Purpose: The philosophical foundations determine how an academic discipline identifies, understands and analyzes phenomena. The choice of philosophical perspective is vital for both marketing and service research. This paper aims to propose a social and systemic perspective that addresses current challenges in service and marketing research by revisiting the philosophy of science debate. Design/methodology/approach: The paper revisits the philosophy of science debate to address the implications of an emergent, complex and adaptive view of marketing and service research. It draws on critical realism by combining structuration and systemic perspectives. Findings: A recursive perspective, drawing on structures and action, is suggested as it includes multiple actors’ intentions and captures underlying drivers of market exchange as a basis for developing marketing and service strategies in practice. This is aligned with other scholars arguing for a more systemic, adaptive and complex view of markets in light of emerging streams in academic marketing and service research, ranging from value cocreation, effectuation, emergence and open source to empirical phenomena such as digitalization, robotization and the growth of international networks. Research limitations/implications: The reciprocal dynamic between individuals and the overarching system provides a reflexivity approach intrinsic to the service ecosystem. This creates new avenues for research on marketing and service phenomena. Originality/value: This paper discusses critics, conflicts and conceptualization in service research. It suggests a possible approach for service research and marketing scholars capable of responding to current complexities and turbulence in economic and societal contexts. 

Purpose The paper investigates how the engagement of a group of actors (the volunteers), previously unexplored in service ecosystems literature, contributes to generating new co-creation activities and well-being outcomes in the healthcare service ecosystem (HSE). Moreover, the study analyses how the provision and integration of volunteers' resources help to explain the HSE self-adjustment favouring the re-humanisation of service.Design/methodology/approach The article zooms in on the volunteers' activities in an HSE. A qualitative approach is adopted, and an empirical investigation is grounded in data gathered from Kids Kicking Cancer (KKC) Italia, a volunteer association operating in the paediatric oncology ward of Italian hospitals. Data are collected and triangulated through in-depth interviews, volunteers' diaries and observations. The analysis is conducted by adopting an interpretative thematic analysis technique.Findings The study provides a conceptual framework explaining how volunteers' value co-creation activities influence the HSE's self-adjustment by leading to a re-humanisation of services. The paper also contributes to the state of knowledge by identifying seven categories of volunteers' value co-creation activities, two of which are completely new in the literature (co-responsibility and empowerment).Originality/value The paper contributes to the service research literature by identifying empirically grounded value co-creation activities extending the understanding of self-adjustment and re-humanisation of the service ecosystem.

This study examines the potential of digital platforms to drive transformative social innovation and create new services that promote social inclusion. By integrating transformative service research (TSR) with social innovation literature, this study presents an interdisciplinary framework that highlights the role of digital platforms in alleviating the suffering of vulnerable populations and fostering happiness, thereby enhancing social conditions and community well-being. Empirical examples, such as Kiva, Duolingo, and Change.org, demonstrate the practical application of this framework in finance, education, and civic engagement. This research advances the conceptual foundation of TSR, offering valuable insights for academics, practitioners, and policymakers seeking to leverage digital platforms for social inclusion and societal improvement.

The digital business phenomenon is a pivotal form of B2B services, involving multiple stakeholders. All involved stakeholders’ activities and interactions need to be orchestrated and ‘on the same page’ within the same time period (i.e., the timing issue).

In the digital business context, there is a limited body of human-centred management literature and empirical studies are needed. Thus, there is still a need for research on managing human activities and interactions in B2B relationships to align with the changing environments – mainly driven by technological advancement.

Business process redesign in inter-firm relationships is one of the main drivers of business value outcomes from digital business use. Redesign of business processes and micro-level processes, such as routines, are of pivotal importance. Three main aspects of routines are: ostensive, performative, and artefactual, which have dynamic interplays with each other.

This paper builds on a dissertation (2021) in marketing and strategy, illustrating empirical digital transformation conditions over two decades.

The contributions are:

(1) providing insights into the complexities of relationship marketing and digital business practices in combination − in relationship contexts.

(2) contributing to draw on routine dynamics theory aspects (e.g., Feldman et al. 2021; Mele, Tuominen, Edvardsson & Reynoso 2023) to analyse the empirical findings from the dissertation (2021), with a focus on value creation processes and outcomes in digital business context. This analysis will zoom in on the activities and interactions performed by managers, champions and co-workers in B2B relationships and routines.

The focal case firms in the dissertation’s five underlying studies on digital business implementation, all perceived the implementation and use processes of their new digital business systems as success stories.

The individual digital business competence quality of top managers and co-workers are the most important success condition. Choosing the appropriate external consultants, as well as sufficient resources for implementation champions are also very important. The management of stakeholder commitment and mutual knowledge transfer between all involved stakeholders during the implementation process was one of the primary critical conditions for implementation success.

The presence of inter-firm top management bonds and inter-firm commitment is typically a necessary pre-condition and driving condition. A clearly communicated project organisation, early involvement of users and symbiosis between the participants in the client−consultant project team, is required for successful transformation processes.

Based on the findings (some of them presented above), and resulting from abductively iterating between the dissertation (2021), and Mele et al. (2023), the paper zooms in on this research question:

How does the management of human activities and interactions shape successful value creation transformed routines and outcomes, for involved stakeholders in B2B relationships?

