Leisure reimagined: mapping the enablers of restorative servicescapes

Abstract

A servicescape is the amalgamation of physical, social and environmental elements within a consumption setting (Bitner, Citation1992). Leisure servicescapes may consist of, among others, theme parks like Disneyland, that create an immersive experience for consumers (Wu & Cheng, Citation2018); cafes such as Starbucks, where the ambience, creates an inviting atmosphere (Ryu & Jang, Citation2008). They also include luxury resorts that are aesthetically pleasing with their architecture, landscaping and interior design that enhance the overall experience of the visitor (Han & Ryu, Citation2009). Shopping malls are similarly designed to enhance the buyer’s experience through strategic store placements and overall aesthetic outlay (Wakefield & Baker, Citation1998). Urbanization, technological advancements, lifestyle changes and an increase in individual stress levels have augmented the need for restorative leisure servicescapes (Jarratt et al., Citation2022; Weber & Trojan, Citation2018). The convergence of environmental psychology and leisure research has also garnered much attention recently (Burmeister et al., Citation2018), in understanding how physical environments influence leisure experiences and behaviours. This is evident in studies that examine the impact of servicescape elements, like ambient conditions, spatial layout and aesthetic appeal on customer satisfaction and engagement (Lin & Mattila, Citation2010). A focus on creating immersive, multisensory, experiences in leisure settings (like theme parks and wellness centres) indicates the significance of incorporating psychological principles to boost customer well-being and satisfaction (Ali et al., Citation2016). It reflects a broader trend towards creating more engaging and psychologically enriching spaces (Titz et al., Citation2004).

The physical environment impacts the service provided and customers’ experience. Environmental psychology asserts that individuals generally demonstrate either approach or avoidance behaviour towards places. It reflects their degree of willingness to stay, explore, work, or socialize (Mehrabian & Russell, Citation1974). Beyond activating approach and avoidance behaviours, a consumption environment may also foster wellness and restoration by letting consumers enjoy the service and rejuvenate themselves mentally (Rosenbaum, Citation2009). The built environment of a service setting may contribute to the healing processes that are important for the health and wellbeing of an individual (Mody et al., Citation2020).

Although examined partially, the impact of an environment’s design elements on health and wellbeing has been found to have substantial merit (Harris et al., Citation2024). The existing literature is short on the potential of servicescapes to enhance consumer well-being (Hamed et al., Citation2019). Different servicescapes elicit different consumer responses. For instance, consumption-oriented services capture consumers’ attention primarily through their physical aspects, whereas experience-oriented services may attract attention to their social, natural and symbolic features. The impact of commercial servicescapes on consumer health and well-being outcomes needs further exploration in service marketing, health and environmental psychology (Rosenbaum & Massiah, Citation2011).

Rooted in the Attention Restorative Theory (ART), this paper aims to address the current research gap concerning the characteristics of a leisure servicescape that determine its restorative properties (Neilson et al., Citation2019). It advances the current discussion on the role of place in marketing by answering the following research questions: (a) How do servicescapes impact consumer well-being? (b) What makes a leisure servicescape restorative? (c) How do factors enabling the restorative properties of a service environment relate to each other and form a restorative servicescape? The study contributes to the field of transformative service research (Mody et al., Citation2020), which brings together consumer and service research, to promote positive changes that enhance consumer well-being, quality of life and the health of consumers, communities and ecosystems (Rosenbaum & Wong, Citation2015).

The paper begins with presenting a brief background of the work followed by the motivation behind this study. It then offers a succinct account of literature on servicescapes and consumer well-being, ART and the enablers of the restorative properties of a servicescape from the lenses of environmental psychology, perceived sensory dimensions and evidence-based design. The study is carried out with the help of Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) which is explained in the method section followed by the findings and discussion. The paper concludes with presenting the managerial and public policy implications of this research and the directions for future research.