EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF CUSTOMER PARTICIPATION ON THE INNOVATION PERFORMANCE OF TOURISM CULTURAL AND CREATIVE PRODUCTS
Abstract
In the dynamic tourism industry, innovation is critical for competitiveness. This study addresses the dearth of research on internalizing external knowledge in Chinese tourism enterprises. With a focus on the integration of cultural and creative industries with tourism, the study explores the relationship between customer participation, knowledge co-creation, absorptive capacity, and innovation performance in domestic tourism cultural and creative enterprises. This research investigates how customer participation and knowledge co-creation impact the absorptive capacity and innovative performance of Chinese tourism cultural and creative enterprises. By examining these factors at the organizational level, the study aims to uncover their collective influence on innovation in the evolving cultural and creative tourism sector. Targeting tourism cultural and creative enterprises in Inner Mongolia, Beijing, and Hebei Province, 495 valid responses from middle and senior managers were analyzed using Structural Equation Model (SEM). The study employs both visit surveys and electronic questionnaires to ensure a comprehensive understanding of customer participation, knowledge co-creation, absorptive capacity, and innovation performance. The study reveals a positive impact of customer participation on knowledge co-creation, with varied dimensions of customer participation influencing knowledge co-creation differently. However, direct effects of customer participation on innovation performance are not significant. Knowledge co-creation itself does not directly impact innovation performance; instead, absorptive capacity plays a pivotal role in mediating this relationship. This research contributes nuanced insights into innovation dynamics within Chinese tourism cultural and creative enterprises. By highlighting the crucial role of absorptive capacity in translating co-created knowledge into tangible innovations, the study provides valuable guidance for practitioners and policymakers navigating the intersection of cultural and creative industries with the tourism sector. The findings align with national policies promoting the synergistic development of culture and the tourism industry, fostering a deeper understanding of innovation in this evolving landscape.
Customer Participation, Knowledge Co-Creation, Absorptive Capacity, Tourism Cultural and Creative Products, Innovative Performance.