Uncertainty profiles in engineering-service development: exploring supplier co-creation

TY - JOUR

T1 - Uncertainty profiles in engineering-service development

T2 - exploring supplier co-creation

AU - Ramirez Hernandez, Tabea

AU - Kreye, Melanie E.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited.

PY - 2020/7/7

Y1 - 2020/7/7

N2 - Purpose: Engineering service (ES) development, particularly with supplier co-creation, is nontrivial, and the literature has acknowledged the high relevance of uncertainty in this context. This study aims to investigate the relationship between different supplier co-creation modes (operationally independent [OI] and operationally dependent [OD]) and uncertainty criticality arising during ES development. Design/methodology/approach: This study develops a conceptual framework of five uncertainty types by synthesizing the relevant literature from service management and new product development. This framework guided the empirical work of two in-depth case studies, describing uncertainty criticality in OI and OD supplier co-creation. Findings: The findings show that environmental and organizational uncertainty were generally of high criticality for ES development independently of the supplier co-creation mode. Moreover, uncertainty criticality varied between the two cases, with higher criticality of technical and relational uncertainty as well as less resource uncertainty experienced by the focal organization in the OD case. This suggests that supplier co-creation constitutes an uncertainty reallocation. Research limitations/implications: Further research is needed to test the generalizability of the qualitative results through quantitative studies. Originality/value: This research contributes to the service management literature by showing the varying uncertainty profiles manufacturing organizations face when engaging in different supplier co-creation modes. Furthermore, this research provides novel insights on ES development to the broader discussion on ES management.

AB - Purpose: Engineering service (ES) development, particularly with supplier co-creation, is nontrivial, and the literature has acknowledged the high relevance of uncertainty in this context. This study aims to investigate the relationship between different supplier co-creation modes (operationally independent [OI] and operationally dependent [OD]) and uncertainty criticality arising during ES development. Design/methodology/approach: This study develops a conceptual framework of five uncertainty types by synthesizing the relevant literature from service management and new product development. This framework guided the empirical work of two in-depth case studies, describing uncertainty criticality in OI and OD supplier co-creation. Findings: The findings show that environmental and organizational uncertainty were generally of high criticality for ES development independently of the supplier co-creation mode. Moreover, uncertainty criticality varied between the two cases, with higher criticality of technical and relational uncertainty as well as less resource uncertainty experienced by the focal organization in the OD case. This suggests that supplier co-creation constitutes an uncertainty reallocation. Research limitations/implications: Further research is needed to test the generalizability of the qualitative results through quantitative studies. Originality/value: This research contributes to the service management literature by showing the varying uncertainty profiles manufacturing organizations face when engaging in different supplier co-creation modes. Furthermore, this research provides novel insights on ES development to the broader discussion on ES management.

KW - Co-creation

KW - Engineering service

KW - Engineering service development

KW - Servitization

KW - Uncertainty management

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85087572320&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1108/JOSM-08-2019-0270

DO - 10.1108/JOSM-08-2019-0270

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85087572320

SN - 1757-5818

VL - 32

SP - 407

EP - 437

JO - Journal of Service Management

JF - Journal of Service Management

IS - 3

ER -