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Article
Publication date: 19 June 2009

Iris Reychav

The aim of this study is to present and examine an innovative model of knowledge sharing and knowledge acquisition that enables learning in trade shows.

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study is to present and examine an innovative model of knowledge sharing and knowledge acquisition that enables learning in trade shows.

Design/methodology/approach

A social exchange perspective was adopted to examine the inter‐firm relationships between customers and suppliers. These participants are looking for ways to increase respective adaptations. Data were collected from 654 respondents, half of whom were customers and half suppliers from five technology trade shows.

Findings

A major finding is that knowledge sharing plays a significant role in trade shows, despite the hasty, flowing and highly dynamic nature of these events. It is the core process which fosters learning of both customers and suppliers

Research limitations/implications

The study is a first analysis into the knowledgesharing aspects of trade shows, and it is limited in the sense that learning, which is a prolonged process, should be investigated in more depth over time. Immediate implications could be the formation of an enhanced attitude of sharing specific and adaptation‐oriented information within the participants.

Originality/value

Although trade shows are routinely utilized, the mechanisms of knowledge sharing and the resulting learning that occur within the trade shows were not methodologically explored. The paper is trying to look at trade shows in a fresh way and to view them as an important source for creating learning and continuous processes with external sources, both suppliers and customers.

Article
Publication date: 24 December 2021

Tuyet-Mai Nguyen and Ashish Malik

A growing number of international travellers have influenced how hotels manage their customer satisfaction reviews and ratings. This study examines the influence of knowledge

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Abstract

Purpose

A growing number of international travellers have influenced how hotels manage their customer satisfaction reviews and ratings. This study examines the influence of knowledge sharing on employee service quality and customer satisfaction in the hotel industry. Another purpose of this study is to investigate the moderating effect of artificial intelligence (AI) system quality on the relationship between knowledge sharing on employee service quality and customer satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The research design was developed using the positivism approach and quantitative method. Data were collected via a self-administered survey from Vietnamese hotels that used AI systems in employees' work tasks. Three hundred and fifty pairs of questionnaires for frontline employees and customers were collected and used for the data analysis. Structural equation modelling was accessed to examine the framework model.

Findings

This research shows that the increase of knowledge sharing behaviours significantly influenced customer perceptions of employees' service quality. Furthermore, employee service quality positively affected customer satisfaction. An indirect impact of knowledge sharing on customer satisfaction via employee service quality was found. AI system quality moderated the effect of knowledge sharing on employee service quality whereby the higher the AI system quality, the stronger the impact of knowledge sharing on employee service quality. Therefore, a moderated mediation of employee service quality was found in examining the relationship between knowledge sharing and customer satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

This study's findings direct hotel knowledge management and marketing strategies to attract international customers. The study provides hotel managers with directions to increase customer satisfaction to create a competitive advantage in international marketing strategies.

Originality/value

This study's distinctive contribution lies in examining the phenomenon of employee service quality at the intersection of knowledge sharing and customer satisfaction and the use of AI systems from an emerging market context. Furthermore, the moderation role of AI quality has rarely been explored.

Details

International Marketing Review, vol. 39 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-1335

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 February 2020

Estelle van Tonder, Stephen G. Saunders and Leon T. de Beer

In the absence of direct employee involvement, customers sharing knowledge and know-how with other customers during self-service encounters is key for promoting service quality…

Abstract

Purpose

In the absence of direct employee involvement, customers sharing knowledge and know-how with other customers during self-service encounters is key for promoting service quality. This study assessed the extent to which customer support and help during self-service encounters could simply be explained by multiple motivations of the social exchange theory.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey approach was followed. The model was tested among 258 electronic banking customers in South Africa and later cross-validated among 253 electronic banking customers in Australia. Multi-group confirmatory factor analysis with country as the grouping variable, latent variable modelling and indirect tests were performed to assess interrelationships among diverse factors that may contribute to customer support and help during self-service encounters, as accounted for by motivations of the social exchange theory.

Findings

Adequate model fit was obtained for the combined structural model, which was based on the invariant model. Value contribution and competence affirmation, pleasure derived from helping, reciprocity and reputation enhancement are relevant motivations of the social exchange theory that may impact customer support and help through knowledge sharing.

Research implications

The study provides a simplified and more cohesive explanation of customers' motivations for engaging in customer support and helping behaviours during self-service encounters.

Practical implications

Service providers seeking guidance on knowledge sharing among customers, which may lead to greater service quality, should benefit from this research.

Originality/value

The findings contribute to greater understanding of social exchanges by customers who provide support and help to other customers during self-service encounters, and that ultimately may affect service quality.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 37 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 2006

Matthew K.O. Lee, Christy M.K. Cheung, Kai H. Lim and Choon Ling Sia

The proliferation and advance of web‐based technologies create expanded opportunities for retailers to gain a better understanding of their customers. However, the success of…

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Abstract

Purpose

The proliferation and advance of web‐based technologies create expanded opportunities for retailers to gain a better understanding of their customers. However, the success of these web‐based discussion boards depends solely on whether customers are willing to share their knowledge and experience with other customers in these discussion boards. Thus, this study aims at identifying the factors that drive knowledge sharing among customers in web‐based discussion boards.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory study with 104 respondents was conducted to identify and categorize the key factors of customer knowledge sharing in web‐based discussion boards.

Findings

The results indicate that the enjoyment of helping others is the most frequently cited reason for customer knowledge sharing in web‐based discussion boards. On the other hand, the lack of knowledge self‐efficacy is the mostly cited reason explaining why customers do not want to share knowledge with others.

Research limitations/implications

The exploratory analysis suggests that the underlying reasons that motivate and inhibit customers to share are very different. There is a need to integrate multiple theoretical perspectives from across the social and technical domains if this phenomenon is to be better understood.

Practical implications

Building upon the findings of this study, some generic guidelines for retailers and web designers for promoting customer sharing in web‐based discussion boards are outlined.

Originality/value

This research is one of the first studies to use the socio‐technical perspective to investigate customer knowledge sharing phenomena in web‐based discussion boards.

Details

Internet Research, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 March 2022

Gabriele Baima, Gabriele Santoro, Anna Claudia Pellicelli and Maciej Mitręga

The increasing adoption of digital technologies such as social media have changed the way consumers share knowledge about products and services among each other. The aim of this…

Abstract

Purpose

The increasing adoption of digital technologies such as social media have changed the way consumers share knowledge about products and services among each other. The aim of this paper is to test what factors drive customers to share knowledge about products and services on social media pages.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative survey design was employed for this study. Empirical data were drawn from 358 consumers in Italy, using a purposive sampling technique. The hypothesised relationships were tested using ordinary least squares regression modelling.

Findings

The results of this study reveal that the usage frequency of online reviews (UFORs), social bonds (SBs), subjective happiness (SH) and reciprocity positively impact on customer knowledge sharing (CKS). By contrast, the perceived usefulness of online reviews (PUORs), helping others, customer susceptibility to interpersonal influence (CSII) and informational (INFO) do not impact CKS.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is amongst the first to empirically test the antecedents of knowledge-sharing behaviours about products and services on online social media. The present work offers relevant implications for theory. First, the work enriches the customer knowledge management (CKM) theory by providing empirical evidence on factors leading to the higher sharing of knowledge amongst customers. Second, the work adds to the literature on social media, demonstrating the individual determinants on knowledge-sharing behaviours about products and services in online communities. Practically speaking, this paper identifies some key elements driving CKS in social media conversations. Thus, building upon the findings of this study, the authors provide some guidelines for social media managers and retailers for promoting CKS on social media pages.

Details

International Marketing Review, vol. 39 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-1335

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 November 2017

Chen Chen, Rong Du, Jin Li and Weiguo Fan

Though online communities offer unprecedented opportunities to involve people in knowledge sharing, the reasons why users would like to participate in those activities in online…

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Abstract

Purpose

Though online communities offer unprecedented opportunities to involve people in knowledge sharing, the reasons why users would like to participate in those activities in online communities have still been under-explored. In this research, the authors aim to use the value co-creation theory to build and test a continuance usage model, which focuses more on experiential values resulted from the knowledge sharing behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

An integrative research model is built to investigate how knowledge sharing behavior affects users’ co-creation value and then drives their continuance usage in online communities. Online survey data collected from 239 Sina Microblog users in China are utilized to validate the proposed model and hypotheses.

Findings

Empirical results indicate that the knowledge sharing behavior helps improve users’ co-creation value, including customer learning value, social integrative value and hedonic value. This co-creation value can subsequently affect users’ future participation intention in online communities.

Originality/value

This paper seeks to fill the research gap by examining customers’ motivations or perceptions underlying their knowledge sharing behavior at the usage-stage, instead of the pre-usage stage mainly concentrated on by previous studies. The managerial implications can be utilized for policy making to encourage customers’ participation and operate a better online community.

Details

Information Discovery and Delivery, vol. 45 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-6247

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 September 2015

Yu-Wei Chang, Ping-Yu Hsu, Wen-Lung Shiau and Ronghua Yi

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how customer power of environmental factors affects customer support (CS) engineers’ personal motivations in a knowledge-sharing

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how customer power of environmental factors affects customer support (CS) engineers’ personal motivations in a knowledge-sharing context. The authors examine extrinsic (i.e. organizational rewards, reputation, and reciprocity) and intrinsic motivations (i.e. knowledge self-efficacy) affecting knowledge-sharing intentions based on the social exchange theory (SET) and self-efficacy theory. Furthermore, the authors introduce the concept of the social power theory to investigate the moderating effect of customer power on the relationships between personal motivations and knowledge-sharing intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study collects 349 questionnaires of CS engineers from 16 countries, including the USA, China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. After the data collection, the research model and hypotheses are tested using partial least squares.

Findings

The empirical results show that reputation, reciprocity, and knowledge self-efficacy are significantly and positively related to knowledge-sharing intentions. Also, the results show that customer power can significantly moderate the relationships between personal motivations and knowledge-sharing intentions.

Research limitations/implications

The findings help multinational corporations employ the perception of customer power to motivate CS engineers to share knowledge. Especially, the results can help organizations increase customer added value through effective knowledge sharing.

Originality/value

The research model integrates personal motivations derived from the SET and self-efficacy theory and customer power of environmental factors. Additionally, this study is the first to investigate the moderating effect of customer power on employees’ personal motivations and behavioral intentions.

Details

Aslib Journal of Information Management, vol. 67 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-3806

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 November 2011

Minna Rollins, Saara Pekkarinen and Mari Mehtälä

The purpose of this paper is to examine customer knowledge sharing between a buyer of a logistics service and the logistics service provider (LSP). The authors attempt to fill the…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine customer knowledge sharing between a buyer of a logistics service and the logistics service provider (LSP). The authors attempt to fill the gap in current research by investigating inter‐firm customer knowledge sharing.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey study was conducted. Data were collected from buyers of logistic services. Confirmatory factor analysis and multiple regression were used to analyze data and test hypotheses.

Findings

Results suggest that open and fluent communication mediates the relationship between customer knowledge sharing and satisfaction with a logistics service provider. In addition, the close relationship with the logistics service provider is needed to strengthen the relationship between customer knowledge sharing and satisfaction with the logistics service provider.

Research limitations/implications

This study provided new empirical evidence concerning inter‐firm customer knowledge sharing. The authors suggest that logistic service providers should be incorporated into the customer knowledge management process to ensure open and fluent communication about customers.

Practical implications

This study provides practical insights for companies that sell logistic services.

Originality/value

Customer knowledge sharing has been largely studied in an intra‐firm context, for instance information sharing between marketing and research and development departments. This research extends the concept of customer knowledge sharing to the inter‐firm context.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 41 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 March 2017

Nurul Hidayana Mohd Noor, Siti Hajar Abu Bakar Ah and Mohd Awang Idris

This study aims to examine how the relationship between customer accountability and voluntary organizations’ effectiveness is mediated by knowledge sharing.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine how the relationship between customer accountability and voluntary organizations’ effectiveness is mediated by knowledge sharing.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a cross-sectional survey and a structured questionnaire, data were collected from 349 employees of Malaysian voluntary organizations (VOs). Baron and Kenny’s (1986) procedures for mediation testing were adopted for the main analysis.

Findings

Results of structural equation modelling indicated that knowledge sharing partially mediates the relationship between and voluntary organizations’ effectiveness.

Research limitations/implications

Despite the authors’ contribution on the current academia, this study only investigated 349 employees representing VOs located in a single area, which is the Klang Valley area, Malaysia. Further research could identify a larger sample that would strengthen the inferences and conclusions.

Practical implications

The main practical implication is that Malaysian VOs need to be aware of the impact of customer accountability upon their voluntary organizations’ effectiveness, and they need to inculcate their employees’ knowledge sharing behaviour to foster the impact of customer accountability on voluntary organizations’ effectiveness.

Originality/value

This paper is unique in that it is the first attempt to combine the previous direct effect relationship into a new model that shows the effect of customer accountability on voluntary organizations’ effectiveness and the role of knowledge sharing as a mediator in the context of Malaysian voluntary sector.

Details

International Journal of Organizational Analysis, vol. 25 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1934-8835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 March 2024

Zhen Xu, Ruohong Hao, Xuanxuan Lyu and Jiang Jiang

Knowledge sharing in online health communities (OHCs) disrupts consumers' health information-seeking behavior patterns such as seeking health information and consulting. Based on…

Abstract

Purpose

Knowledge sharing in online health communities (OHCs) disrupts consumers' health information-seeking behavior patterns such as seeking health information and consulting. Based on social exchange theory, this study explores how the two dimensions of experts' free knowledge sharing (general and specific) affect customer transactional and nontransactional engagement behavior and how the quality of experts' free knowledge sharing moderates the above relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

We adopted negative binomial regression models using homepage data of 2,982 experts crawled from Haodf.com using Python.

Findings

The results show that experts' free general knowledge sharing and free specific knowledge sharing positively facilitate both transactional and nontransactional engagement of consumers. The results also demonstrate that experts' efforts in knowledge-sharing quality weaken the positive effect of their knowledge-sharing quantity on customer engagement.

Originality/value

This study provides new insights into the importance of experts' free knowledge sharing in OHCs. This study also revealed a “trade-off” between experts' knowledge-sharing quality and quantity. These findings could help OHCs managers optimize knowledge-sharing recommendation mechanisms to encourage experts to share more health knowledge voluntarily and improve the efficiency of healthcare information dissemination to promote customer engagement.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

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