The Service Dominant Logic: A Conceptual Foundation to Address the Underserved

Abstract

Mainstream business ‘solutions’ to the needs of emerging economies (EE) follow a ‘less-for-less’ rationale (for example, B-brands). Recently, new ventures have been created that disrupt traditional marketing literature tenets. These companies provide world class products and services at accessible prices (that is, ‘more-for-less’). It is the intent of this article to try to identify a pattern between these new business ideas and offer an alternative rationale to mainstream literature that is conceptually grounded and can help guide new businesses in EE.

 A new approach within the marketing literature, the Service Dominant logic, has been introduced, which suggests a radical change with regards to mainstream business practices. This article examines whether three successful Argentine case studies are aligned with the Fundamental Premises of the emerging Service Dominant logic. The cases were selected because they are archetypical of EE. They show a high alignment with the Service Dominant logic Fundamental Premises, thus suggesting that it might provide a general rationale with which to address strategies in EEs.