Nicola Bilstein

Explaining social exchanges in information-based online communities (IBOCs)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to scrutinize platforms for members to exchange information by information-based online communities (IBOCs, like LinkedIn or Facebook). Because member participation is vital for IBOCs, this research aims to identify and validate factors that drive member participation. Design/methodology/approach – With reference to social exchange theory the authors developed a model of antecedents of participation in IBOCs that was tested with survey data using PLS. Because some of the results contradicted the theory, the authors examined those results in a mainly qualitative study with online community providers. These experts offered explanations that inform the discussion and managerial implications. Findings – Role clarity, provider’s responsiveness, and enjoyment all influence member participation. Contrary to theory, the cooperation of other members affects member participation negatively while a member’s ability shows no effect. Practical implications – This research has sev...

Co-Production in the Service Production and Delivery Process – Conceptualization and Future Research Fields

The customer is the integral part of a service process. Without him giving information or contributing effort, a service cannot be created. The degree of this customer participation varies across different services. In some services, only the physical presence of a customer is necessary while the providers employees perform the service production independently. For the production of other services in turn, customers must participate in several service operations by allocating inputs, like tangible possessions, natural resources, information etc., or by actively co-producing the service by taking over central production roles. Irrespective of the degree of customer participation, it can be stated that for every service transaction a minimum of customer input (e.g. information) is obligatory.

Auswirkungen der Co-Produktion auf die Kunden-Mitarbeitenden-Beziehung

Fur die Erstellung von Dienstleistungen ist es notwendig, dass sowohl Mitarbeitende als auch Kunden an der Dienstleistungserstellung mitwirken (Buttgen et al. 2012). Beide stellen Inputfaktoren zur Verfugung und ubernehmen Aufgaben im Dienstleistungserstellungsprozess (Kleinaltenkamp 1997; Flies/Kleinaltenkamp 2004), wodurch es zu einer intensiven Zusammenarbeit zwischen beiden Akteuren (d.h. Co-Produktion) und uber diese zur Entstehung einer Kunden-Mitarbeitenden-Beziehung kommt (Solomon et al. 1985). Hierbei ist die Wahrnehmung und Bewertung dieser Beziehung ein entscheidender Faktor dafur, ob und in welchem Umfang die Dienstleistung und/oder der Dienstleistungsanbieter auch langfristig vom Kunden in Anspruch genommen wird (Bendapudi/Berry 1997; Heskett et al. 1994). Die Kunden-Mitarbeitenden-Beziehung ist somit von okonomischer Bedeutung fur jedes Dienstleistungsunternehmen.

Paying For a Higher Workload? The Relation Between Customer's Co-Production and Willingness to Pay

We increasingly observe the use of co-production in managerial practice, as customers undertake additional tasks in service processes that service providers traditionally have performed. In 1995 Continental was the first airline to offer self-check-in kiosks, but today more than two thirds of travelers check in using self-service. Similarly, since their introduction more than 10 years ago, supermarket self-checkouts have grown widespread (Hill, 2011). Nor are these shifts to more customer co-production limited to technology-enabled contexts. Even some highend restaurants use co-production as core part of their business model, such as the Seafood Market and Restaurant in Bangkok, where customers take a shopping trolley and wander around the market to choose their food. They move to the checkout counter, where it is weighed and sent to the kitchen while customers pay, before being seated to wait for their dishes (http://www.seafood.co.th). In all these examples,

Zur Akzeptanz technischer Leistungen durch Senioren – Eine empirische Analyse

Die Entwicklung der zunehmend steigenden Lebenserwartung der Gesellschaft einhergehend mit stetig rucklaufigen Geburtenraten wird im Allgemeinen unter der Bezeichnung „demografischer Wandel“ zusammengefasst.