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Value cocreation in service ecosystems: Investigating health care at the micro, meso, and macro levels
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand value cocreation in service ecosystems from a multilevel perspective, uncovering value cocreation factors and outcomes at the micro, meso, and macro levels.
Design/methodology/approach
A Grounded Theory approach based on semi-structured interviews is adopted. The sample design was defined to enable the ecosystem analysis at its different levels. At the macro level was the Portuguese Health Information ecosystem. Embedded meso level units of analysis comprised eight health care organizations. A total of 48 interviews with citizens and health care practitioners were conducted at the micro level.
Findings
Study results enable a detailed understanding of the nature and dynamics of value cocreation in service ecosystems from a multilevel perspective. First, value cocreation factors are identified (resource access, resource sharing, resource recombination, resource monitoring, and governance/institutions generation). These factors enable actors to integrate resources in multiple dynamic interactions to cocreate value outcomes, which involve both population well-being and ecosystem viability. Study results show that these value cocreation factors and outcomes differ across levels, but they are also embedded and interdependent.
Practical implications
The findings have important implications for organizations that are ecosystem actors (like the Portuguese Ministry of Health) for understanding synergies among value cocreation factors and outcomes at the different levels. This provides orientations to better integrate different actor roles, technology, and information while facilitating ecosystem coordination and co-evolution.
Originality/value
This study responds to the need for a multilevel understanding of value cocreation in service ecosystems. It also illuminates how keystone players in the ecosystem should manage their value propositions to promote resource integration for each actor, fostering resource density and ecosystem viability. It also bridges the high-level conceptual perspective of Service-Dominant logic with specific empirical findings in the very important context of health care.
... Carida' et al., 2022;Nenonen et al., 2018). Some studies emphasize service ecosystems' stability and resistance to change, attributed to shared institutional arrangements (Beirão et al., 2017), while others underscore their proneness to radical changes (Kleinaltenkamp et al., 2018). Previous studies, therefore, point to the potential co-existence of various dynamics, occurring simultaneously or at different points in time. ...
... In a service ecosystem, the overall purpose is value cocreation for engaged actors (Vargo and Lusch, 2016), such that the ecosystem strives for its long-term viability and well-being (Barile et al., 2016;Frow et al., 2019). However, due to the contextual nature of value perceptions (Vargo and Lusch, 2016), actors within the service ecosystem may have their own, somewhat unique value cocreation purposes (Beirão et al., 2017), which may not always align with the shared purpose of the ecosystem . In the energy service ecosystem, the transition toward sustainable energy involves a fundamental shift of purpose: from cost-effective, high-performance energy to sustainable and carbon-free energy (Markard et al., 2020). ...
... Changes of similar types of actors, resources and service flows do not affect the existing institutional arrangements-another example is the reenactment of food and dining activities . This means that, actors' reenactment of existing institutional arrangements (through balancing loops) ensures predictable and coherent reproduction of the service ecosystem over time Beirão et al., 2017;Breidbach and Brodie, 2017); hence, in this type of dynamics, coordination dominates the self-adjustment process. Discrepancies may arise if the actors' purposes and resource integration activities are not aligned (Prior, 2016), resulting in more actors to adapt distinct activities (reinforcing loops) that are not in tune with existing institutional arrangements. ...
Purpose
The service environment is becoming increasingly turbulent, leading to calls for a systemic understanding of it as a set of dynamic service ecosystems. This paper advances this understanding by developing a typology of service ecosystem dynamics that explains the varying interplay between change and stability within the service environment through distinct behavioral patterns exhibited by service ecosystems over time.
Design/methodology/approach
This study builds upon a systematic literature review of service ecosystems literature and uses system dynamics as a method theory to abductively analyze extant literature and develop a typology of service ecosystem dynamics.
Findings
The paper identifies three types of service ecosystem dynamics—behavioral patterns of service ecosystems—and explains how they unfold through self-adjustment processes and changes within different systemic leverage points. The typology of service ecosystem dynamics consists of (1) reproduction (i.e. stable behavioral pattern), (2) reconfiguration (i.e. unstable behavioral pattern) and (3) transition (i.e. disrupting, shifting behavioral pattern).
Practical implications
The typology enables practitioners to gain a deeper understanding of their service environment by discerning the behavioral patterns exhibited by the constituent service ecosystems. This, in turn, supports them in devising more effective strategies for navigating through it.
Originality/value
The paper provides a precise definition of service ecosystem dynamics and shows how the identified three types of dynamics can be used as a lens to empirically examine change and stability in the service environment. It also offers a set of research directions for tackling service research challenges.
... As suggested by relevant authors (e.g. Beirão et al., 2017;Brodie et al., 2021), the investigation of the healthcare ecosystem and the methods through which transformative value is cocreated must consider the analysis of multiple levels of aggregation. This implies conducting an analysis capable of moving within and between the ecosystem's micro-, meso-and macrolevels Lusch, 2016, 2017;Chandler and Vargo, 2011). ...
... This implies conducting an analysis capable of moving within and between the ecosystem's micro-, meso-and macrolevels Lusch, 2016, 2017;Chandler and Vargo, 2011). It aligns with the request for a deeper understanding of how resources are integrated to co-create value within and among the healthcare ecosystem levels (Beirão et al., 2017). The ecosystem can contain a wide range of actors at various levels, and it is possible to illustrate how these actors interact to produce benefits for the patient and the community (Brodie et al., 2021). ...
... Moreover, the interactions in the healthcare service ecosystem benefit multiple actors Mulder et al., 2015) and a multilevel vision is needed to analyze how transformative value is co-created (Beirão et al., 2017;Brodie et al., 2021). Furthermore, most articles focused only on the individual level, neglecting the investigation of how the collective well-being can be generated. ...
Purpose
The paper aims to investigate the practices facilitating the transformation of healthcare services, understanding the resulting outcomes in terms of well-being and uplifting changes. a systematic literature review (SLR) focusing on analyzing the healthcare sector under the transformative service research (TSR) theoretical domain is conducted to achieve this goal.
Design/methodology/approach
Employing a structured SLR developed based on the PRISMA protocol (Pickering and Byrne, 2014; Pickering et al ., 2015) and using Scopus and WoS databases, the study identifies and analyzes 49 papers published between 2021 and 2022. Content analysis is used to classify and analyze the papers.
Findings
The SLR reveals four transformative practices (how) within the healthcare sector under the TSR domain, each linked to specific well-being outcomes (what). The analysis shows that both practices and outcomes are mainly patient-related. An integrative framework for transformative healthcare service is presented and critically examined to identify research gaps and define the trajectory for the future development of TSR in healthcare. In addition, managerial implications are provided to guide practitioners.
Originality/value
This research is among the first to analyze TSR literature in the context of healthcare. The study critically examines the TSR’s impact on the sector’s transformation, providing insights for future research and offering a roadmap for healthcare practitioners to facilitate uplifting changes.
... In a multidimensional relational network, all actors (companies, employees, customers, shareholders, government agencies, and other entities related to any specific exchange) collaborate by integrating resources to create benefits for themselves and others (Vargo & Lusch, 2008). From this perspective, value is co-created by all actors when resources, which have no inherent value, are used, and configured in various ways (Beirão et al., 2017). This interpretation of value can be traced back to Normann & Ramírez (1993) 's theory. ...
... These interpretations include both the traditional economics of value in use and value in experience, as well as the expansion of value to the context of networks and service ecosystems. Value occurs at the micro, meso, and macro levels of the ecosystem and emphasizes system welfare improvement (Beirão et al., 2017). In conclusion, the evolution from viewing value as the inherent value of products or services traded and utilized during service provision to viewing value as co-created by users in their specific usage environments, through exposure to broader resources and services (Sangiorgi & Prendiville, 2017), indicates that organisations' business logic has developed from goods-dominant logic to service-dominant logic. ...
... All consumer Marketing Beirão et al.(2017) In ecosystems, value can be defined as an improvement in system well-being and can be measured in terms of system adaptability All actor Services research and management McColl-Kennedy & Cheung (2018) How value is obtained, that is, through 'value in use', 'value in social context', 'value in context', and 'value as experience'. ...
... Thus, following a similar rationale, we seek to gain insights into well-being co-creation in service ecosystems by exploring the types of actors, their participation in service interactions, their resource integration and their co-created well-being outcomes across the micro-, meso-and macro levels. While some prior studies have proposed integrated conceptual frameworks applied to social service or health-care service ecosystems (Beirão et al., 2017;Frow et al., 2019), a comprehensive view of how these different concepts are used in broader service research to understand well-being co-creation is still lacking. ...
... Empirical studies include Beirão et al. (2017), who use a grounded theory approach to advance understanding of the nature and dynamics of co-creation in a health-care ecosystem and Hammedi et al. (2017), whose case study helps explain health-care service actors' engagement and the well-being implications. Extending Frow et al.'s (2016) conceptual framework, Davey and Grönroos (2019) examine actor-level interactions and emphasize the influence of customer roles on resource integration. ...
... The use of social capital to contribute to well-being and resilience has notably been demonstrated by Cheung et al. (2017). Furthermore, in contrast with micro level actors, we can note the collective resource monitoring function of meso level actors (Beirão et al., 2017). ...
Purpose-Following the continued development of transformative service research and the prevalence of the service-dominant logic in services marketing literature, increased scholarly interest centers on the co-creation of service actors' well-being. In light of this significant evolution in service research, this study aims to provide a systematic review and synthesis of the growing, fragmented body of literature on well-being co-creation in services. Design/methodology/approach-The hybrid systematic review approach combines bibliometric and framework-based literature reviews to analyze a sample of 160 article obtained from the Web of Science database. To examine the conceptual structure of the research domain, VOSviewer is used for conducting a bibliometric coupling analysis and a keyword co-occurrence analysis. Next, a content analysis is used to explore how the extant literature addresses the key concepts of service actors' participation in co-creation, their resource integration and well-being outcomes across the micro-, meso-and macro levels of service ecosystems. Findings-Service actors' participation and resource integration are key theoretical concepts for understanding well-being co-creation. Yet, a comprehensive overview of well-being co-creation across the different levels of service ecosystems is lacking due to the presence of various application contexts, levels of aggregation, theoretical backgrounds and methodological perspectives. A conceptual framework of well-being co-creation in service ecosystems is developed, highlighting the participation of multilevel service actors and suggesting priorities for further research. Originality/value-To the best of the author's knowledge, this paper represents a first effort to systematically review and organize growing literature on well-being co-creation in service ecosystems.
... Military operations, population migration, and the consequences of destruction lead to an increase in the pressure of social activity on the economy (Center for Economic Strategy, 2022). In such conditions, managers quite often have to make decisions in conditions that are far from optimal: too little or too much data, as well as a large amount of data with uncertain or variable reliability (Beirão, Patrício y Fisk, 2017). ...
... It is in such periods that the application of the methods of the concept of "Industry 4.0," such as digital transformation in combination with hyperpersonalization (Stewart y Stanford, 2017), will allow the formation of new business models to ensure the income of the population at the expense of digital platforms. However, many businesses will have to reform their business models and move from offline employment to online (O2O), thus ensuring the emergence of new short-term jobs that will be filled through web and mobile platforms (Beirão, Patrício y Fisk, 2017). With the development of technological achievements within the framework of the concept of "Industry 4.0", companies have actually begun to balance between the archaic model of the full-time workforce and the GIG-economy model. ...
