ABSTRACT

This study empirically identifies the varying effects of customer participation (CP) in service industry on a relationship’s developmental stages. Because CP simultaneously affects and is affected by a relationship in service settings, its influence on the relationship’s developmental stage requires examination. This study aims to fill the gap between phenomenon and theory that existed in previous CP studies by comparing and analysing the effects of four CP sub-factors (information seeking, information sharing, personal interaction and responsible behaviour) on encounter satisfaction during the developmental stage of a relationship between customer and service provider. Additionally, this study provides service companies with strategic implications for utilizing CP.

This study considers the relationship dynamics to which prior CP studies paid little attention. Thoroughly verifying these CP sub-factors provides a foothold for a new perspective on the inconsistent results of CP studies. According to research result, the influence of information-seeking behaviour on encounter satisfaction decreases as a relationship grows. In contrast, information sharing and personal interaction increase. Lastly, responsible behaviour made no significant difference. This study enables service marketing managers to understand CP during the developmental stage of a customer relationship and establish needed and appropriate management guidelines for customer-related interactions.

摘要

这项研究从经验上确定了服务行业中客户参与（CP）对关系发展阶段的不同影响。由于CP同时影响服务设置中的关系并受其影响，因此需要检查其对关系发展阶段的影响。本研究旨在通过比较和分析四个CP子因素（信息寻求，信息共享，个人互动和负责任的行为）对儿童发展阶段的遭遇满意度的影响，来填补先前CP研究中存在的现象与理论之间的空白。客户与服务提供商之间的关系。此外，这项研究还为服务公司提供了使用CP的战略意义。

这项研究考虑了以前的CP研究很少关注的关系动力学。彻底验证这些CP子因素可为CP研究不一致结果的新观点提供立足之地。根据研究结果，信息寻求行为对遭遇满意度的影响随着关系的增长而减小。相反，信息共享和个人互动增加了。最后，负责任的行为没有显着差异。这项研究使服务营销经理能够在客户关系发展阶段理解CP，并为与客户相关的互动建立必要和适当的管理指南。