Effects of technology adoption on mass customization ability of broad and narrow market firms

Abstract

Despite the increasing number of mass customization (MC) studies in the literature and practice, two research gaps still remain. First, there is a lack of empirical studies to test predicted theoretical relationships between MC strategic, technical, and performance aspects (Tu et al., 2001). Second, there is limited understanding about the role of technology, including information technology in MC systems (Åhlström and Westbrook, 1999). This paper investigates the effects of technology adoption on the MC ability of 315 manufacturers of metal products, machinery, and equipment with either narrow or broad strategic market scope. The results suggest that different technologies have different effects on the MC dimensions of product capability and productivity, and that this effect is determined by the market scope of the firm.