The purpose of the article is to study the management of human resources in conditions of uncertainty in the labor market of Ukraine due to military actions, to develop a model of an online platform for labour resources for the government of Ukraine, taking into account the development trends of the "Human Cloud" concept. In the conditions of military operations, uncertainty in the state of development of economic sectors (construction, architecture, maritime industry, ports, shipbuilding, agricultural production) and the strengthening of the influence of negative factors of the external and internal environment on labour resources, the dangers and threats in the system of their management are increasing, which negatively affect the quality of decision-making and implementation of projects. To prevent these processes in the military economy, it is proposed to apply the principles of the "Human Cloud" concept, based on its advantages in achieving a balance between ensuring the country's defense capability and economic stabilization, and an online platform model is proposed for its provision based on an ecosystem approach. The construction of online platforms is based on an aggregator model that does not require coordination and provides infrastructure for projects consisting of a large number of micro-tasks. It has been proven that in the context of military operations, it is necessary to develop transformative digital technologies, reform institutional processes, and unite the workforce in a single "cloud" to perform tasks in increasingly complex operational environments.
... The meso level, also called midstream, focuses on interactions between organizations, such as nonprofits, community groups and commercial enterprises (French et al., 2017). Finally, the macro level, also called upstream, involves the discussion of relations with governments, the market and public policy makers (Beirão et al., 2017). ...
... Interactions at different levels are a point of attention for studies that investigate the value co-creation in social marketing services (Beirão et al., 2017), bearing in mind that the different levels can also generate different behaviours in these relationships (Domegan et al., 2013). Generally, value co-creation literature has a wider range of discussions at the micro level, that is, in relationships with consumers at an individual level (Dietrich et al., 2016). ...
The objective of this study was to develop a systematic literature review (SLR) on value co-creation and social marketing and propose an agenda for future research. We searched for articles related to the themes of value co-creation and social marketing in Scopus and Web of Science databases. After analysing the articles, we found that an SLR was performed with 19 articles using bibliometric techniques. Three thematic groupings emerged: engagement, cooperation between stakeholders and value co-creation at different levels. In addition, 15 research questions were proposed within these three themes. The findings present a new way of verifying the impacts of social marketing strategies through the value co-creation among the stakeholders involved in the process, benefiting society. Considering that the literature addresses related topics, such as the creation and destruction of value in social marketing, this study sought to develop an SLR on the connection between social marketing and value co-creation.
... Firstly, most of the existing studies on value co-creation are of the theoretical review type of literature, carried out in a city context, and they have usefully explored mainly the underlying concepts, interaction structures, and facilitating factors [53,57,70]. However, research exploring how value co-creation mechanism is formed in rural areas is not extensive enough. ...
... Thirdly, existing studies have focused on the impact of value co-creation facilitators at a single level [71], ignoring their role across levels. Alternatively, they have focused on cross-level value co-creation research with a single facilitator [70], making existing studies on value co-creation in rural areas fragmented and lacking a systematic theoretical analytical framework. This paper analyses the facilitating factors of value co-creation from macro, meso, and micro levels, and extracts the core mechanism of "subject embedding-relationship interaction-resource integration" in the process of value co-creation, which provides certain insights for the operation and governance of value co-creation in rural communities. ...
Globalization and urbanization have reshaped the way that service ecosystem subjects interact with each other in rural communities, providing conditions and possibilities for realizing value co-creation in rural communities. Therefore, this study selected rural communities in Guiyang City, China, as research subjects and explored the value co-creation mechanism in rural communities from the perspective of service ecosystems. The authors construct a theoretical framework encompassing “value co-creation conditions, value co-creation processes, and value co-creation results”. The study found that the core mechanism in the process of value co-creation is “subject embedding, relationship interaction, and resource integration”. At the macro level, resource sharing is achieved through complex and heterogeneous interactions among multiple subjects, under the influence of institutions, policies, and cultures. At the meso level, organizations complement each other’s resources through the cooperation and empowerment of other actors horizontally, under the influence of structure, function, and rules. At the micro level, individuals optimize resources through cooperative and empowering interactions, under the influence of motivations and value preferences. Finally, the integration of individual, organizational, and overall values constitutes public values, under the joint cross-level action of institutional and cultural elements. This study provides a new theoretical perspective for exploring the value co-creation mechanism in rural communities and provides important practical insights for promoting the sustainable development of rural communities.
... The purpose of this article is to address these challenges. Specifically, we position our work in the context of primary health care clinicscomplex service ecosystemsin a critical service (Beirão et al., 2017;Frow et al., 2019). Primary health care clinics address health needs ranging from immediate challenges, such as serving a first-contact role to support the COVID-19 response (Desborough et al., 2020), to long-term prevention, cure and care for patients with chronic disease (De Maeseneer et al., 2003). ...
... We therefore undertook an exploratory qualitative study to understand in-depth how and why some service ecosystems are more resilient and, consequently, more sustainable than others during turbulent times. Like prior service research highlighting health care as an exemplary setting for examining highly complex, interconnected service ecosystems (Beirão et al., 2017;Frow et al., 2019), particularly in times of crisis (Brodie et al., 2021), we selected the primary health care context to investigate how resilience can be cultivated in service ecosystems during times of turbulence. We take the view that service ecosystems are nested within larger service ecosystems comprising different levels of aggregation (micro, meso and macrolevels) (Lusch and Vargo, 2014). ...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how and why some service ecosystems are more resilient and, consequently, more sustainable than others during turbulent times, and how resilience can be cultivated to enable pathways to service ecosystem sustainability.
Design/methodology/approach
This work integrates disparate literature from multiple service and sustainability literature streams, iterating through constant comparison with findings from 44 semistructured interviews conducted in the context of primary health care clinic service ecosystems.
Findings
The authors offer a novel conceptual framework comprising pillars (shared worldview, individual actor well-being and multiactor interactions), changing practices to cultivate resilience through resilience levers (orchestrators, individual actor effort, actor inclusivity and digitaltech–humanness approach), and pathways to service ecosystem sustainability (volume vs value, volume to value, volume and value). The authors demonstrate that service ecosystems need to change practices, integrating resources differently in response to the turbulent environment, emphasizing the importance of a shared worldview across the ecosystem and assessing different pathways to sustainability.
Originality/value
This paper offers new insights into the important intersection of service marketing, sustainability and health care. The authors provide guidance to practitioners aiming to cultivate resilience in service ecosystems to achieve pathways to sustainability in primary health care clinics. Finally, implications for theory are discussed, and directions to guide future service research offered.
... The purpose of this article is to address these challenges. Specifically, we position our work in the context of primary health care clinicscomplex service ecosystemsin a critical service (Beirão et al., 2017;Frow et al., 2019). Primary health care clinics address health needs ranging from immediate challenges, such as serving a first-contact role to support the COVID-19 response (Desborough et al., 2020), to long-term prevention, cure and care for patients with chronic disease (De Maeseneer et al., 2003). ...
... We therefore undertook an exploratory qualitative study to understand in-depth how and why some service ecosystems are more resilient and, consequently, more sustainable than others during turbulent times. Like prior service research highlighting health care as an exemplary setting for examining highly complex, interconnected service ecosystems (Beirão et al., 2017;Frow et al., 2019), particularly in times of crisis (Brodie et al., 2021), we selected the primary health care context to investigate how resilience can be cultivated in service ecosystems during times of turbulence. We take the view that service ecosystems are nested within larger service ecosystems comprising different levels of aggregation (micro, meso and macrolevels) (Lusch and Vargo, 2014). ...
Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to investigate how and why some service ecosystems are more resilient and, consequently, more sustainable than others during turbulent times, and how resilience can be cultivated to enable pathways to service ecosystem sustainability. Design/methodology/approach-This work integrates disparate literature from multiple service and sustainability literature streams, iterating through constant comparison with findings from 44 semistructured interviews conducted in the context of primary health care clinic service ecosystems. Findings-The authors offer a novel conceptual framework comprising pillars (shared worldview, individual actor well-being and multiactor interactions), changing practices to cultivate resilience through resilience levers (orchestrators, individual actor effort, actor inclusivity and digitaltech-humanness approach), and pathways to service ecosystem sustainability (volume vs value, volume to value, volume and value). The authors demonstrate that service ecosystems need to change practices, integrating resources differently in response to the turbulent environment, emphasizing the importance of a shared worldview across the ecosystem and assessing different pathways to sustainability. Originality/value-This paper offers new insights into the important intersection of service marketing, sustainability and health care. The authors provide guidance to practitioners aiming to cultivate resilience in service ecosystems to achieve pathways to sustainability in primary health care clinics. Finally, implications for theory are discussed, and directions to guide future service research offered.
... In the interaction network of multiple actors, value co-creation does not imply that value codestruction will not occur; value co-destruction may be a stage in the co-creation process, and co-creation may eventually develop into co-destruction. The literature review indicated that value co-creation had been widely studied in several areas, including health care, social media, tourism, public services, and retail [33][34][35][36][37]. However, it was also found that few researchers have focused on value co-creation in the live streaming ecosystem. ...
... This study considers value co-creation in the live streaming platform ecosystem based on perspectives in previous research. Although value co-creation theory has been used in a variety of areas, such as healthcare, social media, travel, public services and retail [33][34][35][36][37], research on value co-creation in the live streaming platforms ecosystem is limited. Considering sustainable development, the platform will adopt rewards and punishment mechanisms for live streaming anchors and suppliers in live streaming. ...
Integrity-linked issues have become increasingly serious and attracted considerable attention regarding the sustainability of live streaming; therefore, live streaming anchors and suppliers have become increasingly concerned about their ongoing marketing. Moreover, streaming platforms are also beginning to focus on sustainable development. Determining how live streaming anchor behavior, supplier behavior, and streaming platform strategic decision affect live streaming is essential for achieving the healthy and sustainable development of live streaming ecosystems. However, the game among live streaming anchor behavior, supplier behavior, and streaming platform strategic decisions, which the live streaming ecosystem strongly depends on, has attracted little attention. This study constructed a game model of value co-creation evolution in live streaming ecosystems, with the live streaming anchors, suppliers, and streaming platforms as the main subject. The evolutionary stable strategies of the game were analyzed, and the influence of typical factors on the system was discussed. The results showed that the best evolutionary stability strategy is that live streaming anchors and suppliers choose honesty, and streaming platforms have strict regulation, which is the optimal strategic objective for value co-creation. The appropriate rewards and punishments inherent in a streaming platform can help regulate the behavior of the live streaming anchor and supplier; specifically, great rewards and severe punishments of the streaming platform can be applied to incentivize the honest behavior of the live streaming anchor and supplier. This study provides insights for designing appropriate policies for live streaming platforms to promote sustainable development.
... We broadly followed the process of an abductive thematic network analysis where research explores the associations between emerging themes inherent in the data at hand [61,62]. Building on sensemaking and user-centred approaches from service innovation research [63][64][65], we identified and analysed future service opportunities for the intermediary. We recognise that multiple possible 'truths' can co-exist within the same data [66] and are iterated between the concepts presented in the literature and the empirical evidence in the data; in this way we are aiming to make sense of the current realities and perspectives, while exploring the future pathways. ...
... 2023, 4, FOR PEER REVIEW abductive thematic network analysis where research explores the associations bet emerging themes inherent in the data at hand [61,62]. Building on sensemaking and centred approaches from service innovation research [63][64][65], we identified and ana future service opportunities for the intermediary. We recognise that multiple po 'truths' can co-exist within the same data [66] and are iterated between the concept sented in the literature and the empirical evidence in the data; in this way we are ai to make sense of the current realities and perspectives, while exploring the future ways. ...
