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Digital Workers in Service Systems: Challenges and Opportunities

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Handbook of Service Science, Volume II

Abstract

Early forms of AI systems (digital workers), from cognitive assistants to driverless vehicles, are beginning to appear in service systems, creating challenges and opportunities. Meanwhile, people (smarter workers) with an affinity for using advanced technologies are getting things done in new ways. Working scenarios today are guided by high resonant collaboration and wide spread knowledge communication among professionals. To analyze this scenario, we combine both a traditional analytical approach (focus on the parts) and a holistic approach (focus on the whole), privileging a transdisciplinary perspective based on the three frameworks: SSME+DAPP, VSA and IAD. This chapter aims to analyze the challenges and opportunities of digital workers coming to service systems, and provide recommendations for individuals, managers, policymaker, and academics. To mitigate the challenges and seize the opportunities, a wide range of professionals are transforming themselves into T-shaped adaptive innovators in Smart Working environments.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Ahuja et al. (2007) show an increase in worker productivity, which thanks to greater autonomy and involvement increases work performance by 50% and, if combined with the reduction of overtime and absenteeism, leads accordingly to a significant reduction in labor costs. Nauert (2011) believes that the company Smart, by giving staff the possibility to choose where and when work, makes the employee satisfied, increase engagement and productivity.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political, Social and Communication Studies, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy

    Paolo Piciocchi

  2. Department of Management Studies and Quantitative Methods, Parthenope University, Naples, Italy

    Clara Bassano & Maria Cristina Pietronudo

  3. IBM Cognitive Opentech, Almaden, San Jose, CA, USA

    James C. Spohrer

Authors
  1. Paolo Piciocchi
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  2. Clara Bassano
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  3. Maria Cristina Pietronudo
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  4. James C. Spohrer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paolo Piciocchi .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, USA

    Paul P. Maglio

  2. IBM Research—Almaden, San Jose, CA, USA

    Cheryl A. Kieliszewski

  3. IBM Cognitive Opentech, Almaden, San Jose, CA, USA

    James C. Spohrer

  4. University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Kelly Lyons

  5. INESCTEC and Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal

    Lia Patrício

  6. Graduate School of Management, Nagoya University of Commerce and Business Business School, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

    Yuriko Sawatani

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Piciocchi, P., Bassano, C., Pietronudo, M.C., Spohrer, J.C. (2019). Digital Workers in Service Systems: Challenges and Opportunities. In: Maglio, P.P., Kieliszewski, C.A., Spohrer, J.C., Lyons, K., Patrício, L., Sawatani, Y. (eds) Handbook of Service Science, Volume II. Service Science: Research and Innovations in the Service Economy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98512-1_18

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