La Servitization Nella Pratica: Prospettiva MACRO, MESO E MICRO

Traditionally, manufacturing firms relied on products and product innovation for many years. The situation has changed, and many firms have shown significant interest in services and service provision. Many firms are undergoing servitization for sustainability and competitive advantage. Moreover, Industry 4.0 technologies are essential to the servitization journey. The road to servitization success is challenging and requires every aspect of the organization to participate. Organizations’ every aspect includes (macro-meso-micro) perspective. Firms at the macro level are reallocating resources and refining their goals. Actors in the ecosystem at the meso level are restructuring organizations, aligning control systems, and upgrading technologies. Individuals at the micro level are transforming their frontline roles, enhancing skills, knowledge, and abilities, and renewing routines. With (macro-meso-micro) factors converging, many firms are now undergoing servitization. Yet, the existing literature remains scarce, highlighting the need to investigate further servitization at (macro-meso-micro) level. To this end, the present dissertation aims to analyze how manufacturing firms infuse servitization in their practices by managing (macro-meso-micro) level factors. Building upon the academic literature in servitization, marketing, and related disciplines, this dissertation leverages three appended papers as its scientific foundation. The first paper is based on mixed reviews, including a scientometric analysis and a systematic literature review, focusing on a multilevel perspective. The systematic findings are concerned with how firms can organize the interconnection of (macro meso-micro) factors for servitization. In particular, based on existing literature, the findings offer a method for organizing multilevel factors with a specific focus on sustainable servitization, digital servitization, sustainable development, relationship quality, Industry 4.0, product service systems, creating value, and digital twins. Furthermore, the systematic evidence suggests that the success of servitization requires an understanding of an interconnected multilevel framework that links (macro-meso-micro) level explaining factors under niche, emerging, basic, and motor themes. The second paper is based on the multiple case study focusing on the meso perspective. The findings concern how manufacturing firms can strengthen their ecosystems to facilitate collaborative servitization and match the pace of ongoing Industry 4.0 trends. The value of this paper is threefold. First, understanding the challenges of offering advanced, integrated, and collaborative services in an ecosystem management context is essential. Second, collaborating with ecosystem actors necessitates the development of ecosystem management capabilities, which include ―advancing ecosystems for future interfaces,‖ ―integrating ecosystem actors and technology,‖ and ―institutionalizing ecosystems.‖ Third, understanding ecosystem actors’ involvement in ecosystem management typologies is essential to address the complexities and develop the related capabilities. Moreover, the literature suggests a need for a process framework for servitization success in an ecosystem context. The third paper is based on the survey focusing on the micro perspective. Individual roles such as managers, shareholders, customers, and employees are critical for servitization success. Amongst them, employees are considered value creators and enablers of servitization. However, the existing literature on employee perspectives on servitization remains limited, highlighting the need for a comprehensive understanding of the unique micro-foundations of servitization from the perspective of individual employees. To succeed with servitization, employees need to adapt customer-centric services in their practices, which require high demand-pull knowledge. Empirical evidence suggests that integrating demand-pull knowledge contributes to the construction of servitization absorptive capacity. From a theoretical perspective, this dissertation adds to the growing body of literature exploring the (macro-meso-micro) perspectives of servitization. Practically, it guides manufacturing firms in organizing their internal structure, routines, and practices for servitization, navigating internal and external boundaries, and addressing the individualistic and collectivistic approach. This dissertation emphasized (macro meso-micro) practices for the success of servitization.