Service Science: Examining the Socio-technical Dynamics of Public Sector Service Network Innovation

Services comprise of socio-technical (human and technological) factors which exchange various resources and competencies. Service networks are used to transfer resources and competencies, yet they remain an under-explored and ?invisible? infrastructure. In response to the growing importance placed on understanding these complexities, the field of ?Service Science? has emerged to guide the effective design, implementation, and management of service systems. The main objective of this research is to examine how does the introduction of technology impact on service relationships in the service network. This empirical research explores an academic service network. The research adopts Actor-Network Theory (ANT) as a research lens. In addition, the research offers a visual comparison of the service relational infrastructure through the use of Social Network Analysis (SNA). In essence, the research introduces Public Service Science to explain how public service technological innovations commands control over public sector behaviour and therefore acts as an agent of bureaucracy which alters the relational dynamics of power, risk, responsibility, and accountability.