Customer support is critical for the success of business-to-business (B2B) service firms. A key issue such firms face is how to reduce customers’ reliance on traditional support service. B2B companies are increasingly turning to firm hosted virtual peer-to-peer problem-solving (P3) communities to fulfill some of their customer support service needs. This raises the question: Does customer problem-solving participation in such communities reduce the demands associated with traditional customer support service? This research investigates the effects of problem-solving customer participation in a P3 community among global B2B customers. Results reveal that community problem-solving customer participation, in terms of helping oneself (posting questions) and helping others (responding to peer questions), reduces the participant’s use of traditional customer support service. Results show that the frequency of logging in to the community and breadth of community memberships both serve to increase the use of traditional customer support service. This is the first empirical study to investigate the longitudinal effects of problem-solving customer participation in a peer-to-peer problem-solving community of B2B customers. Promoting peer-to-peer customer interactions provides managers with strategic levers to increase the efficiencies and the effectiveness of their support service.
AartsHenkVerplankenBasVanAd Knippenberg (1998), “Predicting Behavior from Actions in the Past: Repeated Decision Making or a Matter of Habit?”Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 28 (15), 1355–1374.
2.
AlaviMaryamLeidnerDorothy E. (2001), “Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management Systems: Conceptual Foundations and Research Issues,”MIS Quarterly, 25 (2), 107–136.
3.
AlgesheimerReneDholakiaUtpal M.HerrmannAndreas (2005), “The Social Influence of Brand Community: Evidence from European Car Clubs,”Journal of Marketing, 69 (3), 19–34.
4.
ArdichviliAlexanderPageVaughnWentlingTim (2003), “Motivations and Barriers to Participation in Virtual Knowledge Sharing Communities of Practice,”Journal of Knowledge Management, 7 (1), 64–77.
5.
AuhSeigyoungBellSimon J.McLeodColin S.ShihEric (2007), “Co-Production and Customer Loyalty in Financial Services,”Journal of Retailing, 83 (3), 359–370.
6.
BagozziRichard P.DholakiaUtpal M. (2006), “Antecedents and Purchase Consequences of Customer Participation in Small Group Brand Behavior,”International Journal of Research in Marketing, 23 (1), 45–61.
7.
BatesPaulRobertsGraham (2002), “Knowledge Management and Communities of Practice in the Private Sector: Lessons for Modernizing the National Health Service in England and Wales,”Public Administration, 80 (4), 643–663.
8.
BendapudiNeeliLeoneRobert P. (2003), “Psychological Implications of Customer Participation in Co-Production,”Journal of Marketing, 67 (1), 14–28.
9.
BettencourtLance A. (1997), “Customer Voluntary Performance: Customers as Partners in Service Delivery,”Journal of Retailing, 73 (3), 383–406.
10.
BambergerPeter A. (2009), “Employee Help-Seeking: Antecedents, Consequences and New Insights for Future Research,”Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 28, 49–98.
11.
BitnerMary JoBrownStephen W. (2008), “The Service Imperative,”Business Horizons51 (1), 39–46.
12.
BlackwellC. Al (1995), “A Good Installation Guide Increases User Satisfaction and Reduces Support Costs,”Technical Communication, 42 (1), 56–61.
13.
BolinoMark C.TurnleyWilliam H. (2005), “The Personal Costs of Citizenship Behavior: The Relationship between Individual Initiative and Role Overload, Job Stress, and Work-Family Conflict,”Journal of Applied Psychology, 90 (4), 740–748.
14.
BoltonRuth N.LemonKatherine N.BramlettMatthew (2006), “The Effect of Service Experiences over Time on a Supplier’s Retention of Business Customers,”Management Science, 52 (December), 1811–1823.
15.
BondJames T.GalinskyEllenSwanbergJennifer E. (1998). The 1997 National Study of the Changing Workforce. New York, NY: Families and Work Institute.
16.