Tourism is a major global and local industry creating value through services that are enhanced and enabled through intermediaries that support innovation in the sector. This exploratory case study examines the roles and activities of a publicly funded tourism innovation intermediary for small medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and professionals in Andalucia, Spain. We note the gap in knowledge on how intermediaries may best support stakeholders in achieving resilience and sustainability in transitions in tourism service ecosystems. Building on interviews, reports, and observations, this study finds that the intermediary has successfully supported its stakeholders in enhancing their adaptability in the current service ecosystem. There is less evidence of achieving deliberate transformations towards long-term sustainability and resilience. As the intermediary is uniquely positioned at the meso-level of the regional tourism service ecosystem, this study proposes exploring engagement to cover both macro and micro-level activities to enable moving towards becoming a transition intermediary and a regional sustainability catalyst. This study furthermore proposes an expanded range of roles and activities for the intermediary to enable moving towards resilience and sustainability, while contributing to the understanding of innovation intermediaries supporting sustainability in the tourism sector.
... To date, TSR initiatives have facilitated transformative service innovations in diverse contexts from energy systems and finance to healthcare and vulnerable communities, to name a few [28,[69][70][71][72]. However, additional research is needed to explore the application of TSR tools and strategies across different institutional environments and geographical settings [73][74][75]. ...
Many botanic gardens are flourishing, and many others can learn from those leading the way; at the same time, all can form new allegiances informed by service research. We developed this paper to plant seeds for different stakeholders interested in putting a spotlight on botanic garden tourism opportunities. It is in response to a call to action by many stakeholders across the botanic garden sector for greater public engagement, to challenge plant awareness disparity, and to ensure the vitality and viability of the sector. Our commentary considers positive, transformative service making, marketing, management, and development. We recommend holistic, integrated services via ecosystemic thinking and collaborative partnerships across the sector and with non-traditional partnerships in the design of sustainable service ecosystems. It is envisaged that service research will spur on a more responsible, ethical, moral enterprise and sustainable botanic garden tourism with opportunities to drive positive, transformative change in meeting sustainable development goals for the good of plants, people, and planet.
... In the service ecosystem, value co-creation allows participants to integrate resources into various dynamic interactions to jointly create value outcomes. The network can support and achieve two-way interaction between customers and service providers, as well as support and achieve value co-creation interaction between network participants [30]. ...
This paper examines how businesses in Taiwan’s servicescapes are adapting to the growing trend of mobile payments and innovation ecosystems. Through the analysis of four case studies, we uncover the strategies these firms employ to address the challenges posed by changing consumer payment habits. Our research reveals that these companies are establishing efficient mechanisms within their ecosystems, supported by well-structured organizational frameworks. By leveraging innovation ecosystems, they are reshaping financial services and promoting collaborative growth among participants through technology, platforms, resource sharing, and knowledge exchange. This collaborative approach is driving significant changes in the sector, helping these businesses navigate through various challenges while fostering innovation and growth. Additionally, the scarcity of comprehensive observations of the digital payment ecosystem highlights the necessity for further exploration of actor interactions, regulatory mechanisms, and ecosystem management strategies. Such research efforts are crucial for enhancing our understanding of the evolving landscape of digital payments and innovation ecosystems, facilitating informed decision-making and promoting sustainable development in this dynamic industry.
... Nivåene blir omtalt i litteraturen som mikro, meso og makro (Petrescu, 2019;Trischler & Trischler, 2021). Felles for flere forskere (Beirão et al., 2017;Osborne, 2020;Osborne et al., 2022;Trischler & Trischler, 2021) er at de beskriver tjenesteøkosystemet i relasjon til de ulike nivåene i offentlig sektor. ...
Innovasjonsprosesser i offentlig sektor preges av interesse-og verdikonflikter og motstridende hensyn og krav som skal ivaretas. Dette innebaerer at innovasjon i offentlig sektor ofte har en grad av kompleksitet som er vanskelig å håndtere fra et praksisperspektiv, og som er krevende å studere og analysere fra et forskningsperspektiv. I denne artikkelen utforskes det hvordan teori om tjenesteøkosystemer kan brukes som analytisk tilnaerming for å forstå og analysere denne kompleksiteten. Artikkelen bygger på en kvalitativ casestudie av utviklingen av en demenslandsby i en norsk kommune, som kan forstås som en omfattende tjenesteinnovasjonsprosess. Studien belyser hvordan utvikling av løsninger som tar utgangspunkt i brukernes behov, kommer i konflikt med fastsatte beslutninger, rammer og reguleringer. Artikkelen illustrerer hvordan et tjenesteøkosystemperspektiv kan bidra til bedre forståelse og konseptualisering av disse spenningene, og det blir argumentert for at en slik analyseramme kan bidra til mer helhetlig kunnskap om innovasjonsprosesser i offentlig sektor.
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Innovation processes in the public sector are characterized by conflicting values and interests and competing considerations and demands that need to be addressed. This entails that innovation in the public sector often exhibits a degree of complexity, which is challenging to manage from a practical perspective, and intricate to examine and analyze from a research perspective. In this article, we explore the application of service ecosystem theory as an analytical framework to better comprehend these complexities. Drawing on a qualitative case study of a dementia village project in a Norwegian municipality, we examine the tension between user-driven solutions and established frameworks. The article illustrates how a service ecosystem perspective can contribute to a better understanding and conceptualization of these tensions and argues that such an analytical framework can provide a more comprehensive understanding of how innovation processes unfold in the public sector.
... Value co-creation in service ecosystems enables participants to integrate resources into multiple dynamic interactions to jointly create value outcomes. The network enables two-way interactions between customers and service providers but also supports and enables value co-creation interactions between different participants in the network [17]. Thus, fan value co-creation activities cannot be fully supported by goods-dominant logic (GDL1); a service-dominant logic (SDL2) approach is needed [18]. ...
Through the actions and interactions of video platform users, talent shows have expanded from the entertainment sphere to the social sphere and become an everyday part of life. Watching talent shows on online platforms, especially through participation in multi-platform interaction, is an ever developing and innovative field in many regions. This study adopts a multiple case analysis approach. We analyze and compare three cases of talent shows, examining aspects of their value co-creation, digital platform, dynamic capability and value network through an exploration of a series of creative activities on digital video platforms. Talent shows provide a unique environment in which different actors interact, co-exist and co-create value, i.e., another form of O2O marketing. These actors include producers, entertainment companies, sponsors and fans, and fan value co-creation currently takes many different forms, which are experienced, engaged and interacted with through different platforms. The findings contribute to examining the underlying dynamics of TV talent shows, in addition to explaining how they are achieving sustainable advantages in the media market. Furthermore, this study aims to understand the service ecosystem of network talent shows from the perspective of industrial innovation strategy; consequently, this research can help to promote the implications of this new form of digital content services and its innovation strategies.
... Integrating GIS with existing healthcare information systems can be challenging due to differences in data formats, standards, and software compatibility. Seamless integration is crucial for a cohesive and efficient healthcare ecosystem (Beirão, Patrício, & Fisk, 2017; Eunice E Ukwajunor, Akarawak, & Abiala, 2021). ...
This paper explores the transformative role of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in healthcare facility planning and management. Tracing the historical evolution, theoretical frameworks, applications, benefits, and challenges of GIS reveals its pivotal contribution to spatially informed decision-making. GIS optimizes resource allocation, enhances accessibility, and streamlines facility management. The integration with emerging technologies, including AI and IoT, propels healthcare infrastructure into an era of predictive modelling and real-time analytics. Addressing challenges such as data quality, privacy, and integration complexities requires comprehensive policies. Looking ahead, GIS in healthcare promises innovations like augmented reality and advanced remote sensing technologies, fostering resilient, patient-centric healthcare ecosystems. This abstract encapsulates the journey of GIS in healthcare, emphasizing its potential to revolutionize the spatial frontier of healthcare planning and management.
... Since then, value co-creation has been researched in various domains, including healthcare (Beirão et al., 2017;Greenhalgh et al., 2016), tourism (Chen et al., 2020), public services (Saha & Goyal, 2019), education (Taylor and Bovill, 2018), and retail (Fellesson and Salomonson, 2016). For example, in the higher education industry, co-creation activities can take the form of co-creating curriculum with students and co-creating media and publications for the university (Dollinger and Lodge, 2020). ...
... [40] added that the system boundary should be set initially to limit the analysis area within the ecosystem, which could be set by geographical scope, temporal scale, etc. Furthermore, an ecosystem approach is needed to understand the holistic dynamics of a complex system by taking various system levels (micro, meso, and macro) into account to see how resources are integrated [41,42] proposed three levels of a multi-level perspective of context in the service ecosystem: micro level; meso level, and macro level. The micro level represents the interactions between individual actors, meso level represents the network of relationships, and the macro level represents the broader institutional context [43]. ...
Over the last decade, management scholars have paid increasing attention to ecosystems. The ecosystem approach has recently received much attention in business and innovation studies as a comprehensive way of understanding multi-aspect environments. This exploratory study aims to investigate the dynamics of human resource department ecosystem (HRDE) and the role of HRDE in shaping the human resource business partner role. This study employed a mixed-methods approach, following an exploratory sequential design. First, a conceptual model was developed based on qualitative data collected from expert interviews and analyzed through grounded theory. This stage uncovered eight actors and four factors, further organized into three layers of the ecosystem and hypothesis paths. Then, the structural model was measured and validated using PLS-SEM. This study is unique in applying the HRDE to the HR role’s development to deepen our understanding of how a human resource business partner role is shaped by actors’ interactions within and between ecosystem layers (micro, meso, and macro). The results revealed actors and factors supporting the HRDE in developing the HR role from the micro to macro layers of the ecosystem. The results suggest that the macro, meso, and micro layers of the HRDE positively impact the human resource business partner role’s development.
... However, new and more open techniques are required to design for many-to-many interactions and to establish platforms that promote the evolution and prosperity of service ecosystems [99,107,108]. ...
Sustainable craft is a relatively new concept, and a growing body of literature has examined sustainable craft from a multidisciplinary perspective. However, these researchers found a dearth of research that examines service design as a prospective transformative tool in sustainability crafts. Therefore, this study identifies published articles and the most productive journals, institutions, and countries by conducting a bibliometric analysis of the Scopus database of research articles on sustainable crafts in the 21st century. Based on that, we conduct an open discussion about sustainable crafts and service design. Finally, we obtain some key findings about these two areas.
... Service ecosystems connect not only multiple actors but also their relationships, as well as interactions at micro, meso, and macro levels (Beirão et al., 2017). Service design operates throughout these levels. ...
Wicked problems are present in many of the services that service designers design
as in healthcare, social work or sustainable transportation. Camillus argued that
wicked problems often increase as an organisation faces constant change or
unprecedented challenges. These challenges needs models on how to tackle them
and in this article we will compare the Evolved Double Diamond model with PPG
Industries’ framework for responding to wicked problems, as presented by Camillus
(2008). Both models are used to create a strategy for the context of wicked problems:
a new Evolved Double Diamond model that addresses especially complex problems.
It is good to look at models critically and understand their similarities and differences
for possible future development of strategies.
