Influence of customer participation on information technology services
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how customer participation (CP) influences the two contrasting relationship maintenance mechanisms: dedication and constraint, and identifies its antecedents in the context of business-to-business information technology (IT) services.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical study was conducted through a survey of 126 firms receiving IT services in Taiwan. The partial least squares method was used to test the conceptual model of the study.
Findings
The results indicated that CP positively relates to IT service quality, thereby influencing satisfaction (i.e. dedication). In addition, CP was also found to be positively associated with switching costs (i.e. constraint). Both satisfaction and switching costs have significant influences on loyalty. Furthermore, IT capabilities, organizational compatibility, and role clarity are positively related to CP.
Research limitations/implications
Longitudinal studies are needed to explore how CP affects the dual mechanisms in different phases of customer-firm relationships.
Originality/value
The study contributes to a thorough understanding of the influences of CP on relationship maintenance.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to acknowledge the research grant from Taiwan’s Ministry of Science and Technology: MOST 104-2410-H-011-008.
Citation
Wu, J.-J., Kung, H.Y. and Lin, T.M.Y. (2017), "Influence of customer participation on information technology services", Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 117 No. 6, pp. 1077-1092. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-03-2016-0104
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited