Abstract
This chapter presents a conceptual discourse for embedding the new discipline of service science. It argues for service science to be free of paradigmatic research influences of existing disciplines, proposing service science as an integrative discipline of engineering, technological and, social sciences for the purpose of value cocreation with customers. The chapter argues that thinking of a service organisation from a systems perspective will complement the traditional reductionist position and that together they will provide a sound foundation for the discipline of service science. The chapter then goes on to put forward a research agenda for service science, considering five salient issues for knowledge production. The argument for service science knowledge production is located alongside disciplinary knowledge of service, in so doing, suggesting that service science is not a logical development within any discipline and that the time is right for it to emerge into a discipline of its own.
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Notes
- 1.
IBM SSME website, http://www.research.ibm.com/ssme/
- 2.
As Newton wrote, “A Naturalist would scearce [sic] expect to see ye science of [colours] become mathematicall, and yet I dare affirm that there is a much certainty in it as in any part of Opticks” (The correspondence of Isaac Newton ed. HW Turnbull, JP Scott, A Rupert Hall, Laura Tilling, 7 volumes, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1959-177 1:96)
- 3.
IPS2 comprises the integrated and mutually determined planning, development, provision and use including the option of partial substitution of products and services over the lifecycle. IPS2 working group was founded by the International Academy for Production Engineering and is a community of 550 members from 41 countries with a strict limitation of membership. See http://www.lps.rub.de/schwerpunkt/cirp/
- 4.
Cloud computing is the development and usage of Internet-based (hence, “cloud”) computer technology (hence “computing”). Cloud computing signifies IT-related capabilities that are provided “as a service”, allowing users to access technology-enabled services from the Internet with little knowledge of, expertise with, or control over the technology infrastructure that supports them.
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Ng, I., Maull, R., Smith, L. (2011). Embedding the New Discipline of Service Science. In: Demirkan, H., Spohrer, J., Krishna, V. (eds) The Science of Service Systems. Service Science: Research and Innovations in the Service Economy. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-8270-4_2
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