Talking bodies – an embodied approach to service employees’ work

This paper aims to study the embodied nature of service employees’ work in human touch contexts.

The paper adopts the practice theory as its interpretive approach, using focus group interviews with service employees from different industries.

The study identifies four practice bundles related to the embodied dimension of service employees’ work: orienting, attuning, connecting and wrapping up. The findings illustrate how employees’ knowledge, skills and capabilities are used via the body.

The study provides guidance for managers to use an embodied perspective in the management of service employees.

This study contributes to the discussion on embodiment in service encounters by highlighting the embodied nature of service employees’ work.