... With changes to the environmental or intuitional arrangements, the form and quantity of the value may lead to value co-destruction (Frost et al., 2019). The business model of individual actors (at the ecosystem macro, meso and micro levels) explains in part the behaviors and motivations (Beirão et al., 2017) behind the multiple interactions that dynamically co-create value. This more profound understanding of the multiple interactions at different levels is essential within ecosystems (Vargo & Lusch, 2016). ...
A successful business is increasingly concerned with comprehending the challenges and opportunities associated with society’s shift towards sustainability. However, current business model innovation fails to embrace the sustainability dimensions sufficiently. Many organizations lack a process that allows them generate entirely new and viable alternatives for business models. Sustainable development and its three-dimensional framework significantly impact most businesses’ re-organization. The complexity of balancing the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainable development signals the need for a new business model. In this conceptual paper, the authors discuss possible transitioning from the business model to the contribution model, where the value ecosystem and value exchange plays a defining role.KeywordsBusiness modelContribution modelSustainabilityValue co-creationValue ecosystem
... With changes to the environmental or intuitional arrangements, the form and quantity of the value may lead to value co-destruction (Frost et al., 2019). The business model of individual actors (at the ecosystem macro, meso and micro levels) explains in part the behaviors and motivations (Beirão et al., 2017) behind the multiple interactions that dynamically co-create value. This more profound understanding of the multiple interactions at different levels is essential within ecosystems . ...
Digital servitization describes the change of business models towards smart service offerings enabled by digitization. One challenge of digital servitization for manufacturers is to gain a better understanding how smart services generate value-in-use. To examine individual value-in-use concepts regarding smart services, we conducted and analyzed 22 in-depth interviews with the repertory grid technique. Our findings show that the respondents have a fairly uniform understanding of what constitutes an ideal service. Their perception of the service of tomorrow, smart service, and remote service offerings is closer to a future ideal than the service of today. Further we were able to group individual value perceptions into four groups and to discuss differences of an external and internal view on smart service. Interestingly sustainability was not mentioned as a value dimension in our study, which should be investigated further.KeywordsSmart serviceRepertory gridValue-in-use
... The concept of 'shared behaviour' is based on the premise that all actors within a SES, operating at different levels within the ecosystem, integrate resources to pursue the overarching aim of the SES, which is the well-being embedded in the purpose and nature of the SES (Beirão et al., 2017). ...
... The concept of 'shared behaviour' is based on the premise that all actors within a SES, operating at different levels within the ecosystem, integrate resources to pursue the overarching aim of the SES, which is the well-being embedded in the purpose and nature of the SES (Beirão et al., 2017). ...
... They argue that a convergence approach is critical to both advanced science and technology research as well as preparing the future workforce. Two highly relevant research methodologies associated with healthcare delivery science are design science (also called design thinking) and value cocreation (69,84,85). ...
... Las tecnologías digitales cambiaron la forma en que operan los servicios (Beirão et al., 2017;Subramony et al., 2018), es decir, la naturaleza de los servicios acorde a la maduración de las tecnologías digitales (Lee y Han, 2021). ...
Ante la pandemia COVID-19, la industria de los servicios ha sufrido cambios, ya que la interacción directa entre el consumidor y el prestador de servicios se ha limitado en cuanto al contacto físico, y ampliado de manera virtual. Con el objeto de indagar el impacto y evolución de esta interacción, la investigación realizó una exploración de las nuevas formas de cocreación de valor en la industria de los servicios. Los principales hallazgos reflejan cambios en los comportamientos y tendencias de compra, adaptaciones relacionales y tecnológicas, que han generado una nueva normalidad. Se concluye que las restricciones en la relación cliente-empresa de servicios representan en realidad oportunidades para la innovación y la creatividad, por consiguiente, nuevas formas de cocreación de valor.
... A single-entity survey was carried out at an SSC provider of B2B accounting services for a multinational company in the electrical sector listed on Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão [B] 3 , and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied for data analysis. The service ecosystem, in this case, a SSC, is made up of multiple actors with shared institutional logic who interact through the exchange of services, focusing on value co-creation (Beirão et al., 2017). In it, the new dominant logic of service prevails, in which interaction and co-creation of actions of value are constants in B2B relationships. ...
Purpose-This study aims to examine the effects of the culture for innovation, work engagement and the use of interactive performance measurement systems (PMSs) in the interorganizational accounting processes automation at a shared services center (SSC). Design/methodology/approach-A single-entity survey was carried out at an SSC provider of B2B accounting services of a multinational company in the electrical sector, and structural equation modeling was applied for data analysis. Findings-The results show that the culture for innovation, the work engagement and the use of interactive PMS positively and significantly influence the accounting process automation in the investigated SSC. Moreover, the use of interactive PMS presents a mediating effect on the relationship between culture for innovation and work engagement. Research limitations/implications-The research findings contribute by revealing that the culture of innovation, work engagement and the interactive PMS support the use of robotic process automation and artificial intelligence in the interorganizational automation of accounting processes in an SSC-type service ecosystem. This highlights the importance of the culture of innovation and the positive feeling toward work being reinforced by the organization and the role of the interactive PMS as a formal instrument to transmit the organizational objectives and provide a common vision. Originality/value-The study reveals that the use of interactive PMS seems to be an important conductor of the behavior of employees toward the accounting process automation strategy at the SSC, reinforced, in this case, by the culture of innovation and work engagement.
... A single-entity survey was carried out at an SSC provider of B2B accounting services for a multinational company in the electrical sector listed on Brasil, Bolsa, Balcão [B] 3 , and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied for data analysis. The service ecosystem, in this case, a SSC, is made up of multiple actors with shared institutional logic who interact through the exchange of services, focusing on value co-creation (Beirão et al., 2017). In it, the new dominant logic of service prevails, in which interaction and co-creation of actions of value are constants in B2B relationships. ...
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effects of the culture for innovation, work engagement and the use of interactive performance measurement systems (PMSs) in the interorganizational accounting processes automation at a shared services center (SSC).
Design/methodology/approach
A single-entity survey was carried out at an SSC provider of B2B accounting services of a multinational company in the electrical sector, and structural equation modeling was applied for data analysis.
Findings
The results show that the culture for innovation, the work engagement and the use of interactive PMS positively and significantly influence the accounting process automation in the investigated SSC. Moreover, the use of interactive PMS presents a mediating effect on the relationship between culture for innovation and work engagement.
Research limitations/implications
The research findings contribute by revealing that the culture of innovation, work engagement and the interactive PMS support the use of robotic process automation and artificial intelligence in the interorganizational automation of accounting processes in an SSC-type service ecosystem. This highlights the importance of the culture of innovation and the positive feeling toward work being reinforced by the organization and the role of the interactive PMS as a formal instrument to transmit the organizational objectives and provide a common vision.
Originality/value
The study reveals that the use of interactive PMS seems to be an important conductor of the behavior of employees toward the accounting process automation strategy at the SSC, reinforced, in this case, by the culture of innovation and work engagement.
Purpose
Consumer well-being in health-care settings is often undermined by information asymmetries, uncertainty and complex choices. Men are generally less motivated to adopt support tools designed to facilitate shared decision-making (SDM) and increase involvement in health service delivery. This study aims to examine the effects of sports team metaphors in a male-centered decision aid on empowerment and preparedness within a sleep apnea treatment context, a common disease among men. Individual-level factors that influence the decision aid experience are also considered.
Design/methodology/approach
An online panel sample of 296 US men was randomly assigned to a generic or gender targeted decision aid. The scenario-based method was used to simulate the decision aid experience. A one-way MANOVA tested the effects of gender targeting on SDM-related outcomes. Structural equation modeling was then undertaken to analyze relationships between self-construal and these outcomes.
Findings
Participants who experienced the gender-targeted decision aid reported higher levels of empowerment and preparedness. The positive relationship between collective interdependence and empowerment was stronger among those who received the targeted decision aid. The positive relationship between empowerment and preparedness was also significantly stronger in the targeted group. Empowerment mediated the effect of self-construal on preparedness.
Originality/value
Little to no research has evaluated the effectiveness of sports team metaphors in improving SDM and facilitating health-care value cocreation. Results provide insight into how to enhance service design and delivery for men facing medical decisions.
Purpose
This study aims to explore the drivers (i.e. service innovation, service exchange, customer wellbeing and employee wellbeing) and organizational culture in the service ecosystem in the hospitality sector.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a quantitative approach by collecting data from employees and customers of the top 10 hotels (identified from three major websites, i.e. Goibibo, Trivago and MakeMyTrip) functional in Jammu city, North India. Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and partial least square analysis are used to analyse the data.
Findings
The study findings reveal that among the four drivers (i.e., service innovation, service exchange, employee wellbeing and customer wellbeing) customer wellbeing shows a strong impact and significant impact on the service ecosystem. Following this, the study also exhibits that organizational culture significantly moderates the relationship between service innovation and the service ecosystem. However, it does not show any moderating influence among the other drivers of the service ecosystem.
Research limitations/implications
This study is conducted only in the top 10 hotels (three and four stars) of Jammu city, North India, which might not represent all Indian hotels.
Originality/value
The study contributes by establishing the role of four service ecosystem drivers, namely service innovation, service exchange, employee wellbeing and customer wellbeing. Following this, the study empirically tested and validated the service ecosystem framework in the context of north Indian hotels. The study also establishes the significant role of organizational culture, particularly group culture and hierarchy culture, in strengthening the service ecosystem.
The shift from centralised to redistributed manufacturing (RDM) enables lower volume production closer to the site of use. The potential benefits of RDM are highlighted in the literature, but in this emerging field, understanding of how its adoption changes relationships within an ecosystem is limited. We provide a novel case study of an emerging portable, digitised micro-factory technology from healthcare that localises manufacture of therapeutics on the body of the patient. Taking a manufacturing ecosystems perspective, the paper contributes empirical evidence showing how the introduction of the micro-factory causes a change in the context of manufacture at the micro level and a change in inter-organisational and institutional relationships at the meso level. Our research shows how inanimate agents, such as digital micro-factories, can be actors within an ecosystem. We position the digitised micro-factory engaged in the service encounter as a resource integrating actor at the micro level of our ecosystem. The micro-factory's structure, components and architecture, are positioned at a new ‘sub-micro level’. This paper contributes to RDM theory, showing that technical advances can push redistribution of manufacturing to the individual level, where components of the micro-factory enable simultaneous production and use.
Artikkelimme lähtökohtana on ajatus siitä, että sote-TKI-toiminnan vaikuttavuu-den mittaaminen on monitulkintainen ilmiö, sillä monitoimijuuden lisäksi TKI-toi-minnan vaikutuksia synty y palvelujärjestelmän eri osissa ja tasoilla. Toiminnan vaikuttavuutta voidaan mitata esimerkiksi yksilöiden hyvinvoinnin, organisaatioi-den tehokkuuden, alueiden tai kansallisen toiminnan näkökulmista. TKI-toiminnan vaikutukset ovat moninaiset, ja niitä on vaikea mitata yksiselitteisesti. Vaikuttavuu-den mittaamisen kompleksisuutta lisää se, että ekosysteemissä on mukana toimijoi-ta yhteiskunnan eri aloilta ja sektoreilta, eli niin yksityisiä, julkisia kuin kolmannen sektorin toimijoita, jotka tuovat TKI-toimintaan omat arvonsa, näkemyksensä ja ta-voitteensa.