BrodieRoderick J.HollebeekLinda D.JuricBiljanaIllicAna (2011), “Customer Engagement: Conceptual Doman, Fundamental Propositions, and Implications for Future Research,”Journal of Service Research, 14 (3), 252–271.
CarsonStephen J.DevinneyTimothy M.DowlingGrahame R.JohnGeorge (1999), Understanding Institutional Designs Within Marketing Value System,”Journal of Marketing, 63 (Special Issue), 1115–1130.
19.
ChanKimmy WaYimChi Kin (Bennett)LamSimon S. K. (2010), “Is Customer Participation in Value Creation a Double-Edged Sword? Evidence from Professional Financial Services Across Cultures,” Journal of Marketing, 74 (3), 48–64.
20.
ChiuChao-MinHsuMeng-HsiangWangEric T. G. (2006), “Understanding Knowledge Sharing in Virtual Communities: An Integration of Social Capital and Social Cognitive Theories,”Decision Support Systems, 42 (3), 1872–1888.
21.
CoxeStefanyWestStephen G.AikenLeona S. (2009), “The Analysis of Count Data: A Gentle Introduction to Poisson Regression and Its Alternatives,”Journal of Personality Assessment, 91 (2), 121–136.
22.
DasAmit. (2003), “Knowledge and Productivity in Technical Support Work,”Management Science, 49 (4), 416–431.
23.
DholakiaUtpal M.BlazevicVeraWiertzCarolineAlgesheimerRené (2009), “Communal Service Delivery: How Customers Benefit From Participation in Firm-Hosted Virtual P3 Communities,”Journal of Service Research, 12 (2), 208–226.
24.
DholakiaUtpal M.BagozziRichard P.PearoLisa Klein (2004), “A Social Influence Model of Consumer Participation in Network- and Small-Group-Based Virtual Communities,”International Journal of Research in Marketing, 21 (3), 241–263.
25.
EisenhardtKathleen M. (1989), “Making Fast Decisions in High-Velocity Environments,”Academy of Management Journal, 32 (3), 543–576.
26.
SawyElOmarA.BowlesGene (1997), “Redesigning the Customer Support Process for the Electronic Economy: Insights from Storage Dimensions,”MIS Quarterly, 21 (4), 457–483.
27.
EllisShmuelTyreMarcie J. (2001), “Helping Relations Between Technology Users and Developers: A Vignette Study,”IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 48 (1), 56–69.
28.
EnnewChristine T.BinksMartin R. (1999), “Impact of Participative Service Relationships on Quality, Satisfaction, and Retention: An Exploratory Study,”Journal of Business Research, 46 (2), 121–132.
29.
FitzsimmonsJames A. (1985), “Consumer Participation and Productivity in Service Operations,”Interfaces, 15 (3), 60–67.
30.
FlynnFrancis J. (2005), “Identity Orientations and Forms of Social Exchange in Organizations,”Academy of Management Review, 30 (4), 737–750.
31.
GarvinDavid A. (1988), Managing quality. New York, NY: Free Press.
32.
GellerDvoraBambergerPeter (2012), “The Impact of Help Seeking on Individual Task Performance: The Moderating Effect of Help Seekers’ Logics of Action,” Journal of Applied Psychology, 97 (2), 487–497.
33.
GibsonJanet M.DhuseSaraHrachovecLeahGrahamLisa R. (2011), “Priming Insight in Groups: Facilitating and Inhibiting Solving an Ambiguously Worded Insight Problem,”Memory & Cognition, 39 (1), 128–146.
34.
GourashNancy (1978), “Help-Seeking: A Review of Literature,”American Journal of Community Psychology, 6 (5), 413–423.
35.
HochschildA. (1997). The Second Shift. New York, NY: Avon Books.
36.
HsiIdrisPottsColin (2000), “Studying the Evolution and Enhancement of Software Features,” in Proceedings of the International Conference on Software Maintenance. San Jose, CA: IEEE, 143–151.
37.
