Using Meta-Analysis to Advance the Understanding of Service Theory and Practices

Guest Editors

Barry Babin, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA
Weiling Zhuang, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY, USA

Submission deadline:

April 30, 2024

Submissions open:

June 30, 2023

Submit your paper here!

Overview

In 1976, Glass published a seminal article titled “Primary, Secondary, and Meta-Analysis of Research" in which he introduced the concept of meta-analysis to the social sciences. In his paper, Glass defined meta-analysis as "the statistical analysis of a large collection of analysis results from individual studies for the purpose of integrating the findings” (Glass, 1976). 

There are several reasons why the marketing discipline should encourage researchers to conduct more research using meta-analysis tools (Hanssens, 2018, Hulland and Houston, 2020, Hunter and Schmidt 2004):

• Improved understanding of research findings: Meta-analysis can help to synthesize research findings from multiple studies, providing a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of the underlying factors that drive consumer behavior and firm performance. 
• Increased efficiency and rigor: Meta-analysis can be a more efficient and rigorous approach to synthesizing research findings than traditional narrative reviews, which can be subjective and prone to bias. 
• Improved generalizability: Meta-analysis can help to improve the generalizability of research findings through the synthesis of results from multiple studies conducted in different settings and with different populations. 
• Identification of research gaps: Meta-analysis can help to identify gaps in the research literature and areas where further research is needed. By analyzing the results of multiple studies, researchers can identify areas where the evidence is lacking, and where further research is needed to build a more comprehensive understanding of the underlying factors that drive consumer behavior.

Overall, meta-analysis is a statistical technique used to combine and analyze the results from multiple studies. It is particularly useful in marketing research, where many studies are conducted on similar topics but often produce inconsistent or even contradictory results. In addition, the majority of the empirical research in the marketing discipline uses a single database to conduct primary research that lacks the ability to produce empirical generalizations that are more informative to the audience (Hanssens, 2018).  

Scope of the special issue

The editors of this special issue on Using Meta-Analysis to Advance the Understanding of Service Theory and Practices seek meta-analysis papers that (1) apply novel or underutilized approaches that can be used to conduct meta-analysis research in marketing research (Hulland and Houston, 2020); (2) making important contributions to examine emerging topics, synthesize extant knowledge, and suggest directions for future research (Aguinis et al., 2011); present synthesized effect sizes of empirical findings of particular managerial interest. We encourage submissions that advance the use of meta-analysis techniques in service marketing research and contribute to the development of the field.

Indicative list of topics 

The special issue aims to publish empirical/quantitative meta-analyses on topics relevant to a broad range of service marketing domains. Examples of appropriate methods for the special issue are as follows (but are not limited to):

• A conventional statistical synthesis of the effect sizes from individual studies
• Meta-analytic regression 
• Meta-analytic structural equation modeling 
• Second-order meta-analysis.
• Bayesian meta-analysis
• Network meta-analysis
• Meta-factor analysis

About the journal

Journal of Service Theory and Practice aims to publish research in the field of service management that makes a theoretical contribution to the service research literature, as well as positively impacting on industry practices by offering specific recommendations and action plans. The Journal’s 2021 Clarivate Impact factor is 4.545. More information about the journal here.

Submission to the special issue

Submission to the special issue should be made through the JSTP submission system. All submissions will go through double-blind peer review process followed by this journal. For any enquiries about this special issue, please email the guest editors.

Submit your paper here!

Guest editors

Barry Babin, University of Mississippi, University, MS, USA
Weiling Zhuang, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, KY, USA

References

Aguinis, H., Dalton, D. R., Bosco, F. A., Pierce, C. A. and Dalton, C. M. (2011). Meta-analytic choices and judgment calls: Implications for theory building and testing, obtained effect sizes, and scholarly impact. Journal of Management, 37(1), 5-38.
Glass, G. V. (1976), “Primary, secondary, and meta-analysis of research.” Educational Researcher, 5(10), 3-8.
Hanssens, E.M. (2018), “The value of empirical generalizations in marketing.” Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, 46 (1), 6-8. 
Hulland, J. and Houston, M.B. (2020), “Why systematic review papers and meta-analyses matter: an introduction to the special issue on generalizations in marketing,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48 (3), 351–359. 
Hunter, J. E. and Schmidt, F. L. (2004). Methods of meta-analysis: Correcting error and bias in research findings (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.