Combined fuzzy theory and Delphi method for instruments designing framework of online marketing flexibility dimensions

摘要

With progressive globalisation and market dynamism, the business environment is becoming more turbulent than ever and in a chronic state of flux. Continual changes in technology, demand fluctuations, the emergence of new business models and the internet add further challenges to achieve sustainable growth for businesses. This constant turbulence, combined with rapid changes in the external environment, has forced the business sector to become more agile and flexible. Customers want flexibility so that they can choose specific products and services according to their needs. Therefore, providing flexibility to customers has become a major task for service providers, especially in an online context where competition is fierce and there is no direct interaction with the customer. In literature, very little has been written by researchers on this context; therefore, the aim of this study is to design a framework for online marking flexibility. To achieve this objective, a combined method, i.e., a mixture of fuzzy theory and qualitative Delphi method has been used with data collected through non-probabilistic sampling methods combined with a survey of experts. The findings of this study can help online service providers to target their customers in online platforms according to their needs and flexibility demands.