Service Economy Research Articles

Slamsex as slow edgework: Sexualized drug use and harm reduction in post-AIDS Taiwan

BackgroundSince the mid-2010s, slamsex—sexualized drug use involving intravenously injecting meth—has rapidly emerged in metropolitan gay communities as a sociosexual practice necessitating harm reduction interventions. However, its impact on gay men's sociosexual lives and HIV technologies is not well understood. This paper addresses this gap by investigating two intertwined temporal dimensions of slamsex, viewing it as a form of slow edgework in post-AIDS Taiwan. MethodsEthnographic research was conducted in Taiwan between 2022 and 2024, involving 30 interviews with gay men who practice slamsex and 7 HIV/AIDS NGO representatives. Semi-structured interviews focused on slamming events, covering their edge, transition, and healthcare network. ResultsFindings reveal paradoxes within edgework, demonstrating that slamsex can be both extreme and risky, as well as slow and mundane. Participants navigated state surveillance and the materiality of syringes through meticulous risk calculations and digital-savvy strategies for acquiring clean syringes. The practice involved risk and a networked economy of care services provided by other injectors. In response to HIV technologies (PrEP and viral load disclosure), gay men in this study normalized HIV/AIDS while developing a sense of vulnerability to their own infection. ConclusionIn the era of HIV/AIDS normalization, slamsex as slow edgework underscores the need for temporally and spatially nuanced discussions on drug policy. This study highlights the importance of culturally tailored interventions that consider slow, networked interactions to provide harm reduction for men on the chemsex scene, as well as the needs for more evidence-based, non-discriminatory research on queer sexual health and drug studies.

Ambient citizenship and noise in the service economy: young people and the everyday politics of work

ABSTRACT This paper explores the informal citizenship practices of young service workers, and develops concepts of lived citizenship, ambient citizenship and political ‘noise’ into an analysis of the everyday politics of service labour. Drawing on interviews with young people working in retail, hospitality and call centres the paper examines the embodied interactions and relations of mutual reciprocity through which they experience and contest the power relations and gender inequalities of low-wage precarious work. The paper suggests ways of conceptualising the citizenship practices of young workers beyond the limited formal protections offered by the state, instead developing an analysis of the informal relationalities and political ‘noise’ of the service labour process.

A bottom-up nationwide analysis of sectoral land use reveals spatial heterogeneity across the United States

The high degree of urbanization and economic development in the United States has intensified competition for land resources, leading to land use conflicts and environmental challenges. Addressing these issues first requires an exploration of high-resolution, sector-specific land use patterns. However, existing land classification studies rarely provide spatially explicit data on urban land use across all sectors at a national level. This study aims to fill this gap by analyzing land use areas across various economic sectors in the United States, particularly focusing on urban impervious surfaces. Using a bottom-up approach, we created a full-sector land use inventory, integrating Points of Interest (POI) data, road networks, building characteristics, and geographic information processing techniques. Our primary innovation lies in the development of a spatially explicit database that details sector-specific land use areas nationwide. On this robust foundation, we further explored the heterogeneity of sectoral land use eco-efficiency (SLUEE) among different sectors and states, providing supplementary insights into spatial disparities in urban land use. Our findings reveal significant spatial heterogeneity, with service sectors dominating land use and exhibiting higher SLUEE compared to goods-producing industries. Key sectors such as Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (441064.58 ha), and Administrative and Support Services (420148.34 ha) are prominent across states according to land use area, reflecting the country's service-oriented economy. Additionally, regional disparities in SLUEE are evident, with jurisdictions like Washington D.C., New York, and California demonstrating more efficient land use. Compared with traditional land use evaluations, our model effectively offers higher spatial resolution, down to the census block level, to sectoral land use evaluation. Building on this robust database, our SLUEE analysis has uncovered notable heterogeneity between sectors and states, offering new insights into cross-sectoral and inter-state land use dynamics that can inform and promote sustainable urban planning.

