Network well-being from a balanced centricity perspective

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to explore how tensions and alignments between different actors’ needs in a transformative services network affect balanced centricity, which is an indicator of well-being. Balanced centricity describes a situation in which all network actors’ interests and needs are fulfilled simultaneously. In such cases, all actors are better off, which increases both individual actors’ and overall actor-network well-being. Design/methodology/approach The empirical study takes place in nursing homes in which in-bed baths represent co-created service encounters that affect the well-being of focal actors (i.e. patients), frontline service employees (i.e. nurses) and transformative service mediators (i.e. family members), who have potentially competing needs. Using a qualitative, phenomenological approach, the study inductively explores and deductively categorizes actors’ personal experiences to gain deep, holistic insights into the service network and its complex web of actor interdependencies. Findings The resulting conceptual model of balanced centricity identifies actors’ lower-order needs as different manifestations of the psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness. If actors’ needs are aligned, their psychological needs can be satisfied, which facilitates balanced centricity. If actors exhibit competing needs though, balanced centricity is impeded. Practical implications This study establishes actors’ psychological needs as the origin of tensions/alignments in multi-actor networks that impede/contribute to balanced centricity. Transformative service providers should try to address all actors’ psychological needs when co-creating services to achieve network well-being. Originality/value This study adopts a novel, multi-actor perspective and thereby presents a conceptual model that contributes to the understanding of balanced centricity. Future research could test this model in other transformative service settings.

The Robotic-Human Service Trilemma: the challenges for well-being within the human service triad

“…This review suggests that FLEs are required to counterbalance the constraints of service robots, leading to an uneven well-being burden within the human service triad. Addressing the tensions underpinning the unbalanced nature of FLE job performance and well-being can aid in bringing balanced centricity to the collective service trilemma (Groven et al. , 2021).…”

“…The concept of balanced centricity is helpful in understanding this balancing act of well-being. Balanced centricity occurs when all actors have their interests and needs fulfilled, increasing both individual and actor-network well-being (Groven et al. , 2021).…”

Balanced centricity: a joint institutional logic within open collaborative ecosystems

“…Such a theoretical lens emphasizes that the work of all actors is responsible for evolution and innovation (Chandler et al , 2019). Actors’ interactions are part of the co-creation of service provision – “the integration of resources in collaborative activities” (Groven et al , 2021, p. 2). The complex, interwoven nature of multiple actors’ roles and behaviors is well defined, and the A4A perspective emphasizes actors’ resource integration in an open, balanced context (Alexander et al , 2017; Polese et al , 2017).…”

“…A few scholars address BC as an indicator of network or ecosystem well-being (Groven et al , 2021). Indeed, as Groven et al (2021, p. 1) highlighted, “balanced centricity describes a situation in which all network actors’ interests and needs are fulfilled simultaneously, which increases both individual actors’ and overall actor-network well-being” (Table 1).…”

“…To widen the focus, Gummesson (2006, 2008a, 2008b) proposed the concept of balanced centricity (BC), wherein “all the stakeholders have the right to satisfy their needs and wants” (Gummesson, 2008a, p. 17). Recent studies propose adopting the service ecosystem lens to address BC (Groven et al , 2021). A service ecosystem is:…”