The service sector consolidates competitiveness in advanced economies and assures social welfare in less economically developed countries. Nowadays, it is widely recognized that the success and vitality of the service sector are essential factors in measuring an economy's progress and its future. While the service sector has grown in importance, it has not received a commensurate degree of scientific attention. Studies of the service sector tend to be generalized, lumping together a variety of important fields. It is necessary to focus on the new approaches of the service management literature, such as, the exploitation of social media and technology in value co-creation, crowdsourcing, open innovation (e.g. Akana et al., 2012; Sigala, 2012; Gottfridsson, 2012; Papastathopoulou and Hultink, 2012; Vargo et al., 2008; Prahalad and Ramaswamy, 2004).

 

 

Moreover, new technologies are not only transforming service management, but they also revolutionalise our understanding of services, value creation and service innovation. In this vein, numerous theoretical and practical pressures justify the need to advance research in service management by engaging in processual theorizing [i.e. understanding the temporal dynamics of investigated phenomena in their context or multiple contexts (for example, see Langley, 1999)] as well as by employing different methodologies, perspectives and approaches.

 

This special issue aims to publish conceptual and empirical studies that enhance our understanding of the new approaches and technologies applied to service concepts and management issues in a dynamic market environment. The special issue welcomes manuscripts that capture and investigate trends, challenges and the impacts that these collaborative technologies impose to service researchers and managers alike. We encourage manuscript submissions that follow a wide variety of research methodologies (qualitative or/and quantitative), are based on various disciplines and concentrate on various geographical and business contexts.

 

Topics

 

 Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:

 

 

• New approaches to service management

 

• Social media, creativity and service innovation

 

• New and collaborative technologies in service management

 

• Value creation in virtual markets

 

• Service ecosystems and value creation

 

 

 

Paper submission and review process

 

To be considered for publication in the special issue, manuscripts must be received by the 30 April, 2014.

 

Papers submitted will be subject to a double-blind peer reviewing process to ensure that this special issue maintains the excellent reputation and record of Management Decision.

 

All submissions must adhere to the format and style guidelines of the journal Management Decision. A guide for authors, sample copies and other relevant information for submitting papers are available at:

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/md.htm.

 

Please read through the author guidelines on the website before submitting your paper.

 

Submissions to Management Decision are sent through ScholarOne's Manuscript Central, http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/md.

 

 

Registering on ScholarOne Manuscripts

 

·         To register please follow the instructions below:

·         Log on to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/md

·         Click on the create account link at the top right of the screen.

·         Follow the on-screen instructions, filling in the requested details before proceeding

·         Your username will be your email address and you have to input a password of at least 8 characters in length and containing two or more numbers

·         Click 'Finish' and your account has been created

 

Submitting an article

 

·         Once Registered go to http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/md with your username and password. This will take you through to the Welcome page.

·         (To consult the Author Guidelines for this journal click on the Home Page link in the Resources column).

·         Click on the Author Centre button.

·         Click on the ‘click here to submit a new manuscript’ link which will take you through to the Manuscript Submission page.

·         Complete all fields and browse to upload your article. Please include your structured abstract in your article file.

·         At the 'please select the type of issue' (Details & Comments step) please highlight “Managing Services: New approaches and Technologies” in the dropdown list

·         You must upload a minimum of 2 files: An anonymous article file (you should upload the title page – with all author contact details - as a separate file) because we operate double blind peer review

·         When all required sections are completed, preview your .PDF proof.

·         Submit your manuscript.

 

Please contact manuscriptcentral@emeraldinsight.com if you require any assistance.

After you have submitted your paper you will receive an email indicating that your paper has been received together with its unique identity number. This means that the Editor, Publisher, and Reviewers will be able to process your paper in addition to you being able to track your paper at each stage of the publishing process.

 

Should you have any question, please e-mail directly the Guest Editors of the Special Issue at the following e-mail addresses:

Dr Marianna Sigala, m.sigala@aegean.gr  

Dr Emmanuella Plakoyiannaki, emplak@econ.auth.gr

Dr Daniel Palacios, dapamar@doe.upv.es

 

 

References

Akaka, M.A., Vargo, S.L., & Lusch, R.F. (2012),"An Exploration of Networks in Value Cocreation: A Service-Ecosystems View". In Stephen L. Vargo, Robert F. Lusch, in (ed.) Special Issue - Toward a Better Understanding of the Role of Value in Markets and Marketing (Review of Marketing Research, Volume 9), Emerald Group Publishing Limited: 13 - 50

Gottfridsson, P. (2012). Joint service development – the creations of the prerequisite for the service development. Managing Service Quality, 22 (1), pp.21 - 37

Langley, A. (1999), Strategies for Theorizing from Process Data. Academy of Management Review, 24(4), pp. 691-710.

Papastathopoulou, P. & Erik Jan Hultink, E. J. (2012). New Service Development: An Analysis of 27 Years of Research. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 29(5), pp. 705-714.

Prahalad, C.K. & Ramaswamy, V. (2004). Co-creation experiences: the next practice in value creation. Journal of Interactive Marketing. 18(3): 5 – 13

Sigala, M. (2012). Exploiting web 2.0 for New Service Development: findings and implications from the Greek tourism industry. International Journal of Tourism Research, 14, pp. 551 – 566

Vargo, S., Maglio, P. & Akaka, M. (2008). On value and value co-creation: A service systems and service logic perspective. European Management Journal, 26: 145 – 152