The factors influencing consumers' perceived complexity of online apparel mass customization service usage

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Mass customization is a marketing strategy to meet consumer needs for variation and uniqueness of products. Although there are quite a few studies quantitatively investigated the options provided by mass customization process, scholarly work related to mass customization has provided mixed results on consumer perception of complexity and their responses. The purpose of the study is to derive the factors that influence consumer complexity perception in online apparel mass customization process and consumers' needs to enhance mass customization services. Data were collected by conducting focus group interviews of which 29 participations in 4 groups. The results of the study suggested that consumers perceived complexity through mass customization process due to too many choice options. However, the effect of number of options on respondents’ complexity perception was different depending on consumer characteristics such as consumer expertise and fashion involvement, and the characteristics of consumer preference development. Shopping context such as shopping purpose is another moderating factor. This study also suggests that a variety of marketing strategies which can enhance mass customization services affect the relationship between the number of options and consumers’ complexity perception. The findings of the study provide academic and managerial implications.

참고문헌 (Reference)

1 Randall, T., "Zifrser design of customized products" 26 (26): 268-280, 2007

2 Ong, S. K., "Web-based configuration design system for product customization" 44 (44): 351-382, 2006

3 Huffman, C., "Variety for sale: mass customization or mass confusion?" 74 (74): 491-513, 1998

4 Kramer, T., "The effect of measurement task transparency on preference construction and evaluatios of personalized recommendations" 44 (44): 224-233, 2007

5 McFadden, D., "The choice theory approach to market research" 5 (5): 275-298, 1986

6 Franke, N., "Testing the value of customization: When do customers really prefer products tailored to their preferences?" 73 (73): 103-121, 2009

7 Yang, S. J., "Study on the reverse marketing in digital environments: focused on the customer participation" Seoul National University 2005

8 Gordon, J. H., "Relationship marketing effectiveness : The role of involvement" 15 (15): 443-459, 1998

9 Parasuraman, A., "Reassessment of expectations as a comparison standard in measuring service quality : Implications for further research" 58 (58): 111-124, 1994

10 Greenleaf, E. A., "Reasons for substantial delay in consumer decision making" 22 (22): 186-199, 1995

11 Zaichkowisky, J. L., "Measuring the involvement construct" 12 (12): 341-352, 1985

12 Frank, T. P., "Mass customization: reflections on the state of the concept" 26 (26): 578-599, 2004

13 Kamali, N., "Mass customization: On-line consumer involvement in product design" Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication

14 Piller, F. T., "Mass customization news: A newsletter on mass customization, personalization and customer integration" TUM Research Center on Mass Customization & Customer Integration

15 Silveira, G. D., "Mass customization : Literature review and research directions" 72 (72): 1-13, 2001

16 Dellaert, B. G. C., "Marketing mass-customized products : Striking a balance between utility and complexity" 42 (42): 219-227, 2005

17 Pine, B. J. J., "Making mass customization work" 71 (71): 109-119, 1993

18 Ranganathan, C., "Key dimensions of business to consumer web sites" 39 (39): 457-465, 2002

19 Hobday, M., "Innovation in complex products and system" 29 (29): 793-804, 2000

20 Fiore, A. M., "Individual differences, motivations, and willingness to use a mass customization option for fashion products" 38 (38): 835-849, 2004

21 Bardakci, A., "How “Ready” are customers for mass customization? an exploratory investigation" 38 (38): 1396-1416, 2004

22 Goodman, J. K., "Help or hinder? When recommendation signage expands consideration sets and heightens decision difficulty" 2012

23 Johnson, E. J., "Effort and accuracy in choice" 31 (31): 395-414, 1985

24 Valenzuela, A., "Effects of preference elicitation task on consumer reactions to product customization" 31 : 685-688, 2004

25 Ansari, A., "E-customization" 40 : 131-145, 2003

26 Piller, F. T., "Does mass customization pay? An economic approach to evaluate customer integration" 15 (15): 435-444, 2004

27 Pine, B. J., "Do you want to keep your customers forever" 103-115, 1995

28 Simonson, I., "Determinants of customers’ responses to customized offers : Conceptual framework and research propositions" 69 (69): 32-45, 2005

29 Galbraith, J. R., "Designing complex organizations" Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc 1973

30 Godek, J., "Customization decision : The effects of perceived control and decomposition on evaluations" 31 (31): 686-, 2004

31 Salvador, F., "Cracking the code of mass customization" 50 (50): 70-79, 2009

32 Lee, H. H., "Consumer satisfaction with a mass customized Internet apparel shopping site" 35 (35): 316-329, 2011

33 Ulrich, P. V., "Consumer co-design of apparel for mass customization" 7 (7): 398-412, 2003

34 Engel, J. F., "Consumer behavior. 8th edition, The Dryden Press" Harcourt Brace College Publishers 1995

35 Dawidson, O., "Complexity perception-model development and analysis of two technical platform projects in the mobile phones industry" 3 (3): 493-512, 2004

36 Blecker, T., "Complexity and variety in mass customization systems. Analysis and recommendations" 44 (44): 908-929, 2006

37 Wang, Q., "Complexity and the functions of the firms: Breadth and depth" 29 (29): 805-818, 2000

38 Mills, P. K., "Clients as partial employees of service organizations : role development in client participation" 11 (11): 726-735, 1986

39 Schrader, S., "Choice over uncertainty and ambiguity in technical problem solving" 10 (10): 73-99, 1993

40 Bei, L. T., "An integrated model for the effects of perceived product, perceived service quality, and perceived price fairness on consumer satisfaction and loyalty. Journal of Consumer Satisfaction" 14 : 125-140, 2001

41 Zhang, Y., "An associative classification-based recommendation system for personalization in B2C e-commerce applications" 33 (33): 357-367, 2007

42 Tversky, A., "Advances in prospect theory : Cumulative representation of uncertainty" 5 (5): 297-323, 1992

43 Suk, J., "A study on incongruity of schema and its involvement levels that influence product evaluation during cognitive categorization process" Sookmyung Women’s University 1996

44 Bettman, J. R., "A componential analysis of cognitive effort in choice" 45 (45): 111-140, 1990