PRODUCT-SERVICE SYSTEMS AS SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES TO MOBILITY: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TWO BIKE-SHARING SYSTEMS

Thayla Tavares De Sousa-Zomer,Vinicius Zago Cantú,Paulo Augusto Cauchick Miguel

doi:10.14488/bjopm.2016.v13.n3.a4

Thayla Tavares De Sousa-Zomer, Vinicius Zago Cantú + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.14488/bjopm.2016.v13.n3.a4

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Abstract

Product-Service Systems (PSS) have been discussed as promising business models to redirect the contemporary production and consumption patterns towards sustainability. However, the research on PSS is mostly dictated by theoretical works and more empirical investigations are needed. Additionally, empirical studies that compare PSS solutions situated in different contextual conditions are required. This paper aims at analyzing two use-oriented bike-sharing systems with sustainability potential in order to contribute to PSS empirical body of knowledge. A PSS located in a developed country and another one available in an emerging economy were selected to be investigated. A qualitative analysis was carried out considering the contextual conditions of each solution: PSS elements, sustainable business models components, and sustainability potential, based mainly on secondary data. The results confirmed that these PSS models can provide environmental, economic, and social benefits. The analysis and comparison between the solutions also demonstrated differences in both systems such as integration with other transportation modes and renewable energy usage that may affect customer acceptance and PSS sustainability performance. Customer behavior, acceptance and satisfaction need further study. Understanding the real factors that motivate customers to use a bike-sharing system in different contexts can be useful in efforts to spread its future adoption.

Highlights

A sustainable product-service system (PSS) can be defined as “an offer model providing an integrated mix of products and services that are together able to fulfill a particular customer demand, based on innovative interactions between the stakeholders of the value production system, where the economic and competitive interest of the providers continuously seeks environmentally and socio-ethically beneficial new solutions” (Vezzoli et al, 2015, p.2)
The two bike-sharing systems under study are initially analyzed concerning the description of the business context, which provides information about how users interact with the system, how it is controlled, who are the actors involved, their respective roles and interactions ( Keskin, 2006)
The bike-sharing systems under study represent a promising initiative to increase sustainable transport supply in urban contexts. They allow achieving many environmental, economic and social benefits and their implementation on a global level is expanding in recent years

Summary

Introduction

A sustainable product-service system (PSS) can be defined as “an offer model providing an integrated mix of products and services that are together able to fulfill a particular customer demand (to deliver aunit of satisfaction’), based on innovative interactions between the stakeholders of the value production system (satisfaction system), where the economic and competitive interest of the providers continuously seeks environmentally and socio-ethically beneficial new solutions” (Vezzoli et al, 2015, p.2). PSS are innovative business approaches that shift the traditional business focus from selling only physical products (e.g. a washing machine) to selling a mix of products and services (e.g. cleaning services) that are jointly capable of fulfilling specific consumers’ needs (‘clean clothes’) (Unep, 2015). PSS have been widely discussed as promising approaches to drive the current production and consumption patterns towards sustainability (Ceschin, 2013). With a focus on a ‘satisfaction-based’ economy, PSS offers the potential for generating win-win solutions that promote profits, environmental and social benefits for low- and middleincome contexts with less economic possibilities (Unep, 2002; Ceschin, 2014; Chou et al, 2015). A research gap exists regarding how PSS business models may provide social benefits in low and middleincome contexts in addition to the environmental and economic ones, as emphasized by literature (e.g. Vezolli et al, 2015)

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