Title: Servitisation in manufacturing: proposal of an ontology

Authors: Noelia Gonzalo-Hevia; María-Luz Martín-Peña

Addresses: Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Paseo de los Artilleros, s/n, 28032 Madrid, Spain ' Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Paseo de los Artilleros, s/n, 28032 Madrid, Spain

Abstract: Research on servitisation in manufacturing began three decades ago. Since then, contributions to the field have continued to grow, with scholars adopting approaches from different knowledge areas. This broad growth has created terminological and conceptual confusion, curtailing the development of this scientific field. The aim of this paper is to establish order in the disparate terminology used in servitisation research by proposing a conceptual foundation based on theoretical and practical approaches. An ontology of servitisation is proposed to identify the key concepts in the field and the relationships between these concepts through a controlled vocabulary under a formal logic. This ontology also identifies where and to what extent each existing conceptualisation may be used, as well as highlighting the differences between terms. The foundations for the structure of the scientific field of servitisation are thus laid.

Keywords: servitisation; services; manufacturing; ontology; scientific field.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBE.2020.111404

International Journal of Business Environment, 2020 Vol.11 No.4, pp.417 - 443

Received: 17 Feb 2020
Accepted: 25 Mar 2020
Published online: 25 Nov 2020 *

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