What can climate services learn from the broader services literature?

Area of Science:

• Climate Science
• Service Science
• Public Administration

Background:

• A 'usability gap' persists in climate services, hindering effective decision-making.
• Current approaches often focus on information tailoring, neglecting the service environment.
• The 'servicescape' concept from service management influences user behavior and value perception.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore cross-disciplinary learning for enhancing climate services.
• To investigate the role of 'coproduction' and 'servicescapes' in climate service delivery.
• To identify new research avenues for improving climate service value and user empowerment.

Main Methods:

• A semi-deductive literature review was conducted.
• The review synthesized research from climate services, public administration, service management, and service marketing.
• Key themes of coproduction and servicescapes were examined.

Main Results:

• Climate services can benefit from service-dominant logic and understanding user experiences within the servicescape.
• Empowering users as co-producers of value is crucial for effective climate services.
• The research highlights the importance of the service environment, not just information content.

Conclusions:

• Integrating insights from service management can bridge the usability gap in climate services.
• Future research should focus on the user's subjective experience and co-production within the climate service environment.
• This interdisciplinary approach can advance both the theory and practice of climate services.