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How the characteristics of small and medium-sized enterprises influence product-service systems design challenges

Åkesson, Jennie ; Sundström, Angelina ; Johansson, Glenn LU and Chirumalla, Koteshwar (2023) In International Journal of Manufacturing Research 18(4). p.434-453
Abstract

Manufacturing companies can contribute to a resource-efficient society by designing product-service systems (PSS). Despite the increased importance of PSS for the manufacturing industry in their efforts to become sustainable, few studies focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study presented in this article aims to add knowledge on how the characteristics of SMEs influence the challenges SMEs experience when designing PSS. It employs a multiple case study design where data are based on interviews, workshops, and internal archive documents from three contract manufacturing SMEs. The analysis suggests that nine SME characteristics influence the challenges SMEs experience when designing PSS. It also shows that SMEs’... (More)

Manufacturing companies can contribute to a resource-efficient society by designing product-service systems (PSS). Despite the increased importance of PSS for the manufacturing industry in their efforts to become sustainable, few studies focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study presented in this article aims to add knowledge on how the characteristics of SMEs influence the challenges SMEs experience when designing PSS. It employs a multiple case study design where data are based on interviews, workshops, and internal archive documents from three contract manufacturing SMEs. The analysis suggests that nine SME characteristics influence the challenges SMEs experience when designing PSS. It also shows that SMEs’ different characteristics influence one or more challenges, and that SMEs have a short-term horizon and a reactive business approach which influences the overall challenge of designing PSS.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
challenges, contract manufacturing, firm characteristics, manufacturing companies, product-service systems, PSS, servitisation, small and medium-sized enterprises, SME, sustainability
in
International Journal of Manufacturing Research
volume
18
issue
4
pages
20 pages
publisher
Inderscience Publishers
external identifiers
  • scopus:85180547755
ISSN
1750-0591
DOI
10.1504/IJMR.2023.135646
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ecd1d426-59ae-4c9a-9606-4ff682253435
date added to LUP
2024-01-29 14:17:22
date last changed
2024-01-29 14:19:31
@article{ecd1d426-59ae-4c9a-9606-4ff682253435,
  abstract     = {{<p>Manufacturing companies can contribute to a resource-efficient society by designing product-service systems (PSS). Despite the increased importance of PSS for the manufacturing industry in their efforts to become sustainable, few studies focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study presented in this article aims to add knowledge on how the characteristics of SMEs influence the challenges SMEs experience when designing PSS. It employs a multiple case study design where data are based on interviews, workshops, and internal archive documents from three contract manufacturing SMEs. The analysis suggests that nine SME characteristics influence the challenges SMEs experience when designing PSS. It also shows that SMEs’ different characteristics influence one or more challenges, and that SMEs have a short-term horizon and a reactive business approach which influences the overall challenge of designing PSS.</p>}},
  author       = {{Åkesson, Jennie and Sundström, Angelina and Johansson, Glenn and Chirumalla, Koteshwar}},
  issn         = {{1750-0591}},
  keywords     = {{challenges; contract manufacturing; firm characteristics; manufacturing companies; product-service systems; PSS; servitisation; small and medium-sized enterprises; SME; sustainability}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{434--453}},
  publisher    = {{Inderscience Publishers}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Manufacturing Research}},
  title        = {{How the characteristics of small and medium-sized enterprises influence product-service systems design challenges}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJMR.2023.135646}},
  doi          = {{10.1504/IJMR.2023.135646}},
  volume       = {{18}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}