Co-service

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2.2.2. Co-service

Co-service is a term that has not been specifically and explicitly defined in various academic fields. This research will utilize the term Co-service as a hypothetic variable that related to co-creation. In other words, this research regards Co-service as the unknown variable “x” that is by some means related to Co-creation. From such assumption, that Co-service, much like Co-creation, would be related to practices jointly executed by two or more participating agents such as individual and organizational stakeholders. Also, as a logical extension of Co-creation, it is assumed to be a specific type of collaboration with the intent of achieving by beyond the prospected joint goals. Therefore, as a hypothetical practice related to Co-creation, Co-service is too a word derived from mashing-up the words collaboration and service. Like Co-creation, since this type of collaboration reflects the nature of innovation, which seeks solutions that can satisfy prospect goals and generate values beyond the original vision; thus, co-service is also a practice that reflects innovation through collaboration. To better define and describe Co-service, related literatures from different academic fields that focus on studying the relationship between collaboration and service will be cited and referenced. Since this research focuses on the management and innovation perspectives within the business academic field, only literatures that focus on studying from the management and innovation perspectives would be utilized. Also, since different literatures utilize different vocabulary to explore the relationship between collaboration and service, this research will cite studies that utilize the term

“collaborative services”, and combine various academic perspectives on

“collaborative services” to describe Co-service, since the term “collaborative services” literally suggest a relationship between collaboration and services. Thus,

“collaborative services” is regarded as an interchangeable term with co-service in this section. Although this research explicitly defines the hypothetical variable Co-service in this section, this research will later reverse engineer and prove that Co-service is related to Co-creation.

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Before describing Co-service, it is important to understand the basics of services. Service can be described from the following generic key characteristics (Heizer and Render 2000):

 Intangibility

Services are intangible and insubstantial, thus, there is neither potential nor need for transport, storage or stocking of services. Furthermore, a service can be sold or owned, but it cannot be physically turned over from the service provider to the service consumer. The service delivery can only be commissioned to a service provider who must generate and render the service at the distinct request of a service consumer.

 Perishability

Services are perishable when the relevant resources, processes and systems are assigned for service delivery within a timeframe. If the designated service consumer does not request and consume the service during this period, the service cannot be performed. Services are also perishable when they are completely rendered to the requesting service consumer. Service irreversibly vanishes as it has been consumed.

 Inseparability

The service provider is essential for service delivery as the service provider must promptly generate and render the service to the requesting service consumer. In many cases the service delivery is executed automatically but the service provider must preparatory assign resources and systems and actively keeps up appropriate service delivery readiness and capabilities.

Additionally, the service consumer is an integral part of service delivery because he/she is involved in it from requesting it up to consuming it.

 Simultaneity

Services are produced and consumed during the same period of time. As soon as the service consumer has requested the service to be delivered, the service must be generated and consumed.

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 Variability

Services are often unique. It is one-time generated, rendered and consumed and can never be exactly repeated as the point in time, location, circumstances, conditions, resources are different for the next delivery, even if the same service consumer requests the same service. Many services are regarded as heterogeneous and are typically modified for each service consumer or each new situation.

Co-service, or collaborative service is the practice where the final users are actively involved and assume the role of service co-designers and co-producers (Bala, Cagnin et al. 2008). From this definition, it is apparent that co-service includes subset practices from co-creation, namely, co-design and co-produce. Further, from this definition, there appears to be a relationship between co-service and the developing service via the co-creation practices. Indeed, collaborative services are executed by collaborative organizations that consist of collaborating agents in order to co-create commonly recognized values (Cipolla 2004, Cipolla 2008). Collaborative services focus on developing values emerged from relationship qualities, i.e. out of meaningful and dynamic relationship (Cipolla 2004, Cipolla 2008). Further, Collaborative services is enabled by direct action of the participating agents involved and are based on their capacity/willingness to act (Bala, Cagnin et al. 2008).

Another characterizing aspect of collaborative services is that their organizational model challenges traditional ways of thinking and go beyond the conventional polarities of mainstream modern organizational models including private to public;

consumer to producer; local to global, need to wish (Bala, Cagnin et al. 2008). Most importantly, collaborative services would cause the formation of collaborative organizations that blur the distinction between producer and user (Un, Rocchi et al.

2008). Such characteristics of collaborative services or co-service show a strong resemblance in relationship with the characteristics of co-creation. However, collaborative organizations propose solutions that make private, social and

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environmental interests converge because they are always motivated by a complex mix of needs and wishes (Bala, Cagnin et al. 2008). Namely, they are initiatives that are profoundly rooted in a place and at the same time, strongly connected to other similar ones on a massive scale (Bala, Cagnin et al. 2008). Furthermore, collaborative services are based on a variety of “economy mixes”: different combinations of self and mutual help, barter and gift as well as market and non-market economies (Horst and Luiten 2008). Collaborative services should be considered as bottom-up initiatives not because all of the activities occur at grassroots level, but because the precondition for their existence is the active involvement of people directly interested (Bala, Cagnin et al. 2008). Consequently their starting up, their daily life and their possible improvement usually emerge out of a complex interplay between bottom-up, top-down and peer-to peer interactions (Bala, Cagnin et al. 2008). Collaborative services are supported by specifically designed “enabling solutions”, which describe systems of products, services, communication, and whatever else necessary, to improve the accessibility, effectiveness and ability to replicate a collaborative service (Bala, Cagnin et al. 2008).

However, the initial purpose of collaborative services is to develop “enabling solutions” (Bala, Cagnin et al. 2008), thus, collaborative service, or co-service is a recursive practice.