Value-added path of service-oriented manufacturing based on structural equation model: the case of electric car rental for instance

Abstract

Electric cars foreshadow the future direction of the automotive industry owing to its great potential for environment protection. Electric car rental may be an effective mode to popularise the electric car, before the cost of the electric car can be reduced substantially. To provide the electric car rental service well, the company must understand how consumers value renting an electric car and what they consider to be value-added, which is the main objective of the research. First, the concepts of customer participation (CP), service quality (SERVQUAL) and customer value (CV) are identified. Then, the value-added path structural equation is constructed by exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis. Use path coefficient and standard factor loading to identify the value-added paths and key factors in the electric car rental. The results show that CP will improve customer satisfaction and the post-purchase intentions, through the improvements of SERVQUAL and CV and thus realising the added value of the path.

Keywords:

• service-oriented manufacturing
• value-added path
• customer participation
• electric car rental
• structural equation model

Funding

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 70932004].