A systematic review for organizing servitization by multi-actor collaborations: lenses, factors and outcomes
Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing
ISSN: 0885-8624
Article publication date: 27 June 2022
Issue publication date: 15 February 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Implementing servitization requires collaborative efforts from multiple actors in the business network or ecosystem. A multi-actor perspective is considered valuable for understanding the process of servitization. This study aims to review the contemporary research on organizing servitization by multi-actor collaborations.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach of systematic literature review was used. In total, 90 English-language journal articles published from 2004 to 2021 were selected based on a series of rigorous steps. Furthermore, descriptive and thematic analyses were conducted to answer the predefined review questions.
Findings
The servitization research from the multi-actor collaboration perspective is an infant field yet growing increasingly. An integrative framework was proposed to reveal the extant related studies. In this framework, three typical servitization lenses emphasizing multi-actor collaborations were uncovered. Moreover, six categories of influence factors and possible positive and negative outcomes for this process were identified. Existing knowledge gaps and underlying research directions were also discussed to lay the foundations for future research.
Research limitations/implications
This research has been limited by the usage of single database, rigorous selection criteria by the Academic Journal Guide (AJG 2018) list and exclusion of non-English papers.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the earliest systematic literature reviews to explore the servitization issues by adopting a multi-actor perspective. The findings can consolidate the knowledge base of servitization and provide implications for the multiple fields of industrial marketing, operational management, information management and service marketing.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was funded by the Innovation Method Fund of China [grant number 2018IM020300, 2019IM020200]; the Joint Funds of National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number U1904210-4, 62173253]; the Shanghai Science and Technology Program [grant number 20040501300]; and General Project of Humanities and Social Science Research for Henan Province's Colleges and Universities (Project No. 2023-ZZJH-039); and Zhengzhou University Support Program Project for Young Talents and Enterprise Cooperative Innovation Team. The authors also acknowledge the editors and the anonymous referees for their careful reading and constructive comments.
Citation
Wang, J., Zhang, K., Lin, K.-Y. and Feng, L. (2023), "A systematic review for organizing servitization by multi-actor collaborations: lenses, factors and outcomes", Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 38 No. 4, pp. 828-851. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-07-2021-0355
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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