Research in the Decision Sciences for the Service Economy

Book excerpt: The papers in this volume present state-of-the-art quantitative and qualitative research, empirical findings, best practices, and conceptual models to support better decision making throughout any service organization. Selected as the best work presented at the 2015 annual conference of the European regional subdivision of the Decision Sciences Institute (EDSI), they offer an invaluable cross-disciplinary perspective that will be relevant to all facets of service production, including organization, management, operations, information systems, marketing, HR, supply chains, and beyond. Papers in this volume offer powerful new pathways for innovation and optimization in global service network structures and inter-organizational relationships. The contributors also illuminate the successful management of the complex combinations of both explicit and tacit knowledge involved in service creation, reflecting new insights into behaviors linked to customer attitudes and service perceptions. The papers collected here will be valuable to wide audiences of faculty, researchers, and students in diverse programs covering operations and supply chain management of service industry companies, and/or the effective delivery of services; and for others interested in the frontiers of decision science.