Actors, Resources, and Activities in Digital Servitization: a business network perspective

Digital Servitization (DS), that is the development of new services through the use of digital technologies, is an emerging research stream characterized by an inherent complexity that requires understanding changes occurring over time and impacting relationships and network dynamics. Scholars have argued for the need to move towards an analysis of the micro-interaction processes and the adoption of a networking perspective. In this direction, this study aims to explore the contribution of the business network approach, compared to other existing frameworks, in the analysis of complex digital phenomena. To reach this aim, the study undertakes a single case study of an Italian manufacturer which is undertaking a DS process. The empirical analysis is guided by the three dimensions of the interpretative Actors-Resources-Activities (ARA) framework, developed within the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) approach. The analysis has provided insights into each of the three layers of the ARA framework and has pointed to a continuous interrelation between the internal and external context and interdependence among the three layers. The study provides a theoretical contribution to the stream of literature dealing with the DS phenomenon by providing a unified theoretical approach - i.e., the business network approach - characterized by analytical completeness. Also, the research paves the way for the business network approach and for the ARA framework to be adopted in the investigation of complex business phenomena, such as DS.