Customer learning for value creation

Bailey, James Andrew (2014) Customer learning for value creation. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.

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Abstract

In value creating contexts, customers often have to be clear about the roles they are required to perform (Kleinaltenkamp et al., 2012; Bitner et al., 1997), and may be required to develop their knowledge and skills in order to participate (Hibbert et al., 2012). This typically necessitates the ability to use and integrate resources in exchange encounters containing social and economic actors (Kleinaltenkamp et al., 2012; Hibbert et al., 2012; Arnould et al., 2006; Sheth and Uslay, 2007) to co-create value for each other (Vargo and Lusch, 2008; Payne et al., 2008). This research adds to the burgeoning literature on customer resource integration that calls for more insights into the roles of customers in creating their own value (Hibbert et al., 2012; Kleinaltenkamp et al., 2012; Arnould et al., 2006). This can help firms to develop an appreciation of the customer value process and design co-creation activities that can support their customers’ capability to create value (Vargo, 2007; Vargo and Lusch, 2004; 2008; Sheth and Uslay, 2007; Prahalad and Ramaswamy, 2004; Payne et al., 2008; Frow et al., 2010).

The research has indicated that customers learning styles in do-it-yourself activities reflected learning styles represented in experiential learning theory (ELT) (Kolb, 1984). ELT stipulates that individuals learn by experiencing, reflecting, thinking, and acting. Knowledge is seen as a transformation of experience along two continua: (1) how individuals best grasp experiences (i.e., concrete experience versus abstract conceptualisation), and (2) how individuals best transform experiences (i.e., reflective observation versus active experimentation). The study identified five distinct learning styles adopted by DIY members, which differ along these two continua and are reflective or active-orientated. Adhering to existing typologies, these were labelled as Diverging, Assimilating, Converging, Accommodating, and Balancing styles and helped shape customers’ learning self-management and self-regulation processes and use of learning resources.

Item Type: Thesis (University of Nottingham only) (PhD)
Supervisors: Hibbert, S.A.
Winklhofer, A.M.
Keywords: Co-Creation, Customer Learning, Mixed methods
Subjects: H Social sciences > HF Commerce
Faculties/Schools: UK Campuses > Faculty of Social Sciences, Law and Education > Nottingham University Business School
Item ID: 27763
Depositing User: Bailey, James
Date Deposited: 13 Feb 2015 09:03
Last Modified: 13 Oct 2017 06:59
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/27763

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