Classification of service innovation types on a hierarchical service structure

초록

Service innovation serves as a critical mechanism for maintaining competitiveness, yet existing studies have seldom defined it from a structural perspective. This study introduces a novel classification framework based on a hierarchical service structure that captures both firm–and industry-level innovation. The framework conceptualises service innovation across four structural levels: industry ecosystem, service supply chain, service system, and service offering. Each level reflects the interplay between physical and nonphysical service components. To empirically test the framework’s internal validity and conceptual clarity, a classification task was conducted with 13 service innovation experts. Findings demonstrate that the hierarchical structure effectively explains the multidimensional nature of service innovation and its diffusion across various organisational layers. The framework provides a standardised yet flexible approach to understanding innovation, enabling firms to design more targeted strategies for structural transformation. It also contributes to service innovation literature by bridging conceptual gaps between typology and architecture. © ASIALICS, STEPI 2025.

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