Why have services grown into the dominant sector of developed economies? Our analysis of macroeconomic data shows that business services make the strongest contribution to the rise of the service sector. We integrate three related economic theories of the firm to explain business services in...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to express the widely underestimated role of business services in driving the growth of the service sector, and the increasing specialization and productivity of the economies. Design/methodology/approach – The authors draw on statistical data and...

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the contribution of global business services (GBS) to improve productivity and economic growth of the world economy, which has gone largely unnoticed in service research. Design/methodology/approach – The authors draw on macroeconomic data...