THE ANTECEDENTS OF CO-PRODUCTION: MEDICAL SERVICES PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Co-production is recognised in service marketing literatures and has proven that it can improve organisation’s productivity, increase competitiveness, and enhance customer loyalty and satisfaction. However, there are only a few empirical studies that have examined the antecedence of co-production, especially in medical services. In a competitive environment, service providers compete with each other. Studies have found that a closer relationship between customers and the organisation does not only enhance the relationship between customers and organisation, but also increase the competitive advantage to enable a more profitable relationship. Therefore, the present study aims to identify the factors (affective commitment, communications, interaction justice, and patient expertise) that can effectively enhance customer co-production. Survey questionnaires were distributed and the surveyed data were analysed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach. The empirical results support that interaction justice, communication, and patient’s expertise may increase the level of coproduction. It is also suggested that interaction justice is significantly and positively associated with co-production. Limitations and future research directions are also discussed.