Exploring the role of interaction in older-adult service innovation: insights from the testing stage

Abstract In the context of global aging trends, service innovation targeting older adults is becoming increasingly crucial. Because the traditional focus areas of service innovation have predominantly been design and implementation, a significant gap in the existing literature overlooks the criticality of the testing phase. This oversight is particularly notable in relation to the unique attributes of the older adult population and their interaction dynamics with technology teams in service innovation. To bridge this lacuna, this study introduces a comprehensive framework, meticulously crafted for the testing stage of service innovation tailored to older adults. To validate this framework, a rigorous, four-year empirical research project was undertaken with one of the foremost service providers for older adults in Beijing. The findings robustly support the efficacy of the proposed framework, revealing the indispensable role of the testing phase in ensuring service innovations are aptly aligned with the needs and preferences of the aging demographic. This research enriches the discourse in service innovation, thus underscoring the imperative to integrate the testing phase as a fundamental component in the holistic approach aimed at catering effectively to an aging population.