Environmental performance of servitized manufacturing firms: the (mis)alignment between servitization strategies and inter-organizational information technology capabilities

Purpose This study investigates the different effects of the (mis)alignment between servitization strategies (i.e. product-oriented and customer-oriented services) and inter-organizational information technology (IT) capabilities (i.e. IT reconfiguration and integration) concerning the environmental performance of servitized manufacturing firms. Design/methodology/approach Using hierarchical regression analysis, this study examines the theoretical model based on multi-respondent survey data from 1,149 senior managers of 383 manufacturers in China. Findings Product-oriented services have a non-significant effect on environmental performance, whereas customer-oriented services exert a significantly positive effect. The alignment between product-oriented services and IT reconfiguration, and that between customer-oriented services and IT integration, improve environmental performance. In contrast, the misalignment between product-oriented services and IT integration, and that between customer-oriented services and IT reconfiguration, hurt environmental performance. Originality/value This study elucidates the different effects of the (mis)alignment between servitization strategies and inter-organizational IT capabilities on environmental performance. It also resolves the inconsistency regarding the implications of servitization on environmental performance.