Many services can be self-provided. An individual user or a user firm can, for example, choose to do its own accounting – choose to self-provide that service – instead of hiring an accounting firm to provide it. Since users can ‘serve themselves’ in many cases, it is reasonable to...

Services are thought of as something that involves a provider and a consumer. This is true for many situations in our daily life. For example, a taxi can provide a transportation service for a passenger. But it is also true that a passenger can drive himself/herself, i.e., self-provide a similar...