Customer Knowledge Acquisition in Omani Organizations

Abstract

Customer knowledge (CK) can empower organizations and improve their operational, innovative, and competitive performance. CK has been classified into three categories: knowledge for customers, knowledge about customers, and knowledge from customers. The literature has highlighted the importance of assessing the value of external CK in enabling organizations to obtain the support of top management. Very limited empirical studies have examined the specific impact of acquiring each type of CK. Consequently, the objective of this study is to empirically assess the impact of acquiring each type of CK. Based on an analysis of 41 organizations in Oman, this study detected that the overall acquisition of each type of customer knowledge has significant positive links with business process benefits, product benefits, customer benefits, and financial benefits, but a low significant positive link with employee benefits, and no significant link with market benefits. This study developed an integrated framework and measures to assess the value of acquiring different types of customer knowledge.