SERVICE SCIENCE Vol. 4, No. 3, September 2012, pp. 207–217 ISSN 2164-3962 (print)  ISSN 2164-3970 (online) http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/serv.1120.0019 © 2012 INFORMS Value Cocreation and Service Systems (Re)Formation: A Service Ecosystems View Stephen L. Vargo Shidler College of Business, University of Hawai‘i at M¯ anoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822, svargo@hawaii.edu Melissa Archpru Akaka Daniels College of Business, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado 80208, melissa.akaka@du.edu T his article explores a service-dominant (S-D) logic, service-ecosystems approach to studying value cocreation and the (re)formation of service systems. We outline the central premises of S-D logic and elaborate the concept of a service ecosystem to propose a framework that focuses on resource integration as a central means for connecting people and technol- ogy within and among service systems. This ecosystems view emphasizes the social factors that influence, and are influenced by, service-for-service exchange. We draw on systems theory and a structurational model of technology to underscore the importance of networks of actors, as well as institutions—e.g., rules, social norms—as critical components of service systems. We argue that this service-ecosystems framework provides a robust and dynamic approach for studying resource integration, value cocreation, and the (re)formation of service systems, and provides important insights for systematically innovating service. Key words : theory and principles; transformation and innovation; value cocreation; service-dominant logic; resource integration History : Received May 22, 2012; Accepted May 23, 2012. Published online in Articles in Advance August 9, 2012. Introduction Service science is centered on the study of value cocreation within and among service systems—dynamic and adaptive webs of exchange composed of interactions among people, organizations, and technology (Spohrer et al. 2007). Recently, Maglio et al. (2010, p. 1) elaborated that service science is the “systematic search for principles and approaches that can help understand and improve all kinds of value cocreation.” Service-dominant (S-D) logic, and its definition of service as the application of resources for the benefit of another, centers on the concept of value cocreation (Vargo and Lusch 2004a, 2008). Its service-for-service exchange perspective was recognized early on as providing a critical theoretical foundation for the development of service science and the study of service systems (Maglio and Spohrer 2008). More recently, S-D logic has progressed beyond the nascent perspective and framework stage, and the asso- ciated literature has evolved since its introduction in 2004 (Vargo and Lusch 2004a). Since then, the original foundational premises (FPs) have been revised, elaborated, and extended (see Vargo and Lusch 2008). This development has led to Vargo and Lusch’s (2011a, b) introduction of a service-ecosystems perspective, which is based on S-D logic. We argue that this “ecosystems” view can provide a framework for studying systems of service systems—or the interaction and value cocreation among multiple service systems (Vargo et al. 2010). Service ecosystems are defined as “relatively self-contained self-adjusting systems of resource-integrating actors connected by shared institutional logics and mutual value creation through service exchange” (Vargo and Lusch 2011b). In addition to the emphasis on service as the basis of exchange and value creation, this view expli- cates the complex and dynamic nature of the social systems through which service is provided, resources are integrated, and value is cocreated. Furthermore, an ecosystems view emphasizes the importance of institutions— social norms or “rules of the game” (Williamson 2000)—in value cocreation, as well as service innovation. The aim of this paper is to explore how advancements in S-D logic, especially its ecosystems view, can contribute further to the ongoing development of service science. To this end, we propose an S-D logic, ecosystems approach to studying service systems, and we elaborate on how it provides a lens for understanding value cocreation and systems (re)formation. This view centers on resource integration as the central means for connecting people and technology within and among service systems and emphasizes the social factors that influence, and are influenced by, service exchange. In particular, in this ecosystems view, the emphasis on the role of institutions in value cocreation requires the reconsideration of the scope of value cocreation and how it influences the actions and interactions of individual actors. This view, 207 INFORMS holds copyright to this article and distributed this copy as a courtesy to the author(s). Additional information, including rights and permission policies, is available at http://journals.informs.org/.