Service-Dominant Logic in the Digital Age—Are Actors still Co-Designers and Creators of Value?
(A2019-4037)

AUTHORS

Christine Falkenreck, Hof University; Ralf Wagner, University of Kassel

KEYWORDS

IoT; S-D-Logic; Co-Creation

ABSTRACT

Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are universally understood as transforming the manufacturing and services sectors. Service-Dominant (S-D) logic focuses on a dynamic, ongoing way to co-create value through resource integration and service exchange. Our paper addresses the following question: In the light of the IoT, does the second axiom of S-D logic—value is co-created by multiple actors, always including the beneficiary—still hold true for Business-to-Business relationships in the digital age? What does “co-creation of value” mean in the context of digital services? We discuss a background of disruption management, imbalanced relationships and the three roles S-D logic proposes in the context of digital service exchange: ideator, designer, and intermediary. Finally, we identify contexts where the existing theory-based assumption of S-D logic—co-creation of value—does not hold or is not applicable and propose theory enhancement.