Process of servitization in the publishing industry: The role of new business models

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to analyze the orientation of the publishers to incorporate services and the level of their integration into the company structure. Additionally, the role of new business models in the process is analysed. To this end, this research aims to validate two scales of important variables related to the servitization process: Orientation towards services incorporation in the firm, and Importance of new business models in servitization processes. Design/methodology/approach: This article discusses the relationship between servitización and product-service systems. Besides, the relationship between servitización and new business models is studied. Finally, an empirical study using 204 Spanish publishers firms is carried out to validate two variables related to servitization in the publisher sector. Findings: The model proposed sheds light about the set of determinants of servitización, carefully analyzing the role played in this process by new business models in the publishing industry. With regards the variables analyzed -orientation towards incorporating services, use of new business models and service integration-, our study concludes with the scales validation of the first two variables. The third variable does not require validation because it had been previously done in precedent investigations. With the validation of the scale about the orientation towards incorporating services, one of the aims of the investigation is fulfilled. This scale becomes suitable as a measurement tool to better analyse the transformation that is suffering the publishing sector. With regards the utility of the scale about new business models, we can conclude that the use of business models is a direct consequence of redesigning corporate structures that has to implement if firms want to have an adequate supply of products and services. Research limitations/implications: The study does not obtain conclusions about the level of integration of these services in the 204 publishers analysed in the sample. This aspect should be incorporated in future research. Originality/value: The article establishes the determinants of the context of servitización associated to the incorporation of new business models. Besides, it provides novel scales to measure the variables analysed.