Title: Two contexts of knowledge intensive service systems: high contact and mass market

Authors: Michael H. Lyons

Addresses: BT Innovate and Design, Adastral Park, Martlesham Heath, Ipswich, IP5 3RE, UK

Abstract: This paper considers two different contexts for KISS – high contact KISS, where there is high degree of ongoing interaction between customer and supplier – and mass-market KISS, which typically provide standardised services via automated systems. It considers how different contexts can affect how two key concepts of service science – value co-creation and the service system – are linked. Within the literature, there are two main views linking these concepts. In one view, value arises from the interaction between service systems. An alternative view sees the service system as a single entity that includes both supplier and customer, who collectively create value. The paper argues that neither description is more accurate than the other, but that high contact KISS are best viewed as a single service system co-creating value, while for mass-market KISS, it is more appropriate to think of a supplier system making value propositions to customer systems.

Keywords: value co-creation; high contact services; mass market services; services management; service science; high contact KISS; mass market KISS; knowledge intensive service systems.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSTM.2011.042594

International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 2011 Vol.16 No.2, pp.160 - 171

Published online: 21 Feb 2015 *

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