Toward the Service Science of Education

Abstract

This article applies the service science framework to higher education. To understand the reasons behind the success and failure of academic programs, we build on the previous literature that suggests that education is a service delivered by universities, which are viewed as complex systems. We contribute to the service science theory by introducing a methodological tool called the Service Science Canvas, which incorporates elements and principles common to all service systems. The Service Science Canvas is a convenient tool for identifying components of academic programs. This article reviews educational programs in entrepreneurship, and, as a case study, it examines an entrepreneurship program at a technological university in the United States.