The Role of Customer Participation in Retail Industry: The Moderating Effects of Role Identification and Perceived Benefit of Participation and Perceived Ability

Abstract

In recent years, scholars in marketing and service disciplines have focused their attention on the impact of customer participation (CP). However, few studies have focused on the integration of the antecedents, mediators, and moderators of CP, and their effects on customer citizenship behaviors (CCB). This study intends to fill these research gaps and develop a comprehensive research framework. Using survey data from 488 customers in the retail industry in Taiwan, the study results indicate that firm (service-dominant orientation), individual (personality traits and perceived ability), and social factors (subjective norms) are three of the most influential antecedents for CP, which further influence CCB. In addition, role identification serves as a moderator that amplifies the influence of the antecedents on CP, while the perceived benefits of participation and the perceived ability serve as a moderator that strengthens the influence of CP on CCB. Since CP is an extremely important marketing activity, the results of this study provide a good reference to support academicians in conducting more empirical validations. The results may also be helpful for professionals seeking to develop an effective marketing strategy related to CP.