• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.15-22
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• 2015

Purpose - This study aims to propose and validate a research model that describes the relationships between customer socialization, customer participation, and customer loyalty in the online service industry. Although customer loyalty is frequently discussed topic in marketing and strategy research, this study takes a novel approach in adopting customer socialization and participation as the antecedents to customer loyalty. Research design, data, and methodology - Based on adopting and modifying measurement items of the constructs from previous studies, this study develops survey regarding the constructs within the proposed research model. Among current registered members of Facebook and DaumKakao, 522 college students and other regular users are selected as the samples for conducting the survey. The collected data is analyzed by structural equation modeling method using SPSS and AMOS. Results Proposed hypotheses of the positive relationships - between customer socialization and customer participation, and between customer participation and customer loyalty are all supported. Conclusions - The results of this study suggest customer participation as an important precursor to customer loyalty in the online service industry. Also, customer socialization is validated as a new strategy to increase customer participation. These results validate the practical importance of communicating mission, purpose, value, and other customer socialization activities that firms undertake.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.47-74
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• 2015

Purpose By participating in the business ecosystems, customers make both positive and negative impacts in the ecosystem. In particular, users of platform businesses participate in the business ecosystem as partial employees who voluntarily create and manage content. According to the organizational behavior literature, employees' psychological ownership toward the organization has an influence on the organizational competitiveness. Thus, with an assumption that customers gain psychological ownership toward the business that they participate in, it is important to analyze the process and the factors that influence their psychological ownership. This study proposes a research model that describes the process: customers undertake customer socialization, which then lead them to participate in the business-level and the business ecosystem-level activities. Through the participation, customers gain psychological ownership toward the business. Design/methodology/approach Based on a structural equation model, this study analyzes the data regarding the factors in the research model. Data was collected by surveying college students who represent themselves as Facebook and DaumKakao users. By analyzing the collected data, the relationships are validated between customer socialization and customer participations (i.e., both business-level and business ecosystem-level participation), and between the participations and customers' psychological ownership. Findings Based on the validation, this study confirms the importance of managing customers' psychological ownership and offers customers' participation by their socialization as a solution for increasing customers' psychological ownership. Also, this study proposes the business ecosystem research model as the general research framework for future research and expands the scope of strategic management from the individual level strategy to the business ecosystem wide perspective.

• The Journal of Information Systems
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.75-104
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• 2016

Purpose The business ecosystem perspective offers a new lens in which to view customers. Customers as the member of business ecosystems influence firms by participating in both the firm level activities and the business ecosystem level activities. For example, customers participate in the business ecosystems by forming interest groups, allowing their voice to be heard the within business ecosystems. Customers can also, turn public opinion around and foster the business ecosystems favorable to firms. On the other hand, as an extreme case of customer participation, customers can engage in community activities to boycott the purchase of products or services from certain firms or business ecosystems. Design/methodology/approach This study views content creation and feedback activities as customer participation in the firm level. On the other hand, word-of-mouth (WOM) and boycott activities are considered as customer participation in the business ecosystem level. This study presents a research model regarding the relationships among customer socialization, customer participation, and psychological ownership. The proposed model is validated through an empirical analysis on online platform business ecosystems. Findings When the two business ecosystems are compared, different results were drawn. In the Facebook ecosystem, boycott and psychological ownership did not have a significant relationship. However, in the Kakao ecosystem, the two had a significant positive relationship. The mediating effect of the business ecosystem type sheds a light on the mission, purpose, vision, and other values associated with the theory of the business on the customer-firm relationship. Further implications for theory and practice were discussed in this study.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.12 no.12
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• pp.83-92
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• 2014

Purpose - A business ecosystem refers to mutually dependent systems interconnected by a loose foundation of various ecosystem members such as customers, suppliers, partners, and other stakeholders. The ecosystem-based strategy attempts to achieve competitive advantage for firms by enriching a business ecosystem or building a sustainable business ecosystem through the collaboration and co-evolution of its members. A sustainable business ecosystem is a source of competitiveness for firms anda manageable resource for gaining a competitive advantage. Customers represent the core membership of the business ecosystem and play a pivotal role in building a sustainable business ecosystem. This study examines the effects of customer participation on economic and social value in the business ecosystem and suggests a course of action for building a sustainable business ecosystem. Research design, data, and methodology - Two business cases of South Korea are selected from two different business types: business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) firms. Business ecosystems for B2B and B2C firms reflect contrasting characteristics. Data was collected from in-depth interviews with four representatives of four firms. Results - The study suggested seven propositions for the relationships between customer participation and a sustainable business ecosystem through multiple case studies based on in-depth interviews. The results reveal the following four strategic actions for building sustainable business ecosystems based on the suggested propositions: alignment, systemization, socialization, and co-evolution. Alignment refers to achieving a harmonic balance or virtuous circle among the firm's mission, investment, and value creation. Systemization refers to building and implementing management and infrastructure systems rooted in the corporate culture. Socialization of customers in the business ecosystem reinforces the harmony or virtuous cycle. Finally, co-evolution is associated with the relationship between firms and customers as buyer firms in a restricted business ecosystem. Conclusions - This study considers multiple cases for the execution of a sustainable business ecosystem in collaboration with customers and suggests seven propositions and four strategic actions. The results are based on qualitative data from interviews with business associates from two firms in an open business ecosystem and two firms in a restricted business ecosystem, both in South Korea. Our research results regarding two contrasting business ecosystems shed light on business issues and policy making in Asian business environments, which are in the transition stages from a traditional conglomerate-driven to an inclusive growth-driven economy. The business ecosystem itself should be considered a manageable resource for firms' competitive positions in the market. A customer is a member of the business ecosystem and should thus be viewed not only as a purchasing entity and an object of relationship management but also as a co-creator of value. Therefore, firms should collaborate with customers to build sustainable business ecosystems. For this, firms must create social value, which cannot be created by customers alone, within the business ecosystem. Then, customers participate in a business ecosystem and build it to be favorable to them. Implications for academics and practitioners were suggested.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.11 no.11
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• pp.4251-4259
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• 2010

This study investigates the needs of cruise tourists for building customer oriented ubiquitous tourism services. Through the field survey, the relationship between cruise tourism motivations and ubiquitous cruise services were analyzed. In this study, cruise tourism motivations mean destination attraction, family friendship, socialization, education/novelty and escape from daily routine. And ubiquitous cruise services are consists of boarding service, security service, safety service, customization service, and payment services. The results are as follows; cruise tourists with more socialization motivation get more use intention of ubiquitous payment service; cruise tourists with more destination attraction have more use intention of ubiquitous customization service.