A Pyrrhic victory

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to discuss critically the implications of an unlimited broadening of the understanding of service. Design/methodology/approach The position of a service‐centered marketing paradigm is described. This position essentially removes the differentiation between goods and services, so that basically all “goods” are declared to be “services”. On the basis of this description, six propositions are developed that examine the possible problematic consequences of this claim of victory of “service thinking” in management. Findings The critical analysis shows that the equalization of “goods” and “services” carries the risk of losing valuable service‐specific knowledge. In particular, broadening the understanding of co‐production to include the use of physical goods leads to an abstract equating of matters that are manifestly different, and to an abandonment of important service‐specific insights. Research limitations/implications The paper presents a specific and neglected viewpoint in a relevant discussion, but is not based on empirical data. Practical implications The paper is an inspiring source for all in academia who are interested in fundamental questions of services marketing and management. Originality/value This paper provides a valuable contribution because it supplements the discussion of the understanding of services by considering the problematic implications of an unlimited broadening of the service concept.

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