Principles, methods, contributions, and limitations of design science research in marketing: Illustrative application to customer journey management

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to present the principles, application methods, contributions, and limitations of the design science research methodology (DSRM), a research strategy based on design science research (DSR). After presenting the principles of DSRM, we show how to use this method by applying it to the problem of customer journey management. We make practical recommendations for applying the method, and discuss its contributions and limitations. By presenting a method that meets the requirements of both rigor and relevance, this article contributes to the renewal of research methods used in our discipline.

Customer journey management capability in business-to-business markets: Its bright and dark sides and overall impact on firm performance

“…Specifically, value anchoring involves the formation of value-creating strategic responses to managing touchpoints in B2B CJs, such as the specification of cost reduction or benefits generation. As "strategies only result in superior returns for an organization when they are implemented successfully" (Noble & Mokwa, 1999, p. 57), suppliers must constantly align their resources with strategic goals to foster value anchoring of touchpoints' implementation success (Jacob et al, 2021). In this context, consistency and internal integration are critical to realizing the value-creating potential of value-anchored touchpoints.…”