Network Analysis of Complex Stakeholder Needs for Service Ecosystem Sustainability: A Case Study of South Korean ESCO Industry

Abstract

Despite the increasing complexity of problems and growing demand for stakeholder collaboration in the design for sustainability, there is a lack of methodology for understanding complex stakeholder needs and their relationships. This study proposes the need network analysis as a process for investigating need structures. Need network analysis is based on need mapping together with network analysis. We demonstrate its effectiveness in an empirical study that diagnoses the energy service companies (ESCO) in South Korea. Based on the surveys and interviews with stakeholders, we identified their pain points and the problems that have impeded growth in the industry. We report the findings and discuss their implications for sustainable service ecosystem design that involves highly complex sociotechnical problems and policy innovations for the Korean energy service company industry.