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Enhancing inclusion through a service infrastructure of kindness

Kathy Hamilton et al.

Marketing Theory2026https://doi.org/10.1177/14705931261428729article
AJG 3ABDC A
Weight
0.50

Abstract

We introduce the concept of a service infrastructure of kindness, defined as the underlying features of an organisation that embed kindness into service delivery. Our findings identify four features of a service infrastructure of kindness: culture, materialities, socialities, and imaginaries. Drawing on in-depth research with a non-profit organisation, our theorisation demonstrates the cumulative and exponential power of seemingly minor aspects of the service encounter that have significant value for supporting inclusion. Our contributions reveal kindness as an animating force underpinning service inclusion, the tensions that can emerge in implementing a service infrastructure of kindness, and the micropolitical consequences of kindness that can be re-humanising for excluded consumers.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/14705931261428729

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@article{kathy2026,
  title        = {{Enhancing inclusion through a service infrastructure of kindness}},
  author       = {Kathy Hamilton et al.},
  journal      = {Marketing Theory},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/14705931261428729},
}

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Enhancing inclusion through a service infrastructure of kindness

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.