group norms on social well-being. These findings contribute to Transformative Service Research by illustrating group-level psychological processes for promoting consumer well-being, activated through social identification with service organizations. This perspective advances current understanding of how service organizations engage consumers as in-group members to foster their well-being, extending the application of the SIA to health and well-being in business and service research.

Suggested Citation

  • Inoue, Yuhei & Sato, Mikihiro & Swanson, Steve & Lock, Daniel & Du, James & Funk, Daniel C., 2025. "Psychosocial resources linking consumer identification and social well-being: Integrating the social identity approach with transformative service research," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:195:y:2025:i:c:s0148296325001845
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115361
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296325001845
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2025.115361?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ma, Yuanyuan & Nolan, Anne & Smith, James, 2020. "Free GP Care and Mental Health," Papers RB202022, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
    2. Bastian Popp & Herbert Woratschek, 2017. "Consumer–brand identification revisited: An integrative framework of brand identification, customer satisfaction, and price image and their role for brand loyalty and word of mouth," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 24(3), pages 250-270, May.
    3. Kuppelwieser, Volker G. & Finsterwalder, Jörg, 2016. "Transformative service research and service dominant logic: Quo Vaditis?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 28(C), pages 91-98.
    4. Anderson, Laurel & Ostrom, Amy L. & Corus, Canan & Fisk, Raymond P. & Gallan, Andrew S. & Giraldo, Mario & Mende, Martin & Mulder, Mark & Rayburn, Steven W. & Rosenbaum, Mark S. & Shirahada, Kunio & W, 2013. "Transformative service research: An agenda for the future," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(8), pages 1203-1210.
    5. Vada, Sera & Prentice, Catherine & Hsiao, Aaron, 2019. "The influence of tourism experience and well-being on place attachment," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 322-330.
    6. Brüggen, Elisabeth C. & Hogreve, Jens & Holmlund, Maria & Kabadayi, Sertan & Löfgren, Martin, 2017. "Financial well-being: A conceptualization and research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 228-237.
    7. Gross, Hellen & Schwarz, Nicole & Cramer von Clausbruch, Stefanie & Hary, Katharina, 2021. "Art projects as transformative services to integrate refugees," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 373-381.
    8. Tang, Chuanyi & Guo, Lin & Gruen, Thomas, 2024. "A goal-driven framework for compliance-dependent services: Pathways to customer satisfaction and well-being," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    9. Su, Lujun & Swanson, Scott R. & Chen, Xiaohong, 2016. "The effects of perceived service quality on repurchase intentions and subjective well-being of Chinese tourists: The mediating role of relationship quality," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 82-95.
    10. C. Bhattacharya & Daniel Korschun & Sankar Sen, 2009. "Strengthening Stakeholder–Company Relationships Through Mutually Beneficial Corporate Social Responsibility Initiatives," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 85(2), pages 257-272, April.
    11. Min Gong & Jonathan Baron & Howard Kunreuther, 2009. "Group cooperation under uncertainty," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 251-270, December.
    12. Oliver Ommen & Sonja Thuem & Holger Pfaff & Christian Janssen, 2011. "The relationship between social support, shared decision-making and patient’s trust in doctors: a cross-sectional survey of 2,197 inpatients using the Cologne Patient Questionnaire," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 56(3), pages 319-327, June.
    13. Yuhei Inoue & Daniel Lock & Leah Gillooly & Richard Shipway & Steve Swanson, 2022. "The organizational identification and well-being framework: theorizing about how sport organizations contribute to crisis response and recovery," Sport Management Review, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(1), pages 1-30, January.
    14. Minxiang Zhao & Yixuan Li & Junqi Lin & Yuan Fang & Yuchuan Yang & Boyang Li & Yan Dong, 2024. "The Relationship Between Trust and Well-Being: A Meta-Analysis," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(5), pages 1-26, June.
    15. Xinshu Zhao & John G. Lynch & Qimei Chen, 2010. "Reconsidering Baron and Kenny: Myths and Truths about Mediation Analysis," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 37(2), pages 197-206, August.
    16. Luo, Nuan & Zhang, Mingli & Hu, Mu & Wang, Yu, 2016. "How community interactions contribute to harmonious community relationships and customers’ identification in online brand community," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 673-685.
    17. Stefan Schulenberg & Lindsay Schnetzer & Erin Buchanan, 2011. "The Purpose in Life Test-Short Form: Development and Psychometric Support," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 12(5), pages 861-876, October.
    18. Clay M. Voorhees & Michael K. Brady & Roger Calantone & Edward Ramirez, 2016. "Discriminant validity testing in marketing: an analysis, causes for concern, and proposed remedies," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 44(1), pages 119-134, January.
    19. He, Hongwei & Li, Yan & Harris, Lloyd, 2012. "Social identity perspective on brand loyalty," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 65(5), pages 648-657.
    20. Kang, Jun & Alejandro, Thomas Brashear & Groza, Mark D., 2015. "Customer–company identification and the effectiveness of loyalty programs," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 464-471.
