Affinities between multi-agent systems and service-dominant logic: Interactionist implications for business marketing practice

a r t i c l e i n f o The contrasting marketing principles of service-dominant (S-D) logic and goods-dominant (G-D) logic are examined in this article from the perspective of current research themes in the information science community. The conclusion is reached that much of the distributed multi-agent literature is complementary to the issues being explored concerning S-D logic, and that some multi-agent research may therefore be pertinent to the business marketing community. This article discusses the modelling approach of interactionism as an underlying principle of both S-D logic and multi-agent systems technology. The two domain technologies are compared, and implications for business marketing practice proposed. The current discussions in the field of marketing studies concerning service-dominant (S-D) logic, as outlined by the evolutionary work of Vargo, and Lusch (2004a,b, 2006, 2008a,b) have attracted the attention of the information science community. This interest stems from the belief that the underlying issues in the S-D logic dialogue have close affinities with current debates taking place within Information Science, and indeed, over a number of years across a wide spectrum of Western culture. Recent changes in viewing business interactions from a goods-focused to service-focused (or process-driven) perspective have been reflected in information and communication technology (ICT) research and practice through innovations such as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Service-Oriented Architectures (SOA), social media, service science, and multi-agent systems. We believe that the problematic nature of 'information' that underlies some of the discussions in Information Science are also crucial to the understanding of markets and economies, and that these issues are also being uncovered in the current S-D logic dialogue. Our aim in this paper is twofold: (a) to discuss complementary directions and practice across the two disciplines, and (b) to propose implications for business marketing derived from a particular research focus within Information Science that we believe has a strong synergy with the S-D logic community. 2. Service-dominant logic and goods-dominant logic Recently, Vargo, and Lusch (2008a,b) have outlined and refined their view of S-D logic in the field of marketing and how it contrasts with G-D logic. The term 'logic' is used broadly and evidently refers essentially to a foundational terminology and discourse paradigm by means of which ideas and models are presented, rather than to a rigorous formulation in logic. Vargo and Lusch use the term G-D logic to signify a traditional way of viewing economic transactions, founded on the idea …