At the ServSig conference, a routine dynamic informed conceptual framework will be presented. This is focused on the role of engaged actors’ activities and interactions in digital-enabled transformation of B2B relationships. The framework is contextualized using data from the empirical studies mentioned above to show the explanatory power.

There are many approaches to understanding value cocreation embedded in a service ecosystem. Usually, the value cocreation has portrayed “ecosystem as a structure.” In this chapter, the authors emphasize the ecosystem “as an agency,” focusing on the actor’s essential role. The ecosystem lens has developed with the key concepts of actors’ resources and institutional arrangements, shaping value cocreation. Some authors have defined “service ecosystems” as relatively self-contained, self-adjusting systems of resource-integrating actors connected by shared institutional arrangements and mutual value creation through service exchange. Accordingly, value cocreation in service ecosystems is “coordinated through actor-generated institutions and institutional arrangements.” However, the authors argue that the key role of actors, their collaboration, and the orchestration of research in value cocreation processes is still underdeveloped and needs more attention. Agency-structure theories should then discuss the actor’s key role for value cocreation by looking at both societal- and individual-focused realms, thus including social aspects of service ecosystems. Next, the chapter offers a brief review of the service ecosystem literature and discusses the key role of collaborating actors in service ecosystems; finally, it provides suggestions for future service research grounded in a service ecosystem view on value cocreation.

PurposeThe 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/approachThis 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. FindingsThe 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 implicationsThe 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/valueThe 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.

This paper argues that the theoretical foundation for studying the ecosystemic nature of value creation is lacking within the public service logic (PSL). To address this limitation, the paper uses a theory synthesis to clarify service-related key concepts and develop four premises that position PSL as an ecosystemic framework. These premises 1) position PSL as a mid-range theoretical framework, 2) propose the service ecosystem as an analytical framework, 3) define service (not services) as the basis for PSL, and 4) acknowledge the mediating role of the public service organization in value co-creation. Research directions guide the future development of PSL.

Purpose: Service managers increasingly strive to achieve sustainability through strategies centered on circularity. With a focus on saving, extending and (re)generating resources and their enclosing service systems, circularity can contribute to environmental, social and financial gains. Yet, the notion of circularity is surprisingly understudied in service research. This article seeks to provide an initial conceptual understanding of circular service management, introducing illustrative strategies and research priorities for circular service management. This paper provides a roadmap for scholars, practitioners and policymakers to develop a deeper understanding of the opportunities from adopting circular services. Design/methodology/approach: The authors explore the concept of circular service management by drawing upon existing literature on sustainability, circularity and service research. Strategies of circular service management and research priorities emerge on the basis of industry best practice examples and research on sustainability challenges and opportunities. Findings: Service researchers have largely ignored the concept and role of circularity for service businesses. Extant research on the topic nearly exclusively features in non-service journals and/or does not seek to advance service theory through circularity. This article argues that circular service management enables the implementation of service thinking in the pursuit of sustainability and outlines four types of circular service management strategies. Originality/value: The authors introduce the concept of circular service management and highlight the role of service research for designing and managing circular systems and operations. This article also offers a research agenda connecting managerial challenges and opportunities with key service research priorities for circular service management. This provides a roadmap for scholars, practitioners and policymakers to develop a deeper understanding of pursuing circular services, thereby contributing to a more sustainable future. 

Purpose: A small group of pioneering founders led the creation and early evolution of the service research field. Decades later, this article shares timeless service wisdom from ten of those pioneering founders. Design/methodology/approach: Bowen and Fisk specified three criteria by which to identify a pioneering founder. In total, 11 founders met the criteria (Bateson, Berry, Bitner, Brown, Chase, Edvardsson, Grönroos, Gummesson, Parasuraman, Schneider and Zeithaml) and were invited to join Bowen and Fisk – founders that also met the criteria as coauthors. Ten founders then answered a set of questions regarding their careers as service scholars and the state of the field. Findings: Insightful reflections were provided by each of the ten pioneering founders. In addition, based on their synthesis of the reflections, Bowen and Fisk developed nine wisdom themes for service researchers to consider and to possibly act upon. Originality/value: The service research field is in its fifth decade. This article offers a unique way to learn directly from the pioneering founders about the still-relevant history of the field, the founders’ lives and contributions as service scholars and the founders’ hopes and concerns for the service research field.

As one of the retailer’s most potent recovery tactics to offset disgruntled customers, firms invest heavily in compensation to increase customer satisfaction and improve loyalty. However, the effectiveness of this tactic remains unclear. This study examines whether firm-offered compensation affects customers’ emotional responses and bad-mouthing behavior (i.e., telling others about a particular problem). Importantly, the study investigates whether the level of collaboration during the recovery encounter moderates the link between compensation and customers’ emotional responses, and whether collaborative efforts influence the effectiveness of compensation. The findings indicate that collaboration during the recovery encounter is necessary if compensation is to mitigate negative emotional responses, with downstream effects on bad-mouthing behavior. In confirming the importance of collaboration during recovery encounters, the findings have critical managerial and financial implications.