The impact of servitization on corporate culture

Our goal in this paper is to analyze the evolution of the corporate culture required for the process of servitization through changes in practical, behavioral and intellectual habits. The purpose is to gain a better understanding of the process by which an enterprise can change its culture from a product based culture to a service based one in the specific context of SMEs. We use a single case study to understand in depth the effects of a change in company corporate culture. The case study concerns a SME in the Rhone-Alpes Region in France, which specializes in remanufacturing appliances. In 2012, the general manager began a process of started a strategic reflection on servitization in order to diversify the enterprise's activities and unlock new markets. However, the adoption of servitization requires profound modifications in the company's organization, and particularly in its corporate culture. In order to better understand this change, we suggest considering it as a learning process. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V.