The work identifies the main enabling dimensions and the strategic drivers to foster value co-creation and sustainable innovation in service ecosystems. The aim is to explore how resource and knowledge integration, through technology-mediated interactions, can lead to the emergence of novelties (new products, services, processes, social, and environmental practices). Based on a re-elaboration of literature, the study introduces a framework that describes the main drivers for managing the emergence of value co-creation and innovation (co-design, co-development, co-delivery, co-learning) across the contexts of exchange of service ecosystems (micro, meso, and macro). A “meta”-level is conceptualized to investigate how management can harmonize an actor’s objectives with an ecosystem’s goal to encourage the diffusion and renewal of a sustainable and innovation-oriented culture. The empirical research applies the framework proposed in the theoretical section to a case study analysis on “Palm”, an Italian company that designs and produces wood packaging. The technique employed is qualitative content analysis. The findings permit conceptualization of the key strategic levers for the management of co-creation and to increase managers’ and scholars’ understanding of (1) the enablers of value co-creation and innovation; (2) the mechanisms leading to knowledge renewal and the continuous production of sustainable innovation.

Purpose: Given the growing attention on service ecosystem and the role played by technology and institutions in shaping of actors’ relations and interactions, the purpose of this paper is to examine a tourism environment with the lens of service ecosystem in order to derive a deeper understanding on the underlying mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed methodology was used. First, literature review based on service ecosystems framework was conducted to critically analyze the roles of technology and institutions to shape a tourism service ecosystem. Then a case study was conducted. Findings: Two main findings are described: the role and the characteristics of physical and virtual engagement touchpoints in the emergence of a tourism service ecosystems; and the relationship between technology and institutions in the resource integration. In particular, the authors conclude that institutions can shape the usage of technology which, in turn, can enable and imply the emergence of new institutions, continually adjusting the system of the tourism service ecosystem. Practical implications: The analysis contributes to deepening the knowledge about value co-creation processes and engagement expedients in tourism destination, explaining the role of institutions and technology in helping actors to integrate resources and exchange services. The study can also be useful for practitioners in search for powerful tool to increase the competitiveness of a tourism destination. Originality/value: The study is one of the first attempts to conceptualize and operationalize a tourism destination in a service ecosystem framework. In this way it contribute to enhance scientific knowledge in a tourism management literature.

Purpose: Poverty, hunger, inequalities, diseases, unsustainable use of resources, etc., in spite of scientific progress, still remains unsolved worldwide issues. All these issues relate to the challenges of sustainability and sustainable development that now call for urgent answers. The purpose of this paper is to explore how the service research community can respond to this call and to identify key areas of potential contribution.Design/methodology/approach: After a brief review of selected service literature aimed at exploring its interest in the topics of sustainability and sustainable development, the authors develop the interpretative proposal identifying the key requirements of a global engagement in the challenge of sustainability and sustainable development and highlighting the potential contribution of service research.Findings: Findings highlight the potential contribution of service research to the global challenge of sustainability and suggest acting upon education by considering the “T-Shaped” professional model as a possible reference for embedding sustainability in the education of future managers and addressing the need of interdisciplinary thinking through the systems approach.Research limitations/implications: The proposed study of service literature is only an exploratory analysis of main contributions that does not aim to identify gaps but only to highlight the potential of a greater engagement of service research in the global call for a more sustainable and inclusive development.Practical implications: A trans-disciplinary approach is also required. This implies the involvement of the business and the social real world.Originality/value: This paper represents a novel call for engaging the service research community in a boundary-crossing collaboration with the aim of contributing to address the challenge of sustainability.