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Higher Education as a Service: The Science of Running a Lean Program in International Business

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Advances in Service Science (INFORMS-CSS 2018)

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Abstract

This chapter contributes to understanding higher education as a service by applying the service science framework to an undergraduate business program in northern Europe. We utilize the Service Science Canvas, which is a new tool for service science analysis. This innovative academic program relies exclusively on visiting faculty from around the world to teach intensive three-week courses. While access to resources and governance structures were found to be similar to business programs elsewhere, several elements were found to be highly unusual, if not unique. First, the intensive curriculum structure promotes value co-creation among faculty and students. Second, access rights to faculty are negotiated annually, leading to agility but also risk. Third, stakeholder networks are broadly dispersed, but on balance serving as a rich resource for the program. Governance has evolved to ensure quality standards in a constantly changing academic community.

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Correspondence to Joan Lofgren .

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Lofgren, J., Pavlov, O.V., Hoy, F. (2019). Higher Education as a Service: The Science of Running a Lean Program in International Business. In: Yang, H., Qiu, R. (eds) Advances in Service Science. INFORMS-CSS 2018. Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04726-9_6

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