مدل سازی و تحلیل سناریوی چالش های خلق رفتار هم آفرینی برند مشتری: تحلیلی بر راهبردهای مقابله (مقاله علمی وزارت علوم)
درجه علمی: نشریه علمی (وزارت علوم)
آرشیو
چکیده
رفتار هم آفرینی برند مشتری در برندسازی اهمیت فراوانی دارد. تاکنون پژوهش در زمینه شناسایی چالش های خلق این رفتار و راهبردهای برون رفت از آنها انجام نشده است. پژوهش حاضر برای شناسایی چالش ها، تحلیل روابط آنها و ارائه راهبردهای مقابله انجام شده است. این مطالعه در سه مرحله انجام شده است که در مرحله اول و سوم چالش ها و راهبردهای مصاحبه های نیمه ساختاریافته با رویکرد کیفی و نیز با انجام دادن تحلیل تماتیک شناسایی شد. در این دو مرحله جامعه آماری متشکل از خبرگان دانشگاهی و متخصصان فعّال در صنعت تجارت الکترونیک بوده که در آن از روش نمونه گیری قضاوتی و گلوله برفی استفاده شده است. در مرحله دوم با رویکرد کمّی پرسشنامه محقق ساخته، روش نگاشت شناختی-فازی و روابط بین چالش ها تحلیل و سناریونگاری شد. نمونه آماری این مرحله 10 نفر از خبرگان دردسترس بوده است. نتایج نشان داد که 15 چالش در سه سطح کلی «چالش های درون سازمانی»، «موانع محیطی» و «مسائل سمت مشتری» وجود دارد. چالش های نبود ارتباطات اثربخش بین برند و مشتری، برند کارفرمایی ضعیف و عدم نگرش و همسویی استراتژیک در تمامی سناریوهای روبه عقب وجود داشته است؛ بنابراین این چالش ها در خلق هم آفرینی برند مشتری اهمیت فراوانی دارند. مشکلات فرهنگی جامعه مستقل ترین چالش در سناریوهای روبه جلو بوده است. برند کارفرمایی ضعیف و فرهنگ سازمانیِ بسته دو چالشی است که در تمامی سناریوهای روبه جلو وجود داشته است؛ بنابراین این چالش ها در خلق هم آفرینی برند مشتری اهمیت فراوانی دارند. تحلیل هر دو دسته سناریو بیانگر اهمیت بسیار زیاد چالش برند کارفرمایی ضعیف است. در پایان، در این پژوهش برای مقابله با چالش های احتمالی 16 راهبرد در سه سطح «آماده سازی سازمان برای حرکت به سمت هم آفرینی»، «کاهش تأثیر موانع محیطی و خارج از کنترل سازمان» و «ترغیب مشتری برای بروز رفتار هم آفرینی برند» پیشنهاد شد.Modeling and Scenario Analysis of Customer Brand Co-Creation Behavior Challenges: An Analysis of Coping Strategies
Customer brand co-creation behavior plays a crucial role in effective branding. However, previous research has not thoroughly explored the challenges associated with fostering this behavior or the strategies for overcoming them. This study aimed to identify these challenges, analyze their interrelationships, and propose actionable strategies. Conducted in 3 phases, the research involved a population of academic experts and professionals in the e-commerce industry, utilizing judgmental and snowball sampling methods. In the first and third phases, qualitative approaches—including semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis—were employed to identify challenges and strategies. The second phase utilized a quantitative approach, incorporating a researcher-designed questionnaire and fuzzy cognitive mapping to analyze the relationships among the identified challenges and create scenarios. The findings revealed 15 challenges categorized into 3 general levels: "internal organizational challenges", "environmental obstacles", and "customer-related issues". Notably, challenges, such as ineffective communication between brands and customers, a weak employer brand, and a lack of strategic alignment, were prominent across all backward scenarios, underscoring their significance. Conversely, cultural issues within society emerged as the most independent challenges in forward scenarios. Additionally, weak corporate branding and a closed organizational culture were present in all forward scenarios, highlighting their critical importance. The analysis of both scenarios emphasized the significant impact of the weak employer brand challenge. To address these potential obstacles, the study proposed 16 strategies organized into 3 key levels: "preparing the organization for co-creation", "mitigating the effects of external environmental obstacles", and "encouraging customer engagement in brand co-creation".IntroductionCustomer brand co-creation behavior encompasses voluntary actions that contribute to the growth and development of a brand by its customers. This behavior stems from a modern perspective on experience-oriented and experiential marketing, which aims to transform brand value into a tangible reality. The rapid pace of digitalization, along with its impact on business, swift exchange of information through the internet and social networks, emergence of numerous startups in the digital sector, heightened competition among firms, and the low cost of brand switching by customers, have all elevated customer brand co-creation behavior to a prominent topic in the digital business landscape.To date, there has been no research focused specifically on the challenges associated with fostering customer brand co-creation behavior. Thus, the first research question was: What are the challenges of creating customer brand co-creation behavior in digital and online businesses in Iran? Understanding and analyzing a range of factors is crucial for informing managerial decisions, especially when the relationships among these factors are examined to identify which are most fundamental and should be prioritized. Consequently, the second research question was: What is the model of challenges for creating this behavior in digital businesses in Iran? Once these challenges are modeled, it is important to identify various scenarios that can be analyzed in relation to these challenges to facilitate better decision-making. Therefore, the third question was: What are the scenarios for the challenges of brand co-creation behavior in digital and online businesses in Iran? To effectively address these challenges, organizations must adopt appropriate strategies; without this, overcoming the obstacles will prove difficult. In the context of customer brand co-creation behavior, it is essential to identify strategies that can mitigate these challenges. Thus, the fourth research question was: What are the strategies for overcoming the challenges of creating customer brand co-creation behavior in digital and online businesses in Iran?The objective of this paper was to identify, model, and create scenarios for the challenges of customer brand co-creation behavior, ultimately providing coping strategies to address these challenges. This research aimed to enhance understanding of customer brand co-creation behavior and