Customer involvement and service innovation: further exploratio

Abstract EN

The extant paper extends previous research on the relationship between customer involvement and service innovation.

Building on prior research that suggested a positive relationship between customer involvement and service innovation, this paper increases our understanding about the relationship by introducing three moderators from the strategic management literature that have a direct influence on the relationship: absorptive capacity, technological capability, and strategic flexibility.

The paper proposes that service providers with high levels of absorptive capacity, technological capability, and strategic flexibility are more likely to reap the benefits of customer involvement in service innovation.

The paper advises managers of service-providing organizations to build such capabilities to increase their service innovativeness.