Service Science And Accounting

Abstract

The evolution of a new discipline of service science will creatively disturb the relationship between more established business disciplines. Each discipline is not an independent silo. As a result the purpose of this paper was to explore, at this early stage, how the new discipline may create opportunities for interdisciplinary scholarship. The specific purpose of this paper was to explore how service science might interact with the scholarly and professional practice of accounting. Accounting practice is dominated by a stewardship proposition. The stewardship proposition is a problem because typical service science investments will receive unfavorable treatment. Accountings other major proposition is valuation. Areas of opportunity for positive contributions from a service science approach are discussed. Service science, as viewed through an accounting lens, will have to find ways to overcome measurement and reporting methods that will not afford service science investments the full benefit of their strategic potential. Several avenues for research into ways service science can improve accounting scholarship are suggested.