Reconciling and reconceptualising servitization research: drawing on modularity, platforms, ecosystems, risk and governance to develop mid-range theory
Abstract:PurposeThis research bridges disparate research on servitization, namely product–service systems (PSS) and integrated solutions (IS), to provide valuable insights for the progression of the field. It acts as a reconciliation of these research streams and offers a reconceptualised agenda incorporating recent research on platforms, ecosystems, modularity, risk and governance as key conceptual themes to synthesise and build theory.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual, theory development article focused… Show more
“…commonality) (Rajahonka et al, 2013 p. 189). These features of modular services are considered effective in the achievement of customization for different users (Johnson et al, 2021;Moon et al, 2010).…”
PurposeThis study investigates the effects of service modularity on the perceived usefulness (PU) of e-learning programs through the perceived ease of use (PEoU) and service customization.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling was used to test four hypotheses with survey data from 517 undergraduates in Turkey.FindingsResults show that service modularity affects the PU of e-learning programs through the PEoU. Service customization negatively moderates the effect of service modularity on the PEoU, but positively moderates the effect of the PEoU on the PU of e-learning programs.Practical implicationsThis study offers insights that support the decisions of policymakers and higher education institutions on how to design appealing e-learning programs cost-effectively.Social implicationsThis study reveals the determinants of the PU of e-learning, which could support the democratization of access to higher education in emerging countries where barriers to higher education are relatively greater than in developed countries.Originality/valueThe concept of service modularity is explored in the e-learning context from the students' perspective. This study shows that the standardized interfaces across course modules increase the PU of e-learning programs by improving the ease of use. It also shows, interestingly, that service customization, enabled by modularity, is not always appreciated by service consumers, because of the potential extra effort demanded in communicating their unique needs to service providers.
“…commonality) (Rajahonka et al, 2013 p. 189). These features of modular services are considered effective in the achievement of customization for different users (Johnson et al, 2021;Moon et al, 2010).…”
PurposeThis study investigates the effects of service modularity on the perceived usefulness (PU) of e-learning programs through the perceived ease of use (PEoU) and service customization.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling was used to test four hypotheses with survey data from 517 undergraduates in Turkey.FindingsResults show that service modularity affects the PU of e-learning programs through the PEoU. Service customization negatively moderates the effect of service modularity on the PEoU, but positively moderates the effect of the PEoU on the PU of e-learning programs.Practical implicationsThis study offers insights that support the decisions of policymakers and higher education institutions on how to design appealing e-learning programs cost-effectively.Social implicationsThis study reveals the determinants of the PU of e-learning, which could support the democratization of access to higher education in emerging countries where barriers to higher education are relatively greater than in developed countries.Originality/valueThe concept of service modularity is explored in the e-learning context from the students' perspective. This study shows that the standardized interfaces across course modules increase the PU of e-learning programs by improving the ease of use. It also shows, interestingly, that service customization, enabled by modularity, is not always appreciated by service consumers, because of the potential extra effort demanded in communicating their unique needs to service providers.
“…Fourth, ecosystems are enabled by modularity and bound together by the partners' non-redeployability of their collective investments elsewhere (Jacobides et al, 2018). Fifth, ecosystems are emergentthey cannot be created relying entirely on planned actions and objectives but entail dynamics and shifts that are difficult to anticipate -and influence based, as they are characterized by partial influence rather than full ownership or control by any of the involved partners (Fuller et al, 2019;Johnson et al, 2021). Kapoor (2018) notes that an ecosystem is conceptually different from a supply chain as it is less vertically aligned and not necessarily related to the principal organization's product or service.…”
Section: The Roles Of Pmm In Strategy Implementationmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…In recent years, global firms such as General Electric and Siemens have actively cultivated business ecosystems to access a broad range of resources, become more flexible and resilient, and deliver increasingly complex products and services (GE Digital, 2021;Johnson et al, 2021;Pidun et al, 2019;Siemens, 2021). Such investments have been celebrated by academics and practitioners alike with reports highlighting that ecosystems enable firms to mitigate risks and to operate across different industries, as demonstrated by the well-known examples of Amazon, Alibaba and Uber, and hold considerable promise for improved value capture (Fuller et al, 2019;Schroeck et al, 2020).…”
PurposePerformance measurement and management (PMM) systems have traditionally enabled strategy execution within and across firms. However, PMM have been criticized as overly static and deterministic and therefore inappropriate for emergent and dynamic contexts, such as those that characterize business ecosystems.The study aims to address the roles of organizational PMM practices in the development and implementation of business ecosystem strategies.Design/methodology/approachThe authors carried out a qualitative, longitudinal study during 2016–2020 at a Japanese multinational technology corporation attempting to create an ecosystem strategy to expand its market and diversify its offering. The authors collected interview, observation and archival data, spanning the period from framing the initial strategy to establishing the ecosystem.FindingsThe process of developing and implementing the ecosystem strategy was emergent and highly iterative, rather than planned and linear, eventually requiring key decision-makers in the company to challenge some of their deeply held assumptions. PMM practices first acted as barriers to ecosystem development by promoting an excessive focus on revenue generation. Once modified, PMM helped capture, convey and reassess the ecosystem strategy. Performance targets, indicators and strategy maps were not just data gathering and reporting mechanisms but key means to express competing perspectives.Practical implicationsWhen developing an ecosystem strategy, managers should adopt a participatory and iterative approach, reviewing the complementary effects of various PMM tools at different points in time.Originality/valueThe study is among the first to provide an in-depth account of ecosystem strategy creation and implementation and to identify the diverse roles and effects of PMM practices in dynamic and complex contexts.
“…An SSC that supports various functions, such as finance and accounting (F&A) (Janssen and Joha, 2006), human resources (HR) (Maatman and Meijerink, 2017) and information technology (IT) (Ulbrich and Schulz, 2014), can be considered as a platform in which its functions represent modules (Cusumano and Gawer, 2002). Platforms are becoming increasingly important to firms and those implementing servitization (Fu et al, 2018;Johnson et al, 2021;Li et al, 2021). Platforms, according to the authors, "may be internal or external to a corporation, and are asset structures that enable complementary products or services to be developed" (p. 2).…”
Section: Introductionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…Platforms are becoming increasingly important to firms and those implementing servitization (Fu et al. , 2018; Johnson et al. , 2021; Li et al.…”
PurposeOrganizations nowadays require services supplied by shared service centers (SSCs) to achieve organizational responsiveness. Previous contributions focused on distinct qualitative-explorative factors for explaining successful SSC implementation but failed to consider the interdependencies and combined effects between factors.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on complexity and configuration theories, this research employed a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). A unique dataset of 121 international firms was obtained to examine the combined effects of five conditions (factors), namely, modularization, standardization, decision-rights, portfolio and customer-orientation .FindingsThe findings show that multiple configurations of conditions (or solutions) can lead to successful SSC implementation. The fsQCA results indicated that portfolio and standardization are perceived as core conditions in all configurations. Firms that focus on portfolio and continuous evaluation of customer-orientation are more likely to be successful. Furthermore, in some configurations, the size of the firm size matters.Research limitations/implicationsThe cross-sectional survey data might be a potential limitation. In future research, a more extensive survey can be collected to help generalize the results.Practical implicationsSuccess factors are dependent on the SSC configuration. Standardization, portfolio management and regular evaluations of changing customer services by executive management are needed.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, there is no academic study that examines SSC implementation based on salient conditions using a configurational thinking approach. As such, the findings of the research allow us to better understand the causal complexity and interdependencies between essential SSC factors.
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