The purpose of this article is to explore the role of customer engagement behavior (CEB) in value co-creation in a multista- keholder service system. Specifically, the study examines the drivers for CEB, the types of CEB that customers display, and the outcomes of CEB for different stakeholders in a service sys- tem. The study contributes to the domains of CE and value co- creation research by combining these theoretical perspectives in the analysis of a rich case study that explores CEB at the level of a service system comprising multiple actors and their networks. We apply the conceptual thinking of service- dominant logic (S-D logic; Gummesson and Mele 2010; Vargo and Lusch 2011; Vargo and Lusch 2008) to analyze value co- creation emerging through resource integration, and draw on previous research on CEB for insights into the broad range of resources customers may contribute through various CE beha- viors, and the potential drivers and outcomes of such behaviors. The main contribution of the article is to conceptualize how CEB affects value co-creation in a service system, formulated through a set of research propositions. This study also brings new knowledge on the types of CEB, contributing to the discus- sion on the scope of the concept. Empirically, the article pro- vides a new perspective as it studies engagement in an offline environment, contrasting with previous empirical research on CE that has mainly addressed behaviors in virtual environments (Brodie et al. 2013; Dholakia et al. 2009; Schau,Mun˜iz, and Arnould 2009). Thereby, we make a contribution to the research agenda set by Brodie et al. (2011).The article is organized as follows. First, the literature on CE and value co-creation is briefly discussed. The article con- tinues by outlining the methodological approach and the case study setting for the research. The subsequent sections report the study findings, followed by the formation of research pro- positions, conclusions, and implications for research and practice.Theoretical BackgroundCEB: Types, Drivers, and OutcomesCE is a psychological state that occurs by virtue of interactive customer experiences with a focal agent/object such as a firm or brand (Brodie et al. 2011). This study focuses on the beha- vioral manifestations of CE. We study CEBs through which customers make voluntary resource contributions that have a brand or firm focus but go beyond what is fundamental to transactions, occur in interactions between the focal object and/or other actors, and result from motivational drivers (cf. Brodie et al. 2013; Brodie et al. 2011; Van Doorn et al. 2010). Many extant concepts are close to yet distinct from CEB. We distinguish CEB from coproduction, which refers to the degree to which the customer is involved in producing the offering for themselves (e.g., Bendapudi and Leone 2003; Vargo and Lusch 2008). When coproduction is an in-built element of the transaction (which is the case, e.g., in many ser- vice settings, see Auh et al. 2007), it is not, to the same extent, a voluntary, extra-role behavior with a broader interactive char- acter as is associated with CEB (cf. Brodie et al. 2011). Many traditional service frameworks such as the Servuction model (Eiglier and Langeard 1987) or Servicescape (Bitner 1992) acknowledge how customer participation contributes to the ser- vice experience of the individual or other customers, but typi- cally focus on customer actions elementary to the service transaction and the duration of the service encounter only. Furthermore, while CE encompasses many customer contribu- tions previously referred to as voluntary or extra-role beha- viors, it has a broader scope. Extra-role behaviors commonly refer to customers seeking to benefit the organization rather than acting out of self-interest (Ahearne, Bhattacharya, and Gruen 2005). Other related concepts such as customer volun- tary performance (CVP; e.g., Bettencourt 1997) and customer citizenship behaviors (e.g., Rosenbaum and Massiah 2007) focus on customer contributions to the service quality of a firm through benevolent behaviors that are consistent with the role assigned to the customers by the provider, the stance being that the customer is helping the firm according to the plans of the firm. The concept of CEB in turn views customers exogen- ously, driven by their own unique purposes and intentions instead of those originating from the firm. Moreover, CE is considered to be manifest in behaviors that could be either ben- eficial or unbeneficial toward the firm (e.g., Brodie et al. 2013; van Doorn et al. 2010).Previous research primarily focuses on two types of CEB: customer involvement in product development and innovation and customers’ communication about the focal firm or brand. First, by providing feedback, ideas, and information (Kumar et al. 2010), or participating in product design or assembly (Hoyer et al. 2010; Kristensson, Gustafsson, and Archer 2004), customers help improve or develop the firm’s offerings. Second, customers may acquire new customers for the firm through firm-incentivized referral programs (Kumar et al. 2010) or influence other customers’ perceptions on their own initiative through word of mouth (WOM), blogging and other forms of customer-to-customer interaction (Brodie et al. 2013; Libai et al. 2010).Many studies discuss why customers engage in behaviors beyond those of a buyer or a user. Van Doorn et al. (2010) pro- pose customer-based drivers for CEB, including attitudinal fac- tors such as satisfaction, brand commitment, and trust, as well as customer goals, resources, and value perceptions. Empirical studies conducted in online contexts have shown that custom- ers are motivated to engage in nontransactional behaviors because they expect benefits such as enhanced knowledge and reputation, social benefits, and economic benefits such as cost savings (Fu¨ ller 2010; Nambisan and Baron 2009). Firms can facilitate CEB by providing effective platforms for information exchange and interaction (Baron and Warnaby 2011; Dholakia
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