Capability configurations for advanced service offerings in manufacturing firms: Using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis

The present study contributes to the servitization literature demonstrating capability configurations that lead to successful advanced service offerings. Drawing on a data set of 131 Swedish manufacturing firms; the present study utilizes a configurational comparative method, namely fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), to identify influential capability configurations. This study identifies four capability configurations that enable advanced service offerings in manufacturing companies. The results highlight the importance of a configurational approach towards understanding service capabilities and suggest two key paths based upon service development capabilities and mass service customization capabilities that firms may follow in achieving advanced service offerings. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc All rights reserved.