Calls for papers

 

International Journal of Services Sciences

 

Special Issue on: "Innovative Information Technology in the Service Sector"

Guest Editors:
Dr. Sandor Ujvari, University of Skövde, Sweden
Dr. Olli-Pekka Hilmola, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Finland

The service sector has increased significantly in developed nations, and is also booming in emerging countries. In some cases, services account 60-80% of nations’ GDP. However, service sector productivity has remained the same for decades, and the sector is only getting larger due to increased prosperity – simplistically speaking, the service sector hinders productivity, a paradox which should be solved in order that further development in the economic wealth and employment can be reached. Currently, economic development in developed nations relies on consumer spending, but its further positive effects are limited due to lack of constant productivity improvements. We have identified that innovative information technology solutions have the most potential to solve the productivity paradox in this sector.

Innovative information technology could involve, for example, real-time follow-up of capacity utilisation in maintenance services, providing online instructions for security workers at factories or using e-prescriptions in the healthcare sector or other e-type solutions for governmental services. In logistics and manufacturing services, areas of interest include real-time follow-up around the globe and automated (within required flexibility and adaptability) operations, among multi-customer information technology solutions. Retail sector studies could include unmanned cash registers, where customers take care of payments through use of mobile barcodes or RFID – these technologies empowered by larger information technology systems also enable the construction sector to improve its productivity.

We are particularly interested in case studies from the service sector, to enable the widest dissemination of research results. However, several manuscripts have been planned to include macroeconomic analyses as well as developed frameworks for specific sectors. Productivity should be understood in larger setting, not only concerning productivity of labour, but also working capital, fixed capital, overheads, and indirect and direct purchases.

Subject Coverage
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, areas of applying innovative information technology in:

• Industrial support services (e.g. maintenance, security)
• Logistics services (warehousing, transportation, packaging, reverse logistics)
• Manufacturing services (contract manufacturing)
• Healthcare (hospitals, pharmacies, insurance companies)
• Retail sector
• Passenger transportation (airlines, railways, busses)
• Construction services
• Governmental services

Notes for Prospective Authors

Submitted papers should not have been previously published nor be currently under consideration for publication elsewhere

All papers are refereed through a peer review process. A guide for authors, sample copies and other relevant information for submitting papers are available on the Author Guidelines page

Important Dates

Full paper due: 30 April, 2009

Notification of acceptance: 30 June, 2009

Final version of the paper due: 30 September, 2009