Service-Dominant Logic Framework Theory Contributions to the Agriculture Industry

The focus of this qualitative descriptive single case study was exploring and developing an understanding of how to leverage the service-dominant (S-D) logic framework theory and service ecosystem concept to assist small family farm owners from the crops category in Connecticut to attain a sustainable future. Participants answered 10 questions about their experiences and perceptions of the service ecosystem concept and the innovative strategies they have implemented into their business plans. Data were collected through in-depth, face-to-face interviews, unstructured observation, social media analysis, and document collection to achieve data triangulation. MAXQDA software was used to assist with coding and analysis. Two research questions guided this study. The first was as follows: How can the development of a service ecosystem influence the ability of small family-owned farms in Connecticut to advance and achieve a sustainable future? The second was the following: What strategic methods are designed in the farms’ business model for innovation and sustainability? The findings indicated that a service ecosystem was present at the metatheoretical and micro aggregation levels. The value of this research study is the contributions to the literature in the first investigation that describes the relationship between the S-D logic framework and service ecosystem concept where the farmers of small family farms have efficiently developed, implemented, and managed a service ecosystem to advance sustainability. Recommendations for future research include: (a) a study of cooperative marketing (farmers markets) in a structural equation modeling analysis with the imperfect competition theory and the phenomenon of small farmers and (b) a study on an expanded service ecosystem with multiple actors, where the phenomenon of small and mid-sized farms are extended to the midrange theoretical and meso aggregation levels from the S-D logic landscape