Service Innovation: A Literature Review of Conceptual Perspectives

Abstract

In recent decades, theoretical and empirical contributions on the topic of service innovation have increased significantly, creating an established and growing body of research. In fact, the debate has been enriched over time, feeding on the socio-economic changes happened on recent times, opening up new interesting frontiers of theorization and a starting point for future ones. Despite the amount of research on the subject, the debate has evolved along lines not always shared by all the scholars who, frequently, propose different conceptualizations, definitions and theories regarding service innovation; there is no common core concept at the moment. This paper examines the different lines of theorization related to service innovation research which has occurred over the decades, explaining the perspectives and the ideas that generated them, and highlighting how each of those drove the discussion about service innovation. The aim of the paper is to propose a framework of the evolution of theories on service innovation, analyzing the scientific literature produced on the subject and distinguishing it into homogeneous categories, which share the same approach and objectives.