Creating Value-In-Use in B2b Markets: the Role of Customer Resource Integration Readiness

This study explores the role of customer employees’ cognitive and motivational conditions - summarized as customer resource integration readiness - that are required for value-in-use creation in business markets. In addition, customer development efforts are investigated as means on how suppliers can support their customers’ resource integration process. Drawing from Service (Dominant) Logic, buying center and customer socialization literature, we propose a conceptual model aiming at explaining the relationship between customer development efforts, customer resource integration readiness and value-in-use creation on an individual and collective level. Accordingly, two research areas are identified and subsequent suggestions made for future empirical investigation.