Although consumers used online grocery shopping more frequently to limit exposure to the COVID-19 virus during the pandemic, the participants of some federal nutrition assistance programs lacked the option to redeem their food benefits online. Some retailers were pilot-testing online food benefit ordering for the participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), one of the largest federal nutrition assistance programs in the United States. Linking the administrative data from a state WIC agency with the online ordering data from a grocery store chain, Study 1 empirically estimates the diffusion of online food benefit ordering among WIC participants, examines the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic-related factors, store strategies, and individual characteristics on the diffusion process, and unveils the existence of a diffusion chasm. Study 2 is a qualitative study in which WIC participants and store employees were interviewed. A service ecosystem framework is developed to explain how the chasm was formed and non-adoptions occurred. The retrospective examination of the diffusion chasm during the pandemic provides important recommendations regarding how to cross the chasm and improve WIC participants’ food well-being.
While many digital value co-creation networks (DVCNs) fail to coevolve with the changes inside and outside the network, the few surviving ones have contributed to the emergence of the world’s most valuable companies such as Apple, Alphabet, or Amazon. This chapter systematically reviews six research articles to investigate how organizations may analyze and design surviving DVCNs—here defined as socio-technical networks of actors to co-create digital service.
This chapter summarizes six studies, undertaken as part of the Value Co-creation Language (ValCoLa) project at the University of St. Gallen, to investigate how network orchestrators facilitate efficient and effective value co-creation processes—among themselves, third parties, and end users—striving for lasting networks. Module 1 reviews three articles to develop the conceptual foundation of DVCN analysis and design. In turn, module 2 reviews three additional studies that investigate digital platform cases to identify value co-creation capabilities for digital platform survival. The results indicate that DVCNs should not be misconceived as deterministic systems. Instead, they should be analyzed and designed in a way that reconciles a copresence of (i) heterogeneous third parties that foster emergent innovation and (ii) network orchestrators that control value co-creation.
Purpose
This paper aims to formally conceptualize service mega-disruptions as any far-reaching and unforeseen general environmental stressor or threat that impacts a service organization’s ability to provide a desired level of service. The authors differentiate sudden large-scale general environmental threats from traditional service failures in scope and scale of impact via number of customers and sectors affected and duration and speed of the disruption.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper draws from service recovery theory to build a conceptual model of service mega-disruptions. The resulting conceptual model maps service failure recovery strategies against a service mega-disruption recovery approach to examine consumer response to changes in service value. This work further articulates additional research needs including conceptualization, measurement and methods as traditional drivers of service recovery and the value of the service experience change in response to service mega-disruptions.
Findings
This work proposes a research agenda to investigate whether service mega-disruptions can bypass the need for service recovery due to a consumer self-moderating process. As past research shows, the less control a service provider has over a failure, the more customers attribute fault to the situation and transfer blame away from an organization. This paper suggests that this self-moderating process disrupts the need for service providers to court forgiveness for a failure with perceptions of similarity and controllability providing an alternate pathway to customer forgiveness. Similarly, it is suggested that service mega-disruptions play a role in transforming service ecosystems into tighter, more contractual systems with less agency for service providers and poorer ability to adjust to market conditions. The duration and longevity of effects on service providers’ control, agency and ability to adjust following a service mega-disruption must be researched further.
Originality/value
This paper builds theory to develop a conceptual model of service mega-disruptions and their role in customer engagement and reshaping the service ecosystem. This paper culminates in the proposition of a research agenda that aims to build research capacity among services marketing scholars as service providers’ coordination and market conditions are challenged by service mega-disruptions.
Notre recherche propose de s’intéresser aux mécanismes à l’œuvre à l’intérieur d’un serious game déployé en milieu hospitalier. Nos résultats mettent en avant l’importance de la combinaison de plusieurs facteurs tels que l’hypnose médicale, le floutage entre la réalité et le jeu, et une connaissance fine du déroulé de la procédure. Cet article contribue aux recherches sur la coproduction de soin et s’inscrit dans le champ des transformative service research .
Background
Integrating evidence-based midwifery practices improves healthcare quality for women and newborns, but an evidence-to-practice gap exists. Co-created quality improvement initiatives led by midwives could bridge this gap, prevent resource waste and ensure intervention relevance. However, how to co-create a midwife-led quality improvement intervention has not been scientifically explored.
Objective
The objective of this study is to describe the co-creation process and explore the needs and determinants of a midwife-led quality improvement targeting evidence-based midwifery practices.
Methods
A qualitative deductive approach using the Consolidated Framework for Advancing Implementation Science was employed. An analysis matrix based on the framework was developed, and the data were coded according to categories. Data were gathered from interviews, focus group discussions, observations and workshops. New mothers and birth companions (n = 19) were included through convenience sampling. Midwives (n = 26), professional association representatives, educators, policymakers, managers, and doctors (n = 7) were purposely sampled.
Results
The co-creation process of the midwife-led Quality Improvement intervention took place in four stages. Firstly, core elements of the intervention were established, featuring a group of midwife champions leading a quality improvement initiative using a train-the-trainers approach. Secondly, the intervention needs, context and determinants were explored, which showed knowledge and skills gaps, a lack of shared goals among staff, and limited resources. However, there was clear relevance, compatibility, and mission alignment for a midwife-led quality improvement at all levels. Thirdly, during co-creation workshops with new mothers and companions, the consensus was to prioritise improved intrapartum support, while workshops with midwives identified enhancing the use of birth positions and perineal protection as key focus areas for the forthcoming Quality Improvement intervention. Lastly, the findings guided intervention strategies, including peer-assisted learning, using existing structures, developing educational material, and building stakeholder relationships.
Conclusions
This study provides a practical example of a co-creation process for a midwife-led quality improvement intervention, which can be relevant in different maternity care settings.
Many studies of practices involve service exchange, and many service researchers have discovered the central role that sociotechnical practices play in service –in particular, within the service-dominant logic school of thought. In this paper, we propose an analytical lens that builds on this mutual interest to understand complex practices involving service exchange. Practice researchers can gain new insights regarding practices embedded in service ecosystems. At the same time, service researchers can better explain actor behavior by looking deeper at sociotechnical practices. We develop a concept toolbox based on practice and service-dominant logic research literature. We illustrate the usefulness of the toolbox through an interpretative case study of public service to include children with disabilities in leisure activities. Seeing practices as parts of larger multi-stakeholder service ecosystems 1) can help us better explain behavior in those practices and understand how they are affected by other overlapping practices, 2) brings forward the importance of value and how multiple actors need to interact in order to create value for each other, and 3) enriches service-dominant logic with a focus on sociotechnical aspects that are central to many practice studies.
There is a growing interest in applying the Service Design (SD) approach to innovate and transform healthcare systems. However, comprehensive studies are scarce. This study systematically reviews the literature on SD initiatives towards healthcare system transformation. The research questions are: How has the SD approach been applied to the healthcare sector? To what extent are the SD initiatives contributing to transform the health systems? What are the main challenges faced by SD initiatives to transform the health system? Which are the main stakeholders involved in the process, and how could they change according to the type of initiative? The search was conducted in March 2021 in eight databases and returned 990 articles evaluated through a research protocol, resulting in 47 studies included in this review. These studies were explored through thematic analysis and considering two conceptual models: the SD approach (Patrício et al., 2020) and the ecosystem perspective (Beirão et al., 2017). The findings show that SD initiatives have been implemented at all levels of the ecosystem, but only 49% (47/23 studies) present a transformative character. The SD initiatives challenges were organized into four themes: (1) Planning SD initiatives as a lever in transforming health systems; (2) Using SD tools creatively; (3) Considering the use of new technologies to transform health systems positively, and (4) Facing the challenges of applying the Experience-Based Design and Experience Based in Co-Design approaches in project development. This study is relevant for helping managers and researchers in their efforts to design truly transformative services with a focus on improving health systems and social wellbeing.
Service Design (SD) represents a breakthrough in searching for solutions to health systems challenges, but the activities that support these solutions remain underexplored. This research investigates how SD has been applied in the healthcare sector based on two conceptual models: multilevel ecosystem perspective and SD transformative approach. First, we conducted a systematic literature review in eight comprehensive databases in March 2021. Eligibility criteria returned 990 articles filtered by a search protocol, resulting in 47 studies. After this, we identified 23 studies (49%) with a transformative approach through a thematic analysis. Also, the analysis of these 23 studies allowed the identification of five key aspects necessary for enabling a transformative character of SD initiatives: (1) identification of all the actors that make up the provision of healthcare services, (2) identification of users by ecosystem level, (3) knowledge about the SD tools arsenal, (4) use of technology, and (5) applying the Experience-Based Design and Co-Design (EBD/EBCD) approach. The study underlines the role of management for the success of SD in the health sector and suggests an instrument (checklist) to help managers implement SD initiatives successfully.
Purpose
Following the continued development of transformative service research and the prevalence of the service-dominant logic in services marketing literature, increased scholarly interest centers on the co-creation of service actors’ well-being. In light of this significant evolution in service research, this study aims to provide a systematic review and synthesis of the growing, fragmented body of literature on well-being co-creation in services.
Design/methodology/approach
The hybrid systematic review approach combines bibliometric and framework-based literature reviews to analyze a sample of 160 article obtained from the Web of Science database. To examine the conceptual structure of the research domain, VOSviewer is used for conducting a bibliometric coupling analysis and a keyword co-occurrence analysis. Next, a content analysis is used to explore how the extant literature addresses the key concepts of service actors’ participation in co-creation, their resource integration and well-being outcomes across the micro-, meso- and macro levels of service ecosystems.
Findings
Service actors’ participation and resource integration are key theoretical concepts for understanding well-being co-creation. Yet, a comprehensive overview of well-being co-creation across the different levels of service ecosystems is lacking due to the presence of various application contexts, levels of aggregation, theoretical backgrounds and methodological perspectives. A conceptual framework of well-being co-creation in service ecosystems is developed, highlighting the participation of multilevel service actors and suggesting priorities for further research.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper represents a first effort to systematically review and organize growing literature on well-being co-creation in service ecosystems.
Consumers are increasingly pressing organizations to adapt meaningful corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives and seek avenues for co‐creation. Study to investigate if CSR can help co‐creation significantly contributes to the competitive advantage of banks. Many previous pieces of research have recognized CSR as a strategic imperative that may help businesses to build consumer loyalty. To address gaps in the literature based on the social identity theory and theory of social exchange, this article investigates the impact of CSR on consumer loyalty while considering the mediation effect of co‐creation. The data were collected in India, and the sample contained 520 customers of banks. Partial least squares‐structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis. The study findings show that CSR, directly and indirectly, impacts consumer loyalty through co‐creation. The current study's findings aid banking institutions in determining how to design and implement strategies based on CSR and co‐creation that could eventually result in consumer loyalty.
Purpose
The socioeconomically deprived segment called bottom of pyramid lives in extreme resource-constrained environments and is being excluded from having access to many services. This study aims to investigate the role played by virtual engagement platforms in bringing well-being to base of the pyramid (BoP) customers. This study also uses transformative service research and service ecosystem-based approach.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses qualitative approach. Data was collected and analyzed through 16 in-depth interviews with BoP service actors.
Findings
Present study explains the role played by virtual engagement platforms as an intermediator between farmers and the service entity. Herein, it may be noted that the role of virtual platforms contributes to the well-being of the BoP community.
Originality/value
The authors’ research work broadens service organizations’ reach by better serving people in the BoP, which ultimately helps in removing unfairness and establishes service inclusion.
