Dynamic roles of suppliers in the specification of business services

The service sector, in particular business services, has become increasingly important in developed economies. The increasing complexity of the supply market combined with customers' limited knowledge in specifying services has contributed to a more active role of suppliers in those processes. Service specifications can go through stabilization and destabilization cycles over time in the context of customer-supplier interactions. We aim to study the evolution of supplier roles in specification processes over time. We conduct a longitudinal study that involves two professional service providers and six customers. We find that buying services may involve the explicit recognition of uncertainties regarding their specifications. The very process of interacting may help to change the initial specifications of an offer over time and to change the supplier's role and the customer's perceived uncertainty in the (de)stabilization process.

Automated summary

The service sector, especially business services, has become increasingly important in developed economies. The roles of suppliers in the specification process evolve over time, and buying services may involve uncertainties regarding their specifications.