The Services Marketing Mix Paradigm: Is It Still Appropriate for Today ’s Service Businesses?

Abstract

This paper aims to reveal theoretical gaps that have emerged from the services marketing mixed literature review that need more investigation and empirical evidence in modern service businesses. The methodology used in this paper is desk-based in which a critical examination on the services marketing literature is carried out to achieve the paper objectives. A critical examination on the services marketing literature indicates that service businesses need the modified and extended services marketing mix paradigm as a general framework for the marketing of services. One of the crucial conclusions come out of this paper is that the 7Ps of the services marketing mix is the most accepted paradigm among services marketing authors; however, there is no significant empirical evidence that has validated this paradigm components together, even though it has been accepted and supported from a theoretical perspective. Empirical evidence is required to validate this paradigm in service businesses. Further research is required in order to test if theories, models and concepts developed in the U.S and Western business environments are generalizable and applicable to other business environments or there is a need to develop new theories, model and concepts. Consequently, it would be a very fruitful area of research to investigate the services marketing mixed paradigm in several business industries in the Jordanian business environment