| Name: | Description: | Size: | Format: | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.15 MB | Adobe PDF |
Authors
Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The relationship between customers and brands has undergone a significant change over the years, shifting toward a more collaborative dynamic and steering away from a traditional, post-market interaction. In contrast to the passive role once assigned to clients, today’s business environment demands that they be heard and engaged in co-creative processes. This shift is especially relevant in B2B industries, where relationships between service providers and clients are characterized by a partnership perspective, requiring a deep alignment of business objectives and mutual trust. The present study explores how co-creation in new product development shapes relationships, through trust, commitment, and satisfaction within the B2B context, with a specific focus on the SaaS industry through a case study of E-goi. Employing a qualitative methodology, semi-structured interviews were conducted with E-goi's corporate clients to uncover the clients perspectives towards co-creation and its impact on the dynamics of these relationships. The findings corroborate previous research showing that co-creation enhances trust, commitment, and satisfaction, extending these results to the B2B context and to the SaaS industry. The study identifies communication, transparency, responsiveness, and flexibility as critical factors present in co-creation initiatives, fostering deeper client-provider relationships. Similarly, it uncovers new risks associated with co-creation, such as misaligned expectations and conflicts of interest, highlighting the importance of communication and goal alignment. Additionally, it provided E-goi with insights that co-creation initiatives are perceived as a strategic differentiation factor, while simultaneously enhancing customer relationships. The findings further enabled E-goi to identify the initial phases of new product development as the ones with highest priority for customers, where they can directly shape the product according to their needs. Another relevant contribution was the discovery of discounts as incentives to encourage participation in these initiatives.
Description
Keywords
Co-creation B2B relationships Quality relationship Trust Commitment Satisfaction risks