Abstract/Summary

This study explores the role of the architectural design choices (modular vs. integral) and their role in shaping customer perceptions. To investigate their role, this thesis draws on literature from service operations management, marketing and psychology and developed a conceptual model that hypothesised 1) modularity provides a higher level of customer experience compared to integrality, 2) that perception of control mediates the relationship between service architecture and customer experience, with the effect higher for modularity than integrality, and 3) that task complexity moderates the relationship between service architecture and perceived control such that the higher the complexity, the weaker the effect between service architecture and perceived control and that this effect is more profound for integrality than modularity. To test the hypothesis, a 2x2 scenario-based experimental design based on a fictitious museum was developed and tested on a sample of 1000 participants. The results were analysed using PROCESS macro. For all four scenarios, the analysis revealed modularity had a more positive relationship with customer experience than integrality. The strength of this relationship increased for modularity when considering perception of control as a mediating variable, suggesting the design characteristics of modularity gave customers a greater perception of control over the design and outcome of their experience when compared to integral journeys. Finally, the analysis revealed that while high task complexity weakened the perception of control, modularity retains a greater perception of control compared to integrality. This thesis contributes by finding the unique role of modularity in shaping customer perceptions of a service. Most notably, the findings demonstrate the importance of architectural design choices in experimental services, and how the choice and given level of task complexity can influence customers perception of control and overall enjoyment of the service.