Business services in regional economies: exploring the co-evolution of supply, demand, and sectoral interactions

AbstractThe aim of this paper is to demonstrate how economic growth stimulates business-service providers to develop new service varieties, which, in turn, enhance the productivity of business-service buyers. This creates a coevolutionary process where service suppliers and customers interact, leading to an increase in the number of differentiated service offerings. We introduce a framework for local economies, wherein business-service sectors evolve in response to local demand potential, while non-business-service sectors grow based on each economy’s supply potential. Business service growth is more rapid in local economies with higher demand potential, while non-business-service sectors expand faster in areas where the business-service supply potential is greater. A key assumption is that business service firms operate in a monopolistic competition environment, where an increase in business-service capacity leads to an expansion in the variety of services offered. This, in turn, enhances the diversity of service offerings in municipalities with strong demand potential. Additionally, service providers not only deliver innovation-related information to client firms but also unintentionally disseminate knowledge within the region, fostering knowledge spillovers among firms.

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Influencing Factors of Coupling and Coordination between the Ecosystem Service Value and Economy in the Pearl River Delta Urban Agglomeration of China

In the context of pursuing high-quality development, the coupling and coordination of the ecosystem and economy has become the fundamental goal and inevitable choice for achieving the sustainable development of urban agglomerations. Based on remote sensing and statistical data for the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region from 2005 to 2020, in this paper, we construct an index system of the ecological and economic levels to assess the ecosystem service value (ESV). We use the equivalent factor method, entropy method, coupling coordination model, and relative development model to systematically grasp the spatial pattern of the levels of the two variables, analyse and evaluate their spatial and temporal coupling and coordination characteristics, and test the factors influencing their coupling and coordination using the geographical and temporal weighted regression (GTWR) model. The results show that ① the ESV in the PRD exhibited a fluctuating decreasing trend, while the level of the economy exhibited a fluctuating increasing trend; ② the coordination degree of the ESV and economy in the PRD exhibited a fluctuating increasing trend, and the region began to enter the basic coordination period in 2007; ③ in terms of the spatial distribution of the coordination degree, there was generally a circular pattern, with the Pearl River Estuary cities as the core and a decrease in the value towards the periphery; ④ the coordinated development model is divided into balanced development, economic guidance, and ESV guidance, among which balanced development is the major type; ⑤ the results of the GTWR reveal that the influencing factors exhibited significant spatial–temporal heterogeneity. Government intervention and openness were the dominant factors affecting the coordination, and the normalised difference vegetation index was the main negative influencing factor.

A Hierarchical Blockchain System for Social Economy Services

Social economy actors have assisted the recovery from crises by providing innovative solutions that are aimed at strengthening public services to complement government action. Currently, the widespread use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by both citizens and organizations has changed society’s routine behavior, giving rise to the so-called information society. One of the major burdens of using big data for social problems is the lack of adequate data governance standards. Challenging and critical issues about big data include privacy and security for most of the social economy field of activities. Blockchain technology has attracted the attention of academic researchers and industries, which combines technologies like cryptography, end-to-end communication, and algorithms. Moreover, blockchain technology provides user anonymity to protect the privacy of users. We propose a hierarchical blockchain system for social economy services that can effectively protect the security and privacy of users and transmitted data. The proposed scheme was proven to ensure the legitimacy of all parties in the system and security of data and transactions, and blockchain technology and signcryption mechanisms were applied to achieve integrity, non-repudiation, and traceability. Security and performance analyses are also provided to prove that the proposed scheme achieved the above security concerns with efficiency.

France, Economic Liberalism, and the Populist Challenge

Abstract This article reviews Contested Liberalization by Jonah Levy. Levy explores the role of politics in slowing the implementation of neoliberal economic policies in France, from the 1980s forward. Levy devotes special attention to the politics and policies of Emmanual Macron. The article examines Levy's argument in the context of the French “dirigiste” tradition and considers Macron's policies and the recent rise of populism in France. It argues that populism has arisen in many advanced countries as they have shifted from industrial to service economies. The rise in working class grievance in the face of low productivity and wage stagnation has proved fertile ground for populist parties.

