Service Categories and Customer Benefit Expectations: Empirical Insights from China
(A2019-9776)

AUTHORS

Michael Wüst, University of Technology Ilmenau; Anja Geigenmüller, TU Ilmenau

KEYWORDS

Service category; Consumer choice; Behavioral intention

ABSTRACT

The more marketers understand which characteristics and benefits of these categories customers value, the better they understand customer choices regarding particular service products and brands. Alternative consumption modes, also labeled the “sharing economy” created novel service categories. In our study we focus on the example of bike sharing to explore benefit expectations towards this category. We conducted an empirical study in China as one of the most dynamic markets for sharing services. Especially in China bike sharing systems have been widely introduced to respond to increasing environmental problems. Appealing to customers’ ethical or social motives, the use of these services should be fostered. Our results suggest that even though collective norms and value are of great importance in the Chinese culture, the choice of sharing services depends predominantly on the expectation of functional and hedonic benefits and, thus, on self-directed interests.