Immersive services such as healthcare, eldercare, education, and travel place consumers inside tightly organised environments that shape how they live, think, and act. Unlike short or transactional services, these settings often become part of everyday life. A new study published in the Journal of Marketing, produced by the American Marketing Association, explores how such services can both restrict and support consumer autonomy, understood as the ability to make independent and meaningful choices.

The study is authored by Laurel Anderson, Catharina Von Koshull, Martin Mende, and Johanna Gummerus. Their research examines how the structure of immersive services influences consumer wellbeing over time. While these services are often designed to provide care, safety, or guidance, they can also reduce personal freedom in subtle but important ways.

The authors identify four features of immersive services that may limit autonomy. Encapsulation occurs when consumers become deeply absorbed in the service and disconnected from other parts of their lives. Positionality refers to power differences, where professionals or organisations have authority over consumers. Protocolisation describes the impact of strict rules and routines that guide behaviour. Multivocality captures the confusion that can arise when consumers receive mixed messages from different actors within the service. Together, these features can make it harder for individuals to act freely or feel in control.

However, the study emphasises that consumers are not simply passive recipients of services. Many actively find ways to protect or rebuild their autonomy. The researchers identify five common strategies. Consumers may regain control over their time or personal space, speak up to question rules, or take on tasks that give them a sense of purpose. Others push back against rigid procedures to improve their experience, or use humour, play, and imagination to make situations feel more meaningful and human.

These everyday actions may seem small, but they play an important role in supporting wellbeing. By adjusting how they engage with immersive services, consumers can preserve a sense of dignity, identity, and independence. The study shows that autonomy does not disappear in highly structured settings; instead, it often takes new and creative forms shaped by context and personal effort.

For managers and service providers, the findings offer clear lessons. Technology can be used to give consumers more choice and flexibility, rather than simply enforcing rules. Equally important is building empathetic relationships that recognise consumers as individuals, not just service users. When immersive services are designed to support autonomy as well as structure, they can improve wellbeing and strengthen trust. In this way, supporting consumer autonomy benefits not only consumers themselves but also the long-term success of service organisations.

More information: Laurel Anderson et al, Immersive Service: Characteristics, Challenges, and Pathways to Consumer Agency, Journal of Marketing. DOI: 10.1177/00222429251319312

Journal information: Journal of Marketing Provided by American Marketing Association