Diffusion Of Self-Services

With the rapid development of Internet technology, the nature of traditional service has been changed, electronic banking, ticket reservation system and ticket vending machine has been widely used these years. According to the application of self-services, people can enjoy the convenient and personalized service; the companies can keep costs down and profits growth. However, there is a gap between customers’s willingness and actual diffusion situation. The different self-services are varied in the diffusion time and effort. Therefore, it is necessary to identify the difference of self-services and grasp the law of diffusion process, which is significant and useful to establish the development strategy for companies. Nevertheless, there is few systematic researches on the problem of self-services diffusion in the field of self-services and product diffusion.In the field of research on self-services, most of the study takes one or more kind self-service as subject; and focuses on the theme of definition, classification, adoption or performance. Although there is a completely qualitative research on self-services classification, the lack of quantitative method bring about the limitation of understanding the services. At the same time, all self-services research is based on customers perspective, a few research is from the view of firms. The unsystematically mechanistic investigation is bad for the development of self-services. In the field of research on product diffusion, there are lots of diffusion models, which are combined by aggregate level model, individual level model and mixture diffusion model. Although the mixture diffusion model can deeply reflect the diffusion mechanism, the study of mixture diffusion model is still in elementary stage. The present achievements can’t reflect the feature of products. Besides, whatever the diffusion model or the empirical research, it is only aimed at durable-goods or moblie service. It is lack of systematical resarch on services, which will preclude development of service industry. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen research on services diffusion. The model should include the universality and characters. In the realistic and theoretical background, it is valuable and needful to conduct this research.Based on the achievement and limitation of recent research on self-services and diffusion model, this paper systematically studies the diffusion of self-services from three dimensions:classification, diffusion model and empirical research, diffusion process strategy.(1) Based on analysis and induction of classification literature, this paper classifies the self-services with quantitative method on the basis of the consumers’ perspective. Compared with ralted literature, this paper selects seven classification dimensions to investigate difference among self-services; some of dimensions are come from the traditional research of service classification, the others are come from the research of self-services adoption. According to expert interview and questionnaire, this paper determines eleven typical self-services for research. Combined the semantic differential scale, this paper designs the questionnaire of classification from consumers’ perspective and analyses data with multidimensional scaling. According to MDS method, all data are in a space perception map, which is useful to recognize the relationship between classification dimensions and typical self-services. The empirical results demonstrate that delivery and interpersonal environment are two key dimensions for classification. They divide self-services into four parts: homogeneous group interacted self-services (HOGI), repeat-purchase homogeneous group interacted self-services (RHOGI), heterogeneous group interacted model (HEGI), repeat-purchase heterogeneous group interacted model (RHEGI).(2) This paper constructs four kinds of mixture diffusion model for self-services which are from complex network and classification feature; it also validates the effectiveness and relative advantage with real market data. This paper firstly introduces the MI model and SWMI model of Shaikh. By analyzing two key classification dimensions, this paper declares the relationship between this study and Shaikhs’. Then, by means of complex network and probability theory, we construct four mixture diffusion models. Based on the random network, we constructs the HOGI model with group influence, and RHOGI model with group influence and repeat purchase; based on the small world network, we constructs the HEGI model with group influence, and RHEGI model with group influence and repeat purchase.In order to validate the effectiveness of these models, this paper carries on the empirical research with real market data by means of econometric analysis. Considering the effectiveness and accuracy of data, we choose four group data from listed companies; they are email service, mobile phone service, instant messenger service and online game service. This paper selects genetic algorithm to estimate parameters; tests goodness-of-fit with R2and S2; tests significance with gradual F distribution statistics; and measures prediction accuracy with MAPE, MAD、MAPE、MSE、SDE. Compared with the result of Bass model, NUI model as well as these four models to testify the validity our models. The empirical results shows that proposed models could fit the real market data separately best.(3) This part is valuable to correlate diffusion theory with management practice and realizes the system analysis for self-services diffusion process. It systematically provides the development strategy of self-services diffusion and introduces the management framework of self-services diffusion process. This paper suggests that the process should include four parts:discuss the influence of model parameters, interpret the market property of key parameters, and propose appropriate development strategy based on the discussion, diffusion process management. This paper offers the common proposal for the early and late stage. This paper holds the view that service companies could increase user base through advertisement and use free for charge at early stage. At late stage, it should foucus on keeping and strengthening the relaitionship among customers. Therefore, market segmentation, service differentiation, recommend mechanisms and customers’ information management system are suit for this stage. The management framework of self-services diffusion process is useful to dynamically control the diffusion process. These parts are valuable to put the theory research into practice, which strengthenes practical sense for this research.The main innovation of this paper as follows:Firstly, this paper uses quantitative method to classify self-services. In respect of classification dimensions, it breaks the traditional service restrictions, and adds new dimensions from the research of adoption. This paper is the first quantitative classification study for self-services; it is a beneficial exploration in this field.Secondly, this paper models two classification dimensions and constructs four diffusion models for different self-services. These diffusion models not only combine the individual level model and aggregate level model, but also show the key feature of four kinds of self-services. In addition, this paper uses actual market data to vertify these models. Our models propose a new view to recognize and understand the growth law of self-services.Thirdly, this paper systematically proposes the strategy analysis method and process management framwork for self-services. It is valuable to correlate diffusion theory with actual management practice, which is a innovation in the field of service marketing.Due to the restriction of time and research ability, there are some shortcomings:(1) This paper chooses some adoption dimensions to classify, but if we want to have a thorough knowledge of self-services, it need add much more dimensions from other field, such as customer satisfaction. In the future, it should extend investigations from respondents to get the more general classification conclusion.(2) This paper constructs diffusion models based on random network and small world network, which only use average node degree to characterize the network. It is valuable to add other characterization (for example:cluster coefficient and short average path length) into the model to reveal mechanism of self-services diffusion in future. In addition, we should use more corporate data or species data to validate the effectiveness of these models.(3) This paper introduces the framework of strategy analysis, but it is just a concept explanation. We need do the empirical research to demonstrate the realistic value of this framework in future.