Academia Dissects the Service Sector, but Is It a Science?

The article discusses services science, a new hybrid field which utilizes technology, management, mathematics, and engineering to improve service businesses. Several universities are beginning to offer courses and research programs in the field. A graph comparing services and goods in terms of number of employees and percentage of the economy is presented. Technology companies, such as I.B.M. and Hewlett-Packard are looking for ways to increase interest in services science.