Given that companies such as Proctor & Gamble are saying that they expect to get more than half of their ideas from outside the organization, there is a surprising lack of published research on how to encourage more of those ideas to reach organizations. Within the service climate, a focus on customer orientation and customer engagement has been linked to helping organizations remain competitive. Encompassing all of the non-transactional customer behaviours that can affect an organization, discussions of customer engagement often include things such as word of mouth, advocacy, and co-creation, yet they often do not mention customer feedback. Word of mouth can only extend an organization’s promotional budget, whereas customer feedback, another piece of the customer engagement puzzle, has the power to impact innovation and improvements within an organization. As such, this study contributes to the understanding of the antecedents of customer feedback. A model is put forth combining the technology acceptance model, knowledge management, customer complaint behaviour, and the theory of planned behaviour, showing that the intention to provide feedback is affected by customer characteristics (attitude towards feedback, subjective norms), perceptions of the feedback process (perceived ease of feedback process, perceived usefulness of feedback), and organization perceptions (customer orientation and affective commitment). Altruism, gender, and perceived rewards associated with the feedback process did not affect the intention to provide feedback. / 2013-07

The main purpose of this study is to examine the effects of job design and sales managers’ behavior on intrinsic motivation and customer orientation of salespeople. Furthermore, we aim to examine if any of the factors included in our model have an effect on performance of Company X’s salespeople. Thus, our research questions are:  What impacts do job design and sales managers’ behaviors have on intrinsic motivation and customer orientation of salespeople? What kind of differences exist between high- and low performance sales teams considering these factors? Our study has been carried out on commission for Company X where we studied their Customer Service salespeople, which are working in a business to consumer context in the Swedish electricity market. The study makes theoretical contributions to motivation research in the field of Selling and Sales management by developing and testing a conceptual model with a unique combination of motivating variables. Our model was inspired by Hackman and Oldham’s (1980) Job Characteristics Model, but we extended this model and added organizational variables that had not been examined in relation to this model by prior research. Thus, no previous research has, to our knowledge, tested the effects of our chosen variables of job design and sales managers behavior on intrinsic motivation and customer orientation. To deepen our study and our understanding of what effect our variables of job design and sales managers behavior have on performance, we received secondary data from Company X. This additional data analysis enabled us to compare whether there were differences across our key variables between sales teams with high performance and low performance. We adopted a quantitative strategy and data collection method. Thus, we distributed questionnaires to our target population – salespeople working in Company X Customer Service. Both primary and secondary data were entered and processed by the statistical analysis program SPSS. On our primary data we performed Cronbach's alpha tests, cross-tabulations, bivariate regression analysis and multiple regression analysis to test hypothesized effects. Our secondary data in combination with our primary data were analyzed by a two-sample t-test to identify differences between high-, and low performance teams. Our hypotheses were partially supported and findings showed that the critical psychological states: experienced meaningfulness and experienced responsibility had positive effects on intrinsic motivation. Experienced responsibility in combination with role ambiguity had positive effects on customer orientation. Similarly, intrinsic motivation was found to affect customer orientation. The other variables of job design and sales managers’ behavior were not found to have significant effects on intrinsic motivation and customer orientation. Variables affecting performance were coaching; positive behavioral feedback and role ambiguity, and they differed significantly between high-, and low performance teams. Our study provides practical recommendations for Company X and other companies in the electricity market. Our findings can be used to improve marketing strategies and motivation of salespeople in other business to consumer contexts.

