Search results
1 – 10 of over 3000Stephen L. Vargo, Robert F. Lusch, Melissa Archpru Akaka and Yi He
Robert F. Lusch and Stephen L. Vargo
The purpose of this paper is to respond to the criticism O'Shaughnessy and O'Shaughnessy made of service‐dominant logic in EJM, on behalf of both the paper and the worldwide…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to respond to the criticism O'Shaughnessy and O'Shaughnessy made of service‐dominant logic in EJM, on behalf of both the paper and the worldwide community of scholars that have embraced S‐D logic as historically informed, integrative, transcending and rich in its potential to generate theoretical and practical contributions.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is a critical, conceptual analysis of the fallacious arguments that O'Shaughnessy and O'Shaughnessy developed to argue against the emerging and rapidly developing service‐dominant logic.
Findings
The paper shows that, contrary to the claims of O'Shaughnessy and O'Shaughnessy, S‐D logic: is neither regressive nor intended to displace all other marketing perspectives; is not advocating technology at the expense of explanatory theory; and is pre‐theoretic and intended to be soundly grounded in a manner to assist theory construction.
Research limitations/implications
Theory advancement is critical to marketing and S‐D logic puts special emphasis on the development of theory. It begins to do this by proposing ten foundational premises, which some may wish to refer to as axioms. From these axioms, considerable theoretical work and related empirical research can develop.
Practical implications
O'Shaughnessy and O'Shaughnessy wish to prevent marketing scholars from adopting, advocating, and supporting service‐dominant logic and, as they suggest, taking a backward step. They view the S‐D logic movement as primarily USA‐dominated (which it is not) and are firmly anti‐S‐D logic. The available evidence from around the world suggests that the S‐D logic movement has profound implications for the advancement of both marketing science and marketing practice.
Originality/value
It is critical that S‐D logic should not be viewed as being represented by a single paper but as a body of work that Lusch and Vargo have developed since their initial publication and also the work of a community of scholars working collaboratively to co‐create S‐D logic.
Details
Keywords
In the mainstream normative pricing literature, value assessment is virtually non-existent. Although the resource-based literature recognizes that pricing is a competence…
Abstract
Purpose
In the mainstream normative pricing literature, value assessment is virtually non-existent. Although the resource-based literature recognizes that pricing is a competence, value-informed pricing practices are still weakly grounded in theory. The purpose of this paper is to strengthen the theoretical grounds of such pricing practices.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper applies the emerging service-dominant logic of marketing to pricing. More specifically, it apples the ten foundational premises of service-dominant logic to pricing and it places pricing in the frameworks of one of the major building blocks of service-dominant logic, namely the resource-advantage theory of competition.
Findings
From a service-dominant perspective, price is the reward for the application of specialized knowledge and skills. Pricing is an operant resource, or competence, that assesses customer value, applies it in multi-dimensional price propositions, and implements it in processes of co-creating prices with customers. Value-informed pricing is the central pricing practice within such competences.
Practical implications
Prices vary among others between “good” and “bad”, firms generate competitive advantage not only through value creation, but also through pricing. Learning is key to develop pricing competences.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to ground value-informed pricing at high levels of abstraction in general marketing theory.
Details
Keywords
This paper aims to provide an overview of the European Journal of Marketing's special section on the Forum of Markets and Marketing, “Extending Service‐Dominant Logic”.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide an overview of the European Journal of Marketing's special section on the Forum of Markets and Marketing, “Extending Service‐Dominant Logic”.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach takes the form of a conceptual integration of core concepts in S‐D logic, markets, and marketing.
Findings
This special section provides insight into the complexity of markets by investigating markets as configurations and systems and how value propositions drive value co‐creation.
Research limitations/implications
This introduction to the special section integrates individual contributions toward advancing S‐D logic and suggests that additional research in this area will help to develop a general theory of markets and marketing.
Practical implications
The overview of this special section provides insight into how the development of a positive theory of the market(s) will help to further advance normative marketing theories and practice.
Originality/value
This overview of the special section integrates multiple perspectives on complex, dynamic systems and discusses their contributions to the development of an S‐D logic‐based theory of the market.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to propose and elaborate on a service‐dominant‐logic‐based conceptualization of relationship that transcends traditional conceptualizations.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose and elaborate on a service‐dominant‐logic‐based conceptualization of relationship that transcends traditional conceptualizations.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper consists of a review of traditional conceptualizations of relationship, a review of service‐dominant logic foundational premises that are useful in reframing the concept, and supporting views from the institutional economics and business ecosystems literature.
