Title: A study on 'branded servicisation' of manufacturers in the Japanese institutional systems – a conceptual base for empirical studies

Authors: Takashi Kikuchi, Akira Kamoshida

Addresses: Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 W9-51, O-okayama, Meguro-ku, 152-8552, Tokyo, Japan. ' Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 W9-51, O-okayama, Meguro-ku, 152-8552, Tokyo, Japan

Abstract: This paper first attempts to clarify the backdrops where |service| has come to light and the |branded servicisation| of manufacturers has become a necessity, critically reviews the issue of what service is partly by looking at the history of economics, categorises services and presents a working definition of service including in-house services within a company. Regarding in what framework (Japanese) manufacturers should pursue such servicision coupled with brandisation; it attempts to present conceptual framework or basis from the economic and management viewpoints and proposes a hypothesis on how branded services of manufacturers or an economy would develop. Lastly, the paper adds preliminary perspectives to the issues of services developments in the Japanese institutional systems (socio-economic cultural system or composition) including the argument which types of services indigenously fit the Japanese institution. Based on those, this article will be a cornerstone for empirical analysis to be developed in the near future. (|Servicise| means transforming manufacturers from goods supplier to service system supplier and |Brandise| means making manufacturers as corporations and their offerings branded).

Keywords: service branding; branded services; servicisation; brandisation; systemic service; systemic service design; Japanese manufacturers; Japan; manufacturing industry; service system suppliers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJWET.2009.032256

International Journal of Web Engineering and Technology, 2009 Vol.5 No.4, pp.427 - 458

Published online: 18 Mar 2010 *

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