The Impact of Digital Economy and Net Export of Goods and Services Towards Employment in the Selected Southeast Asia Countries

The digital economy is rapidly growing and transforming the way people work and do business globally. This growth has a significant impact on employment in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries. This study aimed to examine the impact of the digital economy and net export on employment in selected ASEAN members, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Thailand. Sample years were extracted from 1991 to 2021 and the panel data regression method was applied in this study. The result of this study showed that the digital economy; fixed broadband subscription (LBROAD), internet users (LUSER), and net export (LEXP01) had a significant influence on employment (LTEMP).

A Shared Economy Data Prediction Model Based on Deep Learning

In the dynamic and intricate shared economy, efficient resource management and forecasting are still crucial. In this research, a new prediction model is presented that aims to improve the operational efficiency of several shared economy services. Our method creatively combines Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks with Genetic Algorithms (GA) to assess user demand and optimize resource deployment. We apply this methodology especially to e-scooter sharing services, but the underlying ideas and methods can be applied to other shared economy platforms as well, like peer-to-peer lending services, car sharing, and vacation rentals. The model starts with a GA to adjust the hyperparameters of the LSTM network, making the network better suited to handle specific characteristics of common economic data. Capturing the complex temporal and spatial patterns of user behavior and demand on these platforms requires this optimization. The LSTM element then predicts changes in service demand due to its capacity to analyze sequential records. Further to being useful for analyzing sequential data and predicting destiny wishes, this predictive functionality is important for a shared economy platform to correctly manage stock, allocate assets, and predict personal wishes. We use a large dataset to check our technique, demonstrating the predictive accuracy of the model and demand and its potential to aid strategic choice-making. Compared to traditional fashions, the consequences show a large development in forecast accuracy and resource allocation efficiency. Our methodology creates a robust basis for statistics-driven insights that decorate customer happiness and decorate the long-term increase of the shared financial system. This work highlights the blended ability of GA and LSTM inside the shared economy and paves the manner for future enhancements in using modern-day gadget mastering techniques to optimize and alter various shared services. In quick, effective useful resource control and forecasting in the shared economic system is tough, however our specific forecasting model combining GA-LSTM gives a manner ahead. Our technique, as it should be, predicts fluctuations in provider demand; it was first refined the usage of GA to regulate the LSTM hyperparameters. The consequences show how correct and powerful our version is and spotlight how it can enhance customer pleasure and operational performance. This research paves the manner for future trends within the software of gadgets, gaining knowledge of methods and supports the continuing enlargement and development of shared economic system offerings.

Tangible to Non-Tangible Factors: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Life Satisfaction of Farmers in Kerala, India

While Kerala’s transition from an agrarian to a service-oriented economy is widely acknowledged, discussions are most often confined to material domains, overlooking overall life satisfaction, which is critical to pursue any profession. This state-wide community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted to gather data from farmers residing in three geographical zones of Kerala, India, North, South and Central, to understand their life satisfaction and how it correlates to their access to resources and social support. From each zone, we randomly chose two districts, and from each district, two panchayats. From each panchayat, we chose one ward to identify a total of 580 eligible farmers. Structured interviews were conducted using door-knock surveys to elicit information from the respondents using a set of standardized questionnaires. The results suggest that the respondents had a mean age of 54.5, with 19.8% being over 65, indicating demographic ageing in the farming sector. Only 46% chose farming as their full-time occupation. Farmers with higher levels of education who owned large plots of land experienced life satisfaction. Interpersonal relationships and social support were significant determinants of life satisfaction, as these factors were pivotal in their access to formal and informal services. With social support being pivotal in life satisfaction, it is imperative to change the social mindset towards farming. Additionally, the government should promote advanced technologies and high-yielding agricultural practises to transform the economic landscape of Kerala in favour of agriculture, which is imperative for the food security of the state.

