Transformative service research for human well-being: contextual challenges, place-based framework and SDGs
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Systematic Review
Abstract: Purpose The transformative service research (TSR) literature is continually expanding its scope across various academic streams. One of the key factors is prioritizing both individual and societal well-being. The purpose of this paper is to map TSR development and its alignment with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by considering place-specificities to understand factors, barriers and strategies that enhance individual well-being. Design/methodology/approach This study used the systematic literature review approach, adhering to PRISMA guidelines. The Scopus and Web of Science databases were used to scrutinize, categorize and briefly synthesize 164 peer-reviewed journal articles, aiming to identify key domains, factors, barriers and strategies for advancing well-being in various places and meet the Agenda 2030. Findings The study proposes an integrated, place-sensitive framework that maps the interconnections between service entities, consumer entities and individual well-being outcomes across urban and rural contexts. It shows that in TSR, well-being is contextually embedded: rural contexts emphasize emotional, cultural and eudaimonic aspects of individual well-being, while urban settings prioritize the economic, social and infrastructural dimensions. The framework advances the TSR debate by aligning TSR concepts and domains with the SDGs. The findings indicate that TSR tends to prioritize certain SDGs while overlooking others, with a predominant focus on individual well-being, and this is also the case in different places. Finally, this review summarizes the key knowledge gaps into a clear and actionable future research agenda to guide research on SDGs related to service research. Practical implications This review highlights key research limitations and synthesizes these gaps into a practical future research agenda. This agenda is organized into four main categories: multilevel societal change, ensuring equity, environmental resilience and institutional dynamics, which directly address overlooked areas in the literature. This clear roadmap provides immediate practical value by guiding researchers, policymakers and practitioners toward targeted interventions needed to promote effective and sustainable transformative services. Originality/value This research contributes to the literature by examining the key domains of TSR literature through the place-based lens and the SGDs and Agenda 2030 policy framework. It offers a novel perspective on how and whether service research contributes to the transformative power of services in diverse social contexts.
Source: Journal of Services Marketing
Institution: University of Trento
Language: English
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Reduced inequalities
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4417270765