A Model of Post-Installation Seller-Buyer Interactions in Technology-Based Industrial Markets: An Abstract

While extant research has devoted considerable attention to seller-buyer relationships during the development sub-phase, the implementation sub-phase has received considerably less attention. In particular, the study of post-installation interactions has been very limited. Seller-buyer interactions during the post-installation phase can facilitate marketplace success by generating positive word-of-mouth effects which hastens the diffusion process (Hoyer et al. 2010). For example, Gertler (1995) advises sellers to seek post-installation feedback in order to address buyers’ operational problems with the innovation. Proactive interactions initiated by sellers with buyers after the sale lead not only to favorable buyer-level outcomes (e.g., customer satisfaction) but also seller-level outcomes like greater innovativeness and higher new product success rates (Challagalla et al. 2009). DeBruicker and Summe (1985) note that after buyers become familiar with an innovation, they often request additional features and capabilities. Therefore, sellers who seek product-related input after installation are well positioned to develop product upgrades (Meyers and Athaide 1991). Such upgrades can increase a buyer’s dependence on the seller by providing enhanced benefits (Scheer et al. 2010) and building switching costs (Ganesan 1994). Against this background, we investigate the determinants of sellers’ post-installation knowledge generation through interactions with buyers and the effect of such interactions on expectations of relationship continuity.