Despite the increasing presence of a variety of measures of patient health care experiences in research and policy, there remains a lack of consensus regarding measurement. The objectives of this paper were to: (1) explore and describe what is known about measures and measurement of patient experience and (2) describe evaluation approaches/methods used to assess patient experience.
Patient-experience does not simply reflect clinical outcomes or adherence–driven outcomes; rather it seeks to represent a unique encompassing dimension that is challenging to measure. Several challenges exist when measuring patient experience, in part, because it is a complex, ambiguous concept that lacks a common or ubiquitous definition and also because there are multiple cross-cutting terms (e.g., satisfaction, engagement, perceptions, and preferences) in health care that make conceptual distinction (and therefore measurement) difficult. However, there are many measurement and evaluation approaches that can be used to obtain meaningful insights that can generate actionable strategies and plans. Measuring patient experience can be accomplished using mixed methods, quantitative, or qualitative approaches. The strength of the mixed methods design lies not only in obtaining the “full picture,” but in triangulating (i.e., cross-validating) qualitative and quantitative data to see if and where findings converge, and what can be learned about patient experience from each method. Similar to deciding which measures to use, and which approaches to utilize in measurement, the timing of measurement must also fit the need at hand, and make both practical and purposeful sense and be interpreted in light of the timeframe context.
Eliciting feedback from patients and engaging them in their care and health care delivery affords an opportunity to highlight and address aspects of the care experience that need improvement, and to monitor performance with regard to meeting patient experience goals in the delivery of care. The use of core patient-reported measures of patient experience as part of systematic measurement and performance monitoring in health care settings would markedly improve measurement of the ‘total’ patient experience and would heighten our understanding of the patient experience within and across settings.
Experience Framework
This article is associated with the Policy & Measurement lens of The Beryl Institute Experience Framework. (http://bit.ly/ExperienceFramework) Access other PXJ articles related to this lens. Access other resources related to this lens.
In 2004, Robert F. Lusch and Stephen L. Vargo published their groundbreaking article on the evolution of marketing theory and practice toward "service-dominant (S-D) logic", describing the shift from a product-centred view of markets to a service-led model. Now, in this keenly anticipated book, the authors present a thorough primer on the principles and applications of S-D logic. They describe a clear alternative to the dominant worldview of the heavily planned, production-oriented, profit-maximizing firm, presenting a coherent, organizing framework based on ten foundational premises. The foundational premises of S-D logic have much wider implications beyond marketing for the future of the firm, transcending different industries and contexts, and will provide readers with a deeper sense of why the exchange of service is the fundamental basis of all social and economic exchange. This accessible book will appeal to students, as well as to researchers and practitioners.
In this article, we offer a broadened view of service innovation-one grounded in service-dominant logic-that transcends the tangible-intangible and producer-consumer divides that have plagued extant research in this area. Such a broadened conceptualization of service innovation emphasizes (1) innovation as a collaborative process occurring in an actor-to-actor (A2A) network, (2) service as the application of specialized competences for the benefit of another actor or the self and as the basis of all exchange, (3) the generativity unleashed by increasing resource liquefaction and resource density, and (4) resource integration as the fundamental way to innovate. Building on these core themes, we offer a tripartite framework of service innovation: (1) service ecosystems, as emergent A2A structures actors create and recreate through their effectual actions and which offer an organizing logic for the actors to exchange service and cocreate value; (2) service platforms, which enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of service exchange by liquefying resources and increasing resource density (facilitating easy access to appropriate resource bundles) and thereby serve as the venue for innovation; and (3) value cocreation, which views value as cocreated by the service offer(er) and the service beneficiary (e.g., customer) through resource integration and indicate the need for mechanisms to support the underlying roles and processes. In discussing these components, we consider the role of information technology-both as an operand resource and as an operant resource- and then examine the implications for research and practice in digitally enabled service innovation.
Over the last decade, there has been an increasing focus on service across socioeconomic sectors coupled with transformational developments in information and communication technologies (ICTs). Together these developments are engendering dramatic new opportunities for service innovation, the study of which is both timely and important. Fully understanding these opportunities challenges us to question conventional approaches that construe service as a distinctive form of socioeconomic exchange (i.e., as services) and to reconsider what service means and thus how service innovation may develop. The aim of this special issue, therefore, is to bring together some of the latest scholarship from the Marketing and Information Systems disciplines to advance theoretical developments on service innovation in a digital age.
To strengthen the theoretical foundations of international marketing (IM), the authors propose a framework for conceptualizing the complexity of the context that frames international and global exchange systems. In particular, they apply a service ecosystems approach, which is grounded in service-dominant logic and its foundational premise that service is the basis of all exchange. The proposed framework provides insight into the nature of context, a distinguishing feature of IM. The authors argue that the embeddedness of social networks and the multiplicity of institutions within a service ecosystem influence the complexity of context. They articulate the way the (co)creation of value influences and is influenced by the enactment of practices and the integration of resources through various levels (micro, meso, and macro) of interaction and institutions. They introduce the concept of " value in cultural context " to emphasize the influence of the symbolic and social components of context. The article concludes with a discussion of the research implications for how a service ecosystems view can aid in the advancement of IM theory and practice.
Service-dominant logic continues its evolution, facilitated by an active community of scholars throughout the world. Along its evolutionary path, there has been increased recognition of the need for a crisper and more precise delineation of the foundational premises and specification of the axioms of S-D logic. It also has become apparent that a limitation of the current foundational premises/axioms is the absence of a clearly articulated specification of the mechanisms of (often massive-scale) coordination and cooperation involved in the cocreation of value through markets and, more broadly, in society. This is especially important because markets are even more about cooperation than about the competition that is more frequently discussed. To alleviate this limitation and facilitate a better understanding of cooperation (and coordination), an eleventh foundational premise (fifth axiom) is introduced, focusing on the role of institutions and institutional arrangements in systems of value cocreation: service ecosystems. Literature on institutions across multiple social disciplines, including marketing, is briefly reviewed and offered as further support for this fifth axiom.
Purpose – The purpose of this essay is to explore further the concept of value cocreation from a service-ecosystems view, by considering the importance of networks and the configuration of relationships and resources in markets.
Methodology/approach – We use a conceptual approach to extend a service-dominant (S-D) logic, ecosystems view of value cocreation by drawing on the literature regarding networks in marketing and related research.
Findings – A service-ecosystems approach to cocreating value-in-context is proposed, which points toward networks as mediating factors in value cocreation because they influence the ability to access, adapt, and integrate resources by establishing exchange relationships and shaping the social contexts through which value is experienced.
Research implications – This research suggests that value cocreation is a complex and multidimensional process that is best studied in the context of dynamic networks or ecosystems of service exchange.
Practical implications – This research suggests that networks mediate value cocreation, and thus, firms should consider the configurations of relationships and resources to develop more compelling value propositions.
Social implications – This research draws on the idea that exchange relationships are embedded within society and suggests that processes of value cocreation not only draw on but also contribute to the social contexts that frame market exchange.
Originality/value of essay – This research extends the value cocreation and S-D logic literature by exploring the role of networks in service ecosystems. In this framework, networks are mediators of value cocreation because they enable access to resources and help to (re)shape social contexts through which value is derived.
Purpose
– Patient value co-creation represents a key research priority and an essential determinant of health care service outcomes. Yet few studies empirically examine the factors that motivate patients to participate actively in value co-creation. The purpose of this paper is to seek to identify the motivators of such activities in online health communities (OHC) and examine their specific and unique effects.
Design/methodology/approach
– A netnographic study helps identify the motivators that drive patients’ value co-creation activities in OHCs. The combination of these results with social identity theories suggest the hypotheses; mediation analyses test the hypothesized model with data collected from eight OHCs that address both life-threatening and non-life-threatening illnesses.
Findings
– The netnographic results show that social identity drives patients’ value co-creation activities. Interactions among OHC members and the cognitive resources of the OHC both contribute to the development of its social identity. Furthermore, benevolence trust, shared vision, and shared language determine how likely an OHC member is to identify with a particular OHC, which further influences his or her value co-creation activities in that OHC.
Originality/value
– Although value co-creation is critical to the health care sector, few studies examine antecedents of patient value co-creation empirically. This study represents an initial attempt to do so by combining innovative netnographic analyses with mediation analyses.
The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of context in service provision and, more broadly, in market co-creation. We oscillate foci from an individual actor at the micro level to a market at the macro level to make the scaleable influence of context more salient. This reveals the meso level, which is nestled between the micro and macro levels. We discuss how these market levels influence one another. We conceptualize markets as simultaneous, continuous exchanges that are bounded by each of these levels of context.
Transformative service research is particularly relevant in health care where the firm and customer can contribute to individual as well as societal well-being. This article explores customer value cocreation in health care, identifying a hierarchy of activities representing varying levels of customer effort from complying with basic requirements (less effort and easier tasks) to extensive decision making (more effort and more difficult tasks). We define customer Effort in Value Cocreation Activities (EVCA) as the degree of effort that customers exert to integrate resources, through a range of activities of varying levels of perceived difficulty. Our findings underscore the importance of viewing health care service as taking place within the customer’s service network that extends well beyond the customer-firm dyad to include other market-facing as well as public and private resources. Moreover, we demonstrate the transformative potential of customer EVCA linking customer EVCA to quality of life, satisfaction with service and behavioral intentions. We do so across three prevalent chronic diseases—cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Our findings highlight how an integrated care model has benefits for both customers and providers and can enhance customer EVCA.
Since the introductory article for what has become known as the “service-dominant (S-D) logic of marketing,” “Evolving to
a New Dominant Logic for Marketing,” was published in the Journal of Marketing (Vargo, S. L., & Lusch, R. F. (2004a)), there
has been considerable discussion and elaboration of its specifics. This article highlights and clarifies the salient issues
associated with S-D logic and updates the original foundational premises (FPs) and adds an FP. Directions for future work
are also discussed.
KeywordsService-dominant logic-New-dominant logic-Service
Research on value creation traditionally has focused on value created by the company, though customers increasingly serve as active partners, able to create value with firms in a collaborative manner. Despite interest by both scholars and managers, existing research has not yet clarified the interdependencies of service offerings and customer role patterns. This article explores value creation rooted in three generic offerings (configuration, solution, and network) and identifies differences in their prerequisites, customer activities, challenges, abilities, ability enhancers, and perceived benefits that arise in collaborative value creation (CVC). Data from 105 collaborations, collected through in-depth interviews, support the qualitative and quantitative analyses that reveal distinct patterns in customers' value creation for each service offering. A categorical principal components analysis, combined with cluster analysis, identifies five customer roles: bargain-hunting independent, comprehensive help seeker, engaged problem solver, technology-savvy networker, and self-reliant customizer. Our theoretical contribution includes the identification of customer roles across generic offerings and empirical evidence that customers perform multiple roles when engaging in CVC processes. Our findings provide managers engaged in CVC with recommendations on criteria for segmenting customer groups, on the role of the service provider in various value creation processes, and on tailored communication strategies to attract customers.
To date, the discourse about service dominant (S-D) logic has been largely theoretical, with the main focus on exploring the foundations for an integrating general theory of markets and marketing. Little attention has been given to the role of theorizing, and how empirical evidence can be used to inform the theoretical development. This paper explores the bridging role of middle range theory in this process. First S-D logic is examined as a foundation for general theory. This leads to a discussion about the use of middle range theory to link general theory and empirical findings. The following sections examine the role that contemporary marketing practices (CMP) research plays in providing a bridge between S-D logic and empirical evidence. The paper concludes by considering implications for further research.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of value co-creation in complex value networks with many actors. Electronic health records (EHRs) are innovations that warrant deep study to properly introduce such a complex system.
