Structuring servitization-related research
International Journal of Operations & Production Management
ISSN: 0144-3577
Article publication date: 5 February 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to organize and connect past research from different servitization-related scholarly communities.
Design/methodology/approach
This study reviews more than 1,000 articles by combining author co-citation and qualitative content analyses.
Findings
The structure and boundaries of the field are mapped, and the characteristics of the three identified servitization-related communities are assessed qualitatively. These three communities are product-service systems, solution business, and service science. The findings demonstrate that a narrow range of theories and qualitative methods dominate in existing research.
Originality/value
Through the lens of the sociology of science, this review critically evaluates servitization-related research and offers a list of themes that are considered important to the future development of the field. Regarding future research, the main recommendations are as follows: increasing the use of well-established theories from adjacent mature fields, borrowing ideas from different research communities to stimulate knowledge accumulation within and across communities, and reducing the level of description while increasing the number of confirmatory, quantitative, and longitudinal research designs. Finally, the development of formal structures for socialization (e.g. conferences and special issues) could allow the field to achieve a greater degree of scientific maturity and would influence the direction and pace of the development of servitization-related research.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This paper is a product of the S4Fleet and FUTIS (Future of Industrial Services) research projects. The financial support of the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation (Tekes), FIMECC and the companies involved in these projects is gratefully acknowledged. Rodrigo Rabetino would like to thank Heiko Gebauer, Glenn Parry, Ferran Vendrell-Herrero, Oscar Bustinza and other participants in the ICBS 2015 for their very constructive comments. In addition, team members are very grateful to Rogelio Oliva for his support and Adam Smale for his insightful suggestions.
Citation
Rabetino, R., Harmsen, W., Kohtamäki, M. and Sihvonen, J. (2018), "Structuring servitization-related research", International Journal of Operations & Production Management, Vol. 38 No. 2, pp. 350-371. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-03-2017-0175
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited