Research outcomes

The thesis takes into account the recent research challenges in the area of service research in information systems, especially with concern to the priorities of the ‘user, usage and utility’ research agenda (Brenner et al., 2014), from which emerge the key research topics of the thesis (i.e. the concept of service value, the role of the user in service processes and the user’s perspective in service analysis and design). The thesis aims at contribution to the development of interdisciplinary approaches for the study of service systems that combine the concerns of the providers about technologies and business operations/ models and the users about service usage and utility/ value. For this, it adopts an interdisciplinary, value-driven and user-centered approach for the study of service systems and proposes a research framework that integrates the technological, the business and the usage aspects of service systems. This framework provides the baseline for the study of the concept of value in service systems, the role of the user in service processes, and the user’s perspective in service analysis and design. In sum, the thesis produces the following research outcomes:

a) The three-domain framework for the study of service systems (in chapter 3).

b) Two conceptual models of service value that represent the ecosystemic/

global perspective and the user’s perspective on service value, respectively (in chapter 4).

c) A categorization of customer participation in joint value activities (in chapter 5).

d) The User-Service-Technology method for service analysis and design from the user’s perspective (in chapter 6).

We proposed at the beginning an interdisciplinary framework for the study of service systems that includes three domains of service research (i.e. ‘three-domain framework’): the Technology Domain, the Business Domain and the User Domain. The framework combines, hence, the different concerns of the technology providers, the service providers and the service users and provides a basis for the development of integrated approaches in service research in information systems that examine the different aspects of service provision and service usage – or even user-oriented research approaches that emphasize on the analytical perspective of the service user.

The three-domain framework employs service value as the underlying concept of service phenomena in the Technology, the Business and the User Domains and the integrative glue of the three domains. We argue the concept of value transcends the three domains of the framework, integrates the different priorities and concerns and can serve to the conceptual integration of technological architectures, business processes and model and service usage in the life practices of the user.

For the further analysis of the concept of service value we introduced two conceptual models that describe the key value concepts and relationships in service systems, in order to improve understanding and support the analysis and design of service systems. The first conceptual model takes a global view on the three-domain framework and portrays value-related concepts and relationship in service ecosystems, while the second conceptual model zooms in the User Domain and emphasizes on the user’s perspective in service value.

For the analysis of the role of the user in service processes, we emphasized on the participation of the user in joint value activities with the provider for the development of the service offering (i.e. co-production). We developed a categorization that spotlights on the Business Domain and the interaction between the Business Domain and the User Domain. The proposed categorization of customer participation highlights joint value activities for the design of the service offering through customization and personalization, the co-production of the service offering through self-service platforms and do-it-yourself configurations, and the development of service innovations through feedback provision and open innovation processes.

The user’s perspective in service analysis and design takes into account the meaning of service for the user and examines how the user integrates and uses services in his daily life practices in order to create value. Hence, it draws the attention to the use of services in the daily activities of the user, rather than to the processes of the providers and the technologies they use. For the development of the user’s perspective in service analysis and design we adapted the three-domain framework to the needs of the use of mobile services and developed the User-Service-Technology method for service analysis and design. This method concentrates on the User Domain and can provide answers to the basic questions of what, how, when, where and why in service analysis and design. It begins with the requirements and the analysis of the context of the user and proceeds with the analysis of service offerings and the technologies that are required for service development and provision. Service use is manifested in the relationship between the tasks/ activities of the user and the service that is provided. The relationship between service and technologies highlights the business and technological models that are used for service provision. Table 7.1 summarizes the outcomes of the thesis with respect to their research scope and the particular objectives

Table 7.1 Research outcomes, scope and objectives provides the background for the development of the other research outcomes. In other words, the other research outcomes examine some particular topics and develop some specific aspects of the three-domain framework.

Figure 7.1: The relationship of the research outcomes