Design/methodology/approach
– The paper describes a qualitative study based on Grounded Theory to understand value co-creation from multiple actors’ perspectives in a National EHR Service Project: the Portuguese Health Data Platform.
Findings
– Study results enabled further development of the value co-creation concept in complex environments with multiple actors. More specifically they allowed: operationalizing the value co-creation concept by identifying its factors and outcomes, understanding how value co-creation factors and outcomes are interconnected, and understanding of how value co-creation for each actor depends on his/her own actions and the actions of other actors, in a complex set of interactions and interdependencies.
Practical implications
– The findings have implications for service managers seeking to understand how actors participating in the network integrate resources and interact to co-create value. The study highlights the need for designing and managing services to co-create value, not only by enabling dyadic interactions between the customer and the service provider, but also by supporting and enabling value co-creation interactions among different actors in the network.
Originality/value
– This study responds to the need for empirical research on value co-creation in many-to-many contexts and for operationalizing the value co-creation concept.
Resource integration has become an important concept in marketing literature. However, little is known about the systemic nature of resource integration and the ways the activities of resource integrators are coordinated and adjusted to each other. Therefore, we claim that institutions are the coordinating link that have impact on value cocreation efforts and are the reference base for customers’ value assessment. When conceptualizing the systemic nature of resource integration, we include the regulative, normative, and cognitive institutions and institutional logics. This article provides a framework and a structure for identifying and analyzing the influence of institutional logics on resource integration in service systems.
This article explores a service-dominant (S-D) logic, service-ecosystems approach to studying value cocreation and the (re)formation of service systems. We outline the central premises of S-D logic and elaborate the concept of a service ecosystem to propose a framework that focuses on resource integration as a central means for connecting people and technology within and among service systems. This ecosystems view emphasizes the social factors that influence, and are influenced by, service-for-service exchange. We draw on systems theory and a structurational model of technology to underscore the importance of networks of actors, as well as institutions---e.g., rules, social norms---as critical components of service systems. We argue that this service-ecosystems framework provides a robust and dynamic approach for studying resource integration, value cocreation, and the (re)formation of service systems, and provides important insights for systematically innovating service.
Purpose - This paper explores how companies access resources through network relationships when developing service innovations. We identify the types of resource that companies seek from other actors, and examine the nature of relationships and resource access strategies that can be applied to access each type of resource.
Design/methodology/approach - A longitudinal, multi-case study is conducted in the field of technical business-to-business (b-to-b) services. An abductive research strategy is applied to create a new theoretical understanding of resource access.
Findings - Companies seek a range of resources through different types of network relationships for service innovation. Four types of resource access strategies were identified: absorption, acquisition, sharing, and co-creation. The findings show how easily transferable resources can be accessed through weak relationships and low-intensity collaboration. Access to resources that are difficult to transfer, instead, necessitates strong relationships and high-intensity collaboration.
Research limitations/implications - The findings are valid for technical business-to-business services, but should also be tested for other kinds of innovations. Future research should also study how actors integrate the resources gained through networks in the innovation process.
Practical implications - Managers should note that key resources for service innovation may be accessible through a variety of actors and relationships ranging from formal arrangements to miscellaneous social contacts. To make use of tacit resources such as knowledge, firms need to engage in intensive collaboration.
Originality/value - Despite attention paid to network relationships, innovation collaboration, and external resources, previous research has neither linked these issues nor studied their mutual contingencies. This paper provides a theoretical model that characterizes the service innovation resources accessible through different types of relationships and access strategies.
In recent years, there has been a proliferation of health information technologies (HITs) that promise to improve the delivery of care. Health care service providers are faced with an increasing push to develop electronic medical record (EMR) capability, which is the ability to leverage health IT to enable and link the clinical processes for an effective and efficient delivery of care. However, there is little guidance in the literature on the performance implications of EMR capability and whether providers should commit to higher stages of EMR capability. Based on data from 1,011 acute care providers in the United States, the findings of this study suggest that the operational performance of providers, measured as case mix index-adjusted discharges per licensed bed, is positively related to the stage of EMR capability. However, the findings also point to a cautionary insight—committing to higher stages of EMR capability may not be uniformly beneficial to all providers. The findings suggest that the choice of the stage of EMR capability is self-selected. Interestingly, if health care service providers were to be assigned to a higher stage of EMR capability (i.e., incommensurate with their idiosyncratic technological, organizational, and environmental characteristics), the potential operational performance benefit of that stage of EMR capability may remain unrealized.
This article explores in-depth what health care customers actually do when they cocreate value. Combining previously published research with data collected from depth interviews, field observation, and focus groups, the authors identify distinct styles of health care customer value cocreation practice. Importantly, the authors show how customers can contribute to their own value creation through their own (self) activities in managing their health care. Building on past work in service-dominant (S-D) logic, consumer culture theory and social practice theory, the authors identify “roles,” “activities,” and “interactions” that underlie customer cocreation of value in health care. The authors uncover five groupings of customer value cocreation practices yielding a typology of practice styles and link these to quality of life. The practice styles are “team management,” “insular controlling,” “partnering,” “pragmatic adapting,” and “passive compliance.” Two in particular, team management and partnering, should be encouraged by managers as they tend to be associated with higher quality of life. The authors provide a health care Customer Value Cocreation Practice Styles (CVCPS) typology. The usefulness of the typology is demonstrated by showing links to quality of life and its potential application to other health care settings.
Health organizations have intensified their efforts to establish network-like structures with service partners who are responsible for different functions along the health value chain. To calculate the potential value and cost benefits of service production within health care networks and to improve performance in such networks, the authors propose a two-step benchmarking approach. While the first step is concerned with measuring and comparing service provider performance, the second step relates to a contact program that disseminates the lessons learned during the benchmarking process. Across two empirical studies with general practitioners and specialty physicians, the authors identify in a first step tremendous overspendings and provide suggestions on cost reductions that could be achieved without threatening output levels. With regard to the second step, the authors find that detailing efforts based on the results of performance measurement helped physicians to improve their performance. Through detailing, the hub was able to inform network partners about the benchmarking results and to reveal performance gaps in their current resource utilization patterns. In addition, the authors show that managers of health organizations should seek out physicians with smaller practices and high-referral (i.e., risk-averse) physicians as targets for detailing, who are especially responsive to these initiatives.
In this paper, we explore the role and scope of technology in value co-creation, service innovation and service systems—value co-creation configurations of people technology and value propositions (Maglio and Spohrer in J Acad Mark Sci 36:18–20, 2008). We draw on a structurational model of technology (Orlikowsky in Organ Sci 3(3):398–427, 1992) to provide a framework for considering the role of technology in service systems and how it influences and is influenced by human actions (i.e., practices) and institutions. We broaden the scope of technology in this model, beyond a material artifact, or outcome of human actions, by applying an S-D logic, service ecosystems (Vargo and Lusch in J Market 68(1):1–17, 2004, Ind Mark Manag 40(2):181–187, 2011a) approach, which focuses on the processes by which value is co-created and new ways of creating value (i.e., innovation) emerge. In this view, technology can be conceptualized as an operant resource—one that is capable of acting on other resources to create value—and, thus, becomes a critical resource for value co-creation, service innovation and systems (re)formation. We argue that the consideration of technology as an operant resource in service (eco)systems provides a more encompassing view for systematically studying the way in which technologies are integrated as resources, value is collaboratively created, and service is innovated.
This article conceptualizes and presents a research agenda for the emerging area of transformative service research, which lies at the intersection of service research and transformative consumer research and focuses on well-being outcomes related to service and services. A conceptual framework provides a big-picture view of how the interaction between service entities (e.g., individual service employees, service processes or offerings, organizations) and consumer entities (e.g., individuals, collectives such as families or communities, the ecosystem) influences the well-being outcomes of both. Research questions derived from the framework in the context of financial services, health care, and social services help catalyze new research in the transformative service research domain.
Technology platform strategies offer a novel way to orchestrate a rich portfolio of contributions made by the many independent actors who form an ecosystem of heterogeneous complementors around a stable platform core. This form of organising has been successfully used in smartphone, gaming, commercial software, and industrial sectors. Technology ecosystems require stability and homogeneity to leverage common investments in standard components, but they also need variability and heterogeneity to meet evolving market demand. Although the required balance between stability and evolvability in the ecosystem has been addressed conceptually in the literature, we have less understanding of its underlying mechanics or appropriate governance. Through an extensive case study of a business software ecosystem consisting of a major multinational manufacturer of enterprise resource planning software at the core and a heterogeneous system of independent implementation partners and solution developers on the periphery, our research identifies three salient tensions that characterize the ecosystem: standard–variety, control–autonomy, and collective–individual. We then highlight the specific ecosystem governance mechanisms designed to simultaneously manage desirable and undesirable variance across each tension. Paradoxical tensions may manifest as dualities, where tensions are framed as complementary and mutually enabling. Alternatively, they may manifest as dualisms, where actors are faced with contradictory and disabling “either…or” decisions. We identify conditions where latent, complementary tensions become manifest as salient, contradictory tensions. By identifying conditions in which complementary logics are overshadowed by contradictory logics, our study further contributes to the understanding of the dynamics of technology ecosystems, as well as the effective design of technology ecosystem governance that can explicitly embrace paradoxical tensions toward generative outcomes.
Given the significant, sustained growth in services experienced worldwide, Arizona State University’s Center for Services Leadership embarked on an 18-month effort to identify and articulate a set of global, interdisciplinary research priorities focused on the science of service. Diverse participation from academics in a variety of disciplines working in institutions around the world—in collaboration with business executives who lead organizations ranging from small startups to Global 1000 companies—formed the basis for development of the priorities. The process led to the identification of the following 10 overarching research priorities:
• Fostering service infusion and growth
• Improving well-being through transformative service
• Creating and maintaining a service culture
• Stimulating service innovation
• Enhancing service design
• Optimizing service networks and value chains
• Effectively branding and selling services
• Enhancing the service experience through cocreation
• Measuring and optimizing the value of service
• Leveraging technology to advance service
For each priority, several important and more specific topic areas for service research emerged from the process. The intent is that the priorities will spur service research by shedding light on the areas of greatest value and potential return to academia, business, and government. Through academic, business, and government collaboration, we can enhance our understanding of service and create new knowledge to help tackle the most important opportunities and challenges we face today.
Purpose
This paper aims to increase the understanding of networks within the service‐dominant logic (S‐D logic) and to demonstrate the importance of interaction between network actors as a driving force behind the co‐creation process.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses rich empirical data from a travel industry network consisting of in‐depth interviews and a survey of approximately 100 meetings professionals.
Findings
The paper conceptualizes the key actors involved in the co‐creation process as Brand Governor, Providers and Customers. In addition, it proposes an advancement of the service brand‐relationship‐value triangle introduced by Brodie et al. by linking the key processes and actors in the triangle. It is found that the network approach provides a deeper understanding of how actors integrate with one another and how this interaction leads to co‐created outcomes that can be translated into value.
Research limitations/implications
Future research could employ empirical material from other studies to increase the reliability of the findings. In particular, the issues of trust and power among actors with regard to S‐D logic are highlighted.
Practical implications
The differences in power could be advantageous for the entire network because the actors are involved in exchange and constantly seeking balance between themselves.
Originality/value
The paper extends the current debate on S‐D logic, especially the co‐creation of value, by highlighting the importance of networks.
