Why Service Science matters in approaching a "resilient" Society

Abstract

The Service Science lens favours a transdisciplinary approach to the study and interpretation of a huge number of phenomena. This article explores the applicability of this lens in understanding how resilience can emerge as a characteristic of the service systems at a city, or a district, region, or society level. This paper argues that by matching insights from the Service Science perspective with recent advances in System Thinking, a common and cross-cultural interpretation on resilience may arise, focusing on empirical grounds, fundamental pillars for every country. The paper reviews the understanding of resilience using four macro areas, to specify "where" the resilience’s transdisciplinary roots can be traced. We are formulating four main assumptions based on the ten foundational concepts of Service Science. Further, we argue how these assumptions can really help in understanding, from a multidisciplinary point of view, how different competences and perspectives foster resiliency in Smart cities. We propose a new service design artefact, the Smart Service Model Canvas (SSModC), as a tool for designing, realizing, and maintaining Smart City services. We apply this new tool in a case study to demonstrate some aspects of special services in Smart cities that resilient entities should have and acquire. Our findings may help in addressing the challenge of resilient and sustainable services, as a response for the cognitive resilience of Society in its induced progression. Therefore, they may constitute common knowledge for city management entities in developing complex services with multiple value propositions.