The Critical Incident Technique in Service Research

Abstract

The Critical Incident Technique (CIT) has been used in a variety of service contexts in recent years to explore service research issues and has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of these issues. Despite the popularity of this methodology, no published research synthesis systematically examines this research. The primary purpose of this study is to review the use of the CIT method in service research to (a) help current and future researchers employing the CIT method to examine their methodological decisions closely and (b) suggest guidelines for the proper application and reporting of the procedures involved when using this method. The study provides an overview of the CIT method, reports the results of a research synthesis conducted of 141 CIT studies appearing in service marketing and management publications, discusses implications for service research, and suggests guidelines for researchers employing this method.