What is Viable Systems Approach (VSA)

The aim of this chapter is to highlight the necessity of a change in perspective and a new approach to Retail Service Marketing by addressing the recent challenges posed by a radical rethinking of market exchange logic using a service view. Recent Service Marketing advances are analyzed, which lead to the Service Dominant Logic proposal to take a general service view of market exchange, envisaging an emerging paradigm change. However, the key to this potential paradigm change is not yet well focused. A gap in the theoretical approach emerges that can be closed by adopting the Viable Systems Approach and the structure-system interpretation scheme. Their implications for retailing are discussed, and the key to change is emphasized. This chapter introduces a new theoretical and conceptual framework rooted in systems thinking, which recommends a Service Systems Approach to Retail Marketing.