Both academia and industry unanimously agree on the pivotal role of innovation in driving sustainable economic growth. Business-to-Business (B2B) services constitute a substantial portion of the global economy. The relative magnitude of the B2B market, in comparison with the Business-to-Consumer (B2C) market, is larger in terms of revenues, profits, assets, and overall value. Primarily, innovation in B2B service research has predominantly centered around knowledge and technology within the manufacturing industry, where the commercialization of ideas, in the form of new product development, is deemed as innovation. More precisely, B2B innovations have undergone analysis and discussion across various dimensions and categories, often with a primary focus on the core product. Generally, a firm-centric perspective has prevailed in defining innovation, while the manner in which customers perceive a firm’s innovativeness has been understated. The objective of this chapter is to propose a framework for categorizing B2B innovation features into six distinct types. By introducing the notion of an innovation dimension continuum, we elucidate how varying degrees of basic, advanced, and ecosystem integration solutions impact business customers’ perception of a firm’s innovativeness.

PurposeWe propose a framework to better understand the factors that influence consumers' perceptions of firms' innovativeness and how these, in turn, can inform innovation strategies. These can be factors that are in the customer's view, but also factors behind the line of visibility that indirectly affect innovativeness. We pay particular attention to the challenges of an aging society for innovation management.Design/methodology/approachWe conduct an exploratory analysis of the Spanish Innovation Index database. With the aim of understanding the role of age in this framework, we perform a qualitative content analysis of consumers' expressed opinions about firms' innovativeness (n = 8,100 over five sectors), differentiating between two large population groups: those between 16 and 29 years old and those over 60 years old. The results of this analysis are combined with the proposed framework to provide managerial guidance for innovation management.FindingsInnovation implies useful changes to the status quo. The perceived value of innovation varies between groups. Both are open to change, but the older group seeks clear benefits before adopting new practices. Younger consumers focus on specific attributes, while older ones assess innovation more globally, often rating companies' innovativeness lower. Additionally, older consumers greatly value the perceived changes on their relational experience with firms (i.e. relevance of socialization and customer care). Therefore, companies need to rethink human contact with this segment, particularly in service settings.Research limitations/implicationsFocusing on the aging population, we outline questions based on the proposed framework. We emphasize (1) the role of social and digital innovations in shaping perceived innovativeness, (2) defining a successful integrated marketing campaign and (3) the impact of hiring older workers on perceived innovativeness.Practical implicationsThe article allows for drawing practical implications related to the customer experience at the service frontline. In particular, innovative firms in an aging society should offer integrative solutions instead of focusing solely on features or low prices, respect consumers' habits when altering delivery methods, hire and train empathic frontline employees (i.e., including older staff), and create meaningful interaction spaces.Originality/valueThis article presents a framework to enhance understanding of customers' views on firm innovativeness. Based on qualitative analysis of a new dataset, it provides insights for innovation management in an aging population.

This prescient Handbook adopts an overarching perspective on service experiences in business contexts. Incorporating up-to-date research and empirical case studies, chapters focus on customer experience design, innovation and management in the digital era. The Handbook of Service Experience sheds new light on the field, presenting novel theoretical and managerial insights to enhance our understanding of this complex area. Global experts from academia and practice contribute by addressing key themes, including theoretically conceptualising the service experience and exploring how to leverage digital technologies to better design, innovate and manage customer experience, whilst also acknowledging sustainability considerations, risks and ethical implications. They present different perspectives across various public and private sectors, such as healthcare and the fast-food industry, as well as B2B services, to improve understanding of what a service experience is, how it can be facilitated, when it occurs, and why it is important. Comprehensive in scope, this unique Handbook is an invaluable resource for students and academics in business administration, digital marketing and service design, and organisational, social and occupational psychology. Its detailed practical applications and examinations of service experience will also be highly beneficial to professionals and entrepreneurs alike.

For new services to be successful, users (customers, patients, citizens, etc.) must embrace and sometimes engage in behaviors that are both new and difficult for them. As research has put more and more emphasis on the importance of being user-centric, it is hard to understand why the behavior change that many times are required for the user has not been problematized more. In this chapter we present five evidence-based ways that describe and explain how behavior change can enable important services such as sustainability, education, and health—services make the world a better place. 

This study focuses on how fitness technology services can be designed in order to support the co-creation of motivation to sustain a healthy behavior. The study used an exploratory qualitative design in which we interviewed eight seasoned runners about their running routines and their use of fitness trackers. The result shows that the fitness routines require careful planning and deliberation, and that the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle relies more on what happens between the activities than during said activity. Thus, fitness trackers should focus on feedback that allows users to co-create motivation during intermissions between health promoting behaviors. 

Purpose and motivation: Research has repeatedly shown that physical activity contributes to physical and mental wellbeing. Nevertheless, the gap between intentions and behavior results in sedentary lifestyles, unhealthy habits, and lower wellbeing persists. This Transformative Service Research (TSR) project focuses on creating novel services that enhance the wellbeing of individuals, regardless of resources.

Myriad digital services have been designed to support behavioral changes with the goal of stimulating health, such as starting to exercise, losing weight, or sleeping better. These technological innovations help users integrate resources and manage their value-creation process toward health.

One important strategy for supporting behavior change is to provide feedback that helps users regulate their own behavior. Behavior change requires that digital solutions be designed for motivation and not just loaded with technical features. However, few digital solutions are equipped with functions, such as coaching, that can be adapted to fit the individuals’ value-creation process towards a better health and wellbeing. Therefore, the aims of this study were to explore whether an individually tailored digital service solution could support individual behavior changes, and to examine how the coaches experienced their situation. 

Methodology: We tested how people in need of behavior changes experienced individually tailored digital support. This was done by implementing a protocol for motivational communication via short text messaging (SMS). The participants in this study were clients and wellness consultants at a non-profit organization that helps individuals who need lifestyle changes regarding, for example, unhealthy dietary habits or sedentary lifestyles. The majority of the clients have been prescribed physical activity by a physician. Data consisted of both interviews with the wellness consultants and the clients, and their SMS conversations. The interviews and SMS conversations were analyzed with the aim of identifying themes in the data. The study was approved by an ethical advisor at Karlstad University.

Findings: The preliminary results show that both the wellness consultants and the clients found that the digital solution supported the clients’ motivation for behavior change, and hence goal achievements. The results further indicate that the SMS coaching enhanced the clients’ motivation and maintained an easy rapport between the face-to-face meetings. The added value provided by the SMS coaching to the existing service provision for both wellness consultant and client has led the non-profit organization to permanently offer this service to its clients.  

Originality/value: This study contributes to the growing body of TSR by showing how the application of digital solutions and service research perspectives can support individuals’ behavior change processes and wellness promotion.