| New products, services, practices, and ideas are the innovations that separate one firm's offerings from its competitors and generate competitive advantage. However, many of these innovations require large investments and significant risk for the innovating organization. One area that has seen a significant number of high technology innovations in recent years has been electronic commerce-based customer service within the supply chain. Whether between manufacturers and manufacturers, manufacturers and wholesalers, wholesalers and retailers, service providers and affiliates, or consumers and retailers, these technologies have created the potential for efficient, 24/7 information linkages between supply chain partners around the globe.; In this research, a small insurance firm in the southeast offered a new, commerce-based customer service product to its dental service providers. This research covers the evolution of a longitudinal field experiment to determine the variables that contribute not only to the attitude for adoption, but also to the action of adoption. Two databases are used in the research. The first contains profile data for the entire population of dentists in the State of Alabama. The second includes data collected through a survey prior to the launch of the web page.; There are three objects of the research. First, a model of adoption for the internet-based customer service site in a service-industry marketing channel is developed. Second, the contributing factors that delineate innovators, early adopters, and early majority adopters from one another are determined. Third, and finally, the effects of the marketing activities by the offering firm are explored as treatments in regards to the timing of adoption. The use of graphical analysis, independent sample testing, discriminant analysis, and hazard modeling are used to investigate the questions set forth in the research.; The results of the field experiment and analysis confirm prior research that company size; inter-company relationships; a predisposition to adopt; and supplier marketing activities, such as advertising, contribute to the action of adoption. The confirmation of this prior research should help managers develop stronger implementation plans for electronic commerce-based customer service initiatives. |
