Consumer participation in service production: A conceptual model and empirical study

This research developed a conceptual model of consumer participation in service production and empirically studied two questions: (1) Are there distinctly different consumer participation roles? and (2) How are the degree of participation and participation role related to expectation disconfirmation, responsibility attribution, and consumer satisfaction? For the first question, three distinct participation roles--facilitator, coworker, and service purveyor--were found to exist for hair salon. Presumedly because of small sample sizes and, thus, statistical power, not all three roles were identified for auto repair and health care. In general, the three roles were found to have different levels of service knowledge, perception of service provider's social power (specifically expertise and legitimate power), and perceived control. That is, service purveyor has the highest levels of service knowledge and perceived control, followed by coworker, and then facilitator; facilitator has the highest levels of perception of service provider's social power, followed by coworker, and then facilitator.; For the second research question, similar results were obtained for both hair salon and auto repair. First, expectation disconfirmation, the degree of participation, and the participation role affect self-attribution for the outcome. This self-attribution then moderates the relationship between expectation disconfirmation and satisfaction with self. That is, self-attribution mediates the influence of consumer participation (both degree and role) on the relationship between expectation disconfirmation and satisfaction with self. Second, expectation disconfirmation, the degree of participation, and the participation role affect service provider-attribution for the outcome. This service provider-attribution then moderates the relationship between expectation disconfirmation and satisfaction with service provider. That is, service provider-attribution mediates the influence of consumer participation (both degree and role) on the relationship between expectation disconfirmation and satisfaction with service provider. Third, expectation disconfirmation affects satisfaction with outcome, and the relationship is not moderated by self- and service provider-attributions. Finally, the degree of participation does not influence either deserved or desired expectations.