identify measures that encourage greater customer participation in this interactive process.Materials & MethodsThis study employed a mixed-methods approach. In the qualitative phase, we identified and analyzed the challenges associated with fostering customer brand co-creation behavior, as well as the strategies proposed to overcome these challenges and enhance customer participation. This analysis was conducted through thematic coding of semi-structured interviews with 30 academic experts and professionals actively engaged in digital businesses. In the quantitative phase, we explored the relationships among the identified challenges using a researcher-developed questionnaire, which was completed by 10 experts.The challenges identified were modeled using fuzzy cognitive mapping, which facilitated a relative understanding of the interrelationships among the challenges, helping to determine their sequence and ultimately improve performance. Additionally, scenario planning was employed to create forward and backward scenarios for a more comprehensive analysis of the model. For data analysis, we utilized FCMapper and Pajek software, both powerful tools for network analysis and system modeling. These programs assisted in identifying and analyzing complex relationships between variables. In the backward scenarios, the analysis began by selecting the most dependent variables. Each variable was examined individually and its impact on the dependent variable was assessed. By setting each influencing factor to zero, we could determine its effect on the dependent variable. This process continued until a loop was created (indicating interdependence among variables) or until no variable influenced the selected variable. In the forward scenarios, we first identified the influential variables and then selected the factors they affected. Similar to the backward analysis, the independent variable was set to zero to evaluate its impact on the dependent variables. This procedure continued until a loop was formed or the selected dependent variable ceased to influence any other variable.Research FindingsThe thematic analysis revealed 15 challenges categorized into 3 main levels: intra-organizational challenges, environmental obstacles, and customer-side issues. Intra-organizational challenges included lack of strategic alignment within the organization, closed organizational culture, weak employer brand, limited resources, and hardware and software issues, absence of specialized skills and knowledge, and lack of strong branding. Environmental obstacles encompassed difficult competitive conditions, regulatory and legal issues, and social and cultural problems within society. The customer-side issues identified here included lack of customer knowledge, insufficient motivation among customers to engage with the brand, internal resistance from customers, weak brand perception in the customer’s mind, and ineffective communication between the brand and the customer.Notably, the challenges of ineffective communication between the brand and customer, weak employer brand, and lack of strategic alignment were present in all backward scenarios, highlighting their significance.In forward-looking scenarios, social and cultural problems emerged as the most independent challenge. Additionally, weak employer brand and closed organizational culture appeared in all forward scenarios, underscoring their critical importance. The analysis of both scenarios emphasized the significant impact of the weak employer brand challenge.To address these challenges, 16 coping strategies were proposed, which were categorized into 3 levels: 1) preparing the organization for a transition toward co-creation; 2) mitigating the effects of major environmental obstacles beyond the organization’s control; and 3) encouraging customers to engage in brand co-creation behavior.Discussion of Results & ConclusionThe digital transformation of business coupled with the widespread use of social networks compels companies to prioritize customer brand co-creation behavior. As a result, organizations are increasingly focused on identifying and addressing the challenges associated with fostering this behavior. Among these challenges, "weak employer branding" has emerged as a primary concern. To address this issue, organizations must cultivate an attractive work environment characterized by respect, trust, and a strong emphasis on employee’s well-being. Effective human resource management will be crucial in strengthening the employer brand.By identifying and implementing the proposed coping strategies, managers and decision-makers can effectively navigate challenges based on their specific organizational contexts, thereby minimizing their impact. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights for companies and researchers seeking to understand the formation and development of customer brand co-creation behavior.Given the significance of employer branding, further research is warranted to explore its antecedents, consequences, and strategies for enhancement. Additionally, developing a roadmap based on the strategies outlined in this paper could serve as a more precise guide for managers, making it a recommendation for future research.The focus of this study on digital businesses underscored their increasing importance in today's marketplace. Considering the challenges associated with brand co-creation behavior, it is advisable for future studies to examine various industries and business environments to enrich the existing literature and enhance understanding of the challenges and opportunities present.Moreover, while this research has identified general strategies for overcoming potential challenges, future investigations should target each specific challenge and develop tailored strategies to address them. This approach could yield practical and effective solutions, allowing businesses to respond more effectively to their unique needs and challenges. Ultimately, expanding the literature on this topic and concentrating on specific challenges will strengthen brand co-creation behavior and pave the way for greater success in digital businesses moving forward.
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