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Customer cocreation experience in online communities: antecedents and outcomes

Zeynep Didem Nohutlu (Department of High-Tech Business and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Behavioral, Management and Social Sciences, Universiteit Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands)
Basil G. Englis (Department of Management, Marketing and Creative Technologies, Berry College Campbell School of Business, Mount Berry, Georgia, USA)
Aard J. Groen (University of Groningen Centre of Entrepreneurship, University College Groningen, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands)
Efthymios Constantinides (Department of High‐Tech Business and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Behavioral, Management and Social Sciences, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands)

European Journal of Innovation Management

ISSN: 1460-1060

Article publication date: 11 February 2021

Issue publication date: 16 February 2022

1250

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to obtain an in-depth insight into the nature and impact of customers´ cocreation experiences in online communities and the effects of customer cocreation on innovation processes.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is focused on an online cocreation community created by a market research company on behalf of a company. By means of a case study approach and through in-depth interviews, the authors identify the actual customer experiences and measure (or assess) the degree of involvement of customer creativity and experience in new idea generation.

Findings

Cocreation experience can be enhanced through evoking pragmatic, sociability, usability and hedonic experiences and more positive experiences and therefore, outcomes of collaborative innovation in online communities can be achieved. Findings show a classification of each role the community moderator/community manager and peer online community members perform as antecedents of cocreation experience, highlight the value of group feeling/sense of community/sense of belonging and homophily/communality in achieving that, the nature of a supportive online platform and give an overview of positive and negative outcomes of cocreation experience.

Originality/value

This case study provides with valuable insights in the phenomenon of customer cocreation and how to enhance participation of community members in collaborative innovation in online communities through positive experience, which is important for businesses involved in innovation trajectories and product and service improvement efforts.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the editors and anonymous reviewers for their constructive feedback and valuable suggestions and to the anonymous market research company, its employees, clients and customers for their kind collaboration.

Citation

Nohutlu, Z.D., Englis, B.G., Groen, A.J. and Constantinides, E. (2022), "Customer cocreation experience in online communities: antecedents and outcomes", European Journal of Innovation Management, Vol. 25 No. 2, pp. 630-659. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJIM-08-2020-0313

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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