Findings
A transcending, service‐dominant‐logic‐based conceptualization of relationship as a general term representing the network‐with‐and‐within‐network nature of value creation, with transactions as “temporal isolates” of relationships is suggested.
Originality/value
This higher‐order conceptualization of relationship provides a foundation for better understanding the role of relationship in value creation, as well as its correspondence to transactions and products.
Details
Keywords
Marco Tregua, Danilo Brozovic and Anna D'Auria
The purpose of this article was to provide an outline of the citation practices of “Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing” by Vargo and Lusch (2004) to identify and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article was to provide an outline of the citation practices of “Evolving to a new dominant logic for marketing” by Vargo and Lusch (2004) to identify and discuss the most prominent research topics in which citations were used and to suggest future research based on the results of the analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used a comprehensive framework of citation practices based on iterations of previous literature to analyze the relevant literature, which they identified by accessing, systematically and rigorously, every available contribution matching a set of criteria. The authors then categorized these contributions and highlighted the main topics of research interest in each category.
Findings
The findings identify some of the factors in the continuous development of SDL, the way this new marketing logic permeated the scientific debate, the infusion of Vargo and Lusch (2004) into several contributions framed in the new logic or justified through it, and a general perception of a default reference. Additionally, the findings highlight the main topics of research interest in each category.
Research limitations/implications
The analysis enabled the detection of the original paper's influence through advances in service studies, pollination into other fields of research and continuous scientific debate. The authors have highlighted several avenues for research and proposed future research directions.
Originality/value
This research analyzed the effects of the spread of the SDL cornerstone article and emphasized the advantage of using an in-depth approach to the analysis of studies through a framework applied to more than 4,600 studies.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of rhetorical and narrative strategies in the foundational text of Service-Dominant (S-D) Logic. The author argues that the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of rhetorical and narrative strategies in the foundational text of Service-Dominant (S-D) Logic. The author argues that the success of Vargo and Lusch's (2004a) paper in establishing the foundational premises of the new S-D Logic is greatly aided by their persuasive use of classical rhetorical techniques of word choice, metaphor, and framing as well as the careful construction of a narrative that is guaranteed to be attractive to their audience.
Design/methodology/approach
The author uses techniques of rhetorical and narrative analysis to closely examine some of the principle argument in the foundational text of S-D Logic.
Findings
The author finds that Vargo and Lusch (2004a) make use of a powerful narrative of redemption in which marketing is seen to be saved from a potentially destructive internal struggle by a revelatory shift in perspective. The choice of key framing terms such as “logic”, “evolution”, and “paradigm” is found to have an important rhetorical effect in supporting this persuasive narrative and helping to cast it in a scientifically “inevitable” light.
Originality/value
The findings speak to the vital role played in academic marketing, and in the successful promulgation of a new movement within the academic marketing community, of persuasive language and narrative.
Details
Keywords
David Ballantyne and Robert Aitken
This paper aims to explore how the service‐dominant (S‐D) logic of marketing proposed by Vargo and Lusch impacts on business‐to‐business branding concepts and practice.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore how the service‐dominant (S‐D) logic of marketing proposed by Vargo and Lusch impacts on business‐to‐business branding concepts and practice.
Design/methodology/approach
Vargo and Lusch argue that service interaction comes from goods‐in‐use as well as from interactions between a buyer and a supplier. Their key concepts are examined and the branding literature critically compared.
Findings
Goods become service appliances. Buyer judgments about the value‐in‐use of goods extends the time‐logic of marketing. The exchange concept is no longer transaction bound. Service‐ability (the capability to serve) becomes the essence of a firm's value propositions. Service experience becomes paramount in developing and sustaining the life of a brand.
Research limitations/implications
S‐D logic highlights the need for rigour and clarity in the use of the term “brand”. It also opens up for consideration a variety of previously unexplored contact points in the customer service cycle, expanded to include customer assessments of value‐in‐use.
Practical implications
S‐D logic encourages extending brand strategies into a wider variety of communicative interaction modes.
Originality/value
Some of the issues raised are not new but currently compete for attention in the shadow of media‐dominant approaches to branding.
Details
Keywords
Naushaba Chowdhury, Pravin Balaraman and Jonathan Liu
Over the last five decades, business to business (B2B) marketing has evolved from a transactional model to a behavioral model. This evolution is a consequence of the rise in…
Abstract
Purpose
Over the last five decades, business to business (B2B) marketing has evolved from a transactional model to a behavioral model. This evolution is a consequence of the rise in thoughts of managing customer journeys, services marketing and acknowledging value co-creation amongst stakeholders. The contemporary B2B marketing strategies of relationship, innovation, sustainability and digital marketing that emerge through the literature review are discussed to demonstrate how they add value to the competitive advantage of firms and facilitate co-creation between business partners to help design the customer journey. The purpose of the paper is to discuss how the apparel industry could implement the B2B marketing strategies highlighted and further suggests a framework of value co-creation. The framework shows the journey between business partners followed by the value propositions as service exchange through resource integration within the service ecosystem.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a review of the literature, the evolution of B2B marketing unveils the importance of services marketing and how the marketing strategies discussed add value to the services marketing, this is further explored with propositions of value co-creation between business partners. The propositions are based on the theory of service dominant logic, whereby, the partners in the service ecosystem co-create value from value propositions offered by the business partners in collaboration with supply chain innovation.
Findings
A framework is suggested in the context of the apparel industry that demonstrates the value propositions as a part of the B2B marketing strategy. Through resource integration and collaboration between the business partners, the value propositions in the form of services, are exchanged resulting in value co-creation that leads to the ultimate offering to the end customer.
Research limitations/implications
The service dominant logic theory and the supply chain innovation model are the basis of the framework, showing the value propositions made, are in collaboration between the firm and the supply chain partners. The value propositions in the form of services are exchanged as an outcome of resource integration amongst the business partners resulting in value co-creation which will aid apparel manufacturers differentiate their services and manage customer journeys better. The framework will be further researched through primary research to determine its rationality in the real-world context. The nature of the industry being fast paced, the literature will be outdated in a short span of time and with the vast growth, new strategies will need to be executed eventually.
Practical implications
The paper discusses how the apparel industry can move forward with the B2B marketing strategies highlighted through the literature review and further suggests a framework of value co-creation. This will aid apparel manufacturers to focus their marketing efforts in an era of services marketing and compete better globally with service offerings.
Social implications
The competitive advantage strategies and other key emerging themes of co-creation, value co-creation and customer journeys are highlighted and shows increasing importance to the survival of businesses in an era of service orientation and relationship marketing.
Originality/value
Through a critical literature review of B2B marketing strategies and with the use of theoretical models of service dominant logic and supply chain innovation, the conceptual paper proposes a framework by the authors that allows future research to analyse value co-creation in B2B marketing strategies for the apparel industry.
Details
Keywords
Evert Gummesson, Robert F. Lusch and Stephen L. Vargo
The purpose of this paper is to reflect on actions and obstacles in the conceptual transition from mainstream service management (1970‐2000s) to a new approach synthesized in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to reflect on actions and obstacles in the conceptual transition from mainstream service management (1970‐2000s) to a new approach synthesized in service‐dominant (S‐D) logic (2000s).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper takes the form of a review of approaches to service in the literature, education, and practice in management disciplines and economics.
Findings
S‐D logic has triggered considerable interest in the global academic community. Its ten foundational premises (FPs) hold that service(s) and the roles of suppliers/customers be reconceptualized on a higher level of relevance and generalization. The new logic is not final but – to use its own terminology – is a value proposition that opens up for co‐created theory improvements.
Research limitations/implications
To transition from a goods/services divide to a goods/service union, the platform for future service research requires the superordination of mainstream service management by a new language and lexicon and the generation of new theory; testing of the new theory by comparing its robustness with that of extant theory; conduct of empirical studies through hypotheses‐testing and real world, in‐depth research and the application of complexity theory, network, and systems theory; co‐creation by and between researchers; focus on validity and relevance by using the full range of S‐D logic compatible methods and metrics; and investigation at both micro and macro levels.
Practical implications
Business, marketing, governments, and politicians should focus on service and value and abandon the goods/services and producer/customer divides. Textbooks and educators should transition from outdated concepts and models. Improved education is strongly supported by IBM's service science programme.
Originality/value
The paper suggests that several developments in mainstream service management that once brought attention to service now provide obstacles both in research, education, and practice.
Details