This paper casts light on major debates and dilemmas in the fields of organisational strategy and management regarding moderator variables that affect the performance outcomes of service growth strategies in manufacturing companies. While considerable research has investigated the organisational structures and business processes that can best support emerging service initiatives, few studies have analysed the link between firm characteristics and service performance. This paper takes a bankruptcy perspective and examines if these exhibit significant differences between non-bankrupt (i.e. successful) and bankrupt (i.e. unsuccessful) servitized firms.