{"title":"Barriers to service transition in an innovation ecosystem: a qualitative study","authors":"Dênio Carneiro, Mário Franco, M. Rodrigues","doi":"10.1108/emjb-02-2022-0030","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"PurposeThis study arises from the need to understand the servitization or service transition process in non-manufacturing firms and sets out from a taxonomy proposed in the literature (Lütjen et al., 2017). This study aims to identify the barriers to service transition in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) participating in an innovation ecosystem and how these small firms can benefit from this strategy to develop in this scale.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative study was carried out based on multiple case studies, data being collected through semi-structured interviews with service business-people belonging to a science and technology park situated in an inland region of Portugal.FindingsFrom content analysis, the results obtained indicated a lack of specialized personnel as the main barrier and as a strategy to overcome this situation these companies turned to business cooperation. This means that good management of this cooperation increases the quality of the services provided, as inter-organizational networks, through participation in ecosystems, can secure a wider set of resources and capacities.Practical implicationsThis study shows that firms try out different service offers simultaneously and that innovation capacity increases constantly during service transition. Secondly, the study emphasizes the importance of innovation ecosystems, entrepreneurship, servitization and cooperation networks in promoting resilient and small ventures. Thus, this study can help owner-managers, SMEs and political decision-makers to make better informed decisions, which can be particularly relevant in scenarios of uncertainty and crisis.Originality/valueThis study draws conclusions in a little explored empirical area in the literature, challenging the widespread understanding that service transition is used only in manufacturing firms. This study provides clearer conceptual understanding of service transition from a network and relational perspective which, despite the perspective's relevance, still lacks research in the context of servitization.","PeriodicalId":46475,"journal":{"name":"EuroMed Journal of Business","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.8000,"publicationDate":"2023-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"EuroMed Journal of Business","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1108/emjb-02-2022-0030","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"BUSINESS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 1
Abstract
PurposeThis study arises from the need to understand the servitization or service transition process in non-manufacturing firms and sets out from a taxonomy proposed in the literature (Lütjen et al., 2017). This study aims to identify the barriers to service transition in small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) participating in an innovation ecosystem and how these small firms can benefit from this strategy to develop in this scale.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative study was carried out based on multiple case studies, data being collected through semi-structured interviews with service business-people belonging to a science and technology park situated in an inland region of Portugal.FindingsFrom content analysis, the results obtained indicated a lack of specialized personnel as the main barrier and as a strategy to overcome this situation these companies turned to business cooperation. This means that good management of this cooperation increases the quality of the services provided, as inter-organizational networks, through participation in ecosystems, can secure a wider set of resources and capacities.Practical implicationsThis study shows that firms try out different service offers simultaneously and that innovation capacity increases constantly during service transition. Secondly, the study emphasizes the importance of innovation ecosystems, entrepreneurship, servitization and cooperation networks in promoting resilient and small ventures. Thus, this study can help owner-managers, SMEs and political decision-makers to make better informed decisions, which can be particularly relevant in scenarios of uncertainty and crisis.Originality/valueThis study draws conclusions in a little explored empirical area in the literature, challenging the widespread understanding that service transition is used only in manufacturing firms. This study provides clearer conceptual understanding of service transition from a network and relational perspective which, despite the perspective's relevance, still lacks research in the context of servitization.
目的本研究源于对非制造业企业服务化或服务转型过程的理解,并从文献中提出的分类法出发(Lütjen et al.,2017)。本研究旨在确定参与创新生态系统的中小型企业(SME)在服务转型方面的障碍,以及这些小企业如何从这一战略中受益,以实现如此规模的发展。设计/方法/方法在多个案例研究的基础上进行了定性研究,数据是通过对葡萄牙内陆科技园区服务企业人员的半结构化访谈收集的。发现从内容分析来看,所获得的结果表明,缺乏专业人员是主要障碍,作为克服这种情况的策略,这些公司转向了商业合作。这意味着,对这种合作的良好管理可以提高所提供服务的质量,因为组织间网络通过参与生态系统,可以确保更广泛的资源和能力。实践含义本研究表明,企业同时尝试不同的服务,并且在服务转型过程中创新能力不断提高。其次,该研究强调了创新生态系统、创业精神、服务化和合作网络在促进有韧性的小型企业方面的重要性。因此,这项研究可以帮助业主管理者、中小企业和政治决策者做出更明智的决策,这在不确定性和危机的情况下尤其重要。原创性/价值这项研究在文献中很少探索的实证领域得出结论,挑战了服务转型仅在制造业企业中使用的广泛理解。本研究从网络和关系的角度对服务转型提供了更清晰的概念理解,尽管该视角具有相关性,但仍缺乏服务化背景下的研究。
期刊介绍:
The EuroMed Journal of Business (EMJB) is the premier publication facilitating dialogue among researchers from Europe and the Mediterranean. It plays a vital role in generating and disseminating knowledge about various business environments and trends in this region. By offering an up-to-date overview of emerging business practices in specific countries, EMJB serves as a valuable resource for its readers.
As the official journal of the EuroMed Academy of Business, EMJB is committed to reflecting the economic growth seen in the European-Mediterranean region. It aims to be a focused and targeted business journal, highlighting environmental opportunities, threats, and marketplace developments in the area. Through its efforts, EMJB promotes collaboration and open dialogue among diverse research cultures and practices.
EMJB serves as a platform for debating and disseminating research findings, new research areas and techniques, conceptual developments, and practical applications across various business segments. It seeks to provide a forum for discussing new ideas in business, including theory, practice, and the issues that arise within the field.