This thesis explores supply network structures, from the perspective of service innovation, over a period of five years (2005-2010). The initiating actor in the network, a financial institution, could be regarded as being the source, or at least the catalyst, for network interactions linked to service innovation. Research underpinning this thesis investigates the nature of network interactions. Of particular interest are interactions that co-created opportunities at the point of knowledge exchange, which in turn led to innovative value propositions. The services sector generates over 70% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in developed economies and over 50% in developing ones. Nonetheless, most innovation-related research has focussed on goods rather than services (Paton and McLaughlin, 2008). In studies of services the focus of attention is generally the enabling Information and Communications Technology (ICT) provision. This focus, however, reinforces a goods- dominant view of innovation; namely, that services follow advances in knowledge associated to tangible goods - the ICT. Moreover, most such studies have focused their analysis at the dyad level. Literature reviewed led to a greater understanding of how a service innovation takes places within a supply network, what enables such an innovation, and what characteristics can be associated to a particular level of analysis. Answers contribute to theory building in the field of Supply Chain Management (SCM) field (Madhavan et al., 2004, Wu and Choi, 2005, Dubois and Fredriksson, 2008, Choi and Wu, 2009a, 2009b, Li and Choi, 2009, Wu et al., 2010), by evidencing that dynamic triads within a network are the key to fostering service innovation. Research was exploratory, embracing an inductive theory-building methodology based on a qualitative approach. Altogether, 42 semi-structured interviews were conducted, transcribed and analysed; and 265 documents (hardcopies, electronic files, e-mails and web sites) were examined. Research was undertaken in three stages: initial exploration, in-depth research and findings validation. The method led to an iterative dialogue between data collection and analysis, supported by NVivo, which allowed pattern identification and category coding (labelling). Three issues highlight changes in the triads observed: a focal dyad, roles played by participating actors, and network interactions among actors. Findings helped develop a proposal for the de Vries (2006) service system model—used in literature on services—to include a set of customers, a set of suppliers, a set of buyers and a set of outcomes interacting through their respective competencies and technologies. This model has already been used in service literature, and the enriched model proposed by the researcher is one he argues can strengthen SCM literature.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:586841 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Yanez-Arenas, Javier |
| Publisher | University of Glasgow |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://theses.gla.ac.uk/4751/ |
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