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Managing customer switching costs: A framework for competing in the networked environment

Author

Listed:
  • Hess, Mike

    (IESE Business School)

  • Ricart, Joan E.

    (IESE Business School)

Abstract

Previous research argues that customer switching costs play an important role in the firm 's ability to retain customers and achieve competitive advantage.Research also indicates that in the increasingly networked environment,switching costs are changing in important ways.Despite switching costs 'recognized role in contributing to competitive advantage and their increasingly strategic characteristics in the expanding networked environment,we find a lack of coherence and completeness in the conceptual tools and models developed to understand their role and help effectively manage the phenomenon.In this paper we attempt to address these needs by expanding and refining the conceptualization of switching costs and developing a more comprehensive framework for managers.

Suggested Citation

  • Hess, Mike & Ricart, Joan E., 2002. "Managing customer switching costs: A framework for competing in the networked environment," IESE Research Papers D/472, IESE Business School.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebg:iesewp:d-0472
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    File URL: http://www.iese.edu/research/pdfs/DI-0472-E.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Strategy; customer switching costs; framework;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M10 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - General
    • M19 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Other

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