Services lie at the very hub of the economic activity of all societies, and interlink closely with all other sectors of the economy. The exponential growth of services internationally has not only intensified competition, but has also simultaneously posed a challenge and an opportunity for the managers of services. This study examines the factors underlying the growth of services, and emerging views on what constitutes a “resource” for service organisations. To this end, the roles of technology, knowledge and networks are examined as interdependent factors. It is argued here that today’s “resources” are the culmination of various advances in knowledge. Technology facilitates the maintenance of networks with customers and partners inside and outside the firm. The network of relationships renders the firm’s capabilities “amorphous” in nature. This study suggests that this amorphous knowledge represents the true “resource” in a service firm, and ultimately provides the creative potential for “innovation” – the so-called “core competency”. However, innovation per se does not benefit the firm unless it manifests superior value in the customer-driven marketplace. Moreover, this study argues that service innovation results only when a firm is able to focus its entire energies to think on behalf of the customer.
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate a model for patient co‐creation and learning based on diaries for use in health‐care service development. In particular, the study aims to investigate the process of patient co‐creation and different mechanisms through which health‐care service providers can learn from the patient.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on an action research approach. First, a development phase for patient co‐creation and learning leading to a proposed model was conducted. Second, a test phase of the diary‐based method was performed on 53 patients in three cases: orthopaedic care, rehabilitation care and gastroenterology care.
Findings
The study suggests a model for co‐creation and learning in health‐care service development through three learning methods. First, the model may be used as a means for generating and collecting patient ideas; second, a single patient's story can be illustrated and can serve as incentive for health‐care service development and creation of patient‐centred care; finally, a larger number of diaries can be analysed and combined with patient surveys to provide a deeper understanding of how the patient experiences health care services.
Originality/value
This study extends the research on diary‐based methods as an operationalisation of co‐creation in two ways. First, the study offers new and more diverse ways of using the rich material provided by customer diaries in the development of services. Second, the study suggests a co‐creation approach of involving patients in health‐care service development through patient diaries.
- This paper describes the process of inducting theory using case studies from specifying the research questions to reaching closure. Some features of the process, such as problem definition and construct validation, are similar to hypothesis-testing research. Others, such as within-case analysis and replication logic, are unique to the inductive, case-oriented process. Overall, the process described here is highly iterative and tightly linked to data. This research approach is especially appropriate in new topic areas. The resultant theory is often novel, testable, and empirically valid. Finally, framebreaking insights, the tests of good theory (e.g., parsimony, logical coherence), and convincing grounding in the evidence are the key criteria for evaluating this type of research.
Communication can be seen as the main ingredient in medical care. In reviewing doctor-patient communication, the following topics are addressed: (1) different purposes of medical communication; (2) analysis of doctor-patient communication; (3) specific communicative behaviors; (4) the influence of communicative behaviors on patient outcomes; and (5) concluding remarks. Three different purposes of communication are identified, namely: (a) creating a good inter-personal relationship; (b) exchanging information; and (c) making treatment-related decisions. Communication during medical encounters can be analyzed by using different interaction analysis systems (IAS). These systems differ with regard to their clinical relevance, observational strategy, reliability/validity and channels of communicative behavior. Several communicative behaviors that occur in consultations are discussed: instrumental (cure oriented) vs affective (care oriented) behavior, verbal vs non-verbal behavior, privacy behavior, high vs low controlling behavior, and medical vs everyday language vocabularies. Consequences of specific physician behaviors on certain patient outcomes, namely: satisfaction, compliance/adherence to treatment, recall and understanding of information, and health status/psychiatric morbidity are described. Finally, a framework relating background, process and outcome variables is presented.
Social support is critical for improving patients’ health outcomes. People living with chronic diseases are often socially excluded and thus face many challenges in their lives. The type and amount of social support they receive from online health care communities can potentially enhance their quality of life. This research verifies emotional support, informational support, companionship, and relatedness as four categories of online social support pertinent in health care communities. In examining the detailed effects of multidimensional online social support on physical, psychological, and existential quality of life, this research finds that the impact of emotional support on psychological quality of life is most effective. An empirical survey of 349 participants finds that the influential outcomes of online social support on quality of life depend on stigmatized patients’ perceptions of their level of social exclusion. In general, stigmatized patients with high levels of social exclusion seek a variety of online social support and attain a more improved quality of life than those patients with lower levels of social exclusion. This research recommends that the health care sector emphasize patients’ synergies and develop online customer resources to extend the limited medical support available.
The context in which service is delivered and experienced has, in many respects, fundamentally changed. For instance, advances in technology, especially information technology, are leading to a proliferation of revolutionary services and changing how customers serve themselves before, during, and after purchase. To understand this changing landscape, the authors engaged in an international and interdisciplinary research effort to identify research priorities that have the potential to advance the service field and benefit customers, organizations, and society. The priority-setting process was informed by roundtable discussions with researchers affiliated with service research centers and networks located around the world and resulted in the following 12 service research priorities:
Despite significant interest in value propositions, there is limited agreement about their nature and role. Moreover, there is little understanding of their application to today's increasingly interconnected and networked world. The purpose of this article is to explore the nature of value propositions, extending prior conceptualisations by taking a service ecosystem perspective. Following a critical review of the extant literature in service science on value propositions, value co-creation, service-dominant logic and networks and drawing on six metaphors that provide insights into the nature of value propositions, we develop a new conceptualisation. The role of value propositions is then explored in terms of resource offerings between actors within micro, meso and macro levels of service ecosystems. We illustrate these perspectives with two real-world exemplars. We describe the role of value propositions in an ecosystem as a shaper of resource offerings. Finally, we provide five key premises and outline a research agenda.
This study focuses on the mechanisms by which professional service providers effectively influence customers to adhere to their expert guidance and advice. Eliciting customer adherence is a critical concern for professional service firms since customers of these need-based (rather than want-based) services are often reluctant to adhere, and nonadherence can result in serious negative consequences to customer well-being and firm resource utilization. The study examines this scenario by developing a conceptual framework that integrates the following three theoretical areas: professional services theory, advice utilization theory, and social cognitive theory. The framework proposes associations between professional service provider actions and customer reactions, including adherence to expert advice, adherence intentions, and organizational resources needed to serve the customer (time cost and monetary cost). The study empirically tests the hypothesized relationships based on professional service provider-customer (physician-patient) interactions in a large health care organization setting using both primary survey data and objective, longitudinal customer data encompassing a 48-month period. Results indicate that advice giving frequency and focus on negative consequences impact customer outcomes and the effects are moderated by perceived customer efficacy and service provider efficacy. The findings shed light on the underlying dynamics of customer adherence to advice in professional service settings and provide guidance as to how that adherence can be effectively elicited.
Qualitative researchers rely — implicitly or explicitly — on a variety of understandings and corresponding types of validity in the process of describing, interpreting, and explaining phenomena of interest. In this article, Joseph Maxwell makes explicit this process by defining five types of understanding and validity commonly used in qualitative research. After discussing the nature of validity in qualitative research, the author details the philosophical and practical dimensions of: descriptive validity, interpretive validity, theoretical validity, generalizability, and evaluative validity. In each case, he addresses corresponding issues of understanding. In conclusion, Maxwell discusses the implications of the proposed typology as a useful checklist of the kinds of threats to validity that one needs to consider and as a framework for thinking about the nature of these threats and the possible ways that specific threats might be addressed.
As the world evolves complex interdependencies, it is more important than ever to pay special attention to service system resiliency and sustainability. The emergence and growth of service science and Service-Dominant (S-D) Logic helps to encourage systems-level thinking and provides at least some initial guidance on developing appropriate ‘mind-sets’ and skills. In turn, this provides the means to be more innovative in developing solutions to ‘wicked’ human problems that growing complexity brings forth. Undoubtedly, some of these innovative solutions must deal with policymaking. And some of these policies may encourage new types of value-propositions that grant shared access rights to resources while developing new rules that allow the co-evolution of dispute resolutions. This invited commentary on service integration and coordination in a complex world should be of value to enterprises and governments searching for ways to adopt a more service-oriented perspective and develop more innovative service offerings.
Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of multiple actors in the value creation process for a preventative health service, and observe the subsequent impact on key service outcomes of satisfaction and customer behaviour intentions to use a preventative health service again in the future.
Design/methodology/approach
– An online self-completion survey of Australian women ( n =797) was conducted to test the proposed framework in the context of a free, government-provided breastscreening service. Data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM).
Findings
– The findings indicate that functional and emotional value are created from organisational and customer resources. These findings indicate that health service providers and customers are jointly responsible for the successful creation of value, leading to desirable outcomes for all stakeholders.
Practical implications
– The results highlight to health professionals the aspects of service that can be managed in order to create value with target audiences. The findings also indicate the importance of the resources provided by users in the creation of value, signifying the importance of customer education and management.
Originality/value
– This study provides a significant contribution to social marketing through the provision of an empirically validated model of value creation in a preventative health service. The model demonstrates how the creation and provision of value can lead to the achievement of desirable social behaviours – a key aim of social marketing.
In this article, abduction is introduced in relation to theorizing in grounded theory. Theoretical insights are inevitable cornerstones of the development of a grounded theory and abduction is worked out as a type of inference that characterizes this development. How abduction could be used in grounded theorizing is shown in a grounded theory research on ‘organizing doubt’, i.e. the way Dutch army units are formed with self-organizing capabilities that can be deployed during crisis operations. The authors show that two concepts from organizational theory that are central in this grounded theory’s analytical framework - i.e. ‘dynamic complexity’ and ‘self-organization’ - are developed and embedded in a substantive theory on ‘organizing doubt’ by abductive reasoning.
Success in business ecosystems that include well-established companies and new ventures requires collaboration and competition, a task that demands strategic thinking to leverage a firm's resources and capabilities. Strategic thinking and the entrepreneurial activities in an ecosystem influence one another in a cycle that perpetuates and even sparks innovation. These interactions vary significantly across four types of business ecosystems—Orchestra, Creative Bazaar, Jam Central, and MOD Station—and determine the success and failures of new ventures and established companies. The nature and effect of the dynamic interactions in a business ecosystem can have profound implications for organizational success.
ISO/TR 20514:2005 describes a pragmatic classification of electronic health records, provides simple definitions for the main categories of EHR and provides supporting descriptions of the characteristics of electronic health records and record systems
Purpose
– Healthcare is among the fastest‐growing sectors in both developed and emerging economies. E‐healthcare is contributing to the explosive growth within this industry by utilizing the internet and all its capabilities to support its stakeholders with information searches and communication processes. The purpose of this paper is to present the state‐of‐the‐art and to identify key themes in research on e‐healthcare.
Design/methodology/approach
– A review of the literature in the marketing and management of e‐healthcare was conducted to determine the major themes pertinent to e‐healthcare research as well as the commonalities and differences within these themes.
Findings
– Based on the literature review, the five major themes of e‐healthcare research identified are: cost savings; virtual networking; electronic medical records; source credibility and privacy concerns; and physician‐patient relationships.
Originality/value
– Based on these major themes, managerial implications for e‐healthcare are formulated. Suggestions are offered to facilitate healthcare service organizations' attempts to further implement and properly utilize e‐healthcare in their facilities. These propositions will also help these stakeholders develop and streamline their e‐healthcare processes already in use. E‐healthcare systems enable firms to improve efficiency, to reduce costs, and to facilitate the coordination of care across multiple facilities.