Service Science, Quo Vadis?

The world is dominated by service-based economies. The service sector in developed economies accounts for over 75% of economic activities. The industrial and agrarian economic activities amount to around 20% and 5%, respectively. Despite their dominant position, services are the least studied part of the economy. This is partly attributed to the complexity and diversity of services, and inherent difficulties in providing a comprehensive theoretical foundation with well-defined concepts, tools, methods, and practical implications. Service science is an emerging discipline that fills in the gap. It is an interdisciplinary endeavor bringing together economics, management, engineering, and information and system sciences. The authors present a concise historical account of the development of economic activities leading to the present body of services. Aspects of service diversity and evolution are addressed. Scientific approaches to elucidation of services are overviewed. They are organized into four logical categories and examined from both macro and micro-level viewpoints. The emerging service science requires effort in synthesizing partial knowledge from individual disciplines and encompassing both micro and macro characteristics of services. A future perspective on service science is also offered.