Embedding the new Discipline of Service Science
Professor Irene Ng, Professor Roger Maull and Laura Smith
Centre for Service Research, University of Exeter Business School
Forthcoming in Ng, Irene C.L., Roger Maull and Laura Smith (2009), “Embedding the new Discipline of Service Science”, in The Science of Service Systems, Demirkan, H, J.H. Spohrer and V. Krishna Eds, volume in “Service Science: Research and Innova-tions (SSRI) in the Service Economy” Book Series, Springer

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 dis-cipline of engineering, technological and, social sciences for the purpose of value cocreation with customers. The chapter argues that thinking of a service organisa-tion from a systems perspective will complement the traditional reductionist posi-tion 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 ar-gument 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.
Key Words
Service science, systems theory, complex service systems, viable systems mod-el, value-in-use, value co-creation