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Co-Creation and Customer Patronage of Industrial Products: Evidence from South-South Nigeria

Anyahie A. Azunwo, Bright E. Wilson

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of co-creation on customer patronage of industrial products in South-South Nigeria. Three dimensions of co-creation—customer collaboration, knowledge integration, and joint problem-solving—were examined in relation to their effects on customer patronage. Grounded in the Service-Dominant Logic framework, a cross-sectional survey design was employed, with primary data gathered from 240 industrial buyers operating in manufacturing, oil and gas, and construction sectors in Rivers State. Data were analysed using simple linear regression via SPSS Version 26. Findings revealed that each co-creation dimension exerted a statistically significant positive effect on customer patronage: customer collaboration (β = 0.612, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.464), knowledge integration (β = 0.589, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.432), and joint problem-solving (β = 0.571, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.413). The study concludes that industrial firms that institutionalize co-creation practices can secure and sustain superior levels of customer patronage. Recommendations include the establishment of dedicated co-creation units, investment in digital collaboration platforms, and the incorporation of co-creation metrics into organizational performance frameworks.

Keywords

Co-CreationCustomer PatronageIndustrial ProductsCustomer CollaborationKnowledge IntegrationService-Dominant Logic

References

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