Customization of B2B Services: Measurement and Impact on Firm Performance

Michael Kleinaltenkamp; Ioana Minculescu; Sascha Raithel

doi:10.15358/2511-8676-2017-1-39

Contents
- Chapter Expand | CollapseAuthorsPage
- 1–1 Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis 1–1
- 2–3 Editorial Martin Benkenstein Martin Benkenstein 2–3
- 4–70 Research Articles 4–70
  - 4–21 Topics for Service Management Research - A European Perspective Martin Benkenstein, Manfred Bruhn, Marion Büttgen, Christiane Hipp, Martin Matzner, Friedemann W. Nerdinger Martin Benkenstein, Manfred Bruhn, Marion Büttgen, Christiane Hipp, Martin Matzner, Friedemann W. Nerdinger 4–21
  - 22–38 Capturing Value in the Service Economy Jochen Wirtz, Michael Ehret Jochen Wirtz, Michael Ehret 22–38
  - 39–56 Customization of B2B Services: Measurement and Impact on Firm Performance Michael Kleinaltenkamp, Ioana Minculescu, Sascha Raithel Michael Kleinaltenkamp, Ioana Minculescu, Sascha Raithel 39–56
  - 57–70 Demographic Change and Job Satisfaction in Service Industries - The Role of Age and Gender on the Effects of Customer-Related Social Stressors on Affective Well-Being Christian Dormann, Sarah Brod, Sarah Engler Christian Dormann, Sarah Brod, Sarah Engler 57–70
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SMR - Journal of Service Management Research , page 39 - 56

Customization of B2B Services: Measurement and Impact on Firm Performance

Autoren

Michael Kleinaltenkamp Ioana Minculescu Sascha Raithel

DOI
- doi.org/10.15358/2511-8676-2017-1-39
- ISSN: 2511-8676
- ISSN online: 2942-3392
Zusammenfassung

Customization of services comprises the activities and results of a customer-specific adaptation of a provider’s value-creation processes according to customers’ requirements. As customized service offerings are supposed to better meet specific customers’ needs, they should generate a higher willingness to pay and/or higher customer loyalty. However, customization also typically leads to increased costs, incurred from the customer-induced changes or adjustments in the specification, production and delivery of a service. With respect to this tradeoff, this paper examines how the degree of customization of business-to-business (B2B) services can be measured and how the degree of customization affects the generation of competitive advantages and firm performance. Using data from a large-scale quantitative study, the paper identifies three dimensions of customization of B2B services and shows the consequences of different degrees of customization on customer perceived value, cost-efficiency and thus firm performance.

Abstract

Customization of services comprises the activities and results of a customer-specific adaptation of a provider’s value-creation processes according to customers’ requirements. As customized service offerings are supposed to better meet specific customers’ needs, they should generate a higher willingness to pay and/or higher customer loyalty. However, customization also typically leads to increased costs, incurred from the customer-induced changes or adjustments in the specification, production and delivery of a service. With respect to this tradeoff, this paper examines how the degree of customization of business-to-business (B2B) services can be measured and how the degree of customization affects the generation of competitive advantages and firm performance. Using data from a large-scale quantitative study, the paper identifies three dimensions of customization of B2B services and shows the consequences of different degrees of customization on customer perceived value, cost-efficiency and thus firm performance.
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