Quarterly Journal of Governance Knowledge

Quarterly Journal of Governance Knowledge

A framework for the collaboration of heterogeneous organizations in the service ecosystem (Mobility as a Service)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 PhD student, Technology Management, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Allameh Tabatabai’ University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Professor,Faculty of Management and Accounting, Allameh Tabatabai’ University, Tehran, Iran.
3 Associate Professor, Faculty of Management and Accounting, Allameh Tabatabai’ University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Purpose:We are on the verge of a paradigm shift in how businesses are organized. The service ecosystem has provided many opportunities to design and innovate business models in a network environment. The purpose of this research is to provide a service ecosystem framework for the collaboration of a network of heterogeneous organizations for mobility as a service. In this framework, organizations should be able to create new value services together that each of them could not provide alone.
Design/methodology/approach: Research Question: What is the collaboration framework of a network of heterogeneous organizations in the service ecosystem for value co-creation in the field of transportation and Mobility as a service?
2.1. Some differences between three ideal types of governance: The three governance models, hierarchical, network, and market, each have a clear and distinct internal logic, but each of them is largely incompatible with the logic of the other styles. In the hierarchical governance model, the organization can be controlled hierarchically by creating a legal instrument. The network governance model is based on consensus and mutual trust. The market governance model is based on price and has a competitive logic (Meuleman, 2008).
2.2. Types of business ecosystems: We observe two main types of business ecosystems in practice: exchange ecosystems (platform) and solution ecosystems. These two types of ecosystems differ not only in their structural form and types of members, but also in their purpose, success factors, and value creation mechanisms (Pidun et al, 2019).
2.3. Service dominant logic: The service-dominant logic has recently identified the service ecosystem, conceptualized in terms of institutions, as the unit of analysis for value synergy. Service ecosystems are defined as “relatively autonomous, self-regulating systems of resource-integrating actors linked by shared institutional arrangements and mutual value creation through service exchange” (Vargo & Lusch, 2017).
2.4. Data Ecosystem Perspective: Since the core of the service ecosystem structure is the data ecosystem, we used the dimensions of the data ecosystem to structure the ecosystem operations to reduce complexity. The data ecosystem perspective can provide us with a better picture while reducing complexity (Azkan et al, 2020).
2.5. Mobility as a Service (MaaS): Mobility as a service requires the integration of tools and services that are currently provided separately, such as travel planning, reservations, access to real-time information, payments and ticketing (Kamergiani and Matias, 2017).
2.6. Service Ecosystem Framework: We took advantage of the excellent features of service dominant logic in the design of the ecosystem architecture, but this logic did not provide us with a clear mechanism for designing the ecosystem governance and ecosystem structure. Our proposed framework has three networks: Value Network, Governance Netwotk and Structure Network.
2.6.1.Value Network of the Service Ecosystem : The first network is the value network, which is based on the theory of service-dominant logic and the theory of service science. Scientific theories related to this ecosystem are processed and analyzed in this network. This network plays the role of a think room in the service ecosystem.
2.6.2. Governance Network of Service Ecosystem: The governance network is another of the three main networks of the service ecosystem. Decisions are made in this network and it plays the role of coordination in the ecosystem. The components in the governance network of an ecosystem are: mission (culture and goals), access (commitment and access level), participation (conflict management, transparency and decision rights), resource sharing (resource distribution, property rights and data rights) and ecosystem conduct (including assessment of input, output and ecosystem processes) that enable integration of resources and exchange of services.
2,6,3. Network Structure of service ecosystem: In the structure of a service ecosystem, the perspective of the data ecosystem can bring us a better picture while reducing the complexity (Azkan et al, 2020).

Methothodology : Our case study included the steps of planning, design, preparation (creating a case study protocol), and gathering evidence, analyzing data, and sharing results (Yin, 2017). We used the method of abductive reasoning, which usually starts with an incomplete set of observations and proceeds to the most plausible explanation possible for this set of evidence. We found 473 articles and documents. To understand the concept of related research, 22 articles were selected and summarized in a table. Appropriate articles and documents were selected from 473 collected documents. For the design of service ecosystem architecture framework, 19 files were selected and thematic analysis based on 203 codes (560 code segments) was performed. Thematic analysis was created by using MAXQDA software and in the form of a chain of evidence.

Findings:: The main objective of the research is to provide a framework for network collaboration of heterogeneous organizations in the service ecosystem for co-creation of value in the field of transportation and mobility as a service. To continue and evolve this collaboration framework, in addition to the research literature and opinions of experts and practitioners in related fields, we need other mechanisms such as adapting this framework to data governance law, decision-making rights accepted by stakeholders, and the way in which they can be interoperability accepted by them, most of which are currently not available. To create a common institutional logic in a service ecosystem, first of all, we need a cooperation framework between different organizations and institutions that includes at least four layers of legal interoperability, organizational interoperability, semantic interoperability, and technical interoperability.
Research limitations/implications:: Despite the researcher's efforts, it was not possible to interview some experts.
Practical implications: Identifying obstacles and providing solutions for developing the service ecosystem
Originality/value: The goal of the service dominant logic is the co-creation of value by ecosystem actors. In the proposed framework, using systems thinking and leveraging related theories, this goal is served by creating scalability, flexibility, and modularity in the value network, governance network, and structural network of the service ecosystem.
Keywords
Subjects

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