Interpreting Service Using an Upper-level Ontology

The emergence of service analysis, design, architectures and solutions presented in service marketing and software engineering literature has created a need for understanding the nature of services. Services are often considered as possessing characteristics that are assumed to pose specific problems for service providers as opposed to providers of goods. This paper presents an ontological interpretation of the concept of service using a general and upper level ontology with a strong base in natural sciences. The Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) is used to interpret the concept of service, as defined in the Service Dominant Logic approach. The interpretation is demonstrated in an analysis of service characteristics, in relation to goods. The ontological and reductionist approach opens up to a formulation and analysis of service, a social and economical phenomenon, in terms of general natural science oriented concepts. The ontological grounding provides a language that supports alignment of specific service definitions used in different subject fields, as well as alignment with adjacent concepts such as capability. The interpretation and analysis support the conclusions that studied characteristics are relevant to the concept of service, although they cannot be considered as determinant characteristics of service, and from a practical point of view they contribute partially to observed concerns and problems.