The Ladder of Data Citizen Participation: A Sociotechnical Lens for Designing Democratic Digital Services in the Data Economy

Abstract In the data economy digital services of democratic value such as news platforms are embedded into unjust power imbalances and the intertwining of economic and civic objectives. The authors argue, to design proficient democratic digital services, power structures of the data economy and empowerment stages of data citizenship need to be made visible initially. To do so, a combination of Arnstein’s ‘Ladder of Citizen Participation’ and Rocha’s ‘Ladder of Empowerment’ is translated into the field of the data economy. A small interview study with niche actors from the field of online journalism is conducted to identify phenomena of their embedding into the sociotechnical landscape of the data economy. As a result, the Ladder of Data Citizen Participation is presented. Eventually, this article closes with implications for the sociotechnical design of democratic digital services and suggestions for future research.

ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЕ ЭНЕРГЕТИЧЕСКОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ В УСЛОВИЯХ РАСШИРЕНИЯ МАСШТАБОВ ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ ЦИФРОВЫХ ТЕХНОЛОГИЙ В МИРОВОЙ ЭКОНОМИКЕ

The article presents the results of a study of the processes of ensuring energy security in the context of the expansion of the use of digital technologies in the global economy. Data on electric energy consumption by Google Corporation has been analyzed. Data on the consumption of electric energy for bitcoin mining by various countries of the world have been studied. The forecast values of mining capacities in the countries of the world by 2030 are presented. The features of ensuring energy security at the national and global levels in the context of the growing scale of the spread of digital services in the modern economy are determined. The patterns of growth in electric energy consumption in the context of increasing integration of artificial intelligence technologies into the modern economy have been revealed.

Unveiling a water-resilient service economy: A model-based approach for enhanced service excellence in GVCs

Urbanization, climate change, and irresponsible resource management exacerbate the global water crisis. The necessity for water resilience, the capacity of systems and communities to adjust and flourish in the face of water shocks and pressures, has been brought to light by these critical issues. Water resilience enables Global Value Chains (GVCs) to survive scarcity, pollution, and flooding, ensuring sustainability and service delivery. Current service excellence models focus on stakeholder satisfaction, punctuality, and reliability over water resilience. This oversight may limit GVC growth and flexibility, reducing sector services. As recommended service excellence models focus on satisfaction, punctuality and reliability among stakeholders but water resilience is not considered. This can create issues for the growth and flexibility of GVCs which could cut back on services sector. This research is examined a complex relationship between service quality and water resilience to improve the GVCs in China regions especially Guangdong Province, Shanghai Municipality, and Beijing Municipality. By using multiple regression, GVCs service quality and water resilience is analyzed in the existence of Service Excellence Model. The study used 15 years (2009–2023) secondary data to measure how water resilience and GVCs services quality affect each other in Chinese regions. The results show that water resilience strategies can strengthen global production networks, optimize resource usage, and enhance service excellence. Chinese GVCs can produce a water-resilient service economy, enlightening service quality and preserving competitiveness in rapidly changing global markets.

Who’s got time for social reproduction? Migrant service workers as embodied infrastructures of the algorhythmic city

ABSTRACT This article, working within the ‘infrastructural turn’, combines social reproduction and Lefebvrian rhythm analysis to examine the everyday labour and life of migrant cleaners and delivery service gig workers in Stockholm. Using in-depth interviews, we demonstrate how this highly mobile and flexible workforce makes the city ‘tick’ by keeping its inhabitants clean, fed, healthy and cared for. Specifically, we highlight a contradiction: workers extricating free time for others through reproductive labour, are themselves systematically deprived of the (paid and unpaid) time necessary to meet their own reproductive needs. The conditions of work in the urban on-demand and just-in-time service economy, we show, produce spatiotemporal (dis)orders of living and labouring in the algorhythmic city, as workers are required to be both on standby, waiting, whilst also fulfilling customer orders at an ever-increasing speed. Migrant gig workers who appear on the doorstep, on demand and just in time, form a kind of human infrastructure, serving the urban population whilst nonetheless being subject to disinvestment – unrepaired and unmaintained. This article, then, contributes to the literature on gig work, migration and social reproduction, by theorizing the algorhythmic city as reliant on the constant transformation of gig labour into an urban infrastructure for social reproduction.

