The nature of actor engagement intensity: a classification scheme

Purpose - Actor engagement (AE) literature shows inconsistent understandings of engagement intensity. However, a holistic picture of the nature of AE intensity is foundational to advance empirical AE models and measurement frameworks. This paper provides a nuanced understanding of what engagement intensity is and how it unfolds on different network levels. Design/methodology/approach - This conceptual study draws from a literature review and offers a comprehensive classification scheme of AE intensity. The literature review extends beyond marketing and service research and draws from the etymology of AE intensity in management and social science, specifically, the fields of student, employee and civic engagement. Findings - The classification scheme clarifies that AE intensity at the individual level refers to actors' affective and cognitive tone and varying magnitudes (i.e. efforts, duration, activeness) of resource investments. At the dyad level, AE intensity represents relational strength, and at the network level, it refers to the degree of connectedness in the network. Research limitations/implications - The research reconciles conceptual inconsistencies in the AE literature. Our classification scheme goes beyond the individual actor and actor-actor dyad and offers a holistic overview of possible ways to operationalize AE intensity in networks. Practical implications - The classification scheme can be used as a strategic checklist to include AE intensities of individual actors (e.g. customers and employees), relationships between these actors and network connectedness, when further developing engagement measurement tools and benchmarks. Originality/value - This is the first study providing a comprehensive understanding of AE intensity from an individual, dyadic and network perspective.