TY - JOUR
T1 - Billions of impoverished people deserve to be better served: A call to action for the service research community
AU - Sebastiani, Roberta
AU - Fisk, Raymond P P.
AU - Anderson, Laurel
AU - Bowen, David E.
AU - Gruber, Thorsten
AU - Ostrom, Amy
AU - Patrício, Lia
AU - Reynoso, Javier
PY - 2016
Y1 - 2016
N2 - Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to create a movement within the service research community
that aspires to help the billions of impoverished people across the world achieve better service from
each other, from their communities, from corporations, from their governments, and from
nongovernmental organizations. The authors believe every human being is worthy of being served
properly. To achieve this purpose, understanding and learning from this huge low-income segment of
society known as the base of the pyramid (BoP) is essential. There are myths about the BoP that need
to be dispelled and there is a fundamental lack of service research on this important problem.
Design/methodology/approach – The existence of an extensive BoP literature combined with
service research priorities has called attention to drafting research agendas. Human service systems
are explored historically and systems theory provides a perspective for understanding and reducing
poverty. Transformative service research, service design research, and community action research are
presented to illustrate three research approaches that can contribute to understanding and then better
serving the needs of the neglected billions of humanity. Journal of Service Management
Vol. 27 No. 1, 2016
pp. 43-55
© Emerald Group Publishing Limited
1757-5818
DOI 10.1108/JOSM-04-2015-0125
Received 12 December 2014
Revised 7 April 2015
Accepted 20 October 2015
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/1757-5818.htm
This paper originated at the meeting of the International Network of Service Researchers held at
the Service Research Center (CTF), Karlstad University, Sweden, September 24-26, 2014.
43
A call to
action
Downloaded by Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore At 07:49 17 May 2016 (PT)
Findings – First, the authors present a practical and meaningful call to action by making the case for
the service research community to contribute to poverty alleviation with the creation of fresh ideas and
research agendas. Second, the authors describe the ample opportunity for conducting service research
in and with the BoP and thereby expanding service knowledge about the BoP. Third, the authors
suggest a number of approaches for service researchers to join this new movement and help improve
the well-being of billions of impoverished people.
Social implications – Most existing service research comes from highly developed Anglo-Saxon
countries and concerns the service problems of customers in affluent societies. Therefore, there is a
fundamental lack of service research at the BoP. The social implications are truly global. Poverty is a
global service system problem that can be reduced. Effective poverty alleviation solutions in one part
of the world can be adapted to other parts of the world.
Originality/value – This paper is a new and very original call to action to the service research
community. First, with the exception of a few previous manuscripts calling for research on the BoP,
this is the first time a collaborative effort has been made to start systematically changing this
knowledge gap. Second, the service research community has never worked on a project of
this magnitude. The authors hope to offer a role model to other academic communities as to how
to marshal their resources to have a collective, positive impact on the well-being of the
world’s impoverished.
AB - Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to create a movement within the service research community
that aspires to help the billions of impoverished people across the world achieve better service from
each other, from their communities, from corporations, from their governments, and from
nongovernmental organizations. The authors believe every human being is worthy of being served
properly. To achieve this purpose, understanding and learning from this huge low-income segment of
society known as the base of the pyramid (BoP) is essential. There are myths about the BoP that need
to be dispelled and there is a fundamental lack of service research on this important problem.
Design/methodology/approach – The existence of an extensive BoP literature combined with
service research priorities has called attention to drafting research agendas. Human service systems
are explored historically and systems theory provides a perspective for understanding and reducing
poverty. Transformative service research, service design research, and community action research are
presented to illustrate three research approaches that can contribute to understanding and then better
serving the needs of the neglected billions of humanity. Journal of Service Management
Vol. 27 No. 1, 2016
pp. 43-55
© Emerald Group Publishing Limited
1757-5818
DOI 10.1108/JOSM-04-2015-0125
Received 12 December 2014
Revised 7 April 2015
Accepted 20 October 2015
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
www.emeraldinsight.com/1757-5818.htm
This paper originated at the meeting of the International Network of Service Researchers held at
the Service Research Center (CTF), Karlstad University, Sweden, September 24-26, 2014.
43
A call to
action
Downloaded by Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore At 07:49 17 May 2016 (PT)
Findings – First, the authors present a practical and meaningful call to action by making the case for
the service research community to contribute to poverty alleviation with the creation of fresh ideas and
research agendas. Second, the authors describe the ample opportunity for conducting service research
in and with the BoP and thereby expanding service knowledge about the BoP. Third, the authors
suggest a number of approaches for service researchers to join this new movement and help improve
the well-being of billions of impoverished people.
Social implications – Most existing service research comes from highly developed Anglo-Saxon
countries and concerns the service problems of customers in affluent societies. Therefore, there is a
fundamental lack of service research at the BoP. The social implications are truly global. Poverty is a
global service system problem that can be reduced. Effective poverty alleviation solutions in one part
of the world can be adapted to other parts of the world.
Originality/value – This paper is a new and very original call to action to the service research
community. First, with the exception of a few previous manuscripts calling for research on the BoP,
this is the first time a collaborative effort has been made to start systematically changing this
knowledge gap. Second, the service research community has never worked on a project of
this magnitude. The authors hope to offer a role model to other academic communities as to how
to marshal their resources to have a collective, positive impact on the well-being of the
world’s impoverished.
KW - Sistems theory
KW - TSR
KW - Sistems theory
KW - TSR
UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10807/79570
U2 - 10.1108/JOSM-04-2015-0115
DO - 10.1108/JOSM-04-2015-0115
M3 - Article
VL - 27
SP - 30
EP - 36
JO - Journal of Service Management
JF - Journal of Service Management
SN - 1757-5818
ER -