Suchergebnisse

Purpose
This study aims to investigate account managers' dual embeddedness (customer and internal embeddedness) in solution co-creation. The authors examine the mediating role of two-way matching between suppliers and customers and the moderating role of customer requirement complexity.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors use a questionnaire to collect data from 566 account managers of supplier companies in China and conduct hypothesis testing through multiple linear regression analysis and bootstrapping.

Findings
The findings demonstrate that customer and internal embeddedness are distinct with different dimensions and are positively related to solution co-creation performance. Customer and internal embeddedness affect solution co-creation performance through two-way matching in the customer requirement definition and solution integration phases, respectively. The interaction term of customer and internal embeddedness indirectly affect solution co-creation performance through two-way matching, and customer requirement complexity strengthens this main effect.

Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to examine dual embeddedness at the individual level and distinguish between the customer and internal embeddedness of account managers by different dimensional classifications. The authors clarify the difference and relationship between customer and internal embeddedness in solution co-creation and investigate the mediating and moderating roles of two-way matching and customer requirement complexity, respectively. This study expands the theoretical research on social embeddedness theory and business-to-business solutions and provides useful insights into the solution co-creation practice for account managers and suppliers.

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine supplier–customer capabilities in solution co-creation and how they are matched from a relational process perspective.


Design/methodology/approach
Using a qualitative approach, the authors identified 20 sets of supplier–customer capability matches by conducting in-depth interviews with 34 matched informants and retrieving suppliers' archival data (project documents and success stories).


Findings
The authors identified 20 capability matching sets (21 supplier and 23 customer capabilities) and developed a process-based model of bilateral capabilities that match at the organizational level in solution co-creation. The authors reveal their match forms (complementarity and compatibility) and offer suggestions for future research.


Research limitations/implications
This paper is qualitative; quantitative studies are required for testing and extending the initial conclusions.


Practical implications
This study guides the supplier and customer to cultivate different capabilities at different stages of solution co-creation and alerts them to the importance of capability complementarity and compatibility.


Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to introduce the bilateral perspective into dynamic capability research in the context of solution co-creation. The authors discuss the abilities the supplier and customer must possess at different stages and how they match dynamically. The analysis extends the research on solution-specific capabilities and dynamic matching, offering useful implications for solution co-creation in practice.