Prior empirical evidence on the role of customer participation (CP) on service outcomes is limited and inconsistent. The authors add new insights by investigating the boundary conditions of the CP-service outcome link. Using two experiments, the article examines the moderating effect of three CP readiness factors: ability, perceived benefits of participation, and role identification. The results show that when CP readiness is high, increasing CP enhances service outcomes including customer satisfaction and perceived service quality; however, when CP readiness is low, the effect of CP on service outcomes tapers off or becomes negative. The results highlight the contingent nature of CP’s effect, demonstrate that CP could indeed be a double-edged sword, and provide managerial guidelines to enhance CP’s benefits through appropriate targeting and service design.
AndersonJames C.GerbingDavid W. (1988), “Structural Equation Modeling in Practice: A Review and Recommended Two-Step Approach,” Psychological Bulletin, 103 (3), 411–423.
2.
AuhSeigyoungBellSimon J.McLeodColin S.ShihEric (2007), “Co-production and Customer Loyalty in Financial Services,” Journal of Retailing, 83 (3), 359–370.
3.
BagozziRichard P.PhillipsLynn W. (1982), “Representing and Testing Organizational Theories: A Holistic Construal,” Administrative Science Quarterly, 27 (30), 459–489.
4.
BendapudiNeeliLeoneRobert P. (2003), “Psychological Implications of Customer Participation in Co-Production,” Journal of Marketing, 67 (1), 14–28.
5.
BitnerMary JoFarandaWilliam T.HubbertAmy R.ZeithamlValarie A. (1997), “Customer Contributions and Roles in Service Delivery,” International Journal of Service Industry Management, 8 (3), 193–205.
6.
BowenDavid E. (1986), “Managing Customers as Human Resources in Service Organizations,” Human Resource Management, 25 (3), 371–383.
7.
BuhrmesterMichael D.KwangTracyGoslingSamuel D. (2011), “Amazon’s Mechanical Turk: A New Source of Inexpensive, Yet High-quality Data,” Perspectives on Psychological Science, 6 (1), 3–5.
8.
CermakDianne S.FileKaren MaruPrinceRuss Alan (1994), “Customer Participation in Service Specification and Delivery,” Journal of Applied Business Research, 10 (2), 90–97.
9.
ChanKimmy WaKinChiYim(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 (May), 48–64.
10.
ClaycombCindyLengnick-HallCynthia A.InksLawrence W. (2001), “The Customer as a Productive Resource: A Pilot Study and Strategic Implications,” Journal of Business Strategies, 18 (1), 47–69.
11.
DabholkarPratibha A. (1990), “How to Improve Perceived Service Quality by Improving Customer Participation,” in Developments in Marketing Science, Vol. 13, DunlapBobbye J., ed. Cullowhee, NC: Academy of Marketing Science, 483–487.
DierdorffErich C.SurfaceEricBrownKenneth G. (2010), “Frame-of-Reference Training Effectiveness: Effects of Goal Orientation and Self-Efficacy on Affective, Cognitive, Skill-Based, and Transfer Outcomes,” Journal of Applied Psychology, 95 (6), 1181–1191.
14.
DongBeibeiEvansKenneth R.ZouShaoming (2008), “The Effects of Customer Participation in Co-Created Service Recovery,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 36 (1), 123–137.
EdwardsJeffrey R. (1991), “Person-Job Fit: A Conceptual Integration, Literature Review, and Methodological Critique,” In International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 6th ed., HodgkinsonGerard P.Kevin FordJ., eds. Chichester, England: John Wiley, 283–357.
17.
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.
FrankeNikolausKeinzPeterStegerChristoph J. (2009), “Testing the Value of Customization: When Do Customers Really Prefer Products Tailored to Their Preferences?” Journal of Marketing, 73 (September), 103–121.
20.
FreiFrances X. (2006), Managing the Operating Role of Customers. HBS No. 606-032Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.
21.
HalbeslebenJonathon R. B.Ronald BuckleyM. (2003), “Managing Customers as Employees of the Firm: New Challenges for Human Resources Management,” Personnel Review, 33 (3), 351–372.
22.
JarvisCherylMacKenzieScott B.PodsakoffPhilip M. (2003) “A Critical Review of Construct Indicators and Measurement Model Misspecification in Marketing and Consumer Research,” Journal of Consumer Research, 30 (2), 199–218.
23.
JaworskiBernard J.KohliAjay K. (1993), “Market Orientation: Antecedents and Consequences,” Journal of Marketing, 57 (3), 53–70.
24.
JexSteveBliesePaul (1999), “Efficacy Beliefs as a Moderator of the Impact of Work-Related Stressors: A Multilevel Study,” Journal of Applied Psychology, 84 (3), 349–361.
25.
KarmarkarUday S.PitbladdoRichard (1995), “Service Markets and Competition,” Journal of Operations Management, 12 (3-4), 397–411.
26.
KelleyScott W.DonnellyJames H.SkinnerSteven J. (1990), “Customer Participation in Service Production and Delivery,” Journal of Retailing, 66 (3), 315–335.
27.
KohliAjay K.JaworskiBernard J. (1990), “Market Orientation: The Construct, Research Propositions, and Managerial Implications,” Journal of Marketing, 54 (2), 1–18.
28.
KristofAmy L. (1996), “Person-Organization Fit: An Integrative Review of Its Conceptualizations, Measurement, and Implications,” Personnel Psychology, 49 (1), 1–49.
29.
Kristof-BrownAmy L.ZimmermanRyan D.JohnsonErin C. (2005), “Consequences of Individuals’ Fit at Work: A Meta-analysis of Person-Job, Person-Organization, Person-Group, and Person-Supervisor fit,” Personnel Psychology, 58 (2), 281–342.
30.
Lengnick-HallCynthia A. (1996), “Customer Contributions to Quality: A Different View of the Customer-Oriented Firm,” Academy of Management Review, 21 (3), 791–824.
31.
LovelockChristopher H.YoungRobert F. (1979), “Look to Consumers to Increase Productivity,” Harvard Business Review, 57 (3), 9–20.
32.
LuschRobert F.BrownStephen W.BrunswickGary J. (1992), “A General Framework for Explaining Internal vs. External Exchange,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 20 (2), 119–134.
33.
McCrackenGrant (1988), The Long Interview. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
34.
MeuterMatthew L.BitnerMary Jo (1998), “Self-Service Technologies: Extending Service Frameworks and Identifying Issues for Research,” In American Marketing Association Winter Educator’s Conference Proceedings, Vol. 9, GrewalDhruvPechmannConnie, eds. Chicago, IL: American Marketing Association, 12–19.
35.
MeuterMatthew L.BitnerMary JoOstromAmy L.BrownSteven W. (2005), “Choosing among Alternative Service Delivery Modes: An Investigation of Customer Trial of Self-Service Technologies,” Journal of Marketing, 69 (2), 61–83.
36.
MoreauC. PageHerdKelly B. (2010), “To Each His Own? How Comparisons with Others Influence Consumers’ Evaluations of Their Self-Designed Products,” Journal of Consumer Research, 36 (December), 806–819.
37.
MustakMekhailJaakkolaElinaHalinenAino (2013), “Customer Participation and Value Creation: A Systematic Review and Research Implications,” Managing Service Quality, 23 (4), 341–359.
38.
PinquartMartinSilbereisenRainer K.JuangLinda P. (2004), “Buffering Effects of Adolescents’ Self-Efficacy Beliefs on Psychological Responses to Social Change,” Journal of Adolescent Research, 19 (3), 340–359.
39.
ReindersMachiel J.DabholkarPratibha A.FrambachRuud T. (2008), “Consequences of Forcing Consumers to Use Technology-Based Self-Service,” Journal of Service Research, 11 (2), 107–123.
40.
SalehS. D.HosekJames (1976), “Job Involvement: Concepts and Measurements,” Academy of Management Journal, 19 (2), 213–224.
41.
SujanHarishWeitzBarton A.KumarNirmalya (1994), “Learning Orientation, Working Smart, and Effective Selling,” Journal of Marketing, 58 (3), 39–52.
Van BeuningenJacquelinede RuyterKoWetzelsMartinStreukenSandra (2009), “Customer Self-Efficacy in Technology-Based Self-Service, Assessing between- and within-person Differences,” Journal of Service Research, 11 (4), 407–428.
45.
VargoStephen L.LuschRobert F. (2004), “Evolving to a New Dominant Logic for Marketing,” Journal of Marketing, 68 (1), 1–27.
46.
XieChunyanBagozziRichard P.TroyeSigurd V. (2008), “Trying to Prosume: Toward a Theory of Consumers as Co-Creators of Value,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 36 (1), 109–122.
47.
YenHsiuJu RebeccaGwinnerKevin P.SuWanru (2004), “The Impact of Customer Participation and Service Expectation on Locus Attributions Following Service Failure,” International Journal of Service Industry Management, 15 (1), 7–26.
48.
YimChi Kin (Bennett)ChanKimmy WaLamSimon S. K. (2012), “Do Customers and Employees Enjoy Service Participation? Synergistic Effects of Self- and Other-Efficacy,” Journal of Marketing, 76 (6), 121–140.
49.
ZeithamlValarie A.BerryLeonard L.ParasuramanA. (1993), “The Nature and Determinants of Customer Expectations of Service,” Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 21 (1), 1–12.
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.
