Customer Participation and Firm's Financial Performance: Examining the Moderating Effects of Two Customer Participation Types on Exploitative and Explorative Innovations

摘要

Although the significance of customer participation in the innovation process has been recognized in both the theoretical and managerial area,little research has been conducted into understanding the moderating effects of different types of customer participation on innovation,while comparing the impact of the two types of innovation,exploitative and explorative,on financial performance.This study investigates the moderating effect of two customer participation types-customer participation as information providers(herein after CPI),and customer participation as codevelop-ers(herein after CPC)-on the relationship between innovation and firms'financial performance.The research questions are as follows:(1)do different forms of innovation,exploitative and explorative,influence a firm's financial performance?(2)is a firm's financial performance derived from innovation activities affected by the type of customer participation involved?(3)if so,which customer participation type has more impact on the relationship of exploitative or explorative innovation on financial performance? The authors suggest a nonlinear relationship between