Service Through Communication: Conceptualizing Service Systems with Luhmann’s Systems Theory

Daniel Beverungen (), Jens Poeppelbuss (), Simon Hemmrich () and Taskeen Iqbal ()
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Daniel Beverungen: Paderborn University
Jens Poeppelbuss: Universität Bochum
Simon Hemmrich: Paderborn University
Taskeen Iqbal: Universität Bochum

No 150, Working Papers Dissertations from Paderborn University, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics

Abstract: Service research has evolved into an interdisciplinary research field that bridges diverse disciplines, including information systems (IS) and marketing. Nearly two decades ago, the service system concept was introduced as a foundational abstraction in service research, drawing on ideas from the service-dominant logic (S-D logic) of marketing. Despite its widespread adoption in servicebased IS research, the service system concept lacks a solid theoretical foundation, resulting in conceptual ambiguities and overlaps with related constructs, such as service ecosystems. Moreover, it has largely remained a static analytical lens, insufficiently addressing dynamic service phenomena, including value co-destruction. To address these limitations, we propose Luhmann’s systems theory (LST) as a robust explanatory framework for conceptualizing service systems as autopoietic (self-creating) systems in which communication serves as the fundamental mechanism that drives value co-creation. We derive five theoretical propositions from this re-conceptualization that clarify conceptual ambiguity and allow researchers to explore dynamic service phenomena in greater depth. Due to the general approach taken by LST, our conceptualization provides a theoretically grounded and interdisciplinary foundation for advancing service research.

Keywords: service system; service ecosystem; systems theory; service research (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: L80 M15 M31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 50
Date: 2025-07
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