Modelling customer process activities in interactive value creation

Abstract

Purpose

Customers' role in value creation has changed dramatically over the past few years. Today, many firms view customers as co‐creators of value. Until recently, however, attention to customer integration was mainly directed toward customers' role in a firm's given supply processes. The goal of this paper is to show that processes on the customer side are equally important for the overall success of value creation.

Design/methodology/approach

The reasoning for the role of customers is based on a theoretical discussion of customer integration, blueprints and customer scripts. Relating this work to the general problem of transaction costs from information asymmetries, the paper develops a typology of how customer scripts can be applied in various situations.

Findings

It is found that customer scripts can have a positive effect on interactive value creation because they enable companies to build a holistic process image for all process participants.

Research limitations/implications

Marketing must rethink its role as an agent of companies. Indeed, in interactive value creation, boundaries blur. However, the results lack broad empirical confirmation.

Practical implications

It is argued that firms must adopt a customer perspective and provide an approach of how to achieve this.

Originality/value

The paper reintroduces scripts in the marketing discussion. In addition, it provides a new typology of situations in interactive value creation.

Citation

Eichentopf, T., Kleinaltenkamp, M. and van Stiphout, J. (2011), "Modelling customer process activities in interactive value creation", Journal of Service Management, Vol. 22 No. 5, pp. 650-663. https://doi.org/10.1108/09564231111174997