Sustainable Product Service System in Pakistan: Exploring the Barriers and Prospects for Adoption

Abstract

The current paper primarily intends to investigate the barriers encountered when implementing sustainable product–service systems (PSS) in the manufacturing sector for non-assembled products, considering both customer and provider perspectives. It also examines strategies manufacturing companies can adopt to address these challenges. The research employs an exploratory, case-based approach with an abductive methodology. Data were collected through 25 qualitative interviews conducted with individuals from various manufacturing industries. The interviews were carried out in two stages: an initial exploratory phase followed by semi-structured interviews. The collected data were analyzed using the proposed thematic analysis method. The findings are grouped into five overarching categories: three emerging from the providers’ perspective—characteristics of the manufacturing industry, customer and market awareness, and specific information requirements—and two from the customers’ perspective—core management practices and customer views on servitization. The results indicate that certain theories from existing literature cannot be directly applied to non-assembled products. Furthermore, the study offers new insights into managing several barriers not yet addressed in the current PSS literature.