    21. Gallan, Andrew S. & Kabadayi, Sertan & Ali, Faizan & Helkkula, Anu & Wu, Laurie & Zhang, Ye, 2021. "Transformative hospitality services: A conceptualization and development of organizational dimensions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 171-183.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Troebs, Cord-Christian & Wagner, Tillmann & Heidemann, F., 2018. "Transformative retail services: Elevating loyalty through customer well-being," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 198-206.
    2. Fritzsche, Albrecht & Söldner, Jens-Henrik, 2025. "Capturing the breadth of value creation with science fiction storytelling: Evidence from smart service design workshops," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 139(C).
    3. Wolter, Jeremy S. & Bacile, Todd J. & Smith, Jeffery S. & Giebelhausen, Michael, 2019. "The entitlement/forgiveness conflict of self-relevant and self-neutral relationships during service failure and recovery," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 233-246.
    4. Grace, Debra & Ross, Mitchell & King, Ceridwyn, 2020. "Brand fidelity: Scale development and validation," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    5. Chen, Yanyan & Mandler, Timo & Meyer-Waarden, Lars, 2021. "Three decades of research on loyalty programs: A literature review and future research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 179-197.
    6. Malik, Faiza & Ishaq, Muhammad Ishtiaq, 2023. "Impact of minimalist practices on consumer happiness and financial well-being," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    7. Simona Romani & Silvia Grappi & Richard Bagozzi, 2013. "Explaining Consumer Reactions to Corporate Social Responsibility: The Role of Gratitude and Altruistic Values," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 114(2), pages 193-206, May.
    8. Joëlle Vanhamme & Valérie Swaen & Guido Berens & Catherine Janssen, 2015. "Playing with fire: aggravating and buffering effects of ex ante CSR communication campaigns for companies facing allegations of social irresponsibility," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 26(4), pages 565-578, December.
    9. Lujun Su & Yinghua Huang, 2018. "How does Perceived Destination Social Responsibility Impact Revisit Intentions: The Mediating Roles of Destination Preference and Relationship Quality," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-22, December.
    10. Ahmad Salman & Mastura Jaafar & Diana Mohamad & Mana Khoshkam, 2023. "Understanding Multi-stakeholder Complexity & Developing a Causal Recipe (fsQCA) for achieving Sustainable Ecotourism," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 25(9), pages 10261-10284, September.
    11. Roberta Gabriela Basílio & Mateus Canniatti Ponchio & Rafaela Almeida Cordeiro, 2024. "Examining unethical sales practices in retail banking: a hermeneutic analysis of employee perceptions in Brazil," Journal of Financial Services Marketing, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 29(4), pages 1304-1317, December.
    12. Weiger, Welf H. & Giertz, Johann N. & Hammerschmidt, Maik & Hollebeek, Linda D., 2025. "Blurred lines? Disentangling the roles of consumers’ influencer- and brand engagement in shaping brand performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    13. Brashear-Alejandro, Thomas & Kang, Jun & Groza, Mark D., 2016. "Leveraging loyalty programs to build customer–company identification," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(3), pages 1190-1198.
    14. Haijian Zheng & Peng Ding & Qian Liu & Lirong Xing, 2024. "Intercultural interaction willingness: a PLS-PM approach to influencing factors and its mediation effect," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
    15. Osei-Frimpong, Kofi & McLean, Graeme & Wilson, Alan & Lemke, Fred, 2020. "Customer coproduction in healthcare service delivery: Examining the influencing effects of the social context," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 82-93.
    16. Alam, Faizan & Tao, Meng & Rastogi, Rashmi & Mendiratta, Aparna & Attri, Rekha, 2024. "Do social media influencers influence the vaccination drive? An application of source credibility theory and uses and gratification theory," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 198(C).
    17. Jorge Matute & José Luis Sánchez-Torelló & Ramon Palau-Saumell, 2021. "The Influence of Organizations’ Tax Avoidance Practices on Consumers’ Behavior: The Role of Moral Reasoning Strategies, Political Ideology, and Brand Identification," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 174(2), pages 369-386, November.
    18. Akram, Muhammad S. & Malhotra, Neeru & Goraya, M. Awais Shakir & Shareef, Mahmud A. & Malik, Aneela & Lal, Banita, 2022. "User engagement on global social networks: Examining the roles of perceived brand globalness, identification and global identity," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    19. Sertan Kabadayi & Linda Alkire (née Nasr) & Garrett M. Broad & Reut Livne-Tarandach & David Wasieleski & Ann Marie Puente, 2019. "Humanistic Management of Social Innovation in Service (SIS): an Interdisciplinary Framework," Humanistic Management Journal, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 159-185, December.
    20. Elbedweihy, Alaa M. & Jayawardhena, Chanaka & Elsharnouby, Mohamed H. & Elsharnouby, Tamer H., 2016. "Customer relationship building: The role of brand attractiveness and consumer–brand identification," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(8), pages 2901-2910.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:195:y:2025:i:c:s0148296325001845. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.