Customer Value Co-Creation in the Automobile Industry: Antecedents, Satisfaction, and Moderation

Abstract

The buying of cars is an important decision that customers make. Consequently, customers in their attempt in ensuring that they get a good deal go a great length in providing their skills, knowledge, and ideas to effect the design and specifications of their purchase. In this context, the purpose of this article is to first, measure two antecedents of customer participation in value co-creation in terms of customer willingness and customer ability; second, to measure how co-creation translates into customer satisfaction; and finally to examine the moderating effect of both price fairness perception and service convenience on satisfaction. With this objective, empirical data were collected through the administration of questionnaires to customers of automobile buyers in 30 dealer shops in Ghana. The proposed hypotheses were tested using SmartPLS 3.2.6 to perform structural equation modeling. The results showed that the two antecedents (willingness and ability) positively influences co-creation; co-creation significantly influences customer satisfaction; price fairness perception and service convenience not only influences satisfaction but they both have a positive moderation. The direct results between willingness, ability, and satisfaction also indicated positive relationship. Theoretical contributions, managerial implications, and suggestions for future research were discussed.