The Social Side of Consumerism

Abstract

In the old consumerism paradigm there has been a clear cut distinction between business organizations (producers) and customers (consumers). The advent of Social Software Platforms (SSP), such as online social networks, is destabilizing this duality. SSP provide business organizations with the infrastructure to extend beyond organizational boundaries and establish network ties with their customers with the purpose to include the customer in the value creation process. The chapter reports on the findings of a mixed-methods study. The study describes how major German airports profit economically from online consumerism, i.e. collaborative conversation with passengers, while focusing on the SSP Facebook. The second purpose of the chapter is to model and test the relationship between socio-psychological human need satisfaction of passengers and their engagement level on the corporate Facebook pages of airports. Finally, the chapter offers recommendations for airport managers how to further foster passenger engagement on SSP and embrace online consumerism for economic benefit.