Conceptualising the Value-in-Use of Services for Researchers

Abstract

The research area of value-centred and customer-centred service design transforms customers' needs in marketable offers. This field is dominated by a focus on services that are individually oriented towards people and their values and gives providers a competition advantage. Even outside the market, in the practical field of research, there has been an increasing demand for individual and collaborative support for several years. However, it has been barely investigated so far, how offers for research-related services can benefit from market approaches. This paper is dedicated to addressing this issue and draws on the "value-in-use" as a basis for design described in service-dominant logic. Therefore, a theoretical model is used that transfers goal dimensions and so-called activated work resources as conceptualisation levels to the professional context of researchers. In an empirical study these levels are specified with the subjective perception of value from 14 service experiences. The resulting findings build a deep understanding of the various levels of possible value and how this value can be created for researchers when using services.

Keywords: Value-in-Use; forschungsnahe Dienstleistungen; Service-dominierte Logik.