Research methodology

The thesis follows the principles of conceptual research with the aim of making theoretical contribution in service research in information systems. The lack of existing interdisciplinary theories in this research field and the expressed need for the development of new, interdisciplinary research methods makes necessary the development of a proper conceptual background that will serve as the basis for the development of new theories, approaches and methods.

Conceptual analysis can support in this effort with the development of new ideas and concepts or the examination of the existing ones. In conventional theory building approaches, conceptual research is usually an initial part of the theory development process, providing the conceptual basis for theory development. In business management and in social sciences in general, conceptual and

theoretic contributions have their own merit, as they allow the enrichment of the research domain with additional concepts and fresh ideas (e.g. Weick, 1989).

It is widely recognized that the literature of service management can provide the theoretical foundations for the study of service systems. The thesis takes an interdisciplinary approach that combines the research requirements for the analysis and design of information service systems with the background knowledge of the recent service management literature in order to cross-fertilize the research field and develop new concepts and perspectives for the analysis and design of service systems.

The development of the thesis takes the following procedure:

a) setting the initial motivation, the research scope and the research objectives (chapter 1),

b) reviewing the state of the art (chapter 2),

c) developing an interdisciplinary approach for the study of service systems (chapter 3) and analyzing specific topics that refer to the concept of service value (chapter 4), the role of the user in service processes (chapter 5) and the perspective of the user in service analysis and design (chapter 6), and

d) discussing the research outcomes, the implications and the potential uses (chapter 7).

The research methodology is depicted in table 1.2.

Thus far we overviewed the recent developments in the interdisciplinary area of service research in information systems in order to develop a general understanding and identify the recent research trends and the major challenges in this area. Hence, we recognized the necessity for the development of interdisciplinary approaches for the study of service systems and distinguished the significance of the concept of service value, the role of the user and the analysis of service usage. Based on this, we defined the scope and the research objectives and decided for the research methodology.

Conceptual analysis requires a deep understanding of the research domain in order to choose the right concepts, analyze their content and relationships, and recognize limitations and knowledge gaps. In general, a new conceptual framework is based on the existing literature and needs to be connected to the existing literature in order to be regarded as meaningful and a novel contribution.

For this we review the state of the art in service research in information systems with concern to the major research streams and the key issues of the thesis. In addition, we examine the field of service management, aiming to distinguish the key theoretical approaches and research frameworks and the key concepts and relationships they propose that can support the objectives of the thesis.

Table 1.2: Research Methodology

STAGE RESEARCH ACTIVITY RESEARCH OBJECTIVE 1 Motivation, research scope

and objectives

Development of general understanding Analysis of the general research themes Identification of the research challenges Definition of the research topic and objectives Designation of the research methodology 2 Review of the state of the

art

Deep understanding of the domain knowledge Juxtaposition and critical analysis of the domain know-ledge

Designation of the relevant theories/

frameworks and the key research variables 3 Theoretical and conceptual

development Development of a framework for the study of service systems

Conceptual development of the idea of service value

Conceptual development of the role of the customer in joint value activities in service systems

Conceptual development of the user’s

perspective in the analysis of service systems

4 Evaluation Case study analysis

Rational argumentation Scenario development

Regarding the theoretical and conceptual development, we develop at the beginning an interdisciplinary research framework that integrates the technological, the business and the user’s concerns in service systems and proposes the value perspective in the analysis and design of service systems.

This framework is supplemented with two conceptual models about the notion of value in service systems. We focus on the relationship between the customer and the provider in order to outline a categorization of the different types of customer participation in joint value activities with the provider. Next we zoom in the activities of the digital user and develop the user’s perspective on service analysis and design.

The evaluation process is based on the use of examples, case studies, scenarios and argumentation based on the results of the existing literature. In particular, the interdisciplinary research framework is compared to the conceptual background of the OASIS SOA Reference Architecture Foundations.

The value perspective in the analysis and design of service systems is justified according to the premises of the literature of service science and service systems engineering and it is further examined in the two conceptual models of service value. The categorization of the types of customer participation in joint

value activities is evaluated with the use of a case study. The user’s perspective in service analysis and design is explained with the use of a scenario about the daily life activities of the individual.