Purpose Interactive service work is characterised by dual imperatives resulting from the contradictory aims of efficiency gains and customer orientation. Using a valorisation perspective, we provide an alternative explanation for such dual imperatives centred around the diverging value conceptions and orientations of the actors in the service triangle. Design/methodology/approach We use interview (n = 51) and workplace observation (n = 8 days) data collected in the German eldercare, retail and hospitality sectors between 2020 and 2022. The cross-sectoral comparative design enables us to identify patterns across different sectoral regimes. Findings Across sectors, interactive workers experience dual imperatives as (paradoxical) tensions between the economic and social obligations inherent to their work, resulting in competing demands. Organisational efficiency imperatives are their overarching source, while a lack of time, hindering rules and conflicting objectives pose further constraints. These competing demands reflect different value orientations within the service triangle. Whereas organisations strive to maximise the exchange value in service transactions, service recipients prioritise the use value. While interactive staff tend to recognise the use value generated by them, there is sectoral variation linked to the nature of the provided service. Originality/value The article investigates dual imperatives across sectors from a valorisation perspective. The diverging value conceptions and orientations in the service triangle generally point to the fact that a sole focus on economic objectives may not necessarily come along with achieving them due to the social dimension inherent to interactive work.
Doerflinger et al. (Fri,) studied this question.