Options
Johanna Hasenmaile-Aspin
Former Member
Last Name
Hasenmaile-Aspin
First name
Johanna
Email
johanna.hasenmaile@unisg.ch
Now showing
1 - 1 of 1
-
PublicationConsumers Decision-Making and Satisfaction in the Center of Mass Customization Systems in the Automotive IndustryMass customization is becoming omnipresent. Today, consumers can customize their cars, computers, cereals, or sneakers online based on their individual preferences. However, depending on the product category, such configuration processes may become quite complex, confusing, and frustrating - especially in the automotive industry, where consumers often have hundreds of options with various, not always self-explanatory, feature names to choose from. This dissertation explores how choice architecture, feature names, and social product configurators influence consumers decision-making and satisfaction in mass customization systems of the automotive industry. This dissertation formulates recommendations on how firms can optimize their product configurators by placing consumers and their needs (back) at the center of customization. It consists of three stand-alone articles, following qualitative and quantitative research designs. Article I examines so-called needs-based configurators, a new type of product configurator that analyzes consumers product-related needs and creates analysis-based automated product suggestions. The article investigates how needs-based configurators may be designed to refocus attention on consumers experience and their needs. Article II explores the names of product features (e.g., for packages or lights), which are becoming more sophisticated (e.g., Plaid), more acronymic (e.g., PDLS), and less descriptive in the automotive industry. It categorizes current feature names and analyzes their impact on consumers decision-making. Further, it outlines specific qualities that feature names should comprise to be perceived as beneficial by consumers. Article III investigates electronic word of mouth and narcissism in a new form of mass customization systems: social product configurators. These allow consumers to receive peer feedback on their customized product (e.g., a car) in a social network. This article focuses on how narcissistic communication influences other consumers decision-making and satisfaction in social product configurators.Type: doctoral thesis