The resources-processes-outcomes approach: A spark that could not escape a black hole

Abstract

In May 1993, Werner H. Engelhardt, Michael Kleinaltenkamp, and Martin Reckenfelderbäumer published the paper “Leistungsbündel als Absatzobjekte – Ein Ansatz zur Überwindung der Dichotomie von Sach- und Dienstleistungen” (Products as Bundles of Processes and Outcomes—An Approach to Overcome the Dichotomy between Goods and Services) in Schmalenbachs Zeitschrift für betriebswirtschaftliche Forschung (ZfbF). This paper laid the foundation for the resources–processes–outcomes (RPO) approach (“Leistungslehre”). To date, the work remains one of the most-cited German-language articles in business research. The current article presents the RPO approach’s basic ideas and essential concepts. Furthermore, this article critically reflects on the approach’s contributions from a current perspective. This discussion includes a comparison with more recently developed ideas about the service-dominant (S-D) logic and the service logic that have addressed related issues like the integration of customer and supplier resources and the connected interactions.