Cancer resource centers as third places

Purpose – This article aims to empirically illustrate the socially supportive role of cancer resource centers in their members' lives. Design/methodology/approach – The authors employ the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the QLQ-C30 to investigate the relationships between social support and respondents' quality of life. The authors also draw on internal cancer resource center data. Findings – The results show that the type of classes respondents engage in at the center, frequency of class/activity attendance, and member-to-member social support do not influence respondents' perceived quality of life. However, employee-to-member support does enhance a respondent's quality of life. Research limitations/implications – The study suggests that the activity programming at cancer resource centers is a conduit for the socially supportive relationships that form between and among employees and members. Given that the sample site was situated in a high-income, relatively stable suburban local...

[1]  Namin Kim,et al.  Other customers in a service encounter: examining the effect in a restaurant setting , 2012 .

[2]  G. Zimet,et al.  Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support , 2011 .

[3]  M. Rosenbaum,et al.  Cancer resource centres: Transformational services and restorative servicescapes , 2011 .

[4]  M. Rosenbaum,et al.  Restorative cancer resource center servicescapes , 2011 .

[5]  Carolyn A. Massiah,et al.  An expanded servicescape perspective , 2011 .

[6]  M. Pinquart,et al.  Associations of social networks with cancer mortality: a meta-analysis. , 2010, Critical reviews in oncology/hematology.

[7]  Richard Nicholls,et al.  New directions for customer‐to‐customer interaction research , 2010 .

[8]  Mary Jo Bitner,et al.  Moving Forward and Making a Difference: Research Priorities for the Science of Service , 2010 .

[9]  Cheryl Campanella Bracken,et al.  The Impact of Third Places on Community Quality of Life , 2009 .

[10]  M. Sigala.  E-service quality and Web 2.0: expanding quality models to include customer participation and inter-customer support , 2009 .

[11]  Diana C. Parry,et al.  A third place in the everyday lives of people living with cancer: functions of Gilda's Club of Greater Toronto. , 2009, Health & place.

[12]  M. Rosenbaum.  Exploring commercial friendships from employees' perspectives , 2009 .

[13]  Ram B. Misra,et al.  Value Creation in Virtual Communities: The Case of a Healthcare Web Site , 2008 .

[14]  M. Rosenbaum.  Return on Community for Consumers and Service Establishments , 2008 .

[15]  M. Arman,et al.  Anthroposophic health care--different and home-like. , 2008, Scandinavian journal of caring sciences.

[16]  S. Keller-Olaman,et al.  Health, healing and recovery: therapeutic landscapes and the everyday lives of breast cancer survivors. , 2008, Social science & medicine.

[17]  James W. Gentry,et al.  The Impact of Flow and Communitas on Enduring Involvement in Extended Service Encounters , 2008 .

[18]  M. Thakor,et al.  Effects of service setting and other consumers’ age on the service perceptions of young consumers , 2008 .

[19]  L. Berry,et al.  Health Care , 2007 .

[20]  Amy L. Ostrom,et al.  A Cup of Coffee With a Dash of Love , 2007 .

[21]  G. Winocur,et al.  The effects of the anti-cancer drugs, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil, on cognitive function in mice , 2006, Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior.

[22]  M. Rosenbaum.  Exploring the Social Supportive Role of Third Places in Consumers' Lives , 2006 .

[23]  Mary Thomas,et al.  The effects of group exercise on fatigue and quality of life during cancer treatment. , 2006, Oncology nursing forum.

[24]  D. Edvardsson,et al.  Caring or uncaring--meanings of being in an oncology environment. , 2006, Journal of advanced nursing.

[25]  R. Raffa,et al.  Is ‘chemo‐fog’/‘chemo‐brain’ caused by cancer chemotherapy? , 2006, Journal of clinical pharmacy and therapeutics.

[26]  K. Luker,et al.  At home in hospital? Interaction and stigma in people affected by cancer. , 2006, Social science & medicine.

[27]  C. Davis,et al.  Providing Social Support to Cancer Patients , 2005, Journal of psychosocial oncology.

[28]  Jeremy J. Sierra,et al.  Service providers and customers: social exchange theory and service loyalty , 2005 .

[29]  H. Frumkin.  Health, equity, and the built environment. , 2005 .

[30]  Craig J Thompson,et al.  The Starbucks Brandscape and Consumers' (Anticorporate) Experiences of Glocalization , 2004 .

[31]  Paolo Guenzi,et al.  The impact of interpersonal relationships on customer satisfaction and loyalty to the service provider , 2004 .

[32]  D. Spiegel,et al.  Cancer supportive care, improving the quality of life for cancer patients. A program evaluation report , 2004, Supportive Care in Cancer.

[33]  Deborah Fraser.  Strangers in their own land: friendship issues when children have cancer , 2003 .

[34]  Marija J. Norusis,et al.  SPSS 16.0 Statistical Procedures Companion , 2003 .

[35]  H. Frumkin.  Healthy places: exploring the evidence. , 2003, American journal of public health.

[36]  A. Loke,et al.  The Difficulties Faced by Informal Caregivers of Patients With Terminal Cancer in Hong Kong and the Available Social Support , 2003, Cancer nursing.

[37]  M. Cheang.  Older adults' frequent visits to a fast-food restaurant , 2002 .

[38]  D. Gustafson,et al.  Effect of computer support on younger women with breast cancer , 2001, Journal of General Internal Medicine.

[39]  G. Zimet,et al.  Psychometric Properties of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support in Urban Adolescents , 2000, American journal of community psychology.

[40]  V. Helgeson,et al.  Group support interventions for women with breast cancer: who benefits from what? , 2000, Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association.

[41]  Ray Oldenburg,et al.  The Great Good Place , 1999 .

[42]  C. Koopman,et al.  Social support, life stress, pain and emotional adjustment to advanced breast cancer , 1998, Psycho-oncology.

[43]  R. Winn,et al.  The role of informal and formal social support networks for patients with cancer. , 1997, Cancer practice.

[44]  Sheldon Cohen,et al.  Social Support and Adjustment to Cancer: Reconciling Descriptive, Correlational, and Intervention Research , 1996 .

[45]  Yong-Soon Kang,et al.  The Importance of Consumer Market Interactions as a Form of Social Support for Elderly Consumers , 1996 .

[46]  A. Ahuvia,et al.  Social support in the service sector: The antecedents, processes, and outcomes of social support in an introductory service , 1995 .

[47]  J. Gentry,et al.  Social Support for Decision Making During Grief Due to Death , 1995 .

[48]  D. Coleman,et al.  Leisure and health: the role of social support and self-determination. , 1993 .

[49]  D. Osoba,et al.  The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30: a quality-of-life instrument for use in international clinical trials in oncology. , 1993, Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

[50]  Charles L. Martin,et al.  Compatibility Management: Customer‐to‐Customer Relationships in Service Environments , 1989 .

[51]  K. Rook,et al.  Applying Social Support Research: Theoretical Problems and Future Directions , 1985 .

[52]  E. Cowen.  Help is where you find it: Four informal helping groups. , 1982 .

[53]  Amy L. Ostrom,et al.  Conceptualisation and Aspirations of Transformative Service Research , 2011 .

[54]  David Glen Mick,et al.  MEANING AND MATTERING THROUGH TRANSFORMATIVE CONSUMER RESEARCH , 2006 .

[55]  Ray Oldenburg,et al.  Celebrating the third place : inspiring stories about the "great good places" at the heart of our communities , 2001 .

[56]  Linda L. Price,et al.  Commercial Friendships: Service Provider--Client Relationships in Context , 1999 .

[57]  Adrian E. Raftery,et al.  How Many Clusters? Which Clustering Method? Answers Via Model-Based Cluster Analysis , 1998, Comput. J..

[58]  Michael Batty,et al.  A Change of Scene , 1983 .

[59]  R. Sitgreaves.  Psychometric theory (2nd ed.). , 1979 .

[60]  Amy L. Ostrom,et al.  Huskie Commons Huskie Commons , 2022 .