Customer-pulled and provider-pushed pathways for product-service system

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate distinctive pathways for product-service system (PSS) development. Moreover, it investigates the contingent effect of the business ecosystem (BE) in terms of being provider-pushed or customer-pulled. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a case-based research, performed in the Brazilian and Danish healthcare industries in order to explore the subject. Findings The results reveal that the capital available for investments influences the pathway. The customer-pulled PSS fast evolved to become result-oriented and connected to a complex resource-dependent network in the BE. The provider-pushed PSS showed a slow evolutionary pathway, limited to product-oriented offerings with low dependence among actors in the BE. Originality/value The research offers various managerial implications for PSS providers, policymakers and customers of the healthcare industry.