Griffith University

BA Grad Dip PhD

Professor of Tourism and Hospitality Management, Griffith University

Research expertise

Professor Beverley Sparks is an active researcher, with a substantial track record of grants and journal publications. She has conducted extensive research into service failure / recovery using both experimental designs and qualitative methods. She has led a number of research teams on funded projects in the past few years, with grant projects totalling more than $1.2 million. Several of her past grants focused on the issue of service failure and recovery, mainly in the tourism industry. She reviews papers on the topic of service failure/recovery by international journals such as the Journal of Service Research, the Journal of Business Research, and the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research. She is currently implementing research into the derived value for timeshare owners, funded through the ARC Linkage scheme.

Current teaching areas

• Research Methods
• Timeshare Resort Management

Publications - Selected Service Articles

• Bradley, G. L., McColl-Kennedy, J. R., Sparks, B. A., Jimmieson, N. L., & Zapf, D. (2010). Service encounter needs theory: A dyadic, psychosocial approach to understanding service encounters. In W. J. Zerbe, C. E. J. Hartel, & N. M. Ashkanasy (Eds.), Research on emotions in organizations. Volume 6. Emotions and creativity, learning, change and development.  Bingley. UK: Emerald Group Publishers/JAI.
  
• Bradley, G. L. & Sparks, B. A. (2009). Dealing with service failures: The use of explanations. Journal of Travel and Tourism Marketing, 26, 129-143.
  
• Weber, K. & Sparks, B. A.  (2009). The effect of pre-consumption mood and service recovery measures on customer evaluation and behavior in a strategic alliance setting. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research. 33 (10, 106-125.
• Sparks, B. A. and Fredline, E. (2007). Providing an explanation for service failure: Context, content and customer responses.Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 31(2), 241-260.
• Dallimore, K. Sparks, B. A., and Butcher, K. (2007). The influence of angry customer outbursts on service providers' facial displays and affective states. Journal of Service Research, 10(1), 78-92.
• Lee, Y. L., and Sparks, B. A. (2007). Gaining a better understanding of Chinese perceptions of service failure and service recovery within the hospitality industry. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 31 (4),504-529.
• McColl-Kennedy, J. R., and Sparks, B. A. (2003). Application of fairness theory to service failures and recovery. Journal of Service Research, 5(3), 251-266.
• Sparks, B. A., and McColl-Kennedy, J. (2001). Service recovery processes: Justice strategy options for increased customer satisfaction. Journal of Business Research, 54(3), 209-218.
• Sparks, B. A. (2001). Managing service failure through recovery. In J. Kandampully, C. Mok and B. A. Sparks (Eds.), Service quality management in hospitality, tourism and leisure (pp. 193-221). New York: Haworth Press.
• Collie, T., Sparks, B. A., and Bradley, G. L. (2000). Investing in interactional justice: A study of the fair process effect within a hospitality failure context. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, 24(4), 448-472.
• Sparks, B. A., Bradley, G.L., and Callan V. J. (1997). The impact of staff empowerment and communication style on customer evaluations: The special case of service failure. Psychology and Marketing, 14(5), 475-493.
• Sparks, B. A., and Callan V. J. (1997). Communication in the service provider-customer relationship: The role of gender and communication strategy. Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Research, 4(4), 3-24.
• Sparks, B. A., and Callan, V.  J. (1996). Service breakdowns and service evaluations: The intervening role of attributions. Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Research, 4(2), 3-24.