Resources and Capabilities for Two Types of Servitization: Contingency on Offering Nature and Serving Mode

Abstract

The service industry has greatly expanded in the last few decades. Companies providing products have also explored ways to provide services. However, this transformation is often conducted cautiously, and with very low success rate. While the definition of service has been argued, definition of servitization has not been clarified yet. In this study, it is identified that offering nature (product versus service) should not be the only dimension used to define servitization. Transformation towards ?service-dominant logic? would more refer to changes in the serving mode. This study tried to identify the special characteristics of firms with different offering nature and serving mode, and may pave the way for servitization and suggest blueprints for success.