Abstract:

With the development of emerging technologies such as 5G, big data, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things, business environments are gradually becoming a digital ecosystem, in which the interdependence between enterprises and customers is increasingly affected by Digitalized Interactive Platforms (DIP) offerings. DIP has resulted in the increased usage and engagement by multiple stakeholders, which offers a complex and dynamic experience. However, it remains unclear how firms can leverage DIP to facilitate customized and enriched customer experience to increase customer input, thereby co-creating value with other stakeholders. This project fills this void by providing a research framework to address this question, which includes five different studies.

Study 1 is based on the stakeholder marketing theory to explore the value co-creation process of stakeholders during the consumer journey of DIP offerings through a qualitative research. Firstly, the recursive reflexive process of multiple stakeholders of DIP offerings will be analyzed based on the theory of recursive reflexivity; secondly, the action and interaction of stakeholders’ practice continuity and consumption experience will be explored based on the theory of practice continuity; finally, based on the identity theory and institution theory, identity evolution, identity co-construction and institutional change process will be examined. These steps help us analyze the behavior and experience of stakeholders in the consumption journey of DIP offerings, which is a step towards theory development in DIP and provides basis for future related studies.

Study 2 focuses on the customer experience journey in DIP offerings (DXJ) and intends to explore the definition, dimensions, measurement and generalizbility of this concept. Firstly, DXJ will be defined, similarities and difference between DXJ and other related concepts will be discussed through relevant literature discussion; secondly, we will explore the dimensions of DXJ using qualitative research methods, and develop its measurement scale; then the predictive validity of the developed scale will be tested; data will be collected through a large scale survey study to empirically examine the antecedents and behavioral outcomes of DXJ.

In study 3, a new concept, DXJ ambidexterity, is proposed and developed. The conceptualization, source of tension and reconciliation mechanism of DXJ ambidexterity will be explored using qualitative research methods. Firstly, sources of tension of DXJ ambidexterity are explored based on the ambidexterity theory, and factors influencing the tension of DXJ ambidexterity will be investigated; secondly, the reconciliation mechanism of DXJ ambidexterity tension will be discussed; finally, the reconciliation process will be discussed and explained.

Study 4 intends to study the evolution process, generation, management and evaluation of customer input with DIP offerings (that is, DCI). Firstly, we will explore the definition and dimensions of DCI, and develop the measurement scale accordingly; secondly, the mechanism and process of the generation and management of DCI will be investigated; finally, the antecedents, mediators, moderators of DCI, as well as how they affect customer behavior and corporate performance will be investigated empirically.

Study 5 explores the reciprocal relationship between DXJ and DCI. Based on the theory of spirals, we propose to use a large scale survey method to collect panel data to explore the interaction mechanisms between DXJ and DCI from the following five aspects: customers, their social network, firms, their partners, and enterprise customers. We also intend to identify the lower and upper boundaries of the spiral.

This study uncovers the new phenomena of DIP offerings and contributes to the existing research related to customer experience and customer input. This study also extends the existing theories such as recursive reflexivity theory, institution theory, ambidexterity theory, and the theory of spirals. The results of this study will offer insights to DIP companies to establish a win-win, long-term relationship with multiple stakeholders, and ultimately co-create value.

Key words: digitalized interactive platforms offerings, customer experience journey, customer input, ambidexterity, theory of spirals