Relação entre servitização e desempenho organizacional: estudo realizado com gestores do setor de máquinas e equipamentos

Abstract

The role of manufacturing in the value chain has become less attractive. As the demand for products has stagnated, the profitability has decreased and the products has become easily commoditized. To face these challenges, a growing number of companies have added value totheir business, by incorporating services, looking forward to reach several potentially gains, such as higher profitability, higher revenues, survival and differentiation. In this case, multiple services can be added to the core product, wherein, in a final stage, the industry sells the usageof the equipment and its results, but does not sell the product itself. To the transition performed by the industry from a manufacturer of goods to a supplier of product-service solutions is given the name servitization. The literature addressing this issue is divided about the real impact onorganizational performance that servitization promotes, although it is still a field with little evidence derived from quantitative studies. This research aimed to assess quantitatively the impact of servitization on industries organizational performances. The sector of machinery and equipment was chosen for the development of this research as it represents a mature industry with relatively low market growth and technological innovations, which has led it to try to enhance its profitability through services. Through a questionnaire survey, we evaluated theperceptions of 92 managers of servitized companies distributed in seven Brazilians states. We validated and analysed the data with univariate and multivariate statistics and Partial Least Squares Path Model technique (PLS-SEM) was central. The results indicated that servitization has a positive and significant relationship with organizational performance in machinery and equipment industries. Specifically, it was found that maintenance services has the bigger impact on organizational performance, followed by functional services and basic services. Research and Development Services showed no statistically significant relationship. From a managerial point of view, the study demonstrates the effectiveness that the provision of certain services has on organizational performance and, by proposing a multi-dimensional theoretical model for the theme, contributed academically for enabling new perspectives to evaluate servitization.