Toward Servitized Research: An Integrated Approach for Sustainable Product-Service Innovation

Coreynen, Wim; van Witteloostuijn, Arjen; Vanderstraeten, Johanna

doi:10.3390/su13158422

Open AccessArticle

Toward Servitized Research: An Integrated Approach for Sustainable Product-Service Innovation

by

Wim Coreynen

^1,2,*

,

Arjen van Witteloostuijn

^1,3,4 and

Johanna Vanderstraeten

³

¹

School of Business and Economics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands

²

Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance, Utrecht University, 3512 BK Utrecht, The Netherlands

³

Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium

⁴

Antwerp Management School, Boogkeers 5, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8422; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158422

Submission received: 23 June 2021 / Revised: 23 July 2021 / Accepted: 26 July 2021 / Published: 28 July 2021

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Product-Service Innovation as a Springboard for Enhancing Sustainable Manufacturing Systems: Challenges & Opportunities for Sustainable Development in Manufacturing Enterprises)

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Abstract

This article proposes to bring the sustainable product-service innovation (PSI) field into a next phase—after two phases of exploring why and how firms achieve sustainable PSI growth, we suggest to further focus on finding when they actually do so. Based on prior studies, we pinpoint and describe two main shortcomings in the current body of PSI literature: (1) an overemphasis on the firm level, and (2) an overuse of descriptive case studies. These shortcomings are used as stepping-stones for formulating a research approach that integrates Multiple Levels (namely, the firm, its environment, and its people), mixes different Methods (both qualitative and quantitative) and that turns researchers to Action (through advice and training). This MLMA approach offers ample new research opportunities and turns the servitization research community into a servitized community by leveraging academic insights to better support firms in improving their economic and environmental performance.

Keywords: product-service innovation; multiple levels; theory integration; mixed methods; action research

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MDPI and ACS Style

Coreynen, W.; van Witteloostuijn, A.; Vanderstraeten, J. Toward Servitized Research: An Integrated Approach for Sustainable Product-Service Innovation. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8422. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158422

AMA Style

Coreynen W, van Witteloostuijn A, Vanderstraeten J. Toward Servitized Research: An Integrated Approach for Sustainable Product-Service Innovation. Sustainability. 2021; 13(15):8422. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158422

Chicago/Turabian Style

Coreynen, Wim, Arjen van Witteloostuijn, and Johanna Vanderstraeten. 2021. "Toward Servitized Research: An Integrated Approach for Sustainable Product-Service Innovation" Sustainability 13, no. 15: 8422. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158422

APA Style

Coreynen, W., van Witteloostuijn, A., & Vanderstraeten, J. (2021). Toward Servitized Research: An Integrated Approach for Sustainable Product-Service Innovation. Sustainability, 13(15), 8422. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158422

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

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Toward Servitized Research: An Integrated Approach for Sustainable Product-Service Innovation

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