An Extended Conceptual Framework for Transformative Service Research
... Anderson et al. (2011, p.3) provided the seminal definition of TSR as "the integration of consumer and service research that centres on creating uplifting changes and improvements in the well-being of consumer entities: individuals (consumers and employees), communities and the ecosystem". When consumers feel better off their individual state of well-being is enhanced and consequently so also is the well-being of the collectives and macro level groups to which they belong, often reported as outcomes such as decreasing disparity and increasing literacy and health (Anderson and Ostrom, 2015;Fisk et al., 2016;Hall et al., 2014;Vargo, 2009). However, macro level societal outcomes require and enable change at the micro level (Kuppelwieser and Finsterwalder, 2016) and thus, micro level investigation is warranted. ...
... These outcomes are encapsulated in one or more of the three pillars of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental goals to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all (UN, 2017). They highlight the macro situation, but community and societal well-being is built on and enables individual well-being (Hall et al., 2014;Kuppelwieser and Finsterwalder, 2016;Vargo, 2009). Hence, research at the micro level is essential. ...
... Well-being is defined as the state of being comfortable, happy or satisfied with life. Well-being is undeniably complex, contextual, highly subjective, multi-dimensional and dynamic and its definition and measurement has been debated (Dodge et al., 2012;Hall et al., 2014;Henderson and Knight, 2012). Consistent with Anderson et al. (2013) and other scholars in TSR , this study adopts Ryan and Deci's (2001) approach. ...
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore how value creation and transformative service research (TSR) are interconnected at the base of the pyramid (BoP). To do so, the study seeks consumers’ perceptions of changes in well-being from value creation and the means by which these changes become transformative.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative, longitudinal design was used, involving a community education project in Indonesia. Data collection consisted of interviews with Etawa goat farmers and village leaders after one year ( n = 21), and a further three years ( n = 10).
Findings
Findings from the study are used to advance a model for value creation and TSR at the BoP, which identifies three critical change periods within consumers. These periods suggest that creating improvements in well-being of consumers requires their initial recognition of value outcomes, realisation of agency and a new vision for the future.
Research limitations/implications
Research in other contexts is warranted to confirm the model, to further explore well-being from service at the BoP and to identify issues that diminish consumers’ confidence and stall transformation. Methodological challenges at the BoP also present avenues for insightful work.
Practical implications
Transformative service at BoP requires an emphasis on suitable structures, collaborative processes and management skills to facilitate consumers gaining agency and control, so that they can use their new and existing resources effectively and/or differently.
Social implications
Participants highlighted positive changes to well-being at both individual and collective levels. Notably, some changes were not directly related to initial service provision but reflected improvements, such as employment for women, and better hygiene, health and education of families.
Originality/value
By exploring the interconnection between transformative service and value creation, this study addresses the issue of when value creation becomes transformative and vital for poverty alleviation at the BoP. The proposed model incorporates TSR, service logic and other literature, illustrates a process moving from value determination to value expansion and highlights three critical intrasubjective change periods within actors.
... In addition to being socially bound, wellbeing judgments can be multiple levels. Scholars often use macro indicators (e.g., access to resources, literacy, health, or quality of life), but wellbeing also concerns subjective assessments of the meso and micro levels of the environment.The meso level concerns how one perceives his or her place in society(Hall et al., 2014). Such perceptions include more objective measurements like social hierarchy and minority status, as well as less standard measures like 'life chances' or the general prestige of their life circumstances.Hall et al. (2014) suggest that the micro-level of consumer-service interaction is built on personal reference points and the psychology of individuals. ...
... sessments of the meso and micro levels of the environment.The meso level concerns how one perceives his or her place in society(Hall et al., 2014). Such perceptions include more objective measurements like social hierarchy and minority status, as well as less standard measures like 'life chances' or the general prestige of their life circumstances.Hall et al. (2014) suggest that the micro-level of consumer-service interaction is built on personal reference points and the psychology of individuals. As individuals subjectively interpret service experiences in their own context, their future practice is influenced, which may promote or hinder participation and fair access in an ongoing cycle of sense- ...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to challenge service researchers to design for service inclusion, with an overall goal of achieving inclusion by 2050. The authors present service inclusion as an egalitarian system that provides customers with fair access to a service, fair treatment during a service and fair opportunity to exit a service.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on transformative service research, a transformative, human-centered approach to service design is proposed to foster service inclusion and to provide a platform for managerial action. This conceptual study explores the history of service exclusion and examines contemporary demographic trends that suggest the possibility of worsening service exclusion for consumers worldwide.
Findings
Service inclusion represents a paradigm shift to higher levels of understanding of service systems and their fundamental role in human well-being. The authors argue that focused design for service inclusion is necessary to make service systems more egalitarian.
Research limitations/implications
The authors propose four pillars of service inclusion: enabling opportunity, offering choice, relieving suffering and fostering happiness.
Practical implications
Service organizations are encouraged to design their offerings in a manner that promotes inclusion and permits customers to realize value.
Originality/value
This comprehensive research agenda challenges service scholars to use design to create inclusive service systems worldwide by the year 2050. The authors establish the moral imperative of design for service inclusion.
In this thesis, the challenges of defining, refining, and applying well-being as a progressive management indicator are addressed. This work's implications and contributions are highly relevant for service research as it advances the integration of consumer well-being and the service value chain. It also provides a substantial contribution to policy and strategic management by integrating constituents' values and experiences with recommendations for progressive community management.
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