Disclosing the formation and value creation of servitization through influential factors: a systematic review and future research agenda

Servitization refers to the phenomenon in which manufacturers increasingly focus on services in tandem with the sale of their products. Despite the growing scholarly awareness of servitization, systematic reviews are lacking to clarify how its value can be created through different relevant factors. Based on a conceptual framework, this study fills the gap by examining 213 empirical research papers published between 2005 and 2019. Descriptive and thematic analyses on servitization are presented for its definitions, prerequisites, performances, and intermediate factors of the value creation in servitization. Findings and research streams are synthesised in a causal graph and a mechanism matrix to offer suggestions and research directions for future practitioners and researchers. The results have specified key factors from different levels, such as firm attributes, operations, networking, and the environment, each of which functions in the link of the formation and value creation of servitization. The results further revealed that the existing literature has emphasised the absolute benefits of servitization and predominantly investigated intermediate factors of its value creation. This study offers literature-based insights to enrich the theory-building of servitization and to develop insightful instruments for practitioners.