@inproceedings{61310,
  abstract     = {{Service systems engineering relies on structured, top-down approaches to designing and
innovating service systems. In today’s dynamic environments—shaped by digital transformation,
evolving provider–user interactions, and shifting societal demands—these approaches face limitations in enabling continuous, context-sensitive innovation. Continuous Value Shaping emerges as a conceptual extension to service systems engineering, promoting more adaptive and co-evolutionary forms of service system development. This study examines how Continuous Value Shaping manifests through a multiple case study of three public sector projects. We identify distinct manifestations and constellations of the concept’s principles that complement classical
SSE practices. As the first empirical exploration of Continuous Value Shaping, the study refines its
conceptual foundation and enhances its accessibility for researchers and practitioners. We conclude with seven empirically derived propositions that inform future service systems engineering initiatives and demonstrate how Continuous Value Shaping supports the dynamic alignment of service systems with societal and systemic demands.}},
  author       = {{Schäfer, Jannika Marie and Rajko, Polina and Angelova, Daniela and Böhmann, Tilo}},
  booktitle    = {{Proceedings of the 59th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS 2026)}},
  keywords     = {{Continuous Value Shaping, Service Systems Engineering, Service Science, Public Sector, Service Innovation}},
  location     = {{Maui, Maui, Hawaii, USA}},
  publisher    = {{Association for Information Systems (AIS), IEEE Computer Society Press, University of Hawaii (Manoa)}},
  title        = {{{From Engineering to Shaping: A Multiple Case Study on Advancing Service Systems Engineering through Continuous Value Shaping}}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}

@article{61410,
  abstract     = {{Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify, analyze, and explain the implications that could
arise for service settings if AI systems develop, or are perceived to develop, consciousness – the
ability to acknowledge their own existence and the capacity for positive or negative experiences.

Design/methodology/approach: This study proposes and explores four hypothetical scenarios in
which conscious AI in service could manifest. We contextualize our resulting typology in the
health service context and integrate extant literature on technology-enabled service, AI
consciousness, and AI ethics into the narrative.

Findings: This study provides a unique theoretical contribution to service research in the form of
a Type IV theory. It enables future service researchers to apprehend, explain, and predict how
functionally conscious AI in service might unfold.

Originality: An increasingly prolific public discourse acknowledges that conscious AI systems
may emerge. Against this backdrop, this study aims to systematically explore a question that is
perhaps the most critical and timely, but also inherently speculative, in relation to AI in service
research by introducing much-needed theory and terminology.

Practical implications: The ethical use of conscious AI in service could emerge as a distinct
competitive advantage in the future. Achieving this outcome involves speculative yet actionable
recommendations that include training, guiding, and controlling how humans engage with such
systems, developing appropriate wellbeing protocols for functionally conscious AI systems, and
establishing AI rights and governance frameworks.}},
  author       = {{Breidbach, Christoph and Lars-Erik, Casper Ferm and Maglio, Paul and Beverungen, Daniel and Wirtz, Jochen and Twigg, Alex}},
  journal      = {{Journal of Service Management}},
  keywords     = {{AI, AI consciousness, AI ethics, service systems}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{597--621}},
  publisher    = {{Emerald}},
  title        = {{{Conscious Artificial Intelligence in Service}}},
  doi          = {{10.1108/JOSM-12-2024-0536}},
  volume       = {{37}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}