Balancing Openness and Protection:Homogenization of Regulatory Laws in Digital Service Trade

Abstract Digital service trade has emerged as a pivotal engine for global economic transformation and development. However, the implementation of differentiated regulatory measures for trade in digital services among economies has led to increasingly frequent trade disputes. This paper constructs a regulatory homogeneity network for digital service trade in 60 major economies, and systematically evaluates the structural characteristics of the network and the regulatory homogeneity among economies from 2014 to 2021. Furthermore, this paper empirically examines the impact of the partnership characteristics of regulatory homogenization in the network of major economies on their exports. The analysis of the network structure shows that major economies are more inclined to optimize and simplify existing trade partnerships, and are moving towards more diversified restrictive measures in the regulatory model of digital services trade, which has led to the rise of trade protectionism. The empirical text results show that expanding and deepening the regulatory homogeneous partnership of trade in digital services promotes the export of digital services in major economies. This promotion effect is mainly achieved by reducing the cost of digital service trade and enhancing business trust. In addition, the export promotion effect of developing regulatory homogenization partnerships is better than that of increasing the openness of digital service trade, and the homogenization of policies between openness and protection is more important. This paper provides important implications for coordinating the openness and security of digital services trade: China should actively cooperate with multilateral and bilateral digital service trade partners to jointly build a homogeneous environment for regulatory regulations. In particular, it is necessary to deepen the regulatory homogeneity partnership with Asian and developing economies to expand the influence of the “China model” in the global regulation of digital services trade.

Trust dynamics in sharing economy services during a crisis: A comparison between Airbnb and Uber

AbstractThis study investigates trust dynamics in sharing economy services during the COVID‐19 crisis, comparing Airbnb and Uber as prominent representatives of accommodation and transportation services in tourism. Guided by two research questions, the study first explores the antecedents and mechanisms of trust creation on these platforms and then examines how the global pandemic affected trust in these services. The findings reveal that structural assurance, privacy protection, and social influence (only for Uber) are key antecedents of trust. Trust, in turn, significantly influences perceived usefulness and the intention to use both platforms. The results also show that perceived risk, heightened by COVID‐19 concerns, negatively moderates the relationship between trust and usage intention. Comparing the two platforms, Airbnb exhibited higher levels of structural assurance, perceived usefulness, social influence, and usage intentions than Uber. Theoretically, this study advances knowledge by integrating technology acceptance literature with trust‐focused insights from tourism research. Practically, the findings guide sharing economy platforms in enhancing user trust and intention, particularly during crises.

토픽모델링을 활용한 직장에서의 번영감(Thriving at work) 연구동향 분석

In today’s rapidly growing and fiercely competitive knowledge-based service economy, thriving employees are essential for an organization’s competitive advantage and sustainable performance. Thriving at work refers to a psychological state in which an individual experiences both a sense of vitality and learning at work. Both dimensions work together to foster growth and development experiences that shape healthy workplaces and sustainable performance. Since the publication of an empirical paper in 2001, research on thriving at work has progressed rapidly. However, there is a lack of research that classifies the disciplines of thriving at work research in detail and identifies trends. This article explores the research trends and implications of thriving at work through topic modeling analysis. A total of 210 papers from domestic and overseas academic databases were collected and analyzed. The results reveal the emergence and growth of research on the sense of prosperity in the workplace, influenced by factors such as the digital revolution, changing work dynamics, increased mental health awareness, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis identifies major keywords, topics, and their flow within the papers, highlighting the multidimensional nature of thriving at work. The results of this analysis can be used to increase understanding of trends in thriving at work research and to suggest directions for future research on thriving at work in domestic workplaces.

What is Problem in Sharing Economy Service Ecosystem? Reviewing the Role of Trust in Loyalty

What is Problem in Sharing Economy Service Ecosystem? Reviewing the Role of Trust in Loyalty

The Impact of Digital Leadership on Service Economies in Service Ministries in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Impact of Digital Leadership on Service Economies in Service Ministries in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Analysis of MSME’s Financial and Business Improvement Model through Digital Economy Services and Fintech Strategy

Analysis of MSME’s Financial and Business Improvement Model through Digital Economy Services and Fintech Strategy