Customer Knowledge Management in an Online Game Environment

Abstract

With the extension of internet and an increase in the access of users to internet, online games have been significantly developed. Also, customer needs and importance has been carefully paid attention to by the gaming companies. The purpose of this paper is to develop a model to explain the willingness of gamers to use a game called Travian and using electronic customer knowledge management tools to communicate with the gamers and to get information and knowledge from them. After reviewing the literature, the research hypotheses, conceptual model including technology acceptance, flow state, customer intention for playing Travian and online customer knowledge management and their relationship were proposed. Then, the related data were collected using a questionnaire from a random sample for 375 people. Data was analyzed using structural equation modeling technique and AMOS software. Results show that flow state and ease of use has an influence on the intention. Accordingly, intention of use has a significant influence on the obtained knowledge from customer, knowledge for customer, and knowledge about customer.

Keywords

• online games
• customer knowledge
• knowledge management