Yours, mine & ours: The use of social networks in co-creation
Abstract
The objective of this dissertation is to empirically test factors believed to influence customer decision to co-create and evaluation of customer co-created products using social network theory as a foundation. ^ Manuscript I: Customer Competence and Product Co-Creation examined the process surrounding the customer's decision to engage in co-creation through two empirical studies. Study I determined drivers of customer co-creation, through a survey conducted among students. Study II and Study IIA, determined if firms gain a competitive advantage selling customer-designed products to non co-creating customers. Findings suggest that competence is the strongest driver of customer decision to co-create, and to co-create individually. In addition, co-creation leads to higher self-brand associations. Results also showed that non-co-creating customers do not better evaluate customer co-created products, and more research is needed. ^ Manuscript II: Collaborative Co-Creation and Social Networks uses an experiment simulating a real collaborative co-creation experience and investigates relationships between social networks, co-creation and satisfaction. It examined how the customer's perceived co-creation competence and intrinsic motivation drove their collaborator choice (tie selection) for collaborative co-creation and evaluated its influence on the customer's process and product satisfaction. Specifically, this research tests the effects of customer competence and product involvement in decision to co-create individually versus collaboratively. In addition, it also tests the effects of customer competence (Hi, Lo) and intrinsic motivation (Hi, Lo) on collaborative co-creation outcomes, using a 2x2 experimental design delivered via the computer. Findings suggest that higher competence and intrinsic motivation lead to customer selection of stronger ties, higher process and output satisfaction. ^ Customer perceived competence guides the customer's choice of co-creation offering a better understanding of what type of co-creation (individual or collaborative) if any, the customer seeks and how it increases self-brand associations. Second, customer's intrinsic motivation and perceived competence, influence their choice of collaborator as well as their resulting process and product satisfaction reported after the co-creation experience. Finally, it gives marketing managers tools and information on how to successfully approach and engage customers in co-creation as a way to strengthen their relationship with the brand and possibly create brand communities in the process (Piller et al., 2005). ^
Subject Area
Business Administration, Marketing
Recommended Citation
Adriana M Boveda,
"Yours, mine & ours: The use of social networks in co-creation"
(2010).
Dissertations and Master's Theses (Campus Access).
Paper AAI3415512.
http://digitalcommons.uri.edu/dissertations/AAI3415512