Theoretical approach to the characteristics of manual-type service derived from high-context service

Prosocial behaviors are occasionally observed in daily life when people have the best interests of others at heart and in the study of prosocial behaviors, there is a notion called “helping behavior” which indicates a voluntary action responding to those who are asking for help. The definition of helping behavior, however, is namely to react to verbal or non-verbal appeals of people who require assistance, so the idea naturally cannot be applied to a touristic situation in the hospitality industry where customers do not need help but simply seek for pleasure. This research aims to clarify the characteristics of individual attending service provided in the hospitality industry, utilizing the knowledge of sociopsychology and the fields of product development and business administration. In so doing, the author creates the term “considerate behavior” which is also a prosocial and voluntary behavior, which connotes not assisting people in trouble but rather providing them with a positive feeling to better enjoy their leisure time. The term implies no thought of receiving extrinsic rewards even if it may incur extra work or financial cost on the part of the service provider.