Service and value in the interactive business landscape

This paper develops the concepts of service and value within an interactive business landscape. The paper builds on the IMP Group's general conceptualisation of the business process as one of substantive interaction between activities, resources and the actors associated with them (Håkansson et al., 2010). The paper grounds the conceptual discussion in a typical case study of the business process. The paper then analyses the case study using the IMP conceptualisation, contrasting this with the conventional Marketing Management Framework and the Service Dominant Logic (SDL) approach. This analysis leads to the development of a framework for service and value creation as a systemic interactive process of multiple, reciprocal and sequential problem-coping with effects on a number of levels. The paper applies the framework for service and value creation to the analysis of a more detailed case study. Finally, the paper draws a number of conclusions about the nature of service and value in the business landscape for researchers and practitioners.

► Service in the business landscape is a systemic process producing different positive and negative value for multiple actors.
► The value of a service is not confined to the provision by one company (supplier) to an apparent receiver (customer).
► Service and value creation as a systemic interactive process of multiple, reciprocal and sequential problem-coping.