Researcher Highlights
Making the intangible, tangible: service in a socially connected and technology-driven world
Dr Jamie Carlson
As our economy transitions towards a service-oriented model, Professor Jamie Carlson's research agenda mirrors this evolution. Aligned with the Federal Government’s ‘Growth Through Innovation’ agenda, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Framework, his focus is on fostering the design of socially responsible customer experiences by organisations amidst intense global competition.
Problems and solutions
"In today's landscape of globalisation, technological disruption, and sustainability imperatives, reimagining management paradigms is vital for enhancing firm-consumer interactions," he asserts.
"Our efforts, spanning my own and those of my colleagues and research students, are pivotal in ensuring that firms craft immersive, and socially responsible customer experiences grounded in both physical and virtual environments, transcending traditional product-centric approaches."
He emphasizes the significance of this endeavour, particularly considering the service sector's predominant role in the national economy, contributing nearly 80% of the GDP and supporting a vast workforce. Particularly given Australia's service sectors are diverse and encompass various industries, including tourism, financial services, healthcare, education, media and entertainment, retail trade and information and communication technology.
"Consumer touchpoints now extend beyond physical settings to encompass a plethora of digital and social media platforms, wearable and extended reality technologies," he elaborates.
"By integrating insights from diverse disciplines like marketing, psychology, information systems, and computer science, we identify avenues and opportunities for enhanced customer engagement, value creation, productivity, and profitability."
All about the consumer
Jamie's current research spans multinational and interdisciplinary collaborations, focusing on three core areas: 1) understanding how customer’s engage with physical and virtual channels, 2) understanding service design and consumer behaviour issues in service industries, and 3) understanding consumer adoption and sustained engagement with e-health services.
"Exploring these domains allows us to guide firms in the design, delivery and optimisation of consumption experiences, fostering customer satisfaction, loyalty, and value generation," he confirms.
"We're witnessing a paradigm shift where consumers actively shape their consumption journeys, seeking both individualised and communal-based brand experiences across different touchpoints."
He underscores the symbiotic relationship between consumers and brands, where empowered consumers contribute value beyond mere purchases, serving as advocates and innovation catalysts through social media engagement and product feedback loops to inform improvements of brand experiences.
Additionally, he highlights the imperative of understanding and mitigating the negative effects of technology on consumer well-being and brand engagement.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.