Sammanfattning Syfte: Syftet med studien är att skapa förståelse för hur företag arbetar med rekrytering av kundorienterad personal med avseende på individens sociala förmåga, kompetens och drivkrafter för ett kundorienterat beteende.   Metod: Studien utgår från att uppnå en förståelse och tillämpar därför en kvalitativ metod. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio anställda från olika fastighetsföretag i Sverige. Materialet analyserades sedan utifrån analysmetoden well-grounded theory.   Resultat & slutsats: Studiens resultat visar att sociala förmågor, kompetens och drivkrafter är viktiga faktorer vid bedömning av kundorienterade egenskaper vid rekrytering, men att företagen lägger olika tyngdpunkt vid dessa faktorer. Resultatet visar att drivkrafter som motivation, engagemang, värderingar och attityder är av stor betydelse för företagen vid rekryteringstillfället. Ytterligare slutsats i studien är att individens sociala förmåga är av betydelse för företagen vid rekrytering, men att synen på vad som kännetecknar social förmåga skiljer sig mellan respondenterna. En av grundpelarna i den sociala förmågan enligt företagen är att det är viktig att individen kan skapa relationer med kunden och att relationsbyggandet är viktigt för långsiktigheten med kunden. När det gäller kompetens visar våra resultat att det finns en tydlig skillnad mellan företagen, vissa anser kompetens som mycket viktigt medan andra lägger mer vikt vid att individen har rätt attityd samt personlighet och att kompetens är någonting som individen kan lära sig när den väl blivit anställd.   Förslag till vidare forskning: I framtida studier vore det intressant att undersöka fler faktorer som kan påverka ett kundorienterat beteende än de som undersöks i denna studie, vilket därmed kan ge en vidare fördjupning av ämnet.   Uppsatsens bidrag: Vår studie bidrar med en ökad förståelse för hur fastighetsföretag arbetar med rekrytering av kundorienterad personal samt hur individens sociala förmåga, kompetens och drivkrafter påverkar ett kundorienterat beteende och hur dessa fångas upp vid rekrytering.   Nyckelord: Kundorientering, kundorienterat beteende, rekrytering, fastighetsföretag / Abstract Purpose of Study: The aim of this study is to create an understanding of how organizations work with recruitment of customer-oriented employees regarding the individual's social skills, competencies and motivation for a customer-oriented behavior.   Method: The study is based on achieving an understanding and therefore applies a qualitative approach. The empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews with ten employees from various real estate companies in Sweden. The material was then analyzed based on the analysis method well-grounded theory.   Results & conclusion: Our results demonstrate that social skills, competence and drivers are important factors in assessing the customer-oriented features in recruitment, but that firms place a different emphasis on these factors. The results show that drivers of motivation, commitment, values and attitudes are of great importance for organizations at the time of recruitment. A further conclusion of this study is that an individual's social skills are important for businesses in recruitment, but that the view of the characteristics of social skills differ between respondents. One of the pillars of social skills according to the companies is that it is important that the individual can create relationships with customers and building relationships is important for the long-term nature of the customer. In terms of skills, our results show that there is a clear difference between the firms, some consider skills as very important while others put more emphasis on the individual has the right attitude and personality and that skills is something that you can learn once you become employed.   Suggestions for further research: In future studies, it would be interesting to examine other factors that may affect a customer-oriented behavior than those investigated in this study, which can then make a further deepening of the subject.   Contribution of the thesis: Our study will provide greater understanding of how real estate companies work with recruitment of customer-oriented personnel, how social skills, competencies and motivation affect the individual´s customer-oriented behavior and how these factors are caught by the recruiters.   Keywords: Customer orientation, customer-oriented behavior, recruitment, real estate companies

What characterises the grocery store — customer relation? Can grocery stores expect to have an active role in households’ management of everyday life? Can households, on the other hand demand active participation and help from the stores? By which methods can we learn more both about food-related consumer behaviour and about the relation between stores and consumers? Based on two empirical studies of consumer behaviour, this books deals with these issues. In the first part of the book an empirical study using 165 weeks of POS scanner data for fourteen product categories is presented. These data were used to analyse effects of different promotional activities, and the results indicated that in-store activities, particularly in the form of in-store display, were important. The results from the first study brought the question of store — customer relation into focus, why this relation was studied next. The second part of the book consists of this exploratory, empirical study applying participant interviewing. In this case it meant talking to grocery shoppers while observing them. Some ten households with small children were accompanied to the grocery store, providing a context based consumer perspective. Different aspects of food and purchasing, such as interest in food and the social role of the meal, were treated. Tentatively, the dimensions planning and involvement are suggested as dimensions by which to separate households or shopping trips from each other. If validated, these dimensions might be useful as instruments for retailers interested in adapting to their customers different needs and purchasing behaviours. The concluding part discusses the two empirical studies, both in terms of method and in terms of contribution to knowledge on consumer behaviour. One important issue is here the value, for a single researcher, of combining two studies with such different methods. / Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögsk.

The broad objective of this thesis is to extend our understanding of radical new product development (NPD) beyond degree of customer orientation (CO) by assessing the role and influence of both customers and other external influencers (OEIs). While a number of studies have investigated the relationship between CO and NPD outcomes, such studies typically focus on incremental NPD. The role of customers is also typically investigated using numerical scales to understand degree of CO, and fails to consider the important implementation issues of which, when and how customers are involved through the NPD process. In addition to customers, other external influencers (OEIs) such as investors, suppliers, distributors, competitors, universities and advisors are also increasingly involved in radical NPD, but the roles and actual influence of these different groups is unclear. To address these gaps in the literature this thesis adopts a network approach to investigate the role of customers and OEIs in the development of six radical new products. Six retrospective case studies are conducted, all involving the development of radical ICT products targeted at industrial markets. To provide further insight, three of these cases involve successful new products while the remaining three involve unsuccessful products. Analysis of case data involves qualitative and quantitative network analysis as well as thematic analysis of interview transcripts. Clear differences are found between the ways in which the successful and unsuccessful cases involve customers and OEIs. For example, firms developing successful products focus on existing customers with whom they have strong previous relationships, while developers of unsuccessful products do not. Furthermore, the successful cases all involve customers actively as co-developers of the product, while none of the unsuccessful cases take this approach. These findings are presented in detail and discussed in relation to the existing literature. A set of empirically-based propositions are outlined as a foundation for future research.

The broad objective of this thesis is to extend our understanding of radical new product development (NPD) beyond degree of customer orientation (CO) by assessing the role and influence of both customers and other external influencers (OEIs). While a number of studies have investigated the relationship between CO and NPD outcomes, such studies typically focus on incremental NPD. The role of customers is also typically investigated using numerical scales to understand degree of CO, and fails to consider the important implementation issues of which, when and how customers are involved through the NPD process. In addition to customers, other external influencers (OEIs) such as investors, suppliers, distributors, competitors, universities and advisors are also increasingly involved in radical NPD, but the roles and actual influence of these different groups is unclear. To address these gaps in the literature this thesis adopts a network approach to investigate the role of customers and OEIs in the development of six radical new products. Six retrospective case studies are conducted, all involving the development of radical ICT products targeted at industrial markets. To provide further insight, three of these cases involve successful new products while the remaining three involve unsuccessful products. Analysis of case data involves qualitative and quantitative network analysis as well as thematic analysis of interview transcripts. Clear differences are found between the ways in which the successful and unsuccessful cases involve customers and OEIs. For example, firms developing successful products focus on existing customers with whom they have strong previous relationships, while developers of unsuccessful products do not. Furthermore, the successful cases all involve customers actively as co-developers of the product, while none of the unsuccessful cases take this approach. These findings are presented in detail and discussed in relation to the existing literature. A set of empirically-based propositions are outlined as a foundation for future research.

The broad objective of this thesis is to extend our understanding of radical new product development (NPD) beyond degree of customer orientation (CO) by assessing the role and influence of both customers and other external influencers (OEIs). While a number of studies have investigated the relationship between CO and NPD outcomes, such studies typically focus on incremental NPD. The role of customers is also typically investigated using numerical scales to understand degree of CO, and fails to consider the important implementation issues of which, when and how customers are involved through the NPD process. In addition to customers, other external influencers (OEIs) such as investors, suppliers, distributors, competitors, universities and advisors are also increasingly involved in radical NPD, but the roles and actual influence of these different groups is unclear. To address these gaps in the literature this thesis adopts a network approach to investigate the role of customers and OEIs in the development of six radical new products. Six retrospective case studies are conducted, all involving the development of radical ICT products targeted at industrial markets. To provide further insight, three of these cases involve successful new products while the remaining three involve unsuccessful products. Analysis of case data involves qualitative and quantitative network analysis as well as thematic analysis of interview transcripts. Clear differences are found between the ways in which the successful and unsuccessful cases involve customers and OEIs. For example, firms developing successful products focus on existing customers with whom they have strong previous relationships, while developers of unsuccessful products do not. Furthermore, the successful cases all involve customers actively as co-developers of the product, while none of the unsuccessful cases take this approach. These findings are presented in detail and discussed in relation to the existing literature. A set of empirically-based propositions are outlined as a foundation for future research.

The broad objective of this thesis is to extend our understanding of radical new product development (NPD) beyond degree of customer orientation (CO) by assessing the role and influence of both customers and other external influencers (OEIs). While a number of studies have investigated the relationship between CO and NPD outcomes, such studies typically focus on incremental NPD. The role of customers is also typically investigated using numerical scales to understand degree of CO, and fails to consider the important implementation issues of which, when and how customers are involved through the NPD process. In addition to customers, other external influencers (OEIs) such as investors, suppliers, distributors, competitors, universities and advisors are also increasingly involved in radical NPD, but the roles and actual influence of these different groups is unclear. To address these gaps in the literature this thesis adopts a network approach to investigate the role of customers and OEIs in the development of six radical new products. Six retrospective case studies are conducted, all involving the development of radical ICT products targeted at industrial markets. To provide further insight, three of these cases involve successful new products while the remaining three involve unsuccessful products. Analysis of case data involves qualitative and quantitative network analysis as well as thematic analysis of interview transcripts. Clear differences are found between the ways in which the successful and unsuccessful cases involve customers and OEIs. For example, firms developing successful products focus on existing customers with whom they have strong previous relationships, while developers of unsuccessful products do not. Furthermore, the successful cases all involve customers actively as co-developers of the product, while none of the unsuccessful cases take this approach. These findings are presented in detail and discussed in relation to the existing literature. A set of empirically-based propositions are outlined as a foundation for future research.

Diss. Uppsala : Uppsala universitet, 2008.

The broad objective of this thesis is to extend our understanding of radical new product development (NPD) beyond degree of customer orientation (CO) by assessing the role and influence of both customers and other external influencers (OEIs). While a number of studies have investigated the relationship between CO and NPD outcomes, such studies typically focus on incremental NPD. The role of customers is also typically investigated using numerical scales to understand degree of CO, and fails to consider the important implementation issues of which, when and how customers are involved through the NPD process. In addition to customers, other external influencers (OEIs) such as investors, suppliers, distributors, competitors, universities and advisors are also increasingly involved in radical NPD, but the roles and actual influence of these different groups is unclear. To address these gaps in the literature this thesis adopts a network approach to investigate the role of customers and OEIs in the development of six radical new products. Six retrospective case studies are conducted, all involving the development of radical ICT products targeted at industrial markets. To provide further insight, three of these cases involve successful new products while the remaining three involve unsuccessful products. Analysis of case data involves qualitative and quantitative network analysis as well as thematic analysis of interview transcripts. Clear differences are found between the ways in which the successful and unsuccessful cases involve customers and OEIs. For example, firms developing successful products focus on existing customers with whom they have strong previous relationships, while developers of unsuccessful products do not. Furthermore, the successful cases all involve customers actively as co-developers of the product, while none of the unsuccessful cases take this approach. These findings are presented in detail and discussed in relation to the existing literature. A set of empirically-based propositions are outlined as a foundation for future research.