HuangMing-HuiRustRoland T. (2013), “IT-Related Service: A Multidisciplinary Perspective,”Journal of Service Research, 16 (August), 251–258.
38.
JapSandy D. (1999), “Pie Expansion Efforts: Collaboration Processes in Buyer–Supplier Relationships,”Journal of Marketing Research, 36 (November), 461–475.
39.
KarabenickStuart A.KnappJohn R. (1991), “Relationship of Academic Help Seeking to the Use of Learning Strategies and Other Instrumental Achievement Behavior in College Students,”Journal of Educational Psychology, 83 (2), 221–230.
40.
Karr-WisniewskiPamelaLuYing (2010), “When More is Too Much: Operationalizing Technology Overload and Exploring Its Impact on Knowledge Worker Productivity,”Computers in Human Behavior, 26 (5), 1061–1072.
41.
KirshDavid (2000), “A Few Thoughts on Cognitive Overload,”Intellectica, 30 (1), 19–51.
42.
KumarV.AksoyLerzanDondersBasVenkateshRajkumarWieselThorstenTillmannsSebastian (2010), “Undervalued or Overvalued Customers: Capturing Total Customer Engagement Value,”Journal of Service Research, 13 (3), 297–310.
43.
Lengnick-HallCynthia A. (1996), “Customer Contributions to Quality: A Different View of the Customer-Oriented Firm.”Academy of Management Review, 21 (3), 791–824.
44.
Leonard-BartonDorothy (1989), “Implementing New Production Technologies: Exercises in Corporate Learning.” in Managing Complexity in High Technology Organizations: Industries, Systems and People ed. GlinowVonYoungMay AnnMohrmanSusan Albers. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 160–187.
45.
LibaiBarakBoltonRuth N.BugelMarnix S.GotzOliver (2010), “Customer-to-Customer Interactions: Broadening the Scope of Word of Mouth Research,”Journal of Service Research, 13 (3), 267–282.
46.
LovelockChristopher H.YoungRobert F. (1979), “Look to Consumers to Increase Productivity,”Harvard Business Review, 57 (3), 168–178.
47.
LuschRobert F.BrownStephen W.BrunswickGary (1992), “A General Framework for Explaining Internal vs. External Exchange,”Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 20 (2), 119–134.
MarkesetToreKumarUday (2005), “Product Support Strategy: Conventional versus Functional Products,”Journal of Quality in Maintenance, 11 (1), 53–67.
50.
MårtenssonMaria (2000), “A Critical Review of Knowledge Management as a Management Tool,”Journal of Knowledge Management, 4 (3), 204–216.
51.
MathwickCharlaWiertzCarolinede RuyterKo (2008), “Social Capital Production in a Virtual P3 Community,”Journal of Consumer Research, 34 (6), 832–849.
52.
McAlexanderJames H.SchoutenJohn W.KoenigHarold F. (2002), “Building Brand Community,”Journal of Marketing, 66 (1), 38–65.
53.
MillerJames G. (1960), “Information Input Overload and Psychopathology,”American Journal of Psychiatry, 116, 695–704.
54.
MoeWendy W.FaderPeter S. (2004), “Dynamic Conversion Behavior at E-Commerce Sites,”Management Science, 50 (3), 326–335.
55.
MoonJae YunSproullLee (2001), Turning Love into Money, doctoral dissertation, Stern School of Business, New York, NY.
56.
MontgomeryAlan L.LiShiboSrinvasanKannanLiechtyJohn C. (2004), “Modeling Online Browsing and Path Analyis Using Clickstream Data,”Marketing Science, 23 (4), 579–595.
57.
MunizAlbert M.O’GuinnThomas C. (2001), “Brand Community,”Journa l of Consumer Research, 27 (4), 412–432.
58.
MunizAlbert M.SchauHope Jenson (2005), “Religiosity in the Abandoned Apple Newton Brand Community,”Journal of Consumer Research, 31 (4), 737–747.
59.
NadlerA.EllisShmuelBarIris (2003), “To Seek or Not to Seek: The Relationship Between Help Seeking and Job Performance Evaluations as Moderated by Task-Relevant Expertise,”Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 33(1), 91–109.
60.
NambisanSatish (2002), “Designing Virtual Customer Environments for New Product Development: Toward a Theory,”Academy of Management Review, 27 (3), 392–413.
61.
NegashSolomonRyanTerryIgbariaMagid (2003), “Qaulity and Effectiveness in Web-Based Customer Support Systems,”Information and Management, 40 (8), 757–768.
NormannRichardRamirezRafael (1993), “From Value Chain to Value Constellation: Designing Interactive Strategy,”Harvard Business Review, 71 (4), 65–77.
64.
OuelletteJudith A.WoodWendy (1998), “Habit and Intention in Everyday Life: The Multiple Processes by which Past Behavior Predicts Future Behavior,”Psychological Bulletin, 124 (1), 54–74.
PodsakoffNathan P.WhitingSteven W.BlumeBrian D. (2009), “Individual- and Organizational-Level Consequences of Organizational Citizenship Behaviors: A Meta-Analysis,”Journal of Applied Psychology, 94 (1), 122–141.
RizzoJohn R.HouseRobert J.LirtzmanSidney I. (1970), “Role Conflict and Ambiguity in Complex Organizations,”Administrative Science Quarterly, 15 (2), 150–163.
69.
SawhneyMohanbirVeronaGianmarioPrandelliEmanuela (2005), “Collaborating to Create: The Internet as a Platform for Customer Engagement in Product Innovation,”Journal of Interactive Marketing, 19 (4), 1–15.
70.
SchrageMichael (1990). Shared Minds: The New Technologies of Collaboration. New York, NY: Random House.
71.
SchwartzShalom H. (1970), “Moral Decision Making and Behavior,” In Altruism and Helping Behavior ed. JacquelineMacaulayBerkowitzLeonard . New York, NY: Academic Press New York, 127–141.
72.
SimonHerbert A.NewellAllen (1971), “Human problem solving: The state of the theory in 1970.”American Psychologist26(2), 145–159.
73.
SmithAlan D. (2007), “Collaborative Commerce Through Web-based Information Integration Technologies,”International Journal of Innovation and Learning, 4 (2), 127–144.
74.
Van DoornJennyLemonKatherine N.MittalVikasNassStephanPickDoreenPirnerPeterVerhoefPeter C. (2010), “Customer Engagement Behavior: Theoretical Foundations and Research Direction,”Journal of Service Research, 13 (3), 253–266.
75.
WalshamGeoff (2001), “Knowledge Management: The Benefits and Limitations of Computer Systems,”European Magagement Journal, 19 (6), 599–608.
76.
WaskoMcLure M.FarajS. (2000), “‘It Is What One Does’: Why People Participate and Help Others in Electronic Communities of Practice,”Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 9 (2-3), 155–173.
77.
WengerEtienne C.SnyderWilliam M. (2000), “Communities of Practice: The Organizational Frontier,”Harvard Business Review, January-February, 78 (1): 139–145.
78.
WestMichael. A. (2000), “Reflexivity, Revolution, and Innovation in Work Teams.” in Product Development Teams: Advances in Interdisciplinary Studies of Work Teams, Vol. 5, BeyerleinM. M. ed. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1–29.
79.
WiertzCarolinede RuyterKo (2007), “Beyond the Call of Duty: Why Customers Contribute to Firm-Hosted Commercial Online Communities,”Organization Studies, 28 (3), 347–376.
80.
WoodsDavid D.PattersonEmily S.RothEmilie M. (2002), “Can We Ever Escape From Data Overload? A Cognitive Systems Diagnosis,”Cognition, Technology & Work, 4 (1), 22–36.
81.
WindJerryRangaswamyArvind (2000), “Customerization: The Next Revolution in Mass Customization,”Marketing Science Institute Working Paper No. 00-108. Cambridge